SERMON: "Corinthianized Saints?" (1 Cor. 1:2-3).
“Corinthianized
Saints?” (1 Cor. 1:2–3)
Series: “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #2 Text: 1 Corinthians 1:2–3
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: Sept.
14, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
We live in a culture that embraces all
manner of evil — the redefinition of marriage, the promotion of sexual
immorality in schools, the funding of the slaughter of children in the womb,
and more. It didn’t used to be this way;
both our country and the entirety of Western society rest on the bedrock
principles of Scripture and the wisdom that arose from the Protestant
Reformation. It’s only as our societal
house has shaken free of the foundation laid for us over time that we’ve begun
to demote the role of the church and promote wickedness.
Sadly, we’ve seen worldly thinking also seep
into our seminaries and into our pulpits. More voices that used to proclaim truth now
promote compromise. There are major
denominations that no longer believe the Bible, but they will preach the social
cause of the day. Rather than being an
influence on society, the church became enculturated.
Now, as grievous as that is, this isn’t new.
Christians have always struggled either 1)
with bringing worldly notions with them to church or 2) with adopting the ideas
of the world after coming to Christ. For
instance, this was true of the Christians at Corinth — this was a city of great
sin, and even pagans negatively referred to certain “Corinthianized” behaviors.
Yet, Christians in the church brought
some of those behaviors with them into the church, prompting Paul’s letter to
them.
All Christians suffer from certain
worldly and sinful notions which we need to change for the glory of God. We don’t always live up to the standard that
we should, but we have hope of change in Christ! As we consider the Corinthian church, we can
see something of ourselves in four ways. First, the Corinthians had problems. Second, the Corinthians had sanctification. Third, the Corinthians had communion. Fourth, the Corinthians had divine grace and
peace. Let’s turn back to our text and consider each
of these.
II.
First, the Corinthians had Problems (v. 2a)
To the church of
God which is at Corinth,
This is more than just a standard line of address. This opening packs a punch, especially when
we understand the context of Corinth and the issues plaguing this assembly. Let’s break this down together.
First, let’s zero in on the key term “church.” It comes from the word ekklēsia, which refers
to a gathering or assembly of people.[1] That’s already interesting, because today we
think of the church as a place or a building.
Other Christians also erroneously think they as individuals are the
church, so they don’t need to “go to church.”
As one commentary notes, “In Scripture, believers are not said to go to church. Instead, they meet with the church. The
church regularly gathers to worship God and edify each other through preaching
the Bible, performing baptisms, celebrating the Lord’s Supper, and practicing
church discipline.”[2] So, the church is the gathering that takes
place in the building, performing what God commands.
It’s more than that: the church is both universal and local.
The universal church encompasses all
believers across time and space, while the local church is the visible
expression in a specific place, like at Corinth. Paul’s address reminds us that the Corinthian
assembly is part of something larger, yet it exists in a very troubled locale.
This church belongs to God.
Paul writes that it is “the church of God.” This emphasizes divine ownership and
authority — it's not Paul’s church or the Corinthians’ church, but God’s.
This already provides a corrective to the problems at
Corinth, and elsewhere. Too many people
today think the church exists to serve them.
As one writer notes, “We often speak too loosely of ‘my church’ or ‘our
church’. It is a healthy corrective to
note Paul’s example. Many problems in a
church in fact revolve around a selfish possessiveness, by pastor and
congregation, towards its life and activities.”[3] Some want to shape the church into their own
image, finding reflections of themselves there.
However, all true churches around the world must have this said of them:
They are God’s church.
Now, why have I been saying the Corinthians had problems? First, because Corinth itself was a hotbed of
immorality and worldliness. We noted
last time that the city was situated on the isthmus connected to mainland
Greece, between the famous cities of Athans and Sparta. Corinth was itself a bustling seaport city
with two harbors, facilitating trade from east and west. Its location made it a melting pot of
cultures, with a population of 150,000 to 300,000 Roman citizens and about
460,000 slaves. As one source describes,
Corinth was “known for its banking industry and incredible wealth. Shrines to deities of Greek, Roman, and even
Egyptian gods have been discovered, and cult prostitution was common.”[4] The temple of Aphrodite on the Acrocorinth
hill housed 1,000 prostitute-priestesses who “plied their trade in the streets.”[5] Worship of Apollo encouraged homosexual
practices.[6] The biannual Isthmian games, second only to
the Olympics, drew crowds and celebrated Poseidon, adding to the city's pagan
festivities.[7]
Corinth’s immorality was proverbial in the ancient world. To “Corinthianize” meant to engage in gross
immorality and drunkenness, and even pagans condemned it.[8] As one commentary notes, “Corinth valued
impressive public speakers, status, greed, immoral sex, personal rights, and
idolatry;” it was a combination of New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.[9]
Now, you might wonder why Paul would even go to a city like
this, but they needed the gospel, too!
You might remember that, while Paul was on his second missionary
journey, he had a vision; “a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to
him, and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’ ” (Acts 16:9). Because of that, Paul changed his plans and
went to Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, and eventually came to Corinth
(18:5). There, he ministered in for at
least eighteen months (Ac 18:1–18).[10] God worked it out the gospel success he had
in these cities.
However, coming to Christ doesn’t mean they didn’t have
their own unique cultural challenges to overcome. The sins Paul addresses in this letter — idolatry,
sexual immorality, division, lawsuits, misuse of spiritual gifts — all mirrored
Corinth's culture.
This is why Paul needed so many contacts with Corinthian
congregation. We noted last time that he
wrote four letters (two of which are lost), and he had a total of three visits.
We’ll note in this letter that Chloe’s people
reported divisions (1 Cor. 1:11), and a delegation brought questions (1 Cor.
