Chapter 29
A Message of Warning and Entreaty
[This chapter is based on the First Epistle to the
Corinthians.]
The first epistle to the Corinthian church was written by the apostle
Paul during the latter part of his stay at Ephesus. For no others had he
felt a deeper interest or put forth more untiring effort than for the
believers in Corinth. For a year and a half he had laboured among them,
pointing them to a crucified and risen Saviour as the only means of
salvation, and urging them to rely implicitly on the transforming power of
His grace. Before accepting into church fellowship those who made a
profession of Christianity, he had been careful to give them special
instruction as to the privileges and duties of the Christian believer, and
he had earnestly endeavoured to help them to be faithful to their
baptismal vows.
Paul had a keen sense of the conflict which every soul must wage with
the agencies of evil that are continually seeking to deceive and ensnare,
and he had worked untiringly to strengthen and confirm those who were
young in the faith. He had entreated them to make an entire surrender to
God; for he knew that when the soul fails to make this surrender, then sin
is not forsaken, the appetites and passions still strive for the mastery,
and temptations confuse the conscience.
The surrender must be complete. Every weak, doubting, struggling soul
who yields fully to the Lord is placed in direct touch with agencies that
enable him to overcome. Heaven is near to him, and he has the support and
help of angels of mercy in every time of trial and need.
The members of the church at Corinth were surrounded by idolatry and
sensuality of the most alluring form. While the apostle was with them,
these influences had but little power over them. Paul's firm faith, his
fervent prayers and earnest words of instruction, and, above all, his
godly life had helped them to deny self for Christ's sake rather than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin.
After the departure of Paul, however, unfavourable conditions arose;
tares that had been sown by the enemy appeared among the wheat, and
erelong these began to bring forth their evil fruit. This was a time of
severe trial to the Corinthian church. The apostle was no longer with them
to quicken their zeal and aid them in their endeavours to live in harmony
with God, and little by little many became careless and indifferent, and
allowed natural tastes and inclinations to control them. He who had so
often urged them to high ideals of purity and uprightness was no longer
with them, and not a few who, at the time of their conversion, had put
away their evil habits, returned to the debasing sins of heathenism.
Paul had written briefly to the church, admonishing them "not to
company" with members who should persist in profligacy; but many of
the believers perverted the apostle's meaning, quibbled over his words,
and excused themselves for disregarding his instruction.
A letter was sent to Paul by the church, asking for counsel concerning
various matters, but saying nothing of the grievous sins existing among
them. The apostle was, however, forcibly impressed by the Holy Spirit that
the true state of the church had been concealed and that this letter was
an attempt to draw from him statements which the writers could construe to
serve their own purposes.
About this time there came to Ephesus members of the household of
Chloe, a Christian family of high repute in Corinth. Paul asked them
regarding the condition of things, and they told him that the church was
rent by divisions. The dissensions that had prevailed at the time of
Apollos's visit had greatly increased. False teachers were leading the
members to despise the instructions of Paul. The doctrines and ordinances
of the gospel had been perverted. Pride, idolatry, and sensualism, were
steadily increasing among those who had once been zealous in the Christian
life.
As this picture was presented before him, Paul saw that his worst fears
were more than realised. But he did not because of this give way to the
thought that his work had been a failure. With "anguish of
heart" and with "many tears" he sought counsel from God.
Gladly would he have visited Corinth at once, had this been the wisest
course to pursue. But he knew that in their present condition the
believers would not profit by his labours, and therefore he sent Titus to
prepare the way for a visit from himself later on. Then, putting aside all
personal feelings over the course of those whose conduct revealed such
strange perverseness, and keeping his soul stayed upon God, the apostle
wrote to the church at Corinth one of the richest, most instructive, most
powerful of all his letters.
With remarkable clearness he proceeded to answer the various questions
brought forward by the church, and to lay down general principles, which,
if heeded, would lead them to a higher spiritual plane. They were in
peril, and he could not bear the thought of failing at this critical time
to reach their hearts. Faithfully he warned them of their dangers and
reproved them for their sins. He pointed them again to Christ and sought
to kindle anew the fervour of their early devotion.
The apostle's great love for the Corinthian believers was revealed in
his tender greeting to the church. He referred to their experience in
turning from idolatry to the worship and service of the true God. He
reminded them of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which they had received, and
showed that it was their privilege to make continual advancement in the
Christian life until they should attain to the purity and holiness of
Christ. "In everything ye are enriched by Him," he wrote,
"in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of
Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto
the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ."
Paul spoke plainly of the dissensions that had arisen in the Corinthian
church, and exhorted the members to cease from strife. "I beseech
you, brethren," he wrote, "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 judgement."
The apostle felt at liberty to mention how and by whom he had been
informed of the divisions in the church. "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."
Paul was an inspired apostle. The truths he taught to others he had
received "by revelation;" yet the Lord did not directly reveal
to him at all times just the condition of His people. In this instance
those who were interested in the prosperity of the church at Corinth, and
who had seen evils creeping in, had presented the matter before the
apostle, and from divine revelations which he had formerly received he was
prepared to judge of the character of these developments. Notwithstanding
the fact that the Lord did not give him a new revelation for that special
time, those who were really seeking for light accepted his message as
expressing the mind of Christ. The Lord had shown him the difficulties and
dangers which would arise in the churches, and, as these evils developed,
the apostle recognised their significance. He had been set for the defence
of the church. He was to watch for souls as one who must render account to
God, and was it not consistent and right for him to take notice of the
reports concerning the anarchy and divisions among them? Most assuredly;
and the reproof he sent them was as certainly written under the
inspiration of the Spirit of God as were any of his other epistles.
