Paul stayed there for 1 and 1/2 Years teaching them

Issues which had arose: Physical things are bad and the body should be freed from them. This affected their perspective about marriage, pagan meal ceremonies, resurrection of Jesus and worship.

Acts….

A CHURCH RICH IN GIFTS:

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT

Assurance in Christ: He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:8 NIV

PROBLEMS:

1:10 Divisions**

1:11 Quarrels**

v 12 – Some followed Paul, others Apollos, others Cephas and other Christ

v13 Christ is not divided, Paul was not crucified for them nor were they baptised in Paul’s name.**

v17 Paul states he was commissioned for one purpose to preach the Gospel without making the cross empty by use of fine sounding clever oratory skills.

– For the message of the cross is foolishness (doesn’t make sense) to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV

v22 Jews were demanding for miracles in order to believe, while Gentiles were seeking human wisdom

v23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

1 Corinthians 1:23 NLT

but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the POWER of God and the WISDOM of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24 NIV

v25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT

v26-31 Remember how you were when you were called (Lowly in human wisdom, standard and noble birth)……BUT

“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.” 1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV

PAUL’S MESSAGE:

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not REST on HUMAN wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:4 – 5 NIV

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4‭-‬5 NIV

2:6-8 The words of wisdom Paul was speaking was not of the rulers of this world who are soon forgotten.

No, the wisdom we speak of is the MYSTERY OF GOD—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.

1 Corinthians 2:7 NLT

– The rulers of this world do not understand God’s Wisdom (HIS PLAN)

GOD’S PLAN:

v8 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT

2: 10-16 However, we understand God’s plan through His spirit who lives in us. A person without the spirit of God cannot understand God’s plan for His people (God’s wisdom), actually it sounds like foolishness.

“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s DEEP SECRETS.” 1 Corinthians 2:10 NLT

“No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:11 NLT

v12 We have the spirit of God and not of this world, and therefore we can understand/perceive God’s blessings for us.

v16 We understand God’s thoughts because we have the mind of Christ.

MORE ABOUT THE CHURCH

3:1 Paul would not address them as spiritual people, but as people of the world/infants in Christ ….

v2 He had to feed them on milk but not solid food……WHY??

“for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” 1 Corinthians 3:3 NLT

v4 They were acting as the world by being divided on whom they were following (Better)

v5 Paul and Apollos were only servants entrusted with God’s work

“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:6 NLT

v7 What is important is not who plants or who waters but that God makes the seed to GROW.

The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 1 Corinthians 3:8 NLT

v9 Paul & Apollos were God’s workers, working on God’s field and building (Church of Corinth)

**No need of being divided over leaders for Christ is not divided**

v10 By God’s grace, Paul laid the foundation for God’s work in Corinth and others we building on that foundation (Christ)

– Anyone building on that foundation must be careful for no one can lay any other foundation apart from Christ.