1 Corinthians 1 (6)

Pray Psalm 85.4-6.
Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
Will You not revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?

Sing Psalm 85.4-6.
(Lyons: O Worship the King)
Restore us, O God, renew us in peace,
and cause all Your wrath against us to cease.
Will You evermore all Your wrath to us show?
Revive us that we may Your joy again know.

Read 1 Corinthians 1.1-31; meditate on verses 26-31.

Prepare
1. What did Paul say about the Corinthians’ calling?

2. What are we supposed to “glory” in?

Meditation
Paul continued hammering away at the sin of division which had settled in the churches in Corinth. If they would but look at themselves honestly, they would agree that the categories they had created between the “wise” and the “foolish” had no true foundation, since “not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble are called” (v. 26). That is, Paul intimated, all the Corinthians are foolish and weak and base in the eyes of the world, even nothing at all (vv. 27, 28). So why were the Corinthian Christians embracing worldly attitudes toward one another? Could it be that they were still worldly at heart (a question that will thread implicitly through both these epistles, until Paul puts it to them directly at the end of 2 Corinthians)?

Paul was “telling it slant” here, leaving them to make the right conclusion, which was that, in their boasting in men, and putting one another down for the sake of men, they were not acting like the Body of Christ but like the unbelieving world from which they had been delivered. All believers are the beneficiaries of grace because nothing but grace can bring us to faith and salvation. Whatever their “worldly” status may have been, grace and salvation is the great leveler, so that now they should boast neither in their works nor in anybody else’s, but only in the Lord (v. 29). To continue as they were, divided and condemning one another, was to bring the world’s game into the church.

All believers share alike in wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. But not in Paul or Apollos or Cephas or anyone else. Only in Jesus Christ are we one in these great mysteries (v. 30). God has saved us for oneness in Jesus, that we shall always and only boast in the Lord. He will shame and “bring to nothing” those who judge others (vv. 27, 28). He calls us to glory in the Lord, not in our own views or works.

So let’s not play that game in the Body of Christ, whatsay?

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
“My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.”
“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (Jms. 2.1, 5)

There is absolutely no place for personal ego in the Christian walk. Why does the church honor one over another? Why is this person’s testimony more spectacular than another’s? Why is one person’s bank account more worthy to be honored than another’s? Why are personal appearances important at all? Why do we honor the world’s successful people over those more commonplace? Why, oh, why do we do this at all?

Ever wonder why there is a fear of going to church? 

Why don’t we honor those who are godly? Those who love? Those who are hospitable? Those who are faithful? Why don’t we admire those who, most of all, glory in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Don’t we understand that God chose:
Not many wise?
Not many mighty?
Not many noble? (1 Cor. 1.26)
In fact, God chose:
The foolish things
The weak things
The base things
The despised things
The things which are not (1 Cor. 1.27, 28).

God chose us.

And the reason He chose us is so that our only glory goes to Him. Never to ourselves. Never are we to think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Rom. 12.3).

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2.8, 9).

“Thus says the LORD:
‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I AM the LORD, exercising
Lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,’ says the LORD” (Jer. 9.23, 24).

Chosen only to know the LORD and to glory in Him.

For reflection
1. Salvation is by grace, because if it wasn’t, no one would be saved. Explain.

2. What does it mean for you to glory in understanding and knowing the Lord?

3. How can you know when the “world’s game” is creeping into your Christian life? What should you do then?

Paul’s intention is perfectly clear—to accost the pride of man, that no one should take glory in human works and that no one should glory in himself. Augustine (354-430), Predestination of the Saints 5.9

Pray Psalm 85.7-13.
Pray for revival in yourself, your church, and churches everywhere. Pray that God will set our focus on Jesus and not on things that divide us in His Body. Thank and praise Him for Jesus, Who has become wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption for all who believe in Him.

Sing Psalm 85.7-13.
(Lyons: O Worship the King)
LORD, show us Your love; restore us, we pray!
And help us to hear the words that You say.
Speak peace to Your people; in truth let us stand.
We fear You; let glory and grace fill our land.

In Jesus God’s grace and truth are combined;
both goodness and peace in Him do we find.
Truth springs from the earth as He walks in our midst,
and righteousness flows from the heav’ns as a gift.

The LORD by His grace will give what is good;
our land will produce abundance of food.
And righteousness will go before the LORD’s face,
and make of His footsteps a way in this place.

T. M. and Susie Moore

The Church in Corinth was in need of revival. But there was much to be done before that would happen. The Church today is in need of revival, and the same is true for us. Our book, Revived!, can help us to discern our need for revival and lead us in getting there. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available free by clicking here.