“The Crucified Lord” - 1 Corinthians 2:6-16_SERMON NOTES

THEME: Paul’s solution to the divisions at Corinth is to
A) knock down human pride based on human earthly wisdom
B) point them towards the Crucified Lord and its implications

INTRO - 'ALEXAMENOS WORSHIPS HIS GOD'
3^rd ct. graffito (barely visible etching in a wall).  Monte Palatino, Rome. Part of a wall from the Imperial School for slave boys on the Palatine Hill (1 of 7 hills of Rome). Salvaged in the 1857. Overlooks the Colosseum (built by Jewish slaves), the Circus Maximus, and the Roman Forums. Alexamenos may have been a Jewish convert to Christianity and may even have been a martyr under Valerian. Antiquarium Museum in Rome.

The Wisdom of God is NOT …                                                    BUT

-Doomed to pass away (2:6)                                                       -Decreed before the ages (2:7)*

1 Corinthians 2:6 Yet among the mature (teleios) we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.

              
 TWO KINDS OF WISDOM - James 3:13–17 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

* THE WISDOM OF GOD WAS FOREORDAINED (2:7) AND PREPARED BY GOD (2:9).

1 Corinthians 2:7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

For our glory? Resurrection, glorification and the eternal state! How? Jesus is the Lord of Glory and he shares with us.

Read Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

The Wisdom of God is NOT …                                                    BUT

-What the rulers this age knew (2:8)                                      -What God makes known (2:10)

1 Corinthians 2:8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

“There can scarcely be a statement in Scripture that the cross was no unfortunate historical accident; a mere act of bravery or political martyrdom later turned to good account.” – Thiselton

Read Acts 4:27–28 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

READ Acts 13:26–31 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. ²⁷ For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. ²⁸ And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.” (Paul in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch)

The Lord of Glory does not mean the Lord who doles or dishes out glory to people nor does it merely mean the glorious Lord but rather it means “the Lord to whom glory belongs” or “the Lord who is characterized by glory”.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

                Read Isaiah 64:4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

                “Every possible earthly source of wisdom is excluded, making it impossible for mortals, no matter how creative or innovative, to imagine what God has prepared. The eye, ear, and heart are organs of cognition in Semitic imagery. These things did not come from empirical sources (eye has not seen), traditional knowledge passed on in community (ear has not heard), or intuitive insight (heart has not conceived), nor is it accessible to them” (Kaiser, 1981).

1 Corinthians 2:10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

                Read Matthew 16:15–17 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

                Read 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

                Read Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“God’s wisdom and knowledge (33) refer particularly to the revelation of his purposes in Christ (Eph. 3:5, 10; Col. 2:3). These purposes, as Paul has shown in chs. 9–11, are being worked out in the context of a historical process involving both Jews and Gentiles. … Confronted with this sovereign and wise God, our response can only be Paul’s: To him be the glory for ever!” - Douglas J. Moo, New Bible Commentary.

The Wisdom of God is NOT …                                                    BUT

-What the world offers (2:12a)                                                  -What the Spirit of God gives (2:12b)

1 Corinthians 2:11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

“It is not simply that just as individuals have private thoughts not known to others, God has private thoughts too, rather, if human things are known only to human knowers, divine things are known only to God’s Spirit” – (PW Gooch, 1987).

                “The point of the analogy does not turn on human spirit within/divine spirit within, but on the possession of an exclusive initiative to reveal one’s thoughts, counsels, stance, attitudes, intentions, or whatever else is ‘within’ in the sense of hidden from the public domain, not in the sense of location” – Thistelton

Gordon Clark: ‘the idea … in 2:11 [is] no one by natural theology can know the thoughts of God’

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

A QUICK NOTE … Athanasius (296-373), in his letter to Serapion, asserted the deity of the Holy Spirit from 1 Cor. 2:10-16, especially this verse because it can be translated/understood as “the Spirit who issues from God” and He –unlike creatures- also knows the thoughts of God. (Basil of Caesarea (330-379) follows him in this.

