First and second Corinthians will continue our basic study of instructions for Christians that we started in the book of Romans. The Christian Church at Corinth was in a difficult sinful environment that made it hard for new Christians to live up to an appropriate standard of conduct. Paul had received a letter from the Corinthians that was disturbing to him. It told of sinful conditions in the Church and asked questions concerning Christian conduct and standards.

When we look at some of these instructions we need to see them in context of time and place. We will be pointing out specific places where this will make a difference, but it should be remembered that most of these instructions apply to all of us who adopt the name of Christ.

We should also note the heavy use of the title Lord in this book. This would be a good time to look at our little door titled Lordship of Jesus
The first nine verses of this chapter are greetings from Paul. Note that he uses the word Lord five times in these nine verses.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 001)  Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 002)  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 003)  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 004)  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 005)  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 006)  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 007)  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 008)  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 009)  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Beginning with verse 10 through the end of the chapter, Paul gets right down to business and addresses some of the problems in the Church. He implores them to get over their divisiveness and preach the Word of God.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 010)  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. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 011)  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. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 012)  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 013)  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 014)  I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 015)  Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 016)  And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 017)  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 018)  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 019)  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 020)  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 021)  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 022)  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 023)  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 024)  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 025)  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 026)  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 027)  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 028)  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 029)  That no flesh should glory in his presence. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 030)  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 031)  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

Paul continues and explains that we should not base our faith upon what men think but upon what the Word of God says.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 001)  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 002)  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 003)  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 004)  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 005)  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 006)  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 007)  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 008)  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

I like verse 9. It is fascinating to anyone who has a vivid imagination to think about this verse and its meaning.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 009)  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 010)  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 011)  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 012)  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 013)  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

Verse 14 is important in the sense that it tells us that the unsaved individuals cannot understand the things of God and that they will appear to be foolishness to them

(chpt:  2 Vs: 014)  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 015)  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 016)  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 

In chapters 3 and 4 we will find Paul is speaking to the Corinthians as a loving father to his little children, in the simplest terms that he believes they can understand.

(chpt:  3 Vs: 001)  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 002)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 003)  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

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