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The Great Unifier

In the ancient world, the city of Corinth was large,


prosperous, ethnically diverse, and reckless in its
pursuit of pleasure. It was a thriving center for
sports, government, military, and business. You
might call it the "Las Vegas" of its day.
Romans used the Corinthians as the butt of dirty
jokes, and playwrights always portrayed them as
drunken brawlers. They even coined the Greek
verb "Corinthianize" which meant to live
shamelessly and immorally.

as their religious ideal. The temple built in her


honor was home to more than 1,000 prostitutes.
All of these influences made Corinth the one city
least likely to convert to the Christian faith. But to
everyone's surprise, the church Paul founded
there became one of the largest in the first
century.
Paul himself worked there for 18 months,
establishing the fledgling church and guiding
them in their faith.

The sprawling city of 700,000 was the center of


one of Rome's most vital trade routes, so it's no
surprise the Corinthians idolized money and the
material things it afforded them.

Several years later, however, the church had


broken out with a multitude of spiritual ills. This
distressing news prompted the letter known as
First CorinthiansPauls direct and forthright
advice to this troubled church.

In keeping with their loose, fun-loving culture, the


Corinthians adopted Venus, the goddess of love,

His letter forms a foundation for practical


Christian ethics, the underlying principles of

which still apply to problems within the church


today.
Before diving into the weighty task of addressing
the dissension plaguing the Corinthian church,
Paul begins by crediting their growth, testimony,
and gifts to God's grace and faithfulness.
He affirms their new identities in Christ with
phrases like "those sanctified in Christ Jesus,"
"called to be holy," and "called into fellowship
with...Christ Jesus." Regardless of the issues
dividing them, Paul points to Christ as the Great
Unifier!

Straw and Marble


Even today the church at large has a hard time
agreeing on things. But listen to Paul's words to
the Corinthians: "I appeal to you, brothers, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you
agree with one another so that there may be no
divisions among you and that you may be
perfectly united in mind and thought.1
Apparently Paul thought agreement and perfect
unity was possible among believers, otherwise he
wouldn't have encouraged it!
We don't hear Paul saying, "It's ok if some of you
believe and do one thing, and some of you
believe and do something different. Don't worry
about it, it'll work out."

Weaving worldly
wisdom, ideas, and
traditions into the
gospel divides us.
Clearly Paul is telling the Corinthians that this
type of division is worldly and immature.2 "Is
Christ divided?" he asks them.3

Paul laid the foundation for the Corinthian


church, but he warns them to be careful how they
build on it, for no one can lay any foundation
other than Jesus Christ.4
"Mixing the wisdom of men with the wisdom of
God in the work of building the church is like
using alternate layers of straw and marble in
building. Straw may be fine, it may have a place
(in the barn), but it is an inadequate building
material. In the same way, human wisdom and
fleshly attractions may have a place in life, but
not in the building of the church." (Guzik)
If we, the church, are weaving worldly wisdom,
ideas, and traditions into the gospel, we will
ultimately find ourselves divided.
But the word of God levels the playing field and
unites us together under the one truth we can all
agree uponthat we are sinners in need of a
Savior!
Paul implores the Corinthians to remember what
they were when they were called, and reminds
them that they no longer rely on the wisdom of
this age, which is coming to nothing, but the
wisdom that is from the Spirit.5
He even goes on to say that if anyone thinks
himself wise by the world's standards, he should
become a "fool" so that he may become wise.
Sound backwards?
In our current culture with its wealth of accessible
knowledge and education, the idea of becoming
a fool is rather off-putting. Surely to the
Corinthians this concept seemed just as strange.
But Scripture warns us to be careful not to be
deceived by fine sounding arguments and
deceptive philosophies.6 "For the wisdom of this
world is foolishness in God's sight.7
Thankfully God does not leave us to sort through
the mass of worldly facts and opinions on our
own. We have been given the mind of Christ!

So what does this mean? How do we exercise


spiritual discernment in our day-to-day lives?

The Foolishness of God


Paul recalls his first visit to Corinth saying, "I
came to you in weakness and fear, and with much
trembling. My message and my preaching were
not with wise and persuasive words, but with a
demonstration of the Spirit's power..."1

When we try to
interject human wisdom
into the gospel, we
empty it of its power.
Acts 16-18 gives us some insight into the
personal and ministerial crisis Paul was having at
the time.
After meeting with imprisonment, beatings, and
fanatical opposition in Phillippi, Thessalonica, and
Athens, Paul arrived in Corinth shaken and
discouraged.
His disheartening experiences fostered a resolve
to know nothing except Christ, and to preach the
gospel not with words of superior human wisdom
or eloquence "lest the cross of Christ be emptied
of its power.2
Let's pause on this verse for a moment. It appears
Paul is saying that when we try to interject human
wisdom into the gospel, we empty it of its power.
Therefore, it is possible to proclaim the gospel in
a way that makes it of no effect. What a sobering
notion! This danger was clearly on the apostle's
mind, and should be on ours as well.
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God.3

