Latest / truthunedited / Why is 1 Corinthians 13 the most important chapter in the Bible_(M4A_128K)

Transcript

Why is 1 Corinthians 13 the most important chapter in the Bible_(M4A_128K) · truthunedited

0:00
Speaker 1: Christianity almost died in its infancy, not from Roman persecution
0:04
or external enemies, but from something far more dangerous, Believers
0:09
destroying each other from within. In ancient Corinth, the church
0:13
was a battlefield. Members flaunted spiritual gifts like weapons. Wealthy
0:18
believers humiliated the poor during communion, and lawsuits between Christians
0:23
scandalized the entire city. The gospel was becoming a joke. Then,
0:29
in one of history's most desperate moments, the apostle Paul
0:33
penned thirteen verses that would save the faith forever. Hidden
0:37
between discussions of spiritual gifts lies the most powerful chapter
0:41
ever written, not just about love, but about survival itself.
0:46
These verses didn't just fix Corinth, they became the eternal
0:49
standard for every believer who would ever live. Today, billions
0:55
quote these words without realizing their holding the very foundation
0:58
of Christianity in their hands. This isn't poetry. It's the
1:02
emergency manual that rescued God's people from total collapse. The
1:07
messenger arrived at Paul's door with devastating news. The church
1:12
in Corinth, the very community he had poured his life
1:15
into for eighteen months, was falling apart. As Paul unrolled
1:19
the letter and read the report. His heart sank with
1:22
each word. The believers he had led to Christ were
1:25
now at each other's throats, forming rival camps like political
1:29
parties in a bitter election. When Paul sat down to
1:33
write his response, his hands trembled with a mixture of
1:36
grief and righteous anger. He began his first letter to
1:40
the Corinthians with heavy words that cut straight to the
1:44
heart of their problem. In Chapter one, verses eleven and twelve,
1:48
he wrote, my brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household,
1:53
have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What
1:57
I mean is this One of you says I follow Paul,
2:01
Another I follow Apollos, Another I follow Cephus, still another
2:06
I follow Christ. The irony was bitter. Even those claiming
2:11
to follow Christ were doing it in a way that
2:14
divided them from their brothers and sisters. Paul could picture
2:17
the scene in their gatherings, believers wearing their loyalty like
2:21
team jerseys, arguing about whose leader was superior, whose teaching
2:26
was deeper, whose ministry was more powerful. What should have
2:30
been a family had become a battlefield. In verses thirteen,
2:34
turn seventeen, Paul asked them the pointed questions that exposed
2:39
their foolishness. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified? For you?
2:44
Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank
2:47
God that I did not baptize any of you except
2:50
Chrispus and Gius, so no one can say that you
2:53
were baptized in my name. For Christ did not send
2:56
me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with
2:59
wisdom and eloquence, lest the Cross of Christ be emptied
3:02
of its power. Paul was showing them that they had
3:06
completely missed the point. Christianity wasn't about choosing the most
3:10
impressive human leader. It was about surrendering to the one
3:14
leader who had actually died for them. Corinth was a
3:18
city where intelligence was currency and clever speech was power.
3:23
In the bustling market place, Greek philosophers competed for audiences
3:27
with their brilliant arguments and sophisticated rhetoric. The Corinthian believers
3:33
had been infected by this culture of intellectual pride. They
3:37
measured spiritual maturity by how smart someone sounded, how many
3:42
big words they could use, how cleverly they could argue.
3:46
Paul knew this trap well. He had been educated in
3:50
the finest schools and could match any philosopher word for word.
3:55
But he also knew that this approach would destroy everything
3:58
the Gospel stood for. In Chapter one, verses eighteen to
4:02
twenty one, he wrote, for the message of the Cross
4:05
is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us
4:08
who are being saved, it is the power of God.
4:11
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of
4:14
the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent. I will frustrate.
4:19
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of
4:22
the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has
4:25
not God made foolish the wisdom of the world, For
4:28
since in the wisdom of God, the world, through its wisdom,
4:31
did not know him. God was pleased through the foolishness
4:34
of what was preached to save those who believe Paul
4:38
was turning their whole world upside down. While they were
4:41
trying to make the Gospel sounds sophisticated and impressive, Paul
4:46
insisted that its power lay in its simplicity. The cross,
4:52
a brutal execution method, had become God's ultimate wisdom. In
4:57
verses twenty two to twenty five. He continue, Jews demand
5:01
signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ
5:05
crucified a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to gentiles.