 MAIN CONTRAST … Greek culture missed out on the gulf between the divine and human. Eg …Quotes from Philo plus 3 Roman Stoics: Epictetus (55-135), Seneca (1-65), Marcus Aurelius (121-180)

The Wisdom of God is NOT …                                                    BUT

-What is taught by human wisdom (2:13a)                           -What is taught by the Spirit (2:13b)

1 Corinthians 2:13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. (pneumatikos)

                Gordon Clark says: “this passage shows clearly that spiritual matters can be explained in words”

           
    Every Christian is a spiritual person, as they are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This means spiritual people live and walk according to the Holy Spirit.

The Wisdom of God is NOT …                                                    BUT

-What natural humans can accept/understand (2:14)        -What the Spirit enables one to discern/judge (2:14)

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Read Romans 8:7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

EXAMPLES: Paul a babbler in Acts 17:8. Gallio thought the Jewish/Paul dispute was silly talk in Acts 18:15. Festus thought Paul was insane in Acts 26:24.

Origen (185-254), in his commentary, says the reason why the natural person does not receive the things of the Spirit is that “unless the Spirit opens the words of the prophets, the things which are [otherwise] locked up cannot be opened”.

                John Chrysostom’s (347-407) Analogy: the natural person who does not receive the things of the Spirit of God IS LIKE someone with perfect vision who is trying to see into the dark – to such a one the Spirit of God must bring  light to enable them to see – otherwise they are incapable, no matter how good their “eyesight”.

1 Corinthians 2:15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.

‘There are depths and dimensions to life in the Spirit which the person who lives on an entirely human level simply cannot fathom. Aspects of Christian existence remain an enigma’ (Thiselton) … the natural man cannot adequately judge what makes the Christian what they are.

The unspiritual person INVALIDLY misjudges the cross as foolishness; believers as fools

1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.  

READ Isaiah 40:13–14 Who has measured  [or, who has directed] the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? ¹⁴ Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

                No human knows the mind of God apart from revelation. No one can serve as God’s advisor. No one gives anything to God. Everything that humans have is a gift from God.

                See Philippians 2:5! The mind of Christ refers to Christ’s obedience! See also 2 Cor. 5:15.

To have the mind of Christ means to put to death selfish ambition, be humble and give of yourself!
God’s wisdom (2.7) and the mind of Christ refer to the cross applied to everyday life!

Final question: what does the wisdom of the age think about Jesus? A CRUCIFIED (false) Messiah. Crucifixion equals punishment for wrong doing. Failed Messiah, a Messianic pretender. Calling him The Lord of Glory is FOOLISHNESS to the wisdom of this age. But the resurrection!

LIVE BLOGGING from the Together for Adoption Conference 2011 - Day 2

 LIVE BLOGGING from the Together for Adoption Conference 2011 - Day 2

 Dennae Pierre was one of the live bloggers throughout this past weekend's Together for Adoption conference. Here are the links to her great notes on this important topics by some wonderful speakers!

• Tim Chester and Relaxing in Trinitarian Love

• Vermon Pierre on the Gospel and Cross-Ethnicity Adoption

• Jeff Vanderstelt, the Gospel, Missional Living, and Adoption

• Brilliant Words on the Church as the Theater of Adoption from Bryan Loritts

• Donna Theonnes on REST for the Weary Mom....

• Dan Cruver on God's Eternal Love 

 These are stellar talks - you will not be disappointed and you will definitely want to hear more!

LIVE BLOGGING from the Together for Adoption Conference 2011

UPDATE from the Together for Adoption Conference

 

Dennae has been keeping us up to date on her blog about the TFA Conference taking place RIGHT NOW!

Here are some of the links - read them and then find a way to get there for tomorrow!

Pre-Conference for Adoptive Mamas

The Church and Social Justice--Darrin Patrick

Gospel-Centered Parenting

Tullian on the Gospel and the Law

Together for Adoption Conference BEGINS TOMORROW!

Together for Adoption Conference BEGINS TOMORROW!
by Dennae Pierre

I am so excited for the T4A conference this week. I feel really honored to be able to be a part of this great ministry and I look forward to meeting families from all over the country who are passionate about orphan care and passionate about the gospel.

I will be one of the conferences "live bloggers" throughout the conference. So if you are unable to attend, I will be writing up a summary of the different sessions along with many of my own that I am sure will be inspired by our time in worship, prayer, and the word.

I am really looking forward to hearing from Donna Thoennes,Tim Chester, Darrin Patrick, Dan Cruver, Tullian Tchividjian, Bryan Loritts, and Jeff Vanderstalt.

