First Day Patrick Cooley

16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
Although in the preceding verses Paul is speaking to each Corinthian about being careful what is built on the foundation of faith that he established, here in sixteen Paul is referring to the whole church when he asks, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” A good way understand this shift between actors is to see each Corinthian as a subcontractor expected to contribute to the completion of the whole building project; this building is the temple of God. And this is probably why Paul pronounces dire consequences to anyone who would destroy the temple. 
The Greek word translated as destroy is phtheiro. It is used later in 1 Corinthians and in 2 Corinthians to mean ruin or the infliction of severe damage. By using it, Paul here is not referring to the annihilation or utter destruction. “If anyone ruins the temple, God will ruin that person.” It is important for the Corinthians to know why this is the case, “because the temple of God is holy, and that is what [they] are.” The lives that each of them are building merge to make one common life for the congregation, the temple of God. It must be holy, so its parts, too, must be holy. 
18 Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” 
He Paul reminds the Corinthians of what he told them already in this letter: that to keep one’s mind on earthly desires—to scheme—prevents a person from even the ability to understand who God is and what God wants. If they want to keep up the Corinthian practice of climbing to the top, they are in for a rude awakening. “…he must become foolish,” because Jesus’ life was foolish in everyone’s eyes. Paul says here that there is no middle ground: The world’s wisdom is foolishness to God, and God’s wisdom is foolishness to the world. I mean, what’s more foolish than turning the other cheek?
21 So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you,22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Finally, Paul tells the Corinthians if they don’t want to be deceived, they must keep the proper perspective. They are “boasting in people” because they believe that is way you receive. None of these things: Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, and the future are important: only Christ is. Those who focus on Paul believe that they are the only ones who will receive, while those who focus on Apollos believe likewise about themselves. To give ourselves over to any one of these perspectives or realities thinking that by doing so we might gain the world is wrong. 
Paul tells the Corinthians that their efforts to differentiate themselves from one another is a waste of time since “all thing belong” to the Paul faction, the Peter faction, etc. Who makes them who they are, who gives them “all things” are none of the these things, no worldly leader or idea. Everything belongs to all of you, not matter if you think your party is the first and best one, Paul says, because you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God—who owns everything. So by grounding their identity people other than Christ and building their lives and actions around anything other than the gospel that Paul had implanted in them, the Corinthians were risking everything. 

1 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? 4 For when one person says, “I am with Paul,” and another, “I am with Apollos,” are you not ordinary people?
What was that I said in the last episode about how we Western Christians look to Christians from other parts of the world? 
In the preceding chapter, Paul informs the Corinthians that it is only through God’s Spirit that people can discern wisdom—that they can know the truth. He tells them that this understanding is given to the spiritually mature believer. Now he begins chapter three by informing the Corinthians that they are not mature and have not been given the ability to discern all things. And why is this? Because they haven’t remained in the Spirit; they have taken their hearts off Christ and placed it on the things of the world, the stuff of their old lives. What you focus on—what is most important to you—shapes your life; so by focusing on fleshly things, on the wisdom, ways, and desires of the world, the Corinthians are living their lives just like everyone else, like “ordinary people.” Because of this, Paul calls them children. And the first proofs of this immaturity are the jealousy and strife separating the congregation. So Paul gave them “milk to drink, not solid food; [why} for you were not yet able to consume it.” Even from the start, the Corinthians were of two minds; one was upon God in Christ Jesus and the other was on the lives they lived before hearing the words Jesus Christ. Sadly, even though some time has passed they are still unable to eat real food. (Perhaps all they had was a faith of platitudes and maxims.) 
