1 Corinthians 1:1-17!

 

Introduction

1 Corinthians 1:1–17: Paul was probably the first Christian missionary to Corinth and founded the church there (see Acts 18:1–18). His letter begins with words of greeting and thanksgiving and then mentions a report he has received about divisions in the church. He urges them to put aside their differences, reminding them of their “union with Christ” (verses 2 and 5).

 

Today’s Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 1:9 GNT

God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Read

¹ From Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes—

² To the church of God which is in Corinth, to all who are called to be God's holy people, who belong to him in union with Christ Jesus, together with all people everywhere who worship our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

³ May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

⁴ I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace he has given you through Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in union with Christ you have become rich in all things, including all speech and all knowledge. ⁶The message about Christ has become so firmly established in you ⁷ that you have not failed to receive a single blessing, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be faultless on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

¹⁰ By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my friends, to agree in what you say, so that there will be no divisions among you. Be completely united, with only one thought and one purpose. ¹¹For some people from Chloe's family have told me quite plainly, my friends, that there are quarrels among you. ¹²  Let me put it this way: each one of you says something different. One says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Peter”; and another, “I follow Christ.” ¹³ Christ has been divided into groups! Was it Paul who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized as Paul's disciples?

¹⁴ I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius. ¹⁵ No one can say, then, that you were baptized as my disciples. ( ¹⁶ Oh yes, I also baptized Stephanas and his family; but I can't remember whether I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the Good News, and to tell it without using the language of human wisdom, in order to make sure that Christ's death on the cross is not robbed of its power.

 

Reflect

How does Paul learn about quarrels in the Corinthian church (verse 11)? How does he respond (verses 12–17)? Paul exhorts the believers to be “completely united, with only one thought and one purpose” (verse 10). What does this mean, and why does Paul emphasize unity so strongly? Have you ever experienced conflict within your faith community? If so, how was it resolved?

 

Pray

Holy God, your servant Paul reminds us that you have called us to live in union with Christ Jesus; yet we often struggle with division among us. Give us patience and understanding to work for reconciliation, uniting us in thought and purpose. Help us to do your will and glorify your name. Amen.