The apostle made no mention of the false teachers who were seeking to
destroy the fruit of his labour. Because of the darkness and division in
the church, he wisely forbore to irritate them by such references, for
fear of turning some entirely from the truth. He called attention to his
own work among them as that of "a wise master builder," who had
laid the foundation upon which others had built. But he did not thereby
exalt himself; for he declared, "We are labourers together with
God." He claimed no wisdom of his own, but acknowledged that divine
power alone had enabled him to present the truth in a manner pleasing to
God. United with Christ, the greatest of all teachers, Paul had been
enabled to communicate lessons of divine wisdom, which met the necessities
of all classes, and which were to apply at all times, in all places, and
under all conditions.
Among the more serious of the evils that had developed among the
Corinthian believers, was that of a return to many of the debasing customs
of heathenism. One former convert had so far backslidden that his
licentious course was a violation of even the low standard of morality
held by the Gentile world. The apostle pleaded with the church to put away
from among them "that wicked person." "Know ye not,"
he admonished them, "that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened."
Another grave evil that had arisen in the church was that of brethren
going to law against one another. Abundant provision had been made for the
settlement of difficulties among believers. Christ Himself had given plain
instruction as to how such matters were to be adjusted. "If thy
brother shall trespass against thee," the Saviour had counselled,
"go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall
hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee,
then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear
them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let
him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever
ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 18:15-18.
To the Corinthian believers who had lost sight of this plain counsel,
Paul wrote in no uncertain terms of admonition and rebuke. "Dare any
of you," he asked, "having a matter against another, go to law
before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the
saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are
ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge
angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have
judgements of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are
least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there
is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge
between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that
before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you,
because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? .
. . Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"
Satan is constantly seeking to introduce distrust, alienation, and
malice among God's people. We shall often be tempted to feel that our
rights are invaded, even when there is no real cause for such feelings.
Those whose love for self is stronger than their love for Christ and His
cause will place their own interests first and will resort to almost any
expedient to guard and maintain them. Even many who appear to be
conscientious Christians are hindered by pride and self-esteem from going
privately to those whom they think in error, that they may talk with them
in the spirit of Christ and pray together for one another. When they think
themselves injured by their brethren, some will even go to law instead of
following the Saviour's rule.
Christians should not appeal to civil tribunals to settle differences
that may arise among church members. Such differences should be settled
among themselves, or by the church, in harmony with Christ's instruction.
Even though injustice may have been done, the follower of the meek and
lowly Jesus will suffer himself "to be defrauded" rather than
open before the world the sins of his brethren in the church.
Lawsuits between brethren are a reproach to the cause of truth.
Christians who go to law with one another expose the church to the
ridicule of her enemies and cause the powers of darkness to triumph. They
are wounding Christ afresh and putting Him to open shame. By ignoring the
authority of the church, they show contempt for God, who gave to the
church its authority.
In this letter to the Corinthians Paul endeavoured to show them
Christ's power to keep them from evil. He knew that if they would comply
with the conditions laid down, they would be strong in the strength of the
Mighty One. As a means of helping them to break away from the thraldom of
sin and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, Paul urged upon them
the claims of Him to whom they had dedicated their lives at the time of
their conversion. "Ye are Christ's," he declared. "Ye are
not your own. . . . Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
The apostle plainly outlined the result of turning from a life of
purity and holiness to the corrupt practices of heathenism. "Be not
deceived," he wrote; "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, . . . nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." He begged them
to control the lower passions and appetites. "Know ye not," he
asked, "that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in
you, which ye have of God?"
While Paul possessed high intellectual endowments, his life revealed
the power of a rarer wisdom, which gave him quickness of insight and
sympathy of heart, and brought him into close touch with others, enabling
him to arouse their better nature and inspire them to strive for a higher
life. His heart was filled with an earnest love for the Corinthian
believers. He longed to see them revealing an inward piety that would
fortify them against temptation. He knew that at every step in the
Christian pathway they would be opposed by the synagogue of Satan and that
they would have to engage in conflicts daily. They would have to guard
against the stealthy approach of the enemy, forcing back old habits and
natural inclinations, and ever watching unto prayer. Paul knew that the
higher Christian attainments can be reached only through much prayer and
constant watchfulness, and this he tried to instil into their minds. But
he knew also that in Christ crucified they were offered power sufficient
to convert the soul and divinely adapted to enable them to resist all
temptations to evil. With faith in God as their armour, and with His word
as their weapon of warfare, they would be supplied with an inner power
that would enable them to turn aside the attacks of the enemy.
The Corinthian believers needed a deeper experience in the things of
God. They did not know fully what it meant to behold His glory and to be
changed from character to character. They had seen but the first rays of
the early dawn of that glory. Paul's desire for them was that they might
be filled with all the fullness of God, following on to know Him whose
going forth is prepared as the morning, and continuing to learn of Him
until they should come into the full noontide of a perfect gospel faith.
|
