Dear Church - 1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1

How many letters did the Apostle Paul write to the Christians in Corinth?
            We have First and Second Corinthians, so the answer is two.

But Paul seems to reference a letter that he wrote previously before the current letter we call 1 Corinthians.

          1 Corinthians 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people
          …11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother

The Corinthians misunderstood Paul’s former letter and seemed to be disassociating with all sexually immoral people. So, in this letter, he clarifies his meaning.

Read the fuller context below.

          1 Corinthians 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

How many letters did the Apostle Paul write to the Christians in Corinth?
            We have two letters, and we have one letter that is referred to, but God did not preserve it for us.

So, Paul wrote the Corinth Christians at least three times. 1 Corinthians is really 2 Corinthians, and 2 Corinthians is really 3 Corinthians (a little confusing).

Three thoughts:

1. Even the Apostle Paul was misunderstood when he wrote inspired messages.
To the Corinthians and the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 2:5), he has to write a second letter to clear up a wrong interpretation of what he had previously written or said.

Do your best to be clear, but know that you will be misunderstood and even misquoted.

            Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

            1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

2. Scripture can be hard to understand, and some purposely twist the meaning.

          2 Peter 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Be careful to study and understand God’s inspired word correctly. Don’t purposely alter or misapply what God has said.

          2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

3. God did not preserve every inspired book written in the Old or New Testament.

            2 Chronicles 9:29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
We do not have a copy of these named books.

          Colossians 4:16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
We don’t have the letter that was supposed to be read from Laodicea. Some scholars try to identify this letter as our Ephesians or Philemon, but it is better to accept that God did not preserve it.

Let’s take time to study and obey God’s word.

          John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.
Be encouraged. As an immersed believer, you have the indwelling gift of God. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, lives in each of us.

How many commands do you need to obey? Just two.

            Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Today, let’s grow in our Love for God and our Love for our Neighbor.