Dear friends,
Today we start our year’s work by looking at the opening of 1 Corinthians. It’s such an exciting letter covering so many topics that we look forward to God using this podcast to challenge us all.
Yours,
Phillip
Phillip Jensen: In this episode, Peter and I commence our 2026 program on 1 Corinthians.
Peter Jensen: Amongst the 27 books of the New Testament, what is the relevance of 1 Corinthians in particular?
Phillip: In one sense, all books of the Bible are as good as any other. But 1 Corinthians covers so many issues: in particular, it addresses disunity in the church and the nature of the cross. It also discusses sexual immorality, lawsuits against one another, the question of our relationship with other religions, and the subject of idolatry. But built into this letter is the issue of Christian freedom. For example, the topic of marriage comes up in chapter 7, as does the question of spirits in chapters 12-14. It then finishes with a great chapter on the resurrection. 1 Corinthians covers, in my opinion, a broader range of topics than any of the other letters of the New Testament. Therefore, there is a year’s worth of discussions about what comes out in 1 Corinthians.
Peter: If you asked me what my favourite epistle of Paul’s is, I would say Ephesians. Have you got a personal relationship with 1 Corinthians? Is it your favourite?
Phillip: I would say my favourite is Colossians, because it is written to a new church whom Paul has never met. It is a good example of what you might say to new Christians.
Peter: One of the reasons that I like Ephesians is because it is written on the doctrine of the church. But I’ve been reading some literature on 1 Corinthians written by Tony Payne, who has drawn out in no uncertain way how, like in Ephesians, the church is a key subject throughout. With this in mind, how will we approach the subject of 1 Corinthians?
Phillip: We will go through it bit-by-bit. I believe the different paragraphs and chapters of the book open up subjects for us to discuss, as well as closing them off.
Peter: There’s another reason that I like 1 Corinthians. It is that we all have this habit of looking back to a certain period and thinking of it as the ‘golden years’, then subsequently claiming that everything has gone wrong since then. But one of the wonderful things about the New Testament—and 1 Corinthians illustrates this perfectly—is that we find that there were no ‘golden years’ of the church. The early church was very far from being perfect, and the church at Corinth in particular was a disaster. It was heavily influenced by its surrounding culture, which is also true of the modern church here in Sydney.
There’s another element, too, that was pointed out by our teacher when we were studying these matters many years ago. That is, as the church in Corinth was in such a mess, you would expect the Apostle Paul to address the leadership first and foremost. But he doesn’t; he talks to the whole church, as though everybody has a responsibility to the way in which the church functions. He does not address the leadership before Chapter 16. Therefore, 1 Corinthians is a reminder to us that the whole congregation must act responsibly, not just the minister.
Phillip: Even chapter 16 addresses how the congregation should treat the leader of the church, rather than focusing on what the leader must be doing. It is a powerful point. But 1 Corinthians is also a missionary letter. The church in Corinth was a missionary church, for it has just come into existence. But it was not the type of settled, established church that we may be familiar with today. In Corinth, sin was out in the open because the Christians there had only just been converted; they still carried the baggage of their old life. For example, one prominent topic in 1 Corinthians is the question of eating food that had previously been offered to idols. Some of the converts were opposed to eating such food, because for them, it was a symbol of what they had left behind. Others concluded that since the pagan gods didn’t exist, the food offered to idols was harmless. Thus, many of the issues raised in 1 Corinthians are issues of the basics of Christianity.
Peter: There’s another element to this as well. Often in the course of Christian history, particularly in the last 100 years or more, issues have arisen: for example, the question of evolution. This forces us to look back to the Bible to ask ourselves, “What is the Bible saying here?” It encourages us to understand what it is and is not saying. The rise of Pentecostalism, which has become so prominent in an astonishing way since the 1960s, has forced us to look again at 1 Corinthians, because there are a number of issues that arise out of the Pentecostal movement which are addressed by this book. We must ask ourselves, “Have we been reading the Bible correctly all these years?” One of the benefits of the rise of Pentecostalism is that it forces us to do just that.
Phillip: When we read the Bible correctly, it changes our mind, as opposed to our culture changing our view of the Bible. It unravels our cultural blind spots, although sometimes, our culture may lead us to open ourselves up to what the Bible is actually saying. When I wrote my book, The Coming of the Holy Spirit,1 the entire chapter on 1 Corinthians 12-14 caused me to make a complete rediscovery of 1 Corinthians, as I realised that so many of the arguments of the last 50 years have got nothing to do with what it is about. There are two sides arguing over Pentecostalism and using Bible verses to defend themselves, rather than turning back to the Bible and realising what it was saying for its own sake. This debate is pointless.
Peter: Let’s see if I agree with you as you read verses 1-3.
