1 Corinthians 1:18-21

In these verses, God reminds us that we cannot have a relationship with God through our wisdom or our knowledge but through only the gospel, that is through His way, through His wisdom. However, God's wisdom is often misunderstood.

For nonbelievers, His wisdom is seen as a folly. For believers, we often drift away and forget to humble ourselves and fail to acknowledge the gospel is His powers. When believers read the bible, we may often lack the correct attitude in sincerely seeking God to transform us, but merely seeking knowledge or read out of responsibility.

Verse 21 reminds us that: For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

For non-believers, you will not receive God's gift of salvation by your own wisdom, you will need to embark on a faith to believe in the gospel. For believers, you will not know Him through wisdom and your relationship with him will not grow. Have a humble heart to allow transformation to take place.

1 Corinthians 1:14-17

In these verses, we can learn how humble Paul is. In his journey to share the gospel, he must have done a lot if things. Although it sounds like he thanks God for not having done certain things such as baptizing, if read carefully, it means he was thankful that he has really done it in a way that did not misled people in thinking he did things for himself:

• Verse 14 - he said he didn't baptise but in verse 15 he lists out the handful of people that he baptized.
• He clarifies he is called to share the gospel but quickly acknowledges that he did not do it out of his own wisdom (made in eloquent speech), and diminished the importance of Christ in the big picture (the power of the cross).

This tells us a number of things:

1. You may be talented and called to do certain things in the name of God, but this is not an excuse to shy away from other roles that you may not be so good at from time to time.
2. When good deeds are done, has God been honored or do people get the impression that you are doing it for yourself? Have you glorified God's name or diminished the true power of the cross?

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

• Paul pleads that there be no division amongst the brothers, that is the church. Notice that he pleads in the name Jesus Christ, meaning he is confident and certain that God does not want division.
• How is he certain? How has the Holy Spirit spoke to him so he knows? To reflect, when was the last time we said and did things that we were so certain that it will be endorsed by God?
• Same mind: the mind of Christ. How are we to follow the mind of Christ? The best way is through a direct relationship with God through prayer and reading of bible, not guidance of a man; and
• Same judgment: whether you are perfect in God's eyes, not whether you look good by any other standards.
• So Paul is calling unity not to gather the different faiths, but united in what their core beliefs.
• In verse 11-12, he sets up what the situation was back then. People looked to follow earthly leaders: Paul, Apollo, Cephas. Some got it right and stuck with Christ.
• He then turns to a series of rhetoric questions to turn our focus back to Christ in verse 13

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

• Paul identifies himself as an apostle not because he wants that title, but a title that God wants him to bear. The authority comes from God. (Verse 1)
• Reminds God's church is centred around our sanctification in Christ. We are saints (cf Romans 1:7)
• Greets his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
• The first thing he does is to give thanks, not for what was given to him, but the grace of salvation given to the people of Corinth and because they are freed, they are enriched in speech and knowledge (verses 4-5).
• We are reminded that we are equipped with these gifts so that we may sustain to Jesus' second coming. (verses 7-8).
• Paul reminds us that we were chosen by God to be in fellowship of Christ. (verse 9).

Points to take away

• Authority is from God. We should do things in the name of God.
• We are saints that are Christ centred. We are in church that the focus should never deviate from Jesus. Focus on what Jesus would do.
• Give thanks not only to what Good had given you, but what Gods has done around you as well.
• We are equipped with gifts not for our own purposes, but for Jesus' second coming, meaning we are equipped to serve and transform ourselves to become more Christ like.
• How should we serve the Lord with the skills he has equipped us with?