Notes from the Summer Messiah Series Week Five

We’re excited for you to join us for this midweek summer series, as we journey through Messiah; the NLT version of the New Testament without any chapter or verse numbers. Here are Pastoral Resident Zachary’s highlights from night five covering 1 & 2 Corinthians.

Key Passages

1 Corinthians 1:10; 2:1-2; 12:12-31; 15:1-11

2 Corinthians 1:3-7; 4:16-18; 10:3-6; 13:11-13;

From 1 Corinthians

“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 judgment.” 

1 Corinthians 1:10

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

1 Corinthians 2:1–2

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13–14

From 2 Corinthians

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

2 Corinthians 4:16–18

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. 

2 Corinthians 13:11–13

1 Corinthians

Context

• Written to the Church in Corinth

• Large economic hub in Southern Greece

  • Acts 18 - stayed for 1.5 years (v. 11)

• Where he met Aquila and Priscilla

• around A.D. 55

Outline of 1 Corinthians

Division in the church (1-4)

• Key Issue

• Divisions due to the people picking their favorite teachers (Paul, Apollos, or Peter)

• Gospel Response

• Not a popularity contest. Jesus is the center of the church

• Sexual Immorality and Marriage ethics (5-7)

• Key Issue

• Sleeping around

• one guy with his step mom

• worshiping Greek gods and sleeping with their prostitutes

• "we are free in Christ"

• Gospel Response

• Jesus died for your sins

• Sexuality integrity is how we respond to the Gospel

• What you do with your body matters

• You were bought with a price

• Food offered to idols (8-10)

• Key Issue

• Food sacrificed to idols in Greek temples

• Gospel Response

• Loyalty is to Christ

• don't eat if will cause others to stumble

• eat if won't cause anyone to stumble

• Sacrificed to wood and stone

• Disunity in the Gathering (11-14)

• Key Issue

• Chaos in the gatherings

• Speaking in unintelligible tongues

• standing and interrupting people

• Gospel Response

• God's Spirit works through everyone in unified way

• Love will compel us to seek the well-being of our brothers and sisters

• Do not distract, have orderly meetings

• The Resurrection (15)

• Key Issue

• Resurrection did not happen

• Gospel Response

• Resurrection is paramount to our faith

• Faith is meaningless without the resurrection

• Reason for unification (1), motivation for sexual integrity (2), power to love others more than self (3 & 4), and victory over death (5)

• Final Greeting (16)

• Seeing every part of life through the lens of the true Gospel

What Matters

Unity in the Church is important in the life of the Christian and that unity is rooted in the Resurrection of Jesus.

2 Corinthians

Context

Written again to the Church in Corinth

• AD 56

• Called "2 Corinthians" but not the second letter that he wrote

  • Breakdown of timing

• Report of issues in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:11)

• The first letter

• Many rejected Paul's teaching

• Paul visits and it is "painful" (2 Cor. 2:1)

• Sent a second letter (2 Cor. 1:3-4, 7:8-12)

• written with anguish and tears

• Corinth wanted to reconcile

• Here we have the "second" letter

  • First letter called for unity in the church, this one calls for unity with Paul in his ministry

Outline of 2 Corinthians

• Paul reconciles with the Corinthians (1-7)

  • Why did they reject Paul?

  • Poor, manual labor, not an impressive public speaker

  • Swayed by status and charismatic "leaders"

  • Paul's job is not to be impressive, to point people to Jesus

  • They want letters of recommendation, he says no, that they are his recommendation

  • Covenants

  • Old Covenant

  • God -> Moses -> Israel

  • New Covenant

  • God -> Jesus & the Spirit -> Corinthians

  • Jesus is eternal and glorious

  • Cross paradox

  • Jesus is exalted through suffering and death

  • Paul is imaging Jesus through his sufferings and being made low. When the Corinthians reject Paul, they in effect, reject Jesus.

• Forgotten Generosity (8-9)

• Relief gift for the famine (Rom. 15:23-33; 1 Cor. 16:1-3)

• Macedonians were generous, Galatians were generous, Corinth was not acting generously and Paul is calling them to honor their word.

• Jesus was rich, became poor in order to bestow His riches upon the poor (His grace and presence)

• Paul vs. "super" apostles (10-13)

• Super Apostles’ pedigree

• Jewish Bible experts

• General knowledge of Jesus

• Asked for money

• Paul’s pedigree

• Pharisee (cf., Phil. 3)

• Encountered Jesus (Acts 11)

• Had visions of Jesus' heavenly throne room

• On mission for Jesus

• Never asked for money

• In his weakness, God's power is perfected

Everything that we value is paradoxical in 2 Corinthians