If you are in Phoenix and have Friday/Saturday open still...register (special rate for Arizona residents)! It's not to late and it will be such an encouraging time to ALL believers, not just those who've adopted (promise...no guilt trip will be laid on you if you haven't adopted children...this conference is first and foremost about our adoption by God!)

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 _Study Guide

The Text: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 

 ²⁶For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Write a brief definition of the following words:

• Wise  -
  Powerful -
  Noble -
• Foolish -
  Weak -
  Low –

2. Paul says the Corinthians did not possess the first three attributes in the previous list but they did possess the others. Why do you think Paul is making this comparison and what is its relevance for your local Christian community?

3. Verse 29 tells us God has removed any grounds we may have thought we had for boasting in our own self-sufficiency. Why has he done it this way? Is this true in your own life? If so, how? If not, why not and what should you do?
   
   
4. Verse 30 tells us Christ is our:
   - wisdom from God
   - righteousness
   - sanctification
   - redemption

This is deeply significant! Reflect on the truth of this. Speak with the others in your group about what the practical implications are for these facts. Discuss together about how our lives would look if we lived as if we believed these things with our whole heart. Try not to do this in an overly negative and critical way but rather in a positive and challenging way; focus on the potential beauty of a life lived this way!

4. After talking about the previous question openly, you are highly encouraged to thank God for this reality – celebrate these things and praise Him together for the incredible benefits of being in Christ.

BONUS QUESTIONS

1.    What can the church do practically to ensure that preaching stays cross-centered and that any new techniques do not affect the actual substance of the message?

2.    What can you personally do to make sure that your culture’s standards for importance (wisdom, power, money, etc.) do not make inroads into your own heart?

 REFLECTION QUOTES

 "Any attempt to make the gospel palatable by bringing it into line with the tastes of those to whom it is preached distorts it, because in this case the criterion is made the expectations of fallen humanity." - Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, 1 Corinthians (Glazier, 1979).

"The cross thus stands as the final negation of all human attempts to attain God. Its truth cannot be achieved through the best of human intellect and strength but must be received as a gift in the humble submission of faith and trust." - John Polhill, The Wisdom of God and Factionalism

1 Corinthians 1.18-25_Study Guide

1 Corinthians 1.18-25_Study Guide

THE TEXT

1 Corinthians 1:18–25 (ESV)
¹⁸For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” ²⁰Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

OVERALL THEME
The message of the cross, which seems pointless and irrelevant to fallen humanity’s proud and rebellious mind, actually exhibits God’s greatest power, love and wisdom.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The message of the Cross cuts to the heart of self-centeredness (1 Corinthians 1:18). In what way does it do this? What does this look like in your own life; how does the message of the cross cut to the heart of your own natural tendency towards self-centeredness?

In what way is the gospel the power of God? In what way is the gospel the wisdom of God? What does this show us about God and what should our reaction be?

One commentator said this in regards to 1:21 “God wisely established that men could not come to know Him by human wisdom. That would exalt man, so God designed to save helpless sinners through the preaching of a message that was so simple the ‘worldly wise’ deemed it nonsense.”  Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

“God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached” Is Paul saying it is the presentation or the content that is foolishness the world? If content, then what are the practical implications for you in witnessing situations and evangelistic relationships?

List some areas in your own life who are more impressed with the world’s “wisdom” than with God’s true wisdom, that is, the foolishness of the cross. How can you play a more active role this week in trusting in God’s wisdom as opposed to worldly wisdom in all these areas?

Why did Paul say human wisdom is inadequate to meet the needs of the world. In what ways is it inadequate - what is it unable to do?

Why did the Jews reject the gospel (for a few hints, see Matthew 12:38-44; 16:1, Luke 11:16 and Romans 9:31-33)? Why did the Greeks reject the gospel (for a hint, see Acts 17:18-32; 26:24)?

In your current context, what are some of the reasons specific our culture rejects the gospel?

Why has God chosen to use weak people with no social or intellectual standing to spread the gospel? What is the ‘advantage’ to this?

1 Corinthians 10:17_Study Guide

1 Corinthians 10:17_Study Guide

Most of us who have attended church for a number of years have been in or know of a congregation where there was a split or at least serious quarreling. The problem has existed in the church from New Testament times. The Corinthian believers fell short of the Lord’s standards in many ways, and the first thing for which Paul called them to task was quarreling. 

