Last summer, my very first sermon message at CGBC was based in First Corinthians. I still remember one church member graciously commented, “Thank you for bringing this scriptural passage back to the church.” Ever since then, I have stayed in First Corinthians with the exception of summer break preaching in Psalm.

First Corinthians is about realities involving the local church. Problems persisted among the members, which radically dividing the believers in church life. Moreover, these issues affected how they related with the LORD God. But, God loves His church and desires his people to reconcile to Him and to be compelled by His divine love in every facet of their lives. That is why He inspired the Apostle Paul to pen a letter to the Corinthian Church.

The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Corinthian Church on the tail end of his third missionary trip. In his previous missionary journey, he contributed to the establishment of the church in Corinth. (See Acts 18:1-8) Now, five years has past, he referred them as “babes in Christ” (3:1), which meant they had not yet mature significantly. Interestingly, Paul had received several first-hand reports and inquiries, which prompted his response. Thus, when you read First Corinthians, you will see that a portion is devoted to acknowledge the given issues such as strife, jealousy, boasting and pride. In the second portion of First Corinthian, Paul answers many inquiries involving marriage, worship decorum and others.

Why do I enjoy studying and preaching through First Corinthians? First, the cross of Christ is both emphasized and exalted throughout the epistle from the very beginning (1:18-31) to the very end (15:1-8). Jesus’ life, death and resurrection story is the basis of faith (15:1-2, 15, 20) and an integral part of how we should influence and relate with others. The gospel changes everything and even evident in Paul’s ministry approach and message (2:1-5), which should be for all believers. Secondly, this letter reminds us that every local church has its flaws, but no need to worry because His Spirit fuels and prompts conviction and makes both genuine repentance and wide scale changes possible. Finally, this epistle motivates anyone who desires more spiritually. Maturity is not to be sought through reveling in profound wisdom or even through articulating eloquent expressions, but rather humbly integrating the transforming message that we may boast only in Christ alone.