5:11
But to those whom God has called both Jews and Greeks,
5:15
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
5:19
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
5:23
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
5:28
Paul was teaching them that trying to impress people with
5:31
clever words was actually making the Gospel weaker, not stronger.
5:37
Paul knew he was dealing with people who had seriously
5:40
overestimated their own spiritual development. They strutted around the church
5:45
acting like they had reached the highest levels of faith,
5:48
but their behavior told a different story. They were like
5:52
children playing dress up in adult clothes, convinced they were
5:56
grown ups while acting like toddlers. Paul had to be
5:59
both and firm as he addressed their delusion. In chapter two,
6:04
verses six to eight, he acknowledged that there really was
6:07
deeper wisdom available. We do, however, speak a message of
6:12
wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age.
6:17
Or of the rulers of this age who are coming
6:19
to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that
6:23
has been hidden and that God destined for our glory
6:27
before time began. None of the rulers of this age
6:31
understood it, for if they had, they would not have
6:34
crucified the Lord of Glory. Paul was saying that, yes,
6:39
there were deeper truths, more advanced spiritual insights, but the
6:43
Corinthians weren't ready for them. You don't give a toddler
6:46
a stake dinner and expect them to handle it well.
6:50
In verses fourteen sixteen, Paul explained why they weren't ready.
6:54
The person without the spirit does not accept the things
6:57
that come from the spirit of God, but can cosiders
7:00
them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned spiritually.
7:06
The person with the spirit makes judgments about all things.
7:09
But such a person is not subject to merely human judgments.
7:13
For who has known the mind of the Lord so
7:16
as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
7:21
The problem wasn't their intelligence, it was their spiritual immaturity.
7:25
They were so busy competing with each other and showing
7:28
off that they had missed the most basic lessons of
7:31
following Jesus. Their jealousy and fighting proved they were still
7:36
operating like people who didn't know God at all. Paul
7:39
shifted to a metaphor every person in Corinth would understand
7:43
perfectly construction. The city was full of builders working on
7:48
magnificent temples and impressive buildings. Everyone knew the difference between
7:53
quality materials and cheap substitutes. In Chapter three, verses ten fifteen,
7:59
Paul used this familiar image to show them what they
8:02
were really doing by the grace God has given me.
8:06
I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone
8:09
else is building on it. But each one should build
8:12
with care, for no one can lay any foundation other
8:16
than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If
8:20
anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood,
8:25
hay or straw, their work will be shown for what
8:29
it is, because the day will bring it to light.
8:32
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
8:35
test the quality of each person's work. If what has
8:38
been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If
8:42
it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss, but
8:46
yet will be saved, even though only as one escaping
8:49
through the flames. Paul had laid the foundation during his
8:53
eighteen months with them Jesus Christ and the Gospel message.
8:58
But now others were building on that foundation, and Paul
9:01
was horrified by the materials they were choosing. Instead of
9:05
the gold, silver, and precious stones of genuine love, humility,
9:09
and service, they were using the wood, hay, and straw
9:13
of pride, competition and showing off. These cheap materials might
9:18
look impressive for a while, but when God's testing fire came,
9:21
they would be consumed in an instant. In verses three
9:25
to four, Paul had already diagnosed the problem. You are
9:29
still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you,
9:33
are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
9:38
For when one says I follow Paul and another I
9:41
follow Apollos, are you not mere humans? They were building
9:46
with human materials instead of divine ones, and the whole
9:50
structure was in danger of collapsing. The contrast between Paul's
9:55
approach and the Corinthian's behavior couldn't have been more stark.
9:59
While they we were climbing over each other to reach
10:01
the top of their little spiritual ladder. Paul was showing
10:05
them what real Apostolic ministry looked like, and it wasn't
10:09
pretty by human standards. In Chapter four, verses nine to thirteen,
10:14
Paul painted a vivid and shocking picture of Apostolic life.
