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? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.””

-‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬-‭31‬

Diversity of Values

There are philosophical differences and divisions in the Corinthian church (vs 11-12), as they each valued wisdom, loyalty, tradition, or direct access to the power of Jesus-- all good things, but there was a division in the church because they didn't agree on which mattered most.

The Subversion of Values

By a foolish message

  • Even wisdom does not lead to eternal life; it's useful, but not where salvation comes from (vs 20-23)
  • It would have seemed nonsensical for the Jews in the first century to believe in salvation through a crucified and resurrected Messiah, and yet...
  • Paul says the Gospel does have a logic after all! "... Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (vs 24)
  • If the cross is the true wisdom and power of God, then all other wisdom and powers pale in comparison, including every value causing division in Corinth. If the Gospel is central, it pushes everything else to the side.

By God's love of "worthless" people

  • The world values intellect, wrath, strength-- but God gave the greatest wisdom and power to the weak, the poor, the uneducated, the despised. In God's eyes, they are not lowly, but rather they are of infinite worth (vs 26-28).
  • Subverting the world's message, Paul seeks to unify the church by reminding them simply of the Good News.

What Should We Do? 

  1. Boast not in our own strength or understanding, but in the Lord (vs 31).
  2. Don't take your own part of Christ to form your own Christianity, but be the body of the crucified Christ, where Christ is the head.
  3. Be a body of love ("And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" 1 Corinthians 13:13). Put people before personal agendas and desires, be kind, trust others, show grace, embrace the unwise/weak/poor/despised. 
Questions for Small Groups
  1. In 1 Corinthians 1:11-12, it was reported to Paul that there were divisions in the church based on which leader people liked most. Apollos was highly intellectual; Paul was the original founder; Cephas was perhaps a bridge between Christianity and tradition; and those following Christ may have been those in Corinth who enjoyed direct access to spiritual power. What do you most value in a church leader?
  2.  According to the sermon, good but diverse values can divide good but diverse people in a church. Paul’s remedy for this in 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 is to focus on the Gospel. How does the Gospel message relate to these good values (e.g., like wisdom, tradition)? And how might the Gospel bring unity to Corinth?
  3. What are some ways Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 1:10-31 might be relevant for Runnymede in the days ahead?

 

Missed this Sunday's sermon? Watch it here!

 

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