The document is a summary of a sermon given at First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi on March 4, 2018. The sermon focused on divisions that had formed in the church in Corinth as discussed in 1 Corinthians 1:4-17. It notes how members of the Corinthian church were attaching themselves to influential leaders like Paul, Apollos, and Peter rather than maintaining a singular focus on Christ. This caused divisions and obscured the power of Christ's cross. The sermon aimed to demonstrate through Paul's questions that only Jesus is the true Christ and that people cannot find salvation through any leader or person other than Jesus alone.

1. 1 Corinthians 1:4-17
“United in Christ”
Paul’s 1st Letter to the Church in Corinth
March 4, 2018
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?
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3. The Glory of God!
https://forgodalmighty.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/cropped-sunset1.jpg

4. 1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do
it all to the glory of God.
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5. March Memory Verse
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so
that Christ's power may rest on me.

6. Pray for the Pastor Search Committee
• Doug Gunn, Chairman
• Lenora Bigler
• Dottie Hudson
• David Maron
• Jim Merritt, Jr.
• Elizabeth Rich
• Mallory Rosamond
• Don Waller
• Jeff Zachary

7. Additional Prayer Reminders
•First Baptist Church Jackson
•ARISE Campaign
•Jason Allen and Family
•Lavon Gray and Family
•Bill Boteler’s Recovery
•Billy Graham Family
• Ann Graham Lotz visit April 8

8. References
•Barker, Kenneth, The NIV Study Bible, (Grand Rapids,
Zondervan, 1985).
• Unless otherwise stated, scriptures are quoted from the
NIV.
•MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible (Word
Publishing, Nashville, TN, 1997).
•Smith, Collin, What Can God Do With A Cross?
Building A Community, 1 Corinthians1:10-17
(UnlockingTheBible.org.).

9. Focus of Lesson
1. Why was the Corinthian Church divided?
2. What causes the cross of Christ to be “emptied of
its power”?
3. Are the reasons for divisions in churches the same
today?

10. Corinth – The Las Vegas of Its Day
•Corinth was a large city (250,000 persons + 400,000
slaves).
•Corinth was a crossroads for travel by land and sea.
•There were 12 temples to Greek gods.
•One temple was for “Aphrodite”, the goddess of love
that had 1,000 temple prostitutes.
•“To Corinthianize” = to practice sexual immorality.

11. Ancient Corinth

12. Paul’s Time in Corinth
•Paul first visited Corinth on his 2nd Missionary Journey
in 50 AD.
•Acts 18:9-11
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not
be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I
am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm
you, because I have many people in this city." 11 So
Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching
them the word of God.

13. The Christian Church in Corinth
•Paul established the church and was the 1st pastor.
•Aquila and Priscilla befriended Paul, and they worked
together as tentmakers.
•Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia to help.
•The Jews opposed Paul’s message, so he left the
synagogue and preached in homes.
•The synagogue leader, Crispus became a follower.

14. Introduction to 1st Corinthians
•Paul was considered a “Task Theologian” because he
could apply the theology of Jesus to everyday
problems.
•Paul was a great problem solver.
•The order of the Epistles in the New Testament is
based on length (Romans, 1st Corinthians, 2nd
Corinthians, Galatians, …).

15. Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthian Church
•Paul writes this letter in 55 AD from Ephesus on his 3rd
Missionary Journey.
•The church in Corinth had many challenges because of
the cultural environment.
•The letter addresses immaturity, instability, divisions,
jealousy, envy, lawsuits, marital difficulties,
immorality, misuse of spiritual gifts.

16. As we read the scripture listen for:
•The number of times Paul references “Christ”, “Christ
Jesus”, “Jesus Christ”, “Lord Jesus Christ”, etc.
•Paul’s beginning theme in 1st Corinthians is the
“Centrality of Christ” (Christ as the essential element).
•The divisions in the church had to be addressed first
because without unity, the other problems cannot be
solved.

17. 1 Corinthians 1:4-6
4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace
given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been
enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and
with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our
testimony about Christ among you.

18. 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you
eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will
be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God
is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

19. 1 Corinthians 1:10-11
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one
another in what you say and that there be no divisions
among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind
and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from
Chloe's household have informed me that there are
quarrels among you.

20. 1 Corinthians 1:12-13
12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul";
another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas";
still another, "I follow Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were
you baptized in the name of Paul?

21. 1 Corinthians 1:14-17
14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except
Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were
baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the
household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't
remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did
not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not
with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be
emptied of its power.

22. “there are quarrels among you.”
•The congregation was arguing and had chosen sides.
•They possibly chose sides based on who baptized
them.
•The division appears deep, but the subject of the
conflict appears to be shallow.

23. “I follow Paul”
•Paul was their passionate pastor for 18 months in
Corinth.
•Paul was more appealing to the Gentiles.
•He went out of his way to make sure Gentiles were
included in church.
•Paul had baptized some of the converts.

24. “I follow Apollos”
Acts 18:24-26
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria,
came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough
knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in
the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and
taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the
baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the
synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they
invited him to their home and explained to him the way of
God more adequately.