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
The divisions that the Corinthians are using to distinguish themselves one from the other are evocative of something that we will soon see in chapter nine of the gospel of Mark when the disciples argue among themselves about which of them is the greatest. We hear Paul’s “Oy vey” in verses 5-9. I picture it, like Jesus’ response to His disciples in Mark, accompanied by an eyeroll. The Corinthians are placing great emphasis on who has baptized them into the church as a means of claiming higher social standing—again, a practice de rigueur for their city. The apostle tells the congregation that this should not be, that he and Apollos, though called to differing tasks, are merely servants to the same God: Paul was sent to establish their church and Apollos to sustain it. As far as Paul is concerned, both men are the instruments through whom God is building His Church. So although they both have different purposes, they work together as one. What good is it to plant if there is no water to sustain it? And without plant, aren’t you just wasting water? 
Apollo was a contemporary of Paul’s, a fellow Jewish Christian who hailed from Alexandria who played a part in establishing the church here in Corinth as well as in Ephesus. Some believe that he had a unique way of speaking that set him apart from Paul. This seems reasonable to me since, being from Egypt, he would have likely been exposed to Philo. Some scholars even think that he was the author of the letter to the Hebrews—even though no

In chapter one we learn that the Corinthians, despite the odds, had come to believe the gospel that Paul preached to them. After he assures them of God’s ongoing faithfulness to keep the church “blameless until the end”, Paul brings up the first problem that we was told the Corinthian congregation is facing: Its members have become balkanized, indicating to Paul that the cultural tendencies of the city—and Rome—are beginning to hold sway over the peoples’ hearts. They’ve started doing what they know by jockeying for position. 
Paul reminds them at the close of the chapter that the gospel they heard and accepted is unlike anything that had known before. It not only offers them a new way of living but also a salvation that they would never be able to achieve though any effort—neither as a patron or a client. The gospel brought them life and a purpose not through strength or wealth or social standing or political influence but though self-sacrifice, weakness, service, and trust. In fact, Paul says, I didn’t even bring you this gospel in the ordinary, expected way. He carries this thought into chapter two. 
1 And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I also was with you in weakness and fear, and in great trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.
How unlike the usual way of doing things. Paul’s gospel is not what anyone expected! As he writes in chapter one, “…God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong…” The Corinthians would have had frequent contact with orators who would make their living moving their listener’s minds and hearts. In fact, they would charge admission for those wanting to hear their rhetoric. Paul’s message, on the other hand, was offered without charge. Based on his description he would have likely had to pay them to get the Corinthians to listen. So not only is the message foolishness by the world’s estimation but so is the delivery. The very fact that the Corinthians did listen may well indicate the divine hand at work. 
In verse two Paul provides his motivation for sharing the gospel in Corinth. He “determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” This is his rationale for not making his message eloquent as someone with “superior…speaking ability or wisdom” would. Paul removes himself from the equation so that the gospel message of the cross can be heard clearly. How different would the Church be today if its messengers would take this practice to heart? This is not unlike a message that he shared with the Galatians when he reminded them that he did not share the gospel with them to have them like him but did so only for the sake of obedience to his calling. 
What’s more, if Paul could remove his influence on the message, then when the message takes root and produces fruit, he would be able to see the result of Christ’s work clearly and the Corinthians would know that they were in the presence of God’s Spirit and power. 
I remember a time when news reports did just this—reported the news with no editorializing or attempts to influence. And in a way, Paul’s m.o. makes even more sense when we, again, consider the world in which the members of this congregation have been raised in and live: patrons and clients peddling themselves for their own advantage and nothing being given to others without a selfish motive. On the contrary, Paul’s message to the Corinthians was given for its own sake and nothing more! Shouldn’t that be the same for toda

Now that Paul has reminded the Corinthians of the fact of their calling and that God has and is keeping them safe and has provided them with the spiritual gifts necessary to prove His divine presence in their lives, here in chapter one verse ten the apostle jumps headlong into addressing issues facing the congregation—most of which are ones that their forgetfulness and pride have helped to cause. 
Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians because they were willfully laying aside the gospel of Christ’s faithfulness in order to take up the practices of the law of Moses, in spite of the effort that Paul has put in to plant the church. To put this another way, the Galatians are abandoning salvation through faith. His letters to the Thessalonians were to help them remain faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ while being surrounded by other religions and people telling them to abandon their faith. 