If the message of the cross is foolishness to those


who are perishing, it will always be foolish. No
amount of rhetoric or intellectual savvy is going
to make the gospel world-friendly.
It will, in fact, water down God's words to the
point where we begin to view them as nothing
more than some dusty old texts written by dead
men over 2,000 years ago.
However, to those of us who are being saved
that is, working out our salvation with fear and
trembling 4the message is the power of God.
Through His word, God works in us to will and to
act according to his good purposes!5 These
words, still very much alive and active, pierce to
heart and soul, cutting the tumor of sin out of our
lives even as it tries to take hold.6

Not everything in
Scripture is essential to
salvation, but all of
Scripture is essential to
obedience and
sanctification!
Psalm 19:7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple."
God's word resuscitates our souls. It moves us
away from death and toward life! And as we
submit ourselves to it in faith, we are made wise.
This is why the whole counsel of God is so very
important! Not everything in Scripture is essential
to salvation, but all of Scripture is essential to
obedience and sanctification!

If we miss this, if we are lax in considering the


whole counsel of God, then we aren't being fully
equipped to live God-honoring, fruitful lives.
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's
wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger
than man's strength.7
Christ is the wisdom and power of God.8 He is
God's message to mankind, and all of Scripture
points to him! Jesus is the Word made flesh.9

Our posture toward


the word of God is our
posture toward the
Savior himself!
Therefore, our posture toward the word of God is
our posture toward the Savior himself! If we
believe the Bible is insufficient, we believe Jesus
to be insufficient. If we view any portion of
Scripture as irrelevant, we're really saying Jesus is
irrelevant.
And if our approach to the application of
Scripture is that there are many ways and you can
do what seems best to you, then we're ignoring
Christ's words when he said, "I am the way and
the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.10
So then, exercising spiritual discernment starts
with being rooted and established in the word.
The Bible is our foundation for knowledge and
the means by which we know Jesus.
The more we wash our minds with the water of
the word, the more our thoughts will be
transformed to look like His.

Wisdom from the Spirit


There is a tendency to think that the smartest
people will know the most about God. But God
cannot be found through human wisdom.
"Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar?
Where is the philosopher of this age?" Paul asks.1
If worldly wisdom had any spiritual benefit, would
not these astute and well-informed types have
been first in line to accept the gospel of Christ?
As it is, the most educated people often have the
least regard for God. Human "wisdom"
constantly rejects and opposes Him, and in doing
so finds itself perishing.
Yet the message spoken among believers is
described as a "secret" wisdomone that is
revealed to us by the Spirit.2
It is important to recognize that the wisdom of
God is not a glorified, exponentially multiplied
human wisdom; it is another type of wisdom
entirely!
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are
your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My
ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts
than your thoughts,3 and, "No one knows the
thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.4
But here's the amazing thingwe have been
given the Spirit of God!
We have the communicator of God's thoughts
living within us: the Holy Spirit. His express
purpose is to be our guide into all truth,5 that we
may understand what God has freely given us.
And what has God freely given us? His Son Jesus,
and the revelation of His Word.

The Things of this Life


Now, having the mind of Christ does not mean
we have God "figured out." He is the Creator,

and we are the created. We must never place


ourselves on an even plane with God.
But God, in His infinite grace and mercy, has
given us all that we need for salvation, life, and
faith in the Scriptures.

We are spiritually
equipped to discern
and understand
everything God
requires us to know.
Having the mind of Christ means we are
spiritually equipped to discern and understand
everything God requires us to knowabout
Himself, about His Son, and about living our lives
as His chosen people.
Neither does having the mind of Christ mean that
we forsake all worldly knowledge by keeping our
brains in a sort of spiritual lockdown.
Proverbs 6:6 tells us, "Go to the ant, you
sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!" There is
wisdom to be gained from the world around us,
but we must remember to wrest all knowledge
through the lens of Scripture.
"The Bible claims to be the Word of God, and it
demonstrates this claim by making knowledge
possible. It is the standard of standards. The
proof of the Bible is that unless its truth is
presupposed, we couldnt prove anything at
all." (Dr. Jason Lisle)
Spiritual discernment is not a passive trait. It is an
active endeavor in which we engage with the
Holy Spirit to discern truth and to exercise
judgement. "The spiritual man makes judgments
about all things..."1

At first glance, this statement may seem a bit


contradictory in light of Jesus' words from the
Sermon on the Mount: "Do not judge, or you too
will be judged. For in the same way you judge
others, you too will be judged, and with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you.2
But let's take a closer look at the different
meanings of the word judge, and what Scripture
has to say about how we should or should not
judge others.
The Greek word for judgekrinocan mean to
distinguish between right and wrong, to approve
or condemn, or merely to think or be of a certain
opinion. (Strongs)
The Bible warns us against judgment that
esteems one type of person over another.3 It also
rebukes judgment that is harsh or condemning.4
Romans 14 tells us we should not judge those
who are "weak" in the faith. This may include
newer Christians who have just begun their walk
with Christ, or more seasoned Christians who
have been burdened by a legalistic past,
malnourished for lack of good teaching, or
languid from lack of proper exhortation.

