Paul begins his letter by introducing himself as an apostle of Christ called by God. He addresses the church in Corinth, made up of both Jews and Greeks who have been sanctified in Christ. However, divisions have emerged in the church along lines of favorite teachers and leaders. Paul urges unity in mind and judgment. The cross of Christ, which seems foolish to some, must be central. True wisdom and power come from God, not from human cleverness or arguments. Believers are to boast only in the Lord.

2. 1 Corinthians 1:1–3
Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, and Sosthenes our brother, To the church of God
which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified
in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every
place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their
Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Author
Paul
Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God
Founder of Church at Corinth
Very zealous for the church
Wrote 3-5 Letters to Corinth
He has paternal care for them
"A man small in size, bald-headed, bandy-
legged, well-built, with eyebrows meeting,
rather long-nosed, full of grace. For
sometimes he seemed like a man, and
sometimes he had the countenance of an
angel"

4. Audience
Sanctified by Christ
Saints by calling
Part of the universal church

5. Audience
Corinth
 Roman- resettled by
retired military
 Rich- important overland
shipping rout
 Roman not Greek
 Isthmian Games
 Sensual- cult prostitutes
The Church
 Romans
 Greeks
 Jews
 Slave
 Free
 Rich
 Poor

6. Agenda
Correction
Impose limits
Establish order
Perfect the reader/listener

7. Start with the good
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of
God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in
everything you were enriched in Him…
 Speech
 Knowledge
 Testimony of Christ
 Spiritual gifts

8. Key Verse
Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no
divisions among you, but that you be made complete in
the same mind and in the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:10
Unity in mind and judgement
Complete

9. Unity: the key to Christlikeness
John 17:11 (NASB95)
11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in
the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your
name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one
even as We are.
John 17:21–23 (NASB95)
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I
in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may
believe that You sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me
I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity,
so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them,
even as You have loved Me.

10. I have heard from Chloe’s people
Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of
Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:12
Quarles
Favorite teachers
Greek influence

11. Let’s party!
Paul = freedom party, included Gentiles by faith alone
Apollos = philosophical party
Cephas = Jewish party, traditionalists or legalism
Jesus = Spiritual party (super spiritual)

12. Rhetorical
Questions
Has Christ been divided? Paul
was not crucified for you, was
he? Or were you baptized in the
name of Paul?
1 Corinthians 1:13

13. Word Wealth
Division-the condition resulting from splitting or
tearing, tear or crack.
Equivalent phrase-to cause people to think of one
another as enemies or to cause people to be angry with
one another.

14. English word “schism” from this Greek word
1. believers’ personal preference for certain leadership skills
(rhetoric)
2. believers’ pride and jealousy over spiritual gifts
3. believers’ recognition of economic categories (rich and poor)
4. believers’ prejudice over social rank (slave and free)
5. believers’ racial pride (Jew and Gentile)
6. believers’ jealousy or pride over marital status (married and
unmarried)
7. believers’ pride over intellectual prowess (first century
educational elitism, sophists)

15. Notice
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the
gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of
Christ would not be made void.
1 Corinthians 1:17
Misunderstanding of the Gospel was at the heart of
the divisions.

16. What is the Gospel?
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who
are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the
power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
The power of God

17. What the Gospel is NOT (then)
Favorite teacher
Cleaver words
Wisdom of this world
Good arguments

18. What the Gospel is NOT (now)
Favorite teacher
Cleaver words
Wisdom of this world
Good arguments

19. What the Gospel is NOT (now)
Prosperity gospel
Feel good gospel
Hyper faith
A moral code

20. Unity in mind and judgement
The cross of Jesus Christ must be central

21. Break this down
For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for
wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a
stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to
those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:22-24

22. Not Works
The gospel is revelation (self disclosure) from God, not
human discovery!
Bob Utley

23. Counter intuitive
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and
the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:25

24. The wisdom of God
This plan involved
1. Foreknowledge of mankind’s fall
2. Mankind’s inability to perform the will of God
3. God’s provision in Christ (the new covenant)
4. The inviting of Jew and Gentile by faith in Christ

25. God’s foolishness and weakness
He is wiser and stronger than man
Preaching
The Logos of the cross
Foolish confound the wise
Weak defeat the strong

26. His reason explained
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to
us wisdom from God, and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is
written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”
1 Corinthians 1:30–31

27. Jesus Christ the wisdom of God
Puts us IN
Makes us righteousness
Sanctifies us
Redemption through Christ