Here, Paul is writing to the Corinthians to tell them to get their acts together—to pay attention to what they are doing to and how they are treating one another. We see this from the very beginning:
“10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name! 16 But I did baptize the household of Stephanas also; beyond that, I do not know if I baptized anyone else. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.”
I guess that there is nothing new under the sun. Paul doesn’t make this a command; he doesn’t tell the Corinthians that the only allowable response are the words, “How high?” The apostle appeals to them by the authority that has been given to him by Jesus to choose to be of one mind and seeking a common goal. 
We discover that Paul is aware of the situation because of a report from “Chloe’s people.” The Corinthian congregation has become divided into factions that are based upon the person who performed any particular baptism. Paul tells the church that these divisions are dangerous because they will result in “the cross of Christ [being] made of no effect.” And indeed, this is the same risk we face even today. 
But what’s the big deal about caring who baptizes someone? I mean who wouldn’t want to be baptized by Billy Graham? Well, I guess Paul, because for him the importance of the act itself—and by extension who performs it—isn’t nearly as important as what results from it: unity of—or being made completer in—mind and judgement. This unity is key to the Corinthians’ ability to remain faithful to the life of Christ Jesus. 
Hear me out. 
Paul wrote to the Galatians that his life was no longer his. He had died with Jesus on the cross, had been buried with Him in the tomb, and had risen with Him on the third day. “I no longer live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” In short order, Paul will pen his letter to the Romans in which he will expend plentiful, expensive ink explaining to a factioned church the purpose of Christ’s cross—that is: Jesus died to overcome death which had entered the world because of Adam’s pride. 
The First Man sin was that he made life about himself, about his identity, wants, and needs; it was no longer about the Creator and source of life. The Roman church will divide along et

1 Corinthians CHAPTER ONE PART I
Thank for listening to the First Day podcast. I am so happy to be a part of your spiritual journey. Please don’t hesitate to reach out; if you have any questions send them to connect@firstday.us. I want to ask that you share this podcast with others if you have found it helpful in your growth as a disciple and journey with Chirst. I am hoping to have an average of seventy listeners per week by the end of 2024. Thank you for your help in growing the podcast. Now on with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
“1Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
It was typical to begin letters with the sender’s name. Paul doesn’t call himself by the  Jewish version of his name, Saul. There is no evidence that his name was changed due to any moment of conversion. Rather, as was the convention of his day, the apostle used different versions of his name depending upon the audience or context. 
Sosthenes may well be the former head of the Jewish synagogue in Corinth—also called Crispus—who was beaten before the proconsul Gallio’s tribunal. This incident was reported in Acts 18. He had come to believe Christ was the Messiah and had brought many Corinthians to believe, too. Sosthenes’ relationship with the Corinthian church is not described, but considering Paul mentions him at all indicates a meaningful relationship between the church and the former Jewish leader. 
Paul declares that he is “called as an apostle of Jesus Christ”. Also note that in the very next verse, Paul states that the Corinthians, too, have been “called as saints”. What, then, does it mean to be called? In current usage, we use the word ‘calling’ synonymously with the word ‘vocation’, but here, it seems, Paul means it to be more broadly and meaningfully utilized. Paul’s authority is, therefore, grounded in the eternal, the divine, and cannot be revoked by anyone. This is similar to his description of his calling to the Gospel that he gives to the Galatians. To be called isn’t just about one’s career path—or abandoning them all together. This calling is specifically stated to be “by God’s will” and not by any other person’s whims.
Indeed, Paul didn’t earn a dime from fulfilling his call in Corinth: He worked as a tentmaker or leather worker if you recall from the last episode. No. To be called means so much more than working in an occupation you love or are have skill in. With this in his introduction, Paul is making this letter not only one specifically concerning Corinth but also one intended for the whole Church. 