10:19
It seems to me that God has put us apostles
10:22
on display at the end of the procession, like those
10:25
condemned to die in the arena. We have been made
10:28
a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well
10:32
as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but
10:36
you are so wise in Christ. We are weak, but
10:38
you are strong. You are honored. We are dishonored. To
10:43
this very hour, we go hungry and thirsty. We are
10:46
in rags. We are brutally treated. We are homeless. We
10:50
work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed,
10:53
we bless. When we are persecuted, we endure it. When
10:57
we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the
11:01
scum of the earth, the garbage of the world. Right
11:04
up to this moment, Paul wasn't complaining or seeking pity.
11:08
He was showing them the upside down nature of God's kingdom.
11:12
While they were fighting for honor and recognition. Paul had
11:15
embraced dishonor for the sake of Christ. While they demanded
11:20
respect and comfort. Paul had chosen suffering and service. This
11:26
wasn't masochism or false humility. It was the radical a
11:30
choice to follow Jesus. In Chapter four, verses fourteen to seventeen,
11:36
Paul revealed the motivation behind all his hard words. I
11:40
am writing this not to shame you, but to warn you,
11:44
as my dear children, even if you had ten thousand
11:47
guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For
11:50
in Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel. Therefore,
11:55
I urge you to imitate me. For this reason, I
11:58
have sent to you Tim, my son whom I love,
12:02
who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you
12:05
of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees
12:08
with what I teach everywhere in every church. This wasn't
12:13
the cold correction of a distant authority figure. This was
12:17
the heartbroken intervention of a father watching his children destroy
12:22
themselves and each other. Paul had been there when many
12:25
of them first heard the Gospel. He had seen their
12:28
faces light up with understanding when they grasp the truth
12:32
about Jesus. He had baptized some of them with his
12:35
own hands. He had celebrated with them, prayed with them,
12:40
taught them how to live as followers of Christ. Now
12:44
he was watching them tear apart everything he had helped
12:46
them build. His correction came from a place of deep love,
12:51
not cruel judgment. Every rebuke was motivated by his desire
12:55
to see than become the people God had called them
12:58
to be. He wasn't trying to control them or assert
13:02
his authority. He was trying to save them from the
13:04
destructive path they were on. This fatherly heart that Paul
13:08
displayed would soon become the very foundation of the love
13:12
he would describe in chapter thirteen, love that corrects when necessary,
13:17
but always seeks the other person's highest good. Just when
13:22
Paul thought the situation couldn't get worse, he received news
13:26
that made the divisions seem minor by comparison. The Corinthian
13:30
Church was tolerating behavior so scandalous that even the Pagans
13:35
in their sex obsessed city were shocked by it. In
13:38
chapter five, verses one two, Paul addressed the crisis with
13:42
barely controlled outrage. It is actually reported that there is
13:46
sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even
13:50
Pagans do not tolerate. A man is sleeping with his
13:53
father's wife, and you are proud. Shouldn't you rather have
13:57
gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship
14:00
the one who has been doing this. The situation was
14:04
beyond belief. A man in the church was having a
14:07
sexual relationship with his stepmother, an act so taboo that
14:11
even the anything goes culture of Corinth condemned it. But
14:16
the most shocking part wasn't the sin itself. It was
14:19
the church's response to it. They were actually proud of
14:24
their tolerance. They had twisted the concept of love so
14:27
badly that they thought ignoring destructive behavior was the same
14:32
as being loving. Paul could see exactly what was happening.
14:38
In their effort to appear sophisticated and non judgmental, they
14:42
had abandoned the very people who needed help the most.
14:46
The man involved wasn't being loved, He was being enabled
14:50
in behavior that was destroying his soul and scandalizing the
14:54
entire Christian community. The church wasn't demonstrating grace, it was
14:59
demonstrating cowardice. In verses six to eight. Paul used the
15:03
metaphor of yeast to show them how dangerous their tolerance was.