25. “I follow Apollos”
Acts 18:27-28
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and
sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to
welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those
who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his
Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the
Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
• Apollos was a skilled debater and the pastor that followed
Paul.

26. “I follow Cephas (Peter)”
•Peter was a leader in church in Jerusalem.
•He is believed to be the founder of the church in
Antioch (Syria).
•There is no documentation that Peter visited the
church in Corinth.
•Peter was more open to preserving Jewish traditions
in the Christian church.

27. “I follow Christ.”
•Those who claimed this following were probably the
most hypocritical.
•They excluded others and probably believed they
were the “true followers” of Christ.
•Maybe they thought they were the “guardians of
truth.”

28. What happened to cause these divisions?
•People had an attachment to the personality of their
leader instead of placing their focus on Christ.
•Examples:
•They became more excited about Paul or Apollos
than Christ.
•Some even bought in to a ministry of someone they
had never met (Peter).

29. Does this attachment to a personality or
celebrity happen in our church culture?
•Our culture thrives on creating celebrities and the
media promotes this with “Top Preachers” lists.
•People are drawn to celebrities and popularity.
•Gifted leaders and preachers are God’s gift to us, but
people can focus on the person and not their message
of Christ.

30. What effect does this have on the gospel?
•Paul answers this question.
•1 Corinthians 1:17
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach
the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the
cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

32. How can the cross of Christ be emptied of it’s
power?
•By the cross being obscured (concealed, veiled).
•The sin of idolatry – anything that takes the place of
Christ in your life.
•When the cross is hidden by something or someone
else, it loses its power in your life.
•In this case, people put their faith in a person rather
than Christ and divisions resulted in the church.

33. Paul Asked Three Questions Regarding the
Divisions in Corinth.
1. “Is Christ divided?”
2. “Was Paul crucified for you?”
3. “Were you baptized into the name of Paul?”

34. We can use Paul’s questions to point to the
“Centrality of Christ.”
1. You cannot be Christ for someone else.
2. Someone else cannot be Christ for you.
3. Only Jesus is Christ!

35. 1. You cannot be Christ for someone else.
•To be Christ you must have the power to unite people.
•To be Christ you must live a perfect life.
•To be Christ you must lay down your life for the sins of
others.
•To be Christ you must enter believers lives completely
and continually.
•To be Christ you must deliver believers from deep
personal struggles.

36. 1. You cannot be Christ for someone else.
• God created us with a void (emptiness) that only He can fill
through Jesus.
• We cannot fill that void for another person.
• We cannot be God’s saving grace for others.
• Trying to be Christ for others creates a dependency that
disappoints.
• We will always disappoint when we try to be Christ for
others.
• Our calling is not to be Christ for others.
• Our calling is to lead others to Christ.

37. 1. You cannot be Christ for someone else.
•The danger is you may be obscuring the cross and
emptying it of its power for another person.
•Paul’s question: “Is Christ divided?”
•Only Christ can be Christ.
•This truth can be liberating if you are living under this
assumed role.

38. 2. Someone else cannot be Christ for you.
•You cannot live on Christ substitutes – Idols (people or
things).
•The cross is obscured and loses its power to you if you
are looking at anything or anywhere other than Christ.
•If you are looking for a pastor, friend, program, or
worldly pleasure that will answer all your struggles
and fill the void only Christ can fill, you will always be
disappointed.

39. 2. Someone else cannot be Christ for you.
• Only Christ fills that void and gives us the promise of
peace.
• John 14:27
27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not
give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid."
• John 16:33
33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may
have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the world."

40. 3. Only Jesus is Christ!
•Paul’s 3 questions point to the heart of the gospel.
1. “Is Christ divided?”
• No, there is only one Christ.
2. “Was Paul crucified for you?”
• No, Jesus was crucified for you.
3. “Were you baptized into the name of Paul?”
• No, you are baptized into the name of Jesus Christ.

41. 3. Only Jesus is Christ for all people!
•What does “baptized into the name of Christ” mean?
•The method, location, and circumstances of your
baptism are not the important factor.
•Important question is, “Were you baptized into the
name of Christ?”
•Are you sharing in the life of Christ?

42. 3. Only Jesus is Christ for all people!
•What does sharing in the life of Christ mean?
•Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer
live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the
body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave himself for me.

43. 3. Only Jesus is Christ for all people!
•Jesus explained it this way.
•John 14:6-7
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father
as well. From now on, you do know him and have
seen him."

44. Today’s take home message:
•There is only one Christ.
•He was crucified for you.
•You will find life in His name when you accept Jesus
as your savior.
•You cannot be Christ for someone else.
•Someone else cannot be Christ for you.
•Only Jesus is Christ.

45. Next Sunday
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Glorifying God
March 11, 2018
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

46. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.”
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

47. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life
to pay the penalty for our sin.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the “second death”
explained in Revelation 21:8.

48. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Revelation 21:8
8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers,
the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the
idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake
of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

49. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 6:23b
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7
7 “Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be
their God and they will be my children.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be victorious.

50. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Romans 10:9-10
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith
and are saved.
Romans 10:13
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved.”

51. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
Have questions or would like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900
or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/