ior can look into that Word, listen to able teachers, consult books, and find what God has for us. We then can rejoice because we are plutocrats, enriched, rejoicing in Him, far more than in the material things of this life. PATTERN In his first epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul states that he is un happy with the way these people are living. He is pleased, however, that they know Christ and are blessed by Cod in so many ways. In I Corinthians 1:6-8 he shows that these are strong Christians in many ways, even though the pat tern of their life is far from accept able. Would we, as Paul, be able to praise such Christians for their strong points or would we see only their divisions, strife, greediness,, and poor pattern of living? Would we help them as Paul did or turn our back to them? Paul wanted to help them be cause they were Christians. In verse six of this first chapter he writes, "even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." The proof that they are Christians is their standing in Christ. Paul did not need the testimony of those who had visited Corinth alone. He did not need the testimony of some other church. Christ in their lives and His apparent work in them was sufficient. Now, there is a fascin ating word that is used in verse six for "testimony." It is the standard legal term for a judicial witness in a court of law. And who is the wit ness? It is Christ. When we are on trial before the court of God, to extend this analogy, it is not our firends, parents, children or neigh bors who will testify in our behalf, it is Christ. He is the legally accept- Page 11
this particular passage. The phrase could be compared to I Corinthi ans 12:8 with profit, but we will do so at a later time. "Utterance" in verse five of chapter one means "word" or communication. And the application of this concept has been made in two basic ways. First, they were enabled by Cod to preach and teach the Gospel in an effective manner. On the other hand, it has been suggested that these people were blessed by mes sages, by the word concerning Christ and what He meant to them. They were unique people. They were literally at the crossroads of the Mediterranean world and their fellowship both attracted able speakers and produced effective speakers. Paul notes that the Cor inthians had an excellent under standing of spiritual things. Here were Christian people who were steeped in the Word. They were enriched not only in the words or messages but in knowledge. By "knowledge" they readily under stand or recognized what was tak ing place. In summary, I Corinthians chap ter one, verse five suggests to these people "you have been blessed because you have heard time and time again excellent teachers, you had the ability to understand what these teachers are saying about spiritual matters, and you com municate your faith most effec tively. Later he is going to tell them they ought to apply it even more than they have in the past, but he merely notes how they have been blessed. The message of these few verses is needed by us today. We have the full counsel of Cod and His Word. We who know Christ as our Sav
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