15:07
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a
15:10
little yeast leavens the whole batch of doe. Get rid
15:13
of the old yeast, so that you may be anew
15:16
unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our passover
15:20
lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the festival,
15:24
not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness,
15:27
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Paul's
15:33
solution was as shocking as the problem itself. In chapter five,
15:37
verses four five, he gave instructions that must have made
15:41
the Corinthians gasp. So, when you are assembled, and I
15:45
am with you in spirit and the power of our
15:48
Lord Jesus's present hand, this man over to Satan for
15:53
the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may
15:56
be saved on the day of the Lord. To modern ears,
16:00
this sounds incredibly harsh, but Paul was actually demonstrating the
16:04
deepest kind of love possible. By removing the unrepentant person
16:09
from the protective environment of the church. They were creating
16:12
a situation where he would finally have to face the
16:15
full consequences of his choices. Sometimes people won't listen to
16:20
gentle warnings, but they will respond to hard reality. Paul
16:25
wasn't trying to destroy the man. He was trying to
16:28
shock him back to his senses before it was too late.
16:31
In verses nine to thirteen, Paul expanded his instructions to
16:35
cover other situations. I wrote to you in my letter
16:39
not to associate with sexually immoral people, not at all,
16:43
meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or
16:46
the greedy and swindlers or idolators. In that case, you
16:50
would have to leave this world. But now I am
16:53
writing to you that you must not associate with any
16:56
one who claims to be a brother or sister but
16:58
is sexually immoral, or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a
17:03
drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
17:07
What business is it of mine to judge those outside
17:10
the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God
17:14
will judge those outside. Expel the wicked person from among you.
17:20
Paul was teaching them that boundaries aren't walls designed to
17:23
keep people out forever their fences designed to protect what's
17:27
valuable inside and to motivate change in those who have
17:31
wandered away. The goal was never punishment for its own sake,
17:35
but restoration and protection. Sometimes the most loving thing you
17:39
can do is refuse to enable someone's destructive behavior. Paul
17:46
received another piece of news that made his heart sink
17:49
even deeper. The Corinthian believers weren't just fighting with words.
17:55
They were actually taking each other to court. Picture the
17:58
scene Christians in pagan courtrooms, arguing over money and property
18:03
while unbelievers watched in disbelief. Paul was horrified. In chapter six,
18:09
verses Wonder six, he wrote, with obvious frustration, if any
18:13
of you has a dispute with another, do you dare
18:17
to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of
18:20
before the Lord's people? Or do you not know that
18:24
the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you
18:27
are to judge the world, are you not competent to
18:30
judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will
18:33
judge angels, how much more the things of this life? Therefore,
18:38
if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask
18:42
for a ruling from those whose way of life is
18:44
scorned by the church. I say this to shame you.
18:48
Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise
18:51
enough to judge a dispute between believers, but instead one
18:56
brother takes another to court, and this in front of unbelieve.
19:01
Paul couldn't believe what he was hearing. These people who
19:05
claim to follow Jesus were so focused on winning their
19:08
disputes that they were willing to humiliate the entire Christian
19:12
community in public. They were more concerned about getting their
19:16
money back than protecting the reputation of the gospel. But
19:20
then Paul asked a question that cut to the heart
19:23
of everything. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather
19:26
be cheated? In verse seven, he continued, the very fact
19:30
that you have lawsuits among you means you have been
19:33
completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not
19:37
rather be cheated? Paul was introducing a revolutionary idea that
19:42
sometimes love chooses to lose. Instead of fighting for every
19:48
right and demanding every penny owed, love sometimes says I'd
19:53
rather take the loss than damage our relationship or hurt
19:58
the cause of Christ. This wasn't weakness, it was the
20:03
radical strength that comes from knowing your true treasure isn't
20:07
found in earthly possessions. Then, Paul addressed an issue that
20:11
was destroying people from the inside out. Corinth was a
20:15
port city known for its loose morals and temple prostitution.
20:19
Many believers thought that since they were saved by grace,
20:23
what they did with their bodies didn't matter any more.
20:26
Paul had to set them straight. In Chapter six, verses
20:30
twelve fourteen, he wrote, I have the right to do
20:33
anything you say, but not everything is beneficial. I have
20:37
the right to do anything, but I will not be
20:40
mastered by anything you say. Food for the stomach, and
20:45
the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.