Maturity should never


be a requirement for
entering into
fellowship.
The point is, maturity should never be a
requirement for entering into fellowship.
We are responsible, however, to discern between
weakness and rebelliousness, to distinguish right
from wrong. Christians are called to unconditional
love, not unconditional approval.

The command not to judge does not prohibit


examination, either of the self or of a brother or
sister in Christ. But we should be careful that our
judgment is completely fairthat is, we should
always hold ourselves to the same standard.

The Bible is our


standard; it makes
discernment possible.
The Bible is that standard; it makes discernment
possible. Allow me to use an illustration to further
clarify what biblical judgment and spiritual
discernment look like:
Imagine you and a group of friends are getting
ready to play a game of baseball. Let's say, for
the sake of the illustration, that one of your
friends has never played baseball before.
This person has no concept of the game, so
before you begin you must teach him how to
play. After laying out the ground rules in a clear,
understandable way, you start playing.
Now chances are your friend who has never
played baseball before is going to make some
mistakes. As the game progresses, you and the
others help him along, correcting him in a loving,
friendly manner that helps him grow in
knowledge about the sport and improve his
game.
This is a picture of a healthy churchencouraging
one another along in love and grace, not
hesitating to speak truth and correction in a way
that is edifying because we know we are all
playing by the same rules.
Let's take a moment to explore the opposite of
this scenario. Imagine that as you are playing
baseball, nobody is bothering to correct the
mistakes of your friend.

The team simply overlooks his errors out of a


false sense of tolerance. "Who are we to tell him
he's wrong?" you ask each other. Yet all the while
the team is suffering for the inaccuracy of one
player, and the player himself is not being
properly equipped to play the game.
This is what happens in an unhealthy church.
False tolerance in the name of love and grace is
not really tolerance at all.
It is intolerance in the sense that it does not allow
anyone to stand on the objective truth of the
word and say, "I love you, but what you're doing
is wrong."
This is exactly the state in which the Corinthian
church found itself. Chapter 5 tells us that Paul
had received reports of an immoral brother; a
man who was engaging in an ongoing sexual
relationship with his father's wife.
Rather than expelling this rebellious man from
among the congregation, the Corinthians were
actually so proud of themselves for being
"loving" and "tolerant" that they were boasting
about the situation.
Paul's instructions are solemn: Do not associate
with such people. Do not even eat with them.
Expel the wicked man from among you.5
He continues by saying, "Do you not know that
the saints will judge the world? And if you are to
judge the world, are you not competent to judge
trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge
angels? How much more the things of this life!6

The Most Excellent Way


And now I will show you the most excellent
way.1 Pauls intimate concern for the Corinthians
inspired some of his most notable writing,
specifically on the nature of love.
The love chapter, as 1 Corinthians 13 is
frequently called, is often quoted at weddings

and funerals. It probably contains some of the


most memorable verses in the Bible.
Pauls says that we may have many impressive
spiritual gifts and vast amounts of knowledge, we
may do many noble deeds and have a rock-solid
faith, but if we do not have love, than we are
nothing.2
Having the mind of Christ is never an excuse to
browbeat others with the word! We must always
exercise spiritual discernment in love, bearing
with one another and forgiving as Christ forgave
us.3
May we think of ourselves with sober judgment4
casting off any pride and conceitas we grow
in relationship with our Lord and Savior, and with
our brothers and sisters in the faith.
And may we never take lightly the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit, but keep in mind the great
responsibility that comes with such an
extravagant gift!

Straw and Marble

2. Matthew 7:12

1. 1 Corinthians 1:10, emphasis mine

3. James 2

2. 1 Corinthians 3:13

4. Mark 14

3. 1 Corinthians 1:13

5. 1 Corinthians 5:9, 11, 13

4. 1 Corinthians 3:11

6. 1 Corinthians 6:23, emphasis mine

5. 1 Corinthians 1:26, 2:6, 10

The Most Excellent Way

6. Colossians 2: 4,8

1. 1 Corinthians 12:31

7. 1 Corinthians 3:19

2. 1 Corinthians 13:13

The Foolishness of God

3. Colossians 3:13

1. 1 Corinthians 2:34

4. Romans 12:3

2. 1 Corinthians 1:17
3. 1 Corinthians 1:18
4. Philippians 2:12
5. Philippians 2:13
6. Hebrews 4:12
7. 1 Corinthians 1:25
8. 1 Corinthians 1:24
9. John 1:14
10. John 14:6
Wisdom from the Spirit
1. 1 Corinthians 1:20
2. 1 Corinthians 2:10
3. Isaiah 55:89
4. 1 Corinthians 2:11
5. John 16:13
The Things of this Life
1. 1 Corinthians 2:15

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