7:1). A painful visit followed 1
Corinthians, then another severe letter carried by Titus. Yet, Titus will return with a favorable
report, so Paul will then write 2 Corinthians.
Through all this, Paul addresses them as God’s church. This reminds us: problems don’t disqualify us
from God’s ownership. As we consider the
history of the church, we also see that it’s possible to overcome our problems
in Christ. We can recognize and correct problems
when we remember whose we are, and that brings us to the next point.
III.
Second, the Corinthians had Sanctification (v.
2b)
to those who have
been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints,
We have a word here you might have heard if you’ve been in
church for a while, but maybe you don’t know what it means. To “be sanctified” is to be set apart for a
holy purpose or to be made holy.[11] Think about how the vessels were made and
consecrated for use in the tabernacle and later the temple — they were
sanctified or set apart for the holy purposes of God. The Lord also sanctifies people, for Christ
is that brazen laver that washes sinners.
Now, there are differing ways in which the Lord
sanctifies. To “be sanctified” happens
in three ways: past (we have been sanctified in Christ on the cross, Heb.
10:10), present (we are being gradually sanctified or made more holy in
Christ, 2 Cor. 7:1), and future (we will finally be sanctified or
transformed into holiness by Christ’s return, 1 Thess. 5:23). This text here refers to past sanctification:
the Corinthians are to understand that they have a holy in status before God.
This is the state into which all believers come — though
Christ, we’re set apart for the purposes of God. He sanctifies us for a mission (John
17:13–19). Believers were one unclean,
but by the love of God, we’re freed for divine service.[12] We’re separated from culture and from sin, so
we “may serve God and not the world.”[13] We’re sanctified “in Christ Jesus” (those who
don’t believe in Christ are not sanctified at all).
That means that we, like the Corinthians, are also “saints
by calling.” This word does not refer to
a group of “super spiritual” Christians, such as may be found in the Roman
Catholic Church.[14] Rather, it means “holy ones,” related to the
previous verb; the Lord makes us holy or set apart for His purposes, and we are
therefore called “holy ones.”[15] This is our new identity in Christ; we might
still sin, but we are called saints.
There is an implication on holy behavior here, though. Saints should live according to their
calling.[16] The Corinthians should live like saints, and
so should we. How do we know this also
applies to us? Consider the next point:
IV.
Third, the Corinthians had Communion (v. 2c)
with all who in
every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
This is a reference to all believers. These are the only ones “calling upon” the
Lord’s name. As Paul says in 1
Corinthians 12:3, “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
To be clear, the term “Lord” signifies
ownership. Jesus is the kyrios
(Lord), Yahweh in the Septuagint.[17] So, this is a term for Christians invoking
Jesus’s name in worship and submission.[18]
This connects to the universal church, then. This extends to “all” believers “in every
place.” The 1689 London Baptist
Confession: “All persons throughout the world, professing the faith... are and
may be called visible saints.” This
isn’t just about Corinth, but the communion we all share.
That’s why the text says, “their [Lord] and ours.” This is about unity in a church that was full
of divisions and factions. We’re all
bound together in Christ, and we should act like it, by God’s grace. That brings us to the last point:
V.
Fourth, the Corinthians had Divine Grace and Peace
(v. 3)
Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is very much like standard greetings in the Greco-Roman
world. However, Paul modifies it for
Christian use. For instance, letters
typically began with the word chairein or “greetings,” but Paul uses the
gospel word charis for “grace.”[19]
Paul wanted his readers to experience the grace of God. This means “favor,” and it’s unmerited; if
the Corinthains could have it, so could we.
We just want to ensure our favor is from God and not from men; one
ancient writer noted, “David was in favor with God, Absalom was in favor with
men. What was the end of each, and which
of them gained most honor, ye know.”[20]
Paul also called not just for good health, but for
peace. We can only have peace with God
through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Because of this peace, we can live at peace
with one another. This was a message an
embattled church needed to hear.
That’s why Paul specifies here that it comes both through “God
our Father” and “the Lord Jesus Christ.” By saying grace and peace comes also from
Jesus, this puts Jesus on the same level as the Father. If we have the Son, we have the Father, but
if we reject Christ, we don’t have God.
The Corinthians could be assured that they had peace and
grace from God through Christ. We can,
too. Whatever messes we face, the
sustaining grace and peace of God can sustain us. Let’s consider that as we close.
VI.
Conclusion
Like the Corinthians, we have problems. Worldliness sometimes creeps in, but we have
sanctification in Christ, setting us apart as saints. We have communion with all believers under our
shared Lord. And we have divine grace
and peace from the Father and Son.
Our goal should not to be “Corinthianized saints,” then. Our goal should be to live as sanctified
believers. That is possible in the grace
and peace God grants to us in Christ Jesus.
Let’s repent of Corinthian ways and pursue holiness. May we glorify Christ in our messes,
transformed by His power.
[1] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 1:2.
[2] Andrew David Naselli, Romans–Galatians, 2020, X, 225.
[3] David Prior, The Message of 1 Corinthians: Life in the Local Church,
The Bible Speaks Today, (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1985), 21.
[4] Barry, et. al., 1 Co 1:2.
[5] Prior, 11.
[6] Ibid., 12.
[7] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible,
electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1726.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Naselli, 212.
[10] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB
Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1810.
[11] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament,
(Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), 1 Co 1:2.
[12] John Chrysostom, Saint
Chrysostom: Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, 1889, 12,
3.
[13] John Calvin and John Pringle, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the
Apostle to the Corinthians, (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible
Software, 2010), 1:52.
[14] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible,
electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1729.
[15] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, Eds., ESV Global Study
Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 1607.
[16] Naselli, 226.
[17] Barry, et. al., 1 Co 1:2.
[18] Tomlinson, 1810.
[19] Naselli, 226.
[20] Chrysostom, 4.