1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians
The Church at Corinth was weak and in trouble. The Christians were struggling with their Christian faith, life-style and environment. Surrounded by corruption, idolatry, immorality and every conceivable sin, they felt the pressure to adapt. They knew they were free in Jesus Christ, but what did this freedom really mean? Their faith was being tested in the immoral environment and some of them were failing the test.
Apostle Paul lovingly and forcefully confronted their problems and pointed them back to Jesus Christ. Through personal visits and letters, Paul tried to instruct them in them faith. He dealt with divisions, conflicts, selfishness, inconsiderate use of freedom, disorder in worship, misuse of spiritual gifts and wrong attitudes about the resurrection.
The Corinthians had sent Paul a list of questions, and he answered them in a way to correct abuses in the church and to show how important it is that they live what they believe. Paul gives us a Christian approach to problem-solving. He analyzed the problem thoroughly to uncover the underlying issue, and then highlighted the biblical values that should guide our actions.
In every church, there are enough problems to split it. Believers should not ignore or gloss over problems in our church or in our lives. Instead individuals should deal with problems head on as they arise. The lesson in 1 Corinthians, is that unity and love are far more important than leaders and labels.