Corinth

Temple Baptist Church - 2-12-2025

1 Corinthians 1:1-3; Acts 18:1-11

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  The author of the book is the Apostle Paul. (1:1, 16:21).

 

B.  The place of he was writing from was. Ephesus. (16:8).

 

C.  The time of his writing.  Possible in the spring of 57 A.D., shortly before the Jewish feast of Pentecost (16:8), during his third missionary journey (Acts 19:1-41).

 

D.  Three things make the Corinthian Church stand out to me.

 

1.  The Carnality of the Corinthian Church.  Fifteen of the sixteen chapters were an open rebuke of said carnality!

 

2.  The Maturity of the Corinthian Church, found in 2 Corinthians, as they got the things that were wrong right.  They did not get mad, they got right!

 

3.  The Love that the great Apostle Paul had for this carnal church.  It was the only church epistle where Paul signed it this way: 

 

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  (24)  My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Corinthians 16:23-24) 

 

E.  To understand the carnal condition of this “baby” church, full of new converts,  we need to look at Corinth in Paul’s day.

 

F.  The Background of Corinth: Corinth was situated on the Isthmus of Greece (called Achaia in the Bible) between the Ionian Sea and the Aegean Sea, above the Mediterranean Sea. About 50 miles to the east was the city of Athens.

 

1.  Isthmus - a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land.

 

2.  This made Corinth possibly the most important trade city in its day. 

 

a)  Bridge between two major trade routes to the east because of the proximity of two seas to cross.

 

b)  A great port for trade ships as they could easily unload on one side and load on the other side of the isthmus, making trade goods easily accessible going east to west or west to east.

 

G.  The Corinth of Paul's day was relatively new. 

 

1.  The old Corinth (which was famous and powerful in the days of the Peloponnesian War) was burned in 146 B.C. by the Romans.  Because it was a city devoted to the gods, a hundred years were required to pass before the city could be rebuilt. 

 

2.  In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar rebuilt the city, populated it with a colony of veterans and freedmen, and named it Julia Corinthus.  It soon became a very important commercial center.

 

3. With a population of 400,000 and being a prominent center of commerce in the Mediterranean world, it was a place for all sorts of vice.  An example of its immorality was found in the temple of Venus (Aphrodite), which hosted 1000 priestesses dedicated to prostitution in the name of

religion. 

 

4.  The city's close proximity to the city of Athens probably added to the problem of intellectualism.  As noticed in the epistle, such an environment had its effect upon the church in Corinth.  It is amazing that a church existed at all in such a city.  Only God!

 

H.  The Background of the Church at Corinth:  The establishment of the church occurred during Paul's second missionary journey.  It is recorded by Luke in Acts 18:1-18, which can be divided into three sections:

 

1. Abiding with Aquila and Priscilla, fellow tentmakers; reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath (Acts 18:1-6).

 

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;  (2)  And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.  (3)  And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.  (4)  And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.  (5)  And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.  (6)  And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 

 

 

2. In the house of Justus, abiding there and teaching for a year and six months (Ac 18:7-11)

 

And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.  (8)  And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.  (9)  Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:  (10)  For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.  (11)  And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

          3) An incident before Gallio, proconsul of Achaia (Ac 18:12-18)

 

And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,  (13)  Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.  (14)  And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:  (15)  But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.  (16)  And he drave them from the judgment seat.  (17)  Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.  (18)  And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

 

J.  These newborn babes in Christ were adversely affected by the immoral environment and thus the church was affected.

 

K.  Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in order to correct sinful practices and to refute false doctrine.

 

1.  Chapter 1 - Paul dealt with division in the church.

2.  Chapter 2 - Paul dealt with Intellectualism.

3.  Chapter 3 - Paul dealt with carnality.

4.  Chapter 4 - Paul dealt with stewardship and faithfulness.

5.  Chapter 5 - Paul dealt with immorality.

6.  Chapter 6 - Paul dealt with lawsuits and the sanctity of the body.

7.  Chapter 7 - Paul dealt with family problems.  Marriage to widows.

8.  Chapter 8 - Paul dealt with offending the brethren.

9.  Chapter 9 - Paul dealt with taking care of God’s men.

10.  Chapter 10 – Paul dealt with tempting the Lord through sinfulness.

11.  Chapter 11 – Paul dealt with submission to authority.

12.  Chapter 12 – Paul dealt with ignorance concerning spiritual gifts.

13.  Chapter 13 – Paul dealt with brotherly love.

14.  Chapter 14 – Paul dealt with the misuse of tongues.

15.  Chapter 15 – Paul dealt with heresy concerning the resurrection.

16.  Chapter 16 – Paul dealt with problems concerning giving.

 

HOW DID THIS CHURCH GET SO WORLDLY?

 

1.  There was the problem with both the pulpit and the pew.

 

a.  Verse 1.  Paul establishes his position and authority.  “Paul, called to be an apostle”  One sent forth with orders – authority.  I don’t know who the pastor was, but there was a total breakdown of authority and godly example so necessary for the welfare of a church.  People learn by seeing and hearing.

 

b.  They had a pastor but evidently there was no authority - 1 Peter 5:2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

 

1)  He failed to take the oversight – to watch over and protect from sin and Satan.

 

2)  He failed to feed – to ground them in God’s Word.

 

3)  Or, they had a pastor, and they failed to listen to him - 1 Timothy 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

 

4)  I do not believe that it was the third option because when Paul wrote to them, they listened and responded.

 

5)  The key to the church’s success was the faithfulness of the pastor and pulpit.

 

6)  The pastor is to be first an example, then he can effectively preach to the congregation.

 

1 Corinthians 11:1   Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

 

2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 

2.  Therefore, there was a problem in The Church – vs. 2  “the church of God”  They were divided, suing one another, committing sin against one another and their own bodies, etc.

 

a.  In the Church we see unity instead of disunity – “church”  a called out assembly.  Called out of the world to worship and exhort one another.

 

John 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

 

b.  In the Church we see purpose - Matthew 28:19-20  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

          1)  To evangelize

 

          2)  To instruct

 

3.  We See The Conversion – vs. 2  “called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours”  Saints-a most holy thing - purity-service  Not called to go to heaven, but called to be saints.

 

a.  It was a changing conversion - Galatians 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

b.  It was a common conversion - Romans 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

 

Romans 10:12   For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.