Phillip: 1 Corinthians 1:1–3
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the wonderful things about studying the Bible like this is seeing both the generality and the specificity of what is being spoken of. This letter is written to the church of God in Corinth, and also to “all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” As Christians, this letter is addressed to us as well as to the early church of Corinth. Yet Paul was writing to Corinth about the specific things that were happening in the church at that time. So we do not just move in the generalities of for example the book of Proverbs; we are dealing with the specific church in Corinth with its particular problems. But the way in which Paul deals with the problems is always to go to great gospel truths, which then find their resting place in us. So the letter controls our understanding of the general truths of the gospel by having a specific application in Corinth. Thus, 1 Corinthians greatly contributes to our self-understanding as Christians, for Paul establishes who we should and should not be, as illustrated by the Corinthian church.
Peter: In other words, the universal is found in the particular. You look at the particular thing and you see the universal truths within it. That seems to be a very helpful way of understanding things like this, so I agree with you.
What about this business of the church of God that is in Corinth? Do you not think that there might have been multiple churches in Corinth?
Phillip: The word ‘church’ just means ‘the gathering’. The difference is that it’s God’s gathering as opposed to any other gathering. It’s a pretty big claim; this is the church of God, because each congregation is really the church of God when it gathers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, he is writing to the people called ‘saints’. These are the holy ones; anybody who is a Christian is a saint.
Peter: In Christian history, the idea of the ‘saint’ has referred to ‘the extraordinary Christian’: the Christian who is head and shoulders above the rest of us. But that’s not what seems to be the case here.
Phillip: The word ‘saint’ means ‘to be set aside’. It’s to be the consecrated person who is set aside for a purpose. All Christians have been set aside for the Lord Jesus Christ. Being set aside for Christ means you must live in a way that brings glory, honour and praise to him; but again, it does not mean you are ‘the extraordinary Christian’. For example, my Bible, which has my name written on it, has been set aside for me. In the same way, a Christian is someone who has been set aside for Jesus. Therefore all Christians are saints.
Peter: It’s easy to skip over this aspect because we are so familiar with the language, but I noticed that in these 3 verses, Jesus is mentioned 4 times.
Phillip: This signifies that Jesus is the dominant element of Christianity; it cannot be any other way. Paul’s apostleship, the Corinthians, Christianity, and God’s blessings all come from the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is totally Christ-centred. That’s why Christianity is not just morality. Christ-less Christianity is not Christianity any more than cross-less Christianity can be Christianity. If you haven’t got Christ or the cross, you haven’t got Christianity. You may have cultural Christianity, or Christian morality, but you do not have authentic Christianity if you are not being set aside for Christ Jesus or calling upon his name.
Peter: Indeed. Moving on to verses 4-9
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
It’s characteristic of Paul to begin his letter with a prayer. He does it frequently in his other letters.
Phillip: Another aspect that is so characteristic of Paul is to say ‘you must pray with thanksgiving.’ To pray is to thank God for the blessings we’ve received, so he starts with a prayer of thanksgiving. He thanks God for what God has done for the Corinthians already, in that they have been set aside as saints for Christ Jesus; consequently, they have received these particular blessings. Thanksgiving is fundamental to Christian living.
This reminds me of the contrasting cultures of Australia and America. The myth of Australia is of the convict settlement, whilst the myth of America is that of the Pilgrim Fathers. Therefore, the defining characteristic of Australians is of whining and complaining, whereas the characteristic of the Pilgrim Fathers was thanksgiving. Though many have lost who they’re thanking, Thanksgiving is a culturally significant holiday that comes from a Christian foundation. Whereas if you ask an Australian who they thank for their blessings, they’ll likely say, “I thank my lucky stars,” as if their lucky stars have done anything for them. We’ve got everything to thank God for, but if we don’t know God, we won’t thank him.
Peter: I attended a service this week of a dear brother who had died, which was called a thanksgiving service. There’s no harm in exalting the person for whom we hold the thanksgiving service, as long as we recognise that the person’s good gifts are from the Lord; furthermore, the person’s achievements must be put into the context of what the Lord has done in that person’s life, the gifting they’ve received, and the determination to use those gifts to God’s glory. That’s what Paul says here.
Phillip: Without pride and boasting, and without flattery.
Peter: Indeed, that is the proper way to do it.
Phillip: Today, pride is seen as a good thing. Previous generations thought being proud was a dreadful thing, but today we say, “I’ve done XYZ and I’m proud of my achievements,” or “I pride myself in XYZ.” The language of pride is now used positively, rather than the language of gratitude. We should be saying, “I thank God that he has given me the opportunity to do these things.”
Peter: Bearing that in mind, the Apostle Paul starts the letter thinking about the Corinthians, but primarily thanking God for what God has done. And notice the word ‘grace’ in verse 4, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus.” The word ‘grace’ indicates that this is not something that you have achieved, nor something that you deserve; it is something that, out of the extraordinary mercy of God, has come into your life as it has come into Paul’s life.
