Jan 12 Church, Community, Culture, intro to Corinthians
January 11, 2025

Church, Community, Culture


Unity
• Church
• Community
• Culture


Corinth
English Standard Version (Introduction)
The city of Corinth was at the heart of an important trade route in the ancient world. Like many cities that thrive on trade, Corinth had a reputation for sexual immorality, religious diversity, and corruption.
The church that Paul planted there (Acts 18) floundered under all of these influences and began to divide over various issues.
First Corinthians addresses many practical questions dividing the church—questions concerning such things as spiritual gifts, marriage, food offered to idols, and the resurrection. Paul urged the Corinthians to be unified and to give themselves fully to “the work of the Lord” (15:58).
Chapter 13 includes a well-known passage on the nature and importance of love.
Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus about A.D. 55.


Issues in Corinth
• Unified in Doctrine
• Sexuality
• Lawsuits
• Marriage
• Idols
• Traditions in the Church
• Spiritual Gifts
• The Resurrection of Christ
• Giving and Money


If we don’t STAND FIRM, we will FALL — or at least SLIP


Church
• Divisions in the church - Doctrine outside of Bible, Too much Conjecture of Scripture
• Discipline in the church - Weak teaching, and Watering down of Commands
• Disputes in the courts - Seeking “I deserve” instead of “trusting in the Lord”
• Defilement of the world - Seeking to live a life in Two Worlds


Christ is our Focus, but His Church is our Training Ground


Our Church should be our Community, so to combat Culture


All focus on the GLORY of GOD’S Word


Acts 2:42–47 ESV
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.


Community
1 Corinthians 1:1–3 ESV
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


We are NOT of this WORLD
we are called and appointed
Ambassadors to this World


Culture
“Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”


Revelation 4:8 (ESV)
8 … “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”


Our Mission

To Glorify God and Grow Others in Christ


Walk in Wisdom
Walk in Worship
to Wait on the Lord
and to Be WORTHY of our Calling
to be Peace makers, UNITY builders in our CHURCH, COMMUNITY and CULTURE