Holiness and Divsion
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5
Threats to Holiness in 1st Corinthians
- Personality cults/source issues/divisions (1,3)
- Worldly wisdom/oratory/public speaking (1,2)
- Controlling/authoritarian behavior by going beyond what is written (4)
- Disrespect of apostles and apostolic teaching (4,9)
- Polarity of inappropriate tolerance and inappropriate judgmentalism (4-5)
- Looking to the secular world to make judgments (6)
- Self-absorption/lack of self-restraint/sexual immorality. (6,10)
- Divorce, marriage, singleness. (7)
- Disputable matters/questionable things and the value of one’s conscience (8-10)
- Carnality & lack of commitment to discipleship (10)
- Role of women in the church (11,14)
- Abuse of spiritual gifts (12-14)
- Living for earth versus living for heaven (15)
- Giving (16)
1. Overcome Personality Cults, Source Issues, and Division (1,3)
- Give People the Benefit of Doubt (1.1-9)
- Speak the “Same Word” (1.10)
- Grow Beyond Source Issues (1.11-16)
- Build on the Right Foundation (1.17)
2. Why Personality Cults & Source Issues Cause Division
- A. We put to much faith in reason to find ultimate truth (1.18-25)
- B. We have faith/trust issues (1.22)
- C. We don’t put enough faith in God’s “Upside Down” Kingdom (1.26-31)
- D. We put too much faith in the rhetoric of strong personalities (2.1-5)