Phillip: I agree, but while it is the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, it’s not narrowed down to the grace of mercy and forgiveness through the death of Jesus, because it goes on, “In every way you are enriched in him in all speech and knowledge.” The generosity of God was given to these people in speech and knowledge, so that they are “not lacking in any gift.” What do you make of the reference to spiritual gifts here?
Peter: This is a subject that is going to be significant, particularly as we get to chapters 12 to 14. Therefore, it’s interesting that it appears so early in the letter. It’s not as if Paul doesn’t know where he’s going with all this, but it’s likewise interesting that he should especially mention as having been gifted to all, the gifts of “speech and knowledge”. I’ve already mentioned that I’ve been reading a book soon to be published by Tony Payne. In it, he takes up this point, saying that all Christians are gifted with speech: the sort of speech which encourages, rebukes, and strengthens the other members of the church. What we’re seeing here is the beginning of a theme of the way in which church should function. It is something for which we are all responsible in how we speak to one another.
Phillip: That’s a very important point. I would like to point out that our translations have inserted the word ‘spiritual’ to the verse, “so that you are not lacking in any gift,” even though it’s not in the original Greek. The imposition of ‘spiritual’ into the English translations is part of what has misconstrued the whole discussion about the importance and the place of spiritual gifts. Here, the gifts are of knowledge and speech, but notice the purpose for which they’re given: namely, for sustaining us until the end.
I love evangelism; I love to hear people becoming Christians. But of course, the heart of evangelism is not that people start the Christian life but that they finish the Christian life. The key is being so converted as to stand mature in Christ on the last day, guiltless before him because of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. God not only starts the good work in us, but brings it to completion on the last day. That is what is being spoken of here. God is not quixotic. God is not temperamental. God is faithful. He starts that work and enables it to find its fulfilment, so that we are “called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Peter: What do you make of the suggestion that it is God the Father who has called us into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ? That is to say, aren’t we related to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? Is it not a relationship where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are equally God? Why has he particularly mentioned the fellowship with Jesus?
Phillip: I’m not sure that it’s the fellowship with Jesus alone. When we come into a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, we come into a relationship with each other, for we are all called into that same fellowship. So the fellowship of Jesus Christ is the fellowship that he owns: namely, his people. Therefore, the solitary Christian is not the normal Christian. The normal Christian is one who is in fellowship in the name of Christ, and therefore is in fellowship with all who call upon his name. The church is not called the Holy Spirit Church, nor is it God the Father Church; it’s the Christian Church.
To continue with verses 10 to 11
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgement. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
The letter started from such a wonderful high point of thanksgiving, only to immediately move into the reality of church life. Though our translation says that he appeals to them, a more direct translation would be to say “I exhort you, brothers.” It’s not just a polite request for them to stop quarreling. But notice how he exhorts them “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I’m afraid that unity is such a theme of modern Western civilisation, with its emphasis on “social cohesion” and the like, that we’ve underestimated what is meant in this passage. Real agreement is about being of one mind, in the same judgement, having the same understanding. To sit together and sing Kumbaya around a campfire, so to speak, does not capture the sense of agreement that Paul calls upon people to have. It is agreement in the Lord Jesus Christ, that we have the same mind and the same judgement.
Peter: Indeed; one of the marks of the church is unity, particularly in the congregation. That is to say, church unity has become something that goes on in the public service of the church.
Phillip: It’s an institutional view of church, and an institutional view of unity.
Peter: Exactly, but what we’re seeing here is something far more profound. We’re seeing the necessity for each congregation, and hence every member of each congregation, to take the responsibility for a profound unity in the church, a love of one another. This is going to be a theme as we continue in Corinthians, because we are going to find out how we can achieve this.
Phillip: Especially as Chloe’s people reported that there wasn’t unity. Paul is addressing the particular situation of disunity in the early church, which is also an issue in congregational life.
Peter: Let me ask you this: you chose 1 Corinthians as our subject for this year. It’s a big change from Genesis. Are you happy with this first discussion? Do you think we’re going to really benefit from each other? Because it’s the benefit you and I receive, which we hope we share with others. What’s it doing for us?
Phillip: The first study lays the foundations; that’s always the problem with the opening sermon in a new series. In fact, one of the problems with starting a new series on a letter is the amount of time that the preacher spends on the first verse. The enthusiasm is there, but understanding what we’re doing while we’re doing it is vital.
The main subject of 1 Corinthians starts with the mention of Chloe’s people. That is where the conflict starts, which we will address throughout this series.
Phillip D. Jensen, The Coming of the Holy Spirit, 2022 (Matthias Media).
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Links & Recommendations
For more on this topic, listen to this talk. It’s called The Problems of a Gifted Church.
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