The letter of 1 Corinthians was written to a group of believers living in a time and place where grievous sin and immorality ran rampant. The corruption had found its way into the church, and was wreaking havoc among the believers, threatening their unity and spiritual growth.
Paul founded the church of Corinth during his second missionary journey, and just a few years later he wrote this letter with the intent of instructing, rebuking, and correcting these dear saints.
His message has been divinely preserved and remains relevant today, as the human heart faces the same tendencies and temptations the Corinthians did.
The Old Testament introduced us to the nation of Israel, on whom God set His affections as His precious chosen people. God delivered Israel from four hundred years of slavery to Egypt with great signs and wonders and led them into a land where they would live a life of prosperity and blessing as they served the Lord (Deuteronomy 28). Israel’s disobedience and unfaithfulness to God led the way to a series of consequences that has impacted the entire nation for many generations. In 1 Corinthians 10:11, Paul uses their story to exhort the Corinthian believers as he addresses the sin that permeates the church. Paul writes, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the age have come.” He writes this as a reminder to these brothers and sisters in Corinth that the people of Israel all experienced the blessing of God in a miraculous way compared to no other, “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased….” (1 Corinthians 10:5). Both the blessings of God and the consequences of Israel’s sin are set as an illustration before the Corinthians so that they would learn not to crave evil things (1 Corinthians 10:6). Believers today are also prone to the very same temptation towards evil. And as those upon whom the ends of the age have come, we too can benefit from the example of the Israelites in the desert and the believers in the church at Corinth.
What kind of evil things did Israel commit? To mention a few, they were committing idolatry and sexual immorality, putting God to the test, and grumbling against the leaders God had given them (1 Corinthians 10:6-10; Numbers 14:2). All were expressions of their selfish and prideful hearts. The Corinthians were in a similar situation. Though their idolatry looked different, it was expressed in the pursuit of human wisdom (1 Corinthians 3:18-19) and the elevating of certain teachers above others (1 Corinthians 1:12), they failed to rebuke the sexual immorality among them (1 Corinthians 5:1-2), and they grumbled, accused, and opposed Paul, (2 Corinthians 10:10: 11). Unfortunately, this is not an exhaustive list.
But what about us? Can believers, like the Israelites in the wilderness and the church in Corinth, follow the same trajectory? Unfortunately, we can, and we do. And when we do, we obtain the same results: we not only jeopardize the unity and the flourishing of our local church like the Corinthians did, but we also displease God like the Israelites did. In spite of this, God, in His love and grace towards us, through the writing of the apostle Paul, reminds us of our lingering sinful tendencies and offers us the antidote to the selfishness and pride that often plague our hearts. “For no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). In this series of articles, we will study the first letter written to the church in Corinth to help us diagnose the condition of our hearts and search for the remedy we desperately need.
by Lil S.