20:49
But the body is not meant for sexual immorality, but
20:52
for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By
20:56
his power, God raised the Lord from the dead, and
20:59
he will raise us. Also, Paul was telling them that
21:02
their bodies weren't just temporary shells that didn't matter. God
21:06
cared about what they did with their physical selves. In
21:09
verses fifteen to seventeen, Paul got even more specific. Do
21:14
you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?
21:17
Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite
21:20
them with a prostitute. Never do you not know that
21:23
he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with
21:26
her in body. For it is said the two will
21:30
become one flesh. But whoever is united with the Lord
21:35
is one with him in spirit. Paul was showing them
21:38
that sexual sin wasn't just breaking a rule, it was
21:42
tearing apart their connection with Jesus himself. Then came the
21:46
verse that changed everything about how they should think about
21:50
their bodies. In Verses nineteen to twenty, Paul wrote, do
21:55
you not know that your bodies are temples of the
21:57
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received
22:00
from God. You are not your own. You were bought
22:03
at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. Their
22:08
bodies weren't their own properties. They pleased, They belonged to God,
22:12
and they were meant to be treated with the respect
22:14
and honor that love demands. Paul then turned to address
22:19
questions the Corinthians had sent him of sull consent and
22:23
for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.
22:27
Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt
22:30
you because of your lack of self control. Paul was
22:33
teaching them something revolutionary about love in marriage. True love
22:37
doesn't demand its own way or withhold intimacy as a weapon. Instead,
22:43
both husband and wife give their bodies to each other
22:45
as a gift. This wasn't about one person having power
22:49
over another. It was about both people choosing to serve
22:53
each other's needs before their own. In verses ten to eleven,
22:57
Paul addressed those who were already married to the married.
23:01
I give this command, not I but the Lord. A
23:04
wife must not separate from her husband, but if she does,
23:08
she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.
23:12
And a husband must not divorce his wife. Paul was
23:15
showing them that love doesn't run away when things get difficult.
23:20
It stays and works through problems, because that's what commitment means.
23:24
Paul then gave advice that surprised many people. Instead of
23:28
telling every one to get married, he actually recommended staying
23:32
single for those who could handle it. In Chapter seven,
23:35
verses twenty five twenty eight, he explained his reasoning now
23:39
about virgins. I have no command from the Lord, but
23:42
I give a judgment as one who, by the Lord's mercy,
23:45
is trustworthy because of the present crisis. I think that
23:49
it is good for a man to remain as he is.
23:52
Are you pledged to a woman, do not seek to
23:55
be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do
23:58
not look for a wife. But if you do marry,
24:01
you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she
24:05
has not sinned. But those who marry will face many
24:08
troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
24:12
Paul wasn't saying marriage was bad. He was being practical
24:15
about the difficult times they were living through. In verses
24:19
thirty two to thirty five, he continued, I would like
24:22
you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is
24:27
concerned about the Lord's affairs, how he can please the Lord.
24:32
But a married man is concerned about the affairs of
24:35
this world, how he can please his wife, and his
24:39
interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned
24:44
about the Lord's affairs. Her aim is to be devoted
24:48
to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a
24:52
married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world,
24:56
how she can please her husband. I am saying that
25:00
this for your own good, not to restrict you, but
25:03
that you may live in a right way. In undivided
25:06
devotion to the Lord, Paul was showing them that love
25:10
sometimes means putting aside personal desires for the greater good.
