It was necessary to go verse by verse through Galatians (since I believe it is crucial to understanding the world of the New Testament), Romans (since everyone who will argue with my theology will do so from Romans), and eventually Hebrews (since it will help us understand atonement). I wanted to present my perspectives on those books without dodging passages or leaving anything out. But now, I’d like to pick up the pace as I survey the rest of Paul’s letters. Again, ignoring chronology, I’ll turn my sights next to the letters to the Corinthians.
A brief note on context would be wise. Corinth found itself as a major port city to the world of Greco-Asia. This centralized port location made Corinth a melting pot of culture. It was one of the most eclectic cities in the Roman empire. While this diversity makes it difficult to pin down absolute statements about Corinthian culture, we do know it was diverse in its people and its idolatry. While ancient Corinth appears to have chosen Poseidon as their god of choice, later Roman Corinth is much more complicated, which most would think was done to “meet the needs” of its diverse demographics.
We do know that Aphrodite rose to immense popularity in Corinth during the first century, along with many other goddesses (Hera, Athena, Artemis, and Demeter, to name a few). Corinth had quickly become one of the centers for goddess worship; with Aphrodite being chief among these, you can imagine how this led to rampant sexual immorality (picture the stereotype of Las Vegas, multiply that a few times over, and we’re getting close).
Needless to say, the main characteristic of the city of Corinth will be its diversity. This will show up all throughout the first letter to the Corinthians and it’s helpful to know where that’s rooted in historical context. Whether it’s the ethnic and racial diversity, the many different idolatrous practices and sexual immorality, or even just the immense variety of vocational pursuits, this will create a culture that is searching for identity and using their identity to be distinct. This will become a massive challenge to a group of believers who are trying to show the world a “blended family” built on unity and acceptance.
This is the first thing I would point out about the first letter to Corinth. They are struggling with unity; they want to define themselves by what makes them unique, not by what holds them together. Consider some of these passages, beginning in chapter 1:
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?
This conversation continues for a couple more chapters, where Paul will write this in chapter 3:
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Consider then, if this is the theme of conversation, how this affects one of the very next things Paul says:
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
I can’t tell you how many times that passage has been used to hound the youth-group version of myself about the dangers of smoking, drinking, and sex. Didn’t I know that my body — Marty’s body — was a temple for the Holy Spirit? While the point may or may not be valid, let’s take time to correct this faulty exegesis. Paul says that they — and in this case, they is plural — are a temple for God’s Spirit. If they can’t find unity, they destroy the temple of God! They — plural — have to be unified so God can live in their community and work through them.
Imagine the scenario described in chapter 6 (I say “imagine” tongue-in-cheek):
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people 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! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
This disunity is ruining their body, their reputation, and the mission of God through them in Corinth. I find this message to be incredibly timely for our culture, as well, although when I read these words from Paul, I feel like the concept is so straightforward that if I try to elaborate on it, I ruin it. We ought to come to grips with the truth, but we just don’t want to follow these commands. This leads me to one other observation I will make about this disunity: it’s getting in the way of how they are able to receive instruction — even from the Apostles of Christ.
See chapter 4:
I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
In a theme that will come up again in 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses their arrogance and the disrespect they have for the work of the Apostles. They presume themselves to be teachers and apostles, and rather than receiving the instruction of Paul (and others), they go their own way.
Which is where this hits home for me. And not just for me, but for all of us.
It’s no secret to us that we have the “Corinthian Plague.” We find ourselves in a culture of immense diversity and we seek an identity of our own. This seeking of identity drives us to preserve that which makes us distinct from others, rather than drawing us together toward the same grace that should unite us. We have an immense disunity problem, whether it be in the form of trends, theological categories, denominational belief statements, genders, political parties…
We have a problem.
We cheat each other, take advantage of our brothers, and seek to hurt those who have hurt us — even within our own family of God! I have sat through far too many courtroom battles where both plaintiff and defendant claim to be a follower of Jesus. Even as I write that last statement, I have to read it again as I am incredulous to the fact that it would be true! And there are far too many times when we are shameless in this disheartening truth, plastering it on Facebook and announcing our self-righteous “identities” for all to see.
We’re ready to pick a fight with anybody who dares.
And for all of our love for Paul and all the ways we worship the parts of Pauline literature that fuel our systematic theologies, we sure don’t have a hard time kicking Paul’s imperative teachings to the curb on this one. And do we all know why? Because we are arrogant. We have no respect for the teachings of the Apostles except when it suits our doctrinal codes. We don’t actually want to love. We don’t actually want to listen to Paul. And we sure aren’t going to do what he says if we don’t like it — we’re Americans, after all. We don’t answer to anybody.
Which is something I can hear the Corinthians saying.
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