Corinth – A Church of Many Gifts and Problems: The Background of 1 Corinthians and the Problem of Division
Pastor Tan Thai · Jul 10, 2016
This sermon introduces the background and purpose of 1 Corinthians, in which the apostle Paul wrote to address problems and answer questions from the church at Corinth. The focus is placed on the problem of division within the church and the call to unity based on love and humility according to biblical teaching.
The sermon opens by presenting the historical background of 1 Corinthians. The apostle Paul established the church at Corinth during his second missionary journey (49–50 AD) and stayed there for eighteen months. Around 55 AD, while in Ephesus on his third missionary journey, Paul wrote this letter for two reasons: he had received reports of serious problems within the church from Chloe's household, and he needed to answer questions the church had sent via three messengers—Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus.
The opening greeting and thanksgiving section (1 Corinthians 1:1–9) highlights the nature of the church as belonging to God, not to any individual, denomination, or building. The church consists of those being sanctified in Jesus Christ and calling upon His name. The sermon reminds listeners that the title 'saints' does not reflect personal perfection but rather the righteousness of Christ credited to those who believe in Him. Paul gives thanks to God for the abundant gifts given to the Corinthian church, despite its many problems.
The problem of division is analyzed through 1 Corinthians 1:10–13. Members of the church formed factions, claiming to follow Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ, resulting in jealousy and rivalry. The sermon points out that division is a common problem in churches of every era and often stems from pride when people become overly confident in their own gifts or knowledge.
To address division, the sermon draws on Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17:11, 20–23, as well as Paul's exhortations to the churches at Colossae (3:12–14) and Ephesus (4:1–5). Unity must be built on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love. James 3:14–16 is also cited to warn that envy and rivalry belong to the flesh and the devil.
The sermon concludes with the practical reminder that no church is perfect, because the church is a community of people in the ongoing process of sanctification. Each believer must take personal responsibility to contribute to unity rather than waiting for others to be perfect first. The pastor also expresses personal gratitude to God for his own local congregation, mirroring Paul's thanksgiving for the Corinthian church despite its many struggles.