FIRST CENTURY CITY OF CORINTH ATHENS wholly given

FIRST CENTURY CITY OF CORINTH (ATHENS) “wholly given to idolatry” (Acts 17: 16)

CITY OF CORINTH (ATHENS) n n Two vices plagued the town; greed for material gain and sexual lust. [1] The sensual and corrupt forms that the worship of the goddess took, made the city a notorious seat of immortality. This seat of wealth, luxury and corruption became the testing ground for the power of the Gospel message. The Apostle Paul First Epistle to the Corinthians reflects the difficulties of maintaining a Christian community in such a cosmopolitan city. [2] [1] Unger: Archaeology of the Old Testament. [2] Wilkipedia Encyclopedia

TRUTH IN CORINTH n Paul became concerned at the environment of the Ecclesia and its influences upon its members (2 Cor 12: 21). n He both warned and appealed to them to take care, and on leaving, supplemented his labour with a short letter, exhorting the brethren to strictly exclude the pollution of the prevailing immorality from out of the Ecclesia (1 Cor 5: 9 -10). But his appeal was ignored. n Paul now speaks of the Fathers’ “lust and fornication” associated as it was with “idolatry”, in order to point out to the Corinthians how easily such things can become a snare. Did Paul know that they were more interested in these feasts than they admitted? The selection of the ‘ensamples’ seem appropriate, in view of the thousand sacramental prostitutes who acted as priestesses in the Idol’s temple which they visited frequently.

CHAPTER BREAKDOWN n n n V 1 -6 Israel, as a warning example. ALL had privileges – few proved faithful. V 7 -11 Tempting God is fraught with peril. V 12 -14 Self-confidence is false security. V 15 -22 The question of fellowship. Consistency comes before expediency. V 22 -23 The final question: Is total abstinence therefore necessary in principal?

CHAPTER 10 v 1 -5 n n n 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant (1), how that ALL our fathers were under the cloud, and ALL passed through the sea; 2 And were ALL baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did ALL eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did ALL drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. (1) 12 v 1, 11 Cor 1 v 8, Rom 1 v 13, 11 v 25, 1 Thess 4 v 13

MAP: SINAI PENINSULA

WHY WAS GOD NOT PLEASED? Their actions included the following: 1) Idolaters (V 7) 2) Fornicators (V 8) 3) People tempted God (V 9) 4) Murmurers (V 10)

SIX GUILDLINES TO TEST OUR BEHAVIOUR BEFORE GOD: 1) Can I offer thanks beforehand, and thus commit what I am doing to God? (Romans 14: 6) 2) Will what I am doing be edifying to myself and others? (1 Cor 8: 1) 3) Will it cause my brother or sister to stumble? (1 Cor 8: 11) 4) Can I do it to the glory of God? (9: 23) 5) Can I share it as an act of fellowship with my brothers and sisters? (10: 21) 6) Would I do it if Christ was with me?