1 Corinthians 1:10-11 KJV
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. [11] 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.
This is part two of a series on 1 Corinthians. Which is Paul’s letter of correction through stern love to a first century church with a lot of problems.
All of the Corinthians’ problems stemmed from one source, which is the carnal mind. In his letter to the Romans, Paul says the remedy for the carnal mind is to allow the Gospel to renew in us a “spiritual mind” (see Romans 8:6 & 12:2).
From the start of this letter Paul begins addressing the Corinthians’ carnal problems. Also, from the beginning Paul directs the Corinthians to Jesus’ love as the ultimate solution to the issues caused by carnal thinking. In the latter parts of 1 Corinthians, Paul details how that Jesus’ love (charity KJV) is a more excellent way, than all of men’s devices for running the Church.
Carnal Mind vs Spiritual Mind
In Chapters 1-4, Paul addresses just how deep the Corinthians' strife was by pointing out that they actually argued over whose preaching they became baptized under. They preferred a preacher’s style more than the substance of his message. If they wanted to be like the first converts at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, then they had to likewise be of “one mind and one accord.” They needed to “all speak the same thing.” That same thing was Christ crucified, period.
It’s important to note that before Paul became a Christian he was a Pharisee. A Pharisee was in essence a lawyer. The key duty of a lawyer is to argue or defend a case. The best lawyers will not leave any stone unturned. Turning over every stone can be very time consuming. Therefore, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is a bit lengthy as he explores every aspect of their carnal minds.
When studying such a detailed letter it is important for the student to remain focused. If a student loses focus they can often get lost in the details. Paul is approaching them as a father figure trying to lead children to adulthood. The parallels of raising an infant to maturity and bringing new Christians to spiritual maturity are uncanny!
Do you know the difference between the Church at Corinth 2,000 years ago and many churches in America today? Answer: 2,000 years.
Today as just stewards of Christ crucifixion, we, full grown Christians, need to help bring newborn converts to spiritual maturity.
To be continued.