Bible Reading

1st Corinthians 1:10-31

Central to Paul’s opening remarks to the Corinthian Church is 1:23:

But we preach Christ crucified

This was Spurgeon’s text with which he adorned the logo of his bound volumes of the Penny Pulpit. This text has adorned many pulpit walls. There is good reason for this. This is a text which defines the core mission of the Christian Church.

Paul in introducing this theme as his opening gambit was certainly articulating the basic message of the Church. But he was doing more than this. He was writing to a group of God’s people with many difficulties. He knew, however, that these could only be resolved by getting their thoughts to Christ and the cross. He was essentially teaching them, in the words of Hebrews 12 to be looking unto Jesus.

Many of our favourite hymns express this very theme and with words that deeply impress our Christian psychology. None more so than “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross”, v3 – words of devotion under the cross:

Near the cross! O lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me. 

A. THE CROSS HEALS OUR NEEDLESS DIVISIONS

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (1st Corinthians 1:10-21).

The church at Corinth was gravely troubled by serious divisions, over foolish issues.

Before addressing the issues, Paul told them the source of these stories. He had heard them from “the house of Chloe”. He presented his evidence. The house of Chloe had to take responsibility for their concern. This took rumour and gossip out of the equation. Paul was honest in the manner by which he presented this matter.

The Corinthians followed their favourite preachers and pastors whether that was Paul, Apollos or Cephas (Peter). This betrayed a certain shallowness. Apollos was renowned as a gifted orator in the tradition of the Greeks. Paul was less of a public speaker, probably more of a writer, theologian and organiser. Were there too many Corinthians putting style before substance and presentation before content? This can be a problem in the 21st Century Church. This is the temptation of this age. People often cast their votes at the ballot across the western world on the basis of what they see and hear rather than what they read. Policies are cast in the mould of the soundbite rather than the reasoned and logical argument. Attention spans are so poor that that the sixty second video is about all people can cope with. When this translates into the Church people become shallow; less interested in the content of the message. Does this not prompt us into asking serious and searching questions?

Are we so conditioned to the spirit of this age that we prefer a “dumbed-down” Gospel — a simplicity that makes us think less than we should?

While the gospel is simple, it is not simplistic. It demands thought and provokes struggle through repentance and ultimately transforms our lives.

Do we recognise that this same spirit — preferring ease and entertainment over truth — can lead to apostasy within the Church?

We must take care, that truth is not sacrificed at the altar of popularity. Apostasy arrives as the result of operation stealth. Apostasy rarely arrives with noise and protest; it comes quietly, by gradual compromise.

Are we content to let the habits of the modern world — “people don’t read much nowadays” — shape our attitude to truth?

Let us resist this tendency by resolving read and study, delving into the Word to feed our minds – against the trend set by this thoughtless and ignorant society.

The ultimate of this division was making Christ another leader along with the rest. Therefore some chose Christ over Paul, while Apollos was preferred above Christ so it seems. This was idolatry. It was robbing the Lord of His essential glory. Man was being followed instead of the Saviour.

The situation was so extreme that Paul became grateful that he did not baptise any of the Corinthians except Crispus, Gaius and the household of Stephanas. This did not mean that Paul did not believe in the sacrament of baptism. Quite the reverse! He was concerned that the sacrament would become a cause of division, with some being proud of who baptised them; therefore, placing their baptism above the baptism of others. Paul evidently did believe in baptism, and it is tantalising that he baptised an entire household?

Paul in articulating the divisions comes very quickly to the solution. He applies the healing balm of the cross. The message is more important than the messenger. The sacrament of baptism exists because of the cross. Without Christ and His sufferings there is no sacrament.

There is more that unites us than will ever divide us in the work of the gospel.

We must stay focused on Christ rather than man. We must look to the Saviour rather than being distracted by the noise that exists around us.

B.  THE CROSS DEALS WITH OUR PRIDE

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1st Corinthians 1:26-29)

Having seen how the cross heals our divisions, Paul now shows us why those divisions exist in the first place—human pride.

Fundamentally, at the root of every division is our pride. The Corinthians were proud of their association with Paul or Apollos. This association elevated them in their own sight.

The cross of Christ, however, levels human pride, reminding us of the poor sinners that we are.

In the 23rd verse Paul calls the cross a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. The symbol of the cross of the most hated and cursed emblem in the ancient world. It represented the worst suffering for the worst of humanity. It seemed incredible that the preaching of a crucified man brought hope and light. It was a humbling thing to accept that every person deserves that cross with what transpiring there – bringing us our salvation.

The cross of Christ reminds us that God takes up the weak and foolish things exalting them above that which the world exalts. Why? “That no flesh should glory in His presence”.

To deal with our pride we must spend time sitting by Calvary and reflecting upon the greatness of the work accomplished in such a terrible place.

No one can kneel at the cross and remain proud.

C.  THE CROSS DEFINES OUR CHRISTIANITY

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1st Corinthians 1:30)

The outworking of the cross defines the Christ. Everything that we are has nothing to do with our teacher and preachers or the denomination of which we are part – it has everything to do with Christ – “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us…”.

Wisdom

The Greeks prided themselves in their wisdom, their philosophy and their philosophies. Paul was teaching that true wisdom was found in Christ alone.

righteousness

We have no righteousness. There is no inherent goodness in man. Our only righteousness is what is in Christ. He died on the cross to give us our righteousness. He took our unrighteousness by absorbing the curse for us. Now we are counted righteous in Him, justified freely by His grace.

sanctification

This concerns our moral purity. Where righteousness define our standing before God, sanctification identifies our testimony before men. The cross of Christ, which deals with filthiness and impurity of our sin is the reason for holiness among Christian. Should we not hate sin because of what it did to our precious Saviour?

redemption

Redemption is the purchase. We do not belong to ourselves. We belong to God because we have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Isaac Watts captured this beautifully with words of humility before the cross:

1 When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the death of Christ, my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them through his blood.

3 See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?

4 Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

D.   THE CROSS IS OUR CENTRAL MESSAGE

But we preach Christ crucified (1st Corinthians 1:23)

The transaction wrought on the cross where Christ took our sin and died in our place has made us what we are. Therefore, for men and women around us to have hope – we must preach Christ crucified. Every true gospel sermon brings sinners to the cross. An evangelical church preaches Christ crucified. This message identifies our mission because at its heart is the doctrine of the atonement. Without our sin being dealt with at the cross there is no hope. This was the burden of the movement known as the Evangelical Revival in 18th Century Britain which brought thousands in the Kingdom of God. No-one expressed the preaching of this period quite like Charles Wesley in “Jesus the Name High Over All”:

3 His only righteousness I show,
His saving truth proclaim;
'tis all my business here below
to cry, "Behold the Lamb!"
Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp His Name,
preach Him to all, and cry in death,
"Behold, behold the Lamb!"

E.  THE CROSS IS THE GLORY OF THE CHURCH

That according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord (1st Corinthians 1:31)

Paul characteristically, with his Hebrew training takes the Corinthians back to the Old Testament, demonstrating that His words are biblically based:

Thus saith the LORD,
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this,
that he understandeth and knoweth me,
that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth:
for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Paul took Jeremiah one step further. We glory in God, yes, but in glorying in God we glory in the cross, as he taught the Galatians:

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)

Therefore with these simple steps Paul undermines the basis of human division and directing the Corinthians to the cross of Christ which joined them equally to the body of Christ. Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane expresses this well in “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” with words of resolution under the cross:

I take, O cross, thy shadow
  For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
  The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
  To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
  My glory all the cross.