Quarreling is a reality in the church because selfishness and other sins are realities in the church. Because of quarreling the Father is dishonored, the Son is disgraced, His people are demoralized and discredited, and the world is turned off and confirmed in unbelief. 

In His high priestly prayer the Lord prayed repeatedly that His church would be one (John 17:11, 21–23). Immediately after Pentecost the newly empowered believers were in perfect harmony with each other sharing, rejoicing, worshiping, and witnessing together. Their unity bore great fruit in their ministry to each other, in their witness to the world, and in their pleasing and glorifying God. 

The first need of the Corinthian church was for that sort of harmony. And so Paul made a plea for doctrinal agreement, for repenting of their tendency to form factions around high profile personalities, and for remembering the great priority of the church: preaching the gospel. - John MacArthur, 1 Corinthians : Godly Solutions for Church Problems, pg 23-24

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In this section of verses, Paul calls the Corinthians ‘brothers’ twice. The Reformer Theodore Beza made this comment :

“In that word [brothers] too there lies hidden argument.” What do you think Beza meant by this; what is the hidden argument in the word ‘brothers’?

2. Paul asks three rhetorical questions in verse 13 which we could paraphrase this way:

. Christ is not divided, so how can his people be?

. No church leader was crucified for sin, so why would any Christian exalt mere human authorities?

. Christian baptism is into the name (which implies power/authority) of Jesus, so why would a Christian act as if their allegiance is to Paul, Apollos, Cephas, etc.?

 Explain what he means by these questions in your own words. Do you think these questions are effective? In what way are they good arguments for Christian unity?

3. One commentator says that I Corinthians teaches us that cooperation, mutual concern, peaceful coexistence, and edification in love are all antidotes for divisiveness. How can we employ this in truly Christ centered ways? In other words, how do we do these things in such a way that the gospel is the driving force for us to ‘get along’?

4. The real key Paul gives here to promote unity and avoid factionalism is to focus on Christ instead of exalting human leaders or agendas. List 2 - 3 practical ways your local church can achieve this within its community.

5. What can you personally do to help bring more gospel unity to our church? Are there people you need to make a better effort towards being unified with in the Lord? What steps will you

take to help forge great unity with these people?

1 Corinthians 1:4-9_Study Guide

“Paul puts himself in the position of a father; he gives thanks for his children, the Corinthians, all the time, regardless of what they have done. They are called to be one with all believers in Christ (Origen). Paul begins with praise in order to prepare the Corinthians (Chrysostom) for the admonition that is to come (Theodoret of Cyr). Some of the Corinthians were no longer living according to their faith, so as to appear to make void the grace they had once received (Ambrosiaster, Pelagius). On the day of the Lord (Jerome), unbelievers will know the truth of what they disbelieved. Christians will find that what they believed is wonderful beyond what they had imagined (Ambrosiaster).^” 

^- Bray, G. L. (1999). 1-2 Corinthians. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT.

Read 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 and reflect on the sermon from Sunday September 18^th “Rich Because of Jesus.” Then work through the following questions.

⁴I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— ⁶even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1. Before discussing the problems in Corinth Paul gives thanks for the evidences of God’s grace within the Corinthian church. Why is having a spirit of thankfulness important for how we interact with people (especially difficult people) in the church?

2. How much would our church be transformed if each of us made it a practice to regularly thank God for others and then to tell these others what it is about them that we thank God for? Set for yourself the task of faithfully praying for and thanking God for several people you know. After you have been at it a few weeks tell these people what you have been doing – and then keep on praying for them.

  

3. What are the things that Paul is thankful for in the Corinthian church? What are the things you are thankful for in our church? Using this passage as a springboard point out some ways that God has graciously enriched our church and thank him for these things next time you pray.

4. How and why is Jesus the greatest gift of God’s grace to his church? In what ways does Jesus bring God’s grace into our lives now? In what ways will Jesus bring God’s grace into our lives in the future? Does your life show evidence of the fact that you believe Jesus is the greatest gift of God’s grace in your life? Why or why not?

5. How is God’s faithfulness and grace tied in to our remaining strong in our faith? How should this encourage you in how you approach and live out your daily Christian life (especially in times of doubt or difficulty)?