25:15
He wasn't commanding anyone to stay single, but he was
25:18
helping them see that sometimes the most loving choice is
25:23
to consider what's best for everyone involved, not just what
25:27
we want for ourselves. The Corinthians faced a practical problem
25:33
that was tearing their community apart. Much of the meat
25:37
sold in their markets had been offered to pagan idols
25:41
before being sold. Some believers thought eating this meat was sinful,
25:45
while others argued that since idols weren't real gods, the
25:50
meat was fine to eat. The knowledgeable believers were looking
25:54
down on those who were worried about it, creating division
25:58
in the church. Paul addressed this issue with words that
26:02
would become foundational for understanding love. In Chapter eight, verses
26:07
one to three, he wrote, now about food sacrifice to idols,
26:12
we know that we all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up,
26:15
while love builds up. Those who think they know something
26:19
do not yet know as they ought to know. But
26:21
whoever loves God is known by God. Paul was telling
26:26
them that being right wasn't the most important thing, loving
26:29
each other was. In verses four six, Paul acknowledged that
26:33
the knowledgeable believers were technically correct. So then, about eating
26:38
food sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is
26:43
nothing at all in the world, and that there is
26:46
no God but one. For even if there are so
26:50
called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed
26:54
there are many gods and many lords, yet for us
26:57
there is but one God, the Father, from whom all
27:00
things came and for whom we live. And there is
27:03
but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came,
27:07
and through whom we live. But then Paul explained why
27:10
being right wasn't enough. In verses seven to nine, He continued,
27:15
but not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still
27:19
so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food,
27:23
they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god,
27:26
and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But
27:30
food does not bring us near to God. We are
27:34
no worse if we do not eat, and no better
27:37
if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of
27:40
your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
27:45
Paul then gave them a powerful personal example of what
27:49
love looks like in action. He had every right as
27:52
an apostle to receive financial support from the churches he served,
27:57
but he had chosen to give up that right. In
28:00
Chapter nine, verses three to six, he defended his apostolic authority.
28:06
This is my defense to those who sit in judgment
28:10
on me. Don't we have the right to food and drink?
28:14
Don't we have the right to take a believing wife
28:16
along with us, as do the other apostles and the
28:18
Lord's brothers and Cephus? Or is it only I and
28:22
Barnabas who lacked the right to not work for a living.
28:25
Paul was establishing that he had legitimate rights that no
28:29
one could deny. In verses eleven twelve, he continued, if
28:34
we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too
28:38
much if we reap a material harvest from you? If
28:41
others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we
28:44
have it all the more? But we did not use
28:47
this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything
28:51
rather than hinder the Gospel of Christ. Paul had voluntarily
28:56
given up his rights because he loved the Gospel more
28:59
than his own comfort. In Verses nineteen to twenty three,
29:03
Paul explained his motivation. Though I am free and belonged
29:07
to no one, I have made myself a slave to
29:10
everyone to win as many as possible. To the Jews,
29:14
I became like a Jew to win the Jews to
29:18
those under the law. I became like one under the law,
29:21
though I myself am not under the law, so as
29:24
to win those under the law. To those not having
29:28
the law, I became like one not having the law,
29:31
though I am not free from God's law, but am
29:33
under Christ's law. So as to win those not under
29:37
the law. To the weak, I became weak. To win
29:40
the weak, I have become all things to all people,
29:43
so that by all possible means I might save some.
29:47
I do all this for the sake of the Gospel,
29:49
that I may share in its blessings. Paul wasn't compromising
29:53
his beliefs. He was adapting his approach, because love finds
29:57
ways to connect with people where they are. Paul then
30:01
told a sobering story from Israel's history to warn them
30:04
against spiritual pride. The Israelites had experienced incredible miracles they
30:12
had been delivered from Egypt, walked through the Red Sea,
30:15
and been fed by God in the wilderness, but most
30:18
of them never made it to the Promised Land because
30:21
of their disobedience. In Chapter ten, verses one till five,
30:26
Paul wrote, for I do not want you to be
30:29
ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors
30:32
were all under the cloud, and that they all passed
30:36
through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses. In
30:39
the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the
30:42
same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink, for
30:46
they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and
30:49
that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with
30:55
most of them. Their bodies were scattered in the wilty.
30:58
In verses twenty three to twenty six, Paul reminded them
31:02
what communion was really about. For I received from the
31:05
Lord what I also passed on to you. The Lord Jesus,
31:09
on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when
31:12
he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this
31:16
is my body, which is for you. Do this in
31:19
remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he
31:23
took the cup saying, this cup is the new covenant
31:26
in my blood. Do this whenever you drink it in
31:30
remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and
31:33
drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
31:38
After addressing all the chaos and division in Corinth, Paul
31:42
was ready to introduce the solution, but first he needed
31:45
to tackle one more problem that was tearing the church apart.
31:50
Their obsession with spiritual gifts. The Corinthians had turned these
31:54
divine abilities into a competition, with some people thinking they
31:58
were better than others because of what gifts they had received.
32:03
Paul started chapter twelve by reminding them where these gifts
32:07
actually came from. In verses four seven, he wrote, there
32:11
are different kinds