LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 97

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2. One Message—Christ!
A Message of Unity to a Sectarian Culture—1 Cor. 1
Introduction: The Setting
The city of Corinth, perched on the isthmus dividing
Greece, was the ultimate destination in St. Paul’s Second
Mission Journey. Why? Because when the Romans took
over Greece in the mid-second-century BC, they transferred
its capital from Athens to Corinth. And Paul, who, throughout the Book of Acts loved to speak truth to power, saw
stunning opportunities for the Gospel in this political, economic, and social capital. In fact, he would base his ministry here for the next eighteen months.
Corinth, however, seemed to be the mission field “least
likely to succeed,” since it was a hotbed of competing cults,
pagan idolatry, gross materialism, and sexual immorality.
The Greek verb “to Corinthianize” meant to engage in every
vice available. Looming over the city was the great Acrocorinthos, crowned with a temple to Aphrodite, goddess of
love, sex, and reproduction. Paul certainly enjoyed his challenges, but it would seem that his mission here was doomed
from the start.
And yet it proved surprisingly effective after all. He won
converts to the faith from the Jewish synagogue in Corinth,
including Crispus, its president. When he was haled before
no less than the Roman governor of Greece, Lucius Junius
Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia (and Luke has that title exactly correct), the stage was set for the first test case for
Christianity in the Mediterranean world. It was probably
the most important trial in history since Jesus stood before
Pontius Pilate. And Paul won! Gallio did exactly what Pontius Pilate wanted to do at the trial of Jesus: he threw the
case against Paul out of court, thus legalizing Christianity
at Corinth!
At this point, I just can’t resist telling you how beautifully
accurate is Luke’s account in the Book of Acts. Paul’s appearance before Gallio has become the chronological cornerstone
in the chronology of his life. (The inscription at Delphi.) This
also explains why Paul would later appeal for justice to Nero
Caesar: Nero’s tutor and advisor was none other than the
great Stoic philosopher Seneca, who happened to be the fullblooded brother of Gallio, who ran Nero’s courts. Basically,
Paul was appealing to the very man whose brother had
thrown the case against Paul out of court!
Now, it seemed, the church’s problems at Corinth there
were over. Or were they? Sadly, after Paul left, sectarian
squabbles broke out, and the Christians there nicely quartered themselves into four “cult of personality” groups,
favoring Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Peter), and—to finesse the
others—Christ. Paul, now in Ephesus on his Third Mission
Journey, had to intervene by letter. Today we call that
letter 1 Corinthians.

I. The Letter
As you read the all-important chapter one of 1 Corinthians, Paul’s message seems to have five parts:
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Verses 1 to 9: Introduction and compliments to the young congregation at Corinth. Diplomatically, Paul often begins his Epistles in this way, though not always.
Vv. 10 to 12: Paul exposes the problem of dissension in the
Corinthian church.
Vv. 13 to 17: Sectarianism and quarreling in the church is
not what Jesus had in mind.
Vv. 18 to 25: Wisdom and folly—by earthly standards—are
reversed in God’s divine plan for the world in Christ, leading
to the climactic claims in verses 22 to 25.
Vv. 26 to 31: Here, Paul applies the message to the Corinthians themselves, a theme that he will pursue further in chapters
2 through 4—and, in fact, through much of his letter.

II. And This Convention?
Rarely has an application been so easy! Not that we have
problems involving pagan idolatry, gross materialism, or
sexual immorality as was the case in Corinth! But in one
respect we do draw a clear parallel to those ancient Corinthians, and that is the existence of divisions, party spirit,
sectarianism, politicization, and even talk of schism.
The general reason for this is that today we have probably the most sectarian culture in history. The options promoting divisions in society are virtually unlimited. Specialties, niches, are available for everyone, including the worst
category of all: the option to ignore God entirely. Why else
are our newsstands cluttered with magazines to cover every
possible hobby, interest, or even lust? Why do people worry
that even 500 channels on television might not be enough?
The cohesion in the simpler existence of yesteryear seems
to have disintegrated.
2007 Convention Proceedings