Take Two: 1 Corinthians 1, Proverbs 16

Sorry for no post yesterday. I picked up a bug somewhere...and was crashed on the couch for the entire day. Yes, I suffered through an entire day of college football. Did I feel guilty? Not so much! :)

I want to start 1 Corinthians today. If you can recognize the pattern, I am going back and forth between Old and New Testament during these reflections. It helps to balance my reading.

Chapter 1:1-9 contains the opening greeting which is pretty characteristic of letter writing in the day. Paul is the author and Sosthenes is his secretary (1 Cor 1:1). Paul gives thanks to God for them (i.e. the church at Corinth) because God showed grace and mercy toward them (1 Cor 1:4). Paul states his confidence in God's continuing work of sanctification in them (1 Cor 1:7-9). This is an important statement about the "journey" of the Christian life. None of us arrive on this side of heaven. We are all in process. I think this is a particularly appropriate statement since the church at Corinth is where we see "carnal" (worldly) Christianity start to gain prominence. Some today think that carnal Christianity is somehow normative...but it is not. There is always a struggle but it was abnormal (and a reason for strong rebuke) for the church at Corinth to accept worldly Christianity as being "normal."

1 Cor 1:10-17 shows the first level of the carnal conflict. There was a division, sourced in pride over which teacher a church member aligned with, in the church. This still goes on today. It is not just with "teachers," but also includes those who align with particular schools of thought in Theology (i.e. Calvinism, Arminianism, Dispensationalism, Denominations, etc.). Paul begins his letter by exhorting the church to get unified (which only comes through submission, not conquering) behind the real message...the message fo the cross (1 Cor 1:17).

1 Cor 1:18-31 lays out the foolishness of the gospel (as it appears to many men). What man could not do in his own effort, God did through the cross and Christ. Many in thoses days rejected the message of the cross because it seemed so simplistic and was a message of pure grace. They desired a religion which permitted them to earn favor with God. This "works-based" religion would promote pride in ones heart. Truthfully, the message of the cross was (and is) such...that no one could dare accept any credit (as if they did anything to deserve it). The message of the cross is this: God set a standard of perfection in order to have a relationship with Him. Man, in his best effort could never come close to the standard. God then accomplished perfection in the sacrifice of His Son. He then made this perfection available to all who would call on the Name of Christ.

What Paul is admonishing against is not being good speakers or acting morally...or even having a favorite teacher. He is admonishing the church to not take pride in any of these things as though they were of any real value in the big picture.

Proverbs 16:5 is the takeaway today. It sort of dovetails in with the chapter discussed in 1 Corinthians. God will not permit pridefulness on the part of his people. If anyone believes that they have earned the right to approach God, He is an abomination. Our ability to approach God is based solely on what His Son did on our behalf. Since this is true, we can come boldly before the throne of God (Heb 4:16).

Grace,