Calling is about the meaning and purpose of one’s life and not how that person earns a living. For what gives rise to a saint if it is not the willingness to lay down one’s life for what is more meaningful? In Christ not only have the Corinthians been called to live as saints, Paul tells them, but so have “all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ”. Joel 2:32 comes to mind: “But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.” All of Christ’s followers call upon this same Lord. 
I can’t help but think that Paul has found it necessary to remind the Corinthians of this fact—that they are one with every other believer because of the culture of Corinth—for theirs is a city known for its greed and its citizens’ desire for social advancement and advantage. 
In verse three, the apostle offers the Corinthians God’s grace and peace before offering a thanksgiving to God

1 and 2 Corinthians were written by Paul c.55 and 56 CE, respectively. 
Corinth was located on an isthmus connecting the Peloponnese to the rest of Greece. The port of Lechaeum was 1.5 miles north on the Bay of Corinth and Cenchraea (sen’-kre-e) was about seven miles to the east on the Saronic Gulf, placing it at a crossroads of two trade routes. By the time of Paul’s letter, the city’s history could be divided into two distinct periods: one thoroughly Greek and another Romans. 
Corinth was destroyed in 146 BCE by Rome and many of its citizens were killed or sold into slavery. It was reestablished by Julius Caesar just over 100 years later in 44 BCE—partly as a retirement community for Roman veterans—and became a commercial and political center in later years. Corinth was the capital of the senatorial province of Achaia and the seat of the proconsul from 29 BCE onward. 
It was a multicultural city of about 100,000 people, both Roman and Greek; Corinth’s population had a high percentage of freedmen from Rome, according to Strabo. (Geog. 8.6.23c) These liberti formed a separate social class in Roman society who were former slaves that had been freed by their masters. Some liberti were quite wealthy and educated. Roman culture, law, and religion were dominant from the city’s re-founding, though not exclusively so, and Greek was likely the lingua franca. Remember that much of the Roman Empire had been Hellenized. In fact, coinage from the time has been discovered that utilize both Greek and Latin script. 
“Because there was no landed aristocracy in the new Corinth, there arose an aristocracy of wealth.” (Carson & Moo, 420) Inescapable was the Roman practice of patronage and the corruption that went along with it. Roman patronage was based on a relationship between a patron and a client—each obliging themselves to the other. The patron being of a higher social status or, at least, possessing greater wealth, power, and prestige than the client would promise support and favors in exchange for the client’s loyalty or service when called upon. It’s not hard to imagine that such arrangements can create as many problems as they can create opportunities. Corinth was a place rife with ambition and greed—perhaps providing some explanation for the Corinthian church’s spiritual immaturity—which may have been understandable if Paul hadn’t stayed with them for as long as he did. Corinth was known for its wealth, luxury, immorality, and the viciousness of its residents. It would be great, however, if it were only about money.
Like their brothers and sisters in Thessalonica, the Corinthian Christians were presented with religious alternatives that were incompatible with their faith in Jesus Christ and the gospel that Paul had preached to them. There were at least two statues of Dionysus in the city’s agora, and the cult of the Egyptian goddess, Isis, was particularly strong. Likewise, the Greek deities of Demeter and Persephone—the goddesses of the fertility of the earth and the queen of the underworld, respectively—and Apollo, Hermes, and Poseidon had temples refurbished or built in their honor by the Romans. (Sacra Pagina vol 7, 1 Corinthians, 22) And although there has been no physical evidence yet discovered of any Jewish synagogue being present in the city, there is evidence for it found in the literature of the day.
In Acts 19 we learn that Paul preached in Corinth for the first time during his second missionary journey. He worked in the city as a tentmaker or a leather worker and was hosted by Aquila and Priscilla—Jewish, Christians from Rome, exiled by Claudius. Paul arrived in the city after experiencing great difficulties in Philippi (Acts 16)—where he was punished for his message and had to flee for his life—and after then escaping similar treatment in both Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17). 
Initially, the apostle was trepidatious, but following a vision of a safe and successful missi