Standard Jet DBnb` Ugr@?~1y0̝cßFNa7H(r,`5{6߱nC53Uy[/|*||CCrf_Љ$g'DeFx -bT4.04F Y xS  Y   Y Y  Y Y  Y  Y  Y  r Y s Y E Y a Y d Y 2Y  Y   Y  jY ConnectDatabaseDateCreateDateUpdate FlagsForeignNameIdLvLvExtraLvModule LvPropName OwnerParentIdRmtInfoLongRmtInfoShortTypeniYYIdParentIdName        OYS Y Y Y  Y 2ACMFInheritableObjectIdSID YObjectId YxSY  Y Y Y  Y  Y Y  Y AttributeExpressionFlagLvExtra Name1 Name2ObjectId Ordernzf edY"ObjectIdAttribute -YxSY Y Y  Y  Y  Y  Y  Y ccolumn grbiticolumnszColumnszObject$szReferencedColumn$szReferencedObjectszRelationship ۂ ۂ ۂYYYszObject$szReferencedObjectszRelationshipYv1b N  : k & W  C t/ p@p@pp@@X  @@OJmJLJkQkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmJL^Qk`kvkJMQk`kvkdL[QMmk`kvkhoQiYQk`kvkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmdfYMbdmQk`kvkOL  @~  @ @v v v v v vvvvvvvvvvvvv      d k f  KJ@ KJ@Topic NotesJ@wDDD88888886 @~ KJ@~ KJ@MSysRelationshipsHDDDDDDDDDDB ~ KJ@~ KJ@MSysQueriesH88888888886 ~ KJ@~ KJ@MSysACEsH22222222220 ~ KJ@~ KJ@MSysObjectsH88888888886 ~ KJ@~ KJ@MSysDbJ.........., ~ KJ@~ KJ@RelationshipsH<<<<<<<<<<: ~ KJ@~ KJ@DatabasesH44444444442 ~ KJ@~ KJ@TablesH.........., jY"$N""""Y Y d YID TitleCommentstuYYIDPrimaryKeyvw2p pLVAL5{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Georgia;}{\f2\fnil\fcharset0 MS Sans Serif;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\sa60\qc\lang1033\kerning28\b\f0\fs36 True Spirituality: \line\pard\sb400\sa60\qc\fs28 A Study in 1 Corinthians\par \pard\fi360\sb60\sa60\qj\kerning0\b0\fs22 \line by Robert L. Deffinbaugh\line deffinbaugh@bible.org \line Biblical Studies Press \line\pard{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "www.bible.org"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 www.bible.org}}}\f0\fs22 \line 1999\fs20\par \pard\sb60\sa60\qj\par Robert L. Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. in 1971. Bob is a teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. These lessons are from a series of messages taught by Bob in 1994. \par \pard\sb60\sa60 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE\'ae, Copyright \'a9 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.\par \pard\sb60\sa60\qc\b\scaps\fs22 Trademark and Copyright Information\par \pard\sb60\sa60\b0\fs20 Copyright \'a9 1995 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. and the authors. All rights reserved. For free usage information, please read the BSF Web site Copyright Statement for fair use statements.\fs24 \par \pard\sb60\sa60\qc\b\fs22 Electronic Access to this Material\par \b0\fs20 This Material is available for use on the internet via an agreement with the Biblical Studies Foundation, a non-Profit Foundation at:\line\pard\fs22{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "www.bible.org"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 www.bible.org}}}\f0\fs22\par \pard\sb60\sa60\fs20 Biblical studies copyrighted by individual authors and the Biblical Studies Press are not shareware or public domain and may not be duplicated without permission.\par \pard\sb60\sLVALa60\qc\b\fs22 BSF Website Copyright Statement\par \pard\b0\fs20 From our website at {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "www.bible.org"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 www.bible.org}}}\f0\fs20 , you may download the information and print it for yourself and others as long as it is given away and no charge is made for it. In this case, free means free. It cannot be bundled with anything sold, nor can a charge be made for shipping, handling, or anything. It is provided for personal study or for use in preparation of sermons, Sunday school classes, or other non-commercial study. This release does not apply to other media than paper printed distribution. \par For Free distribution of more than 100 copies, you must obtain written permission and comply with reasonable guidelines of content control and include currently valid BSP copyright and organizational acknowledgments. \par For permission, inquire by e-mail to \ldblquote head@bible.org\rdblquote or call 800-575-2425.\cf1\ul\scaps0\par \pard\sb120\sa120\qc\cf0\ulnone\b\fs32 True Spirituality: \line A Study of 1 Corinthians\par \fs24 Contents\par \pard\b0\fs20 Lesson 1: Introduction and Background (\cf2\ul 1Co_1:1-9\cf0\ulnone )\par Lesson 2: Multiplying Divisions (\cf2\ul 1Co_1:10-31\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 4: Substandard Saints (\cf2\ul 1Co_3:1-4\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 6: A Call to Repentance (\cf2\ul 1Co_3:18-23\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 8: Church Discipline: Taking Sin Seriously (\cf2\ul 1Co_5:1-13\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 10: The Relationship Between Spirituality and Sexual Morality (\cf2\ul 1Co_6:12-20\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 12: The Relationship Between Spirituality and Sexuality (\cf2\ul 1Co_7:8-16\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 14: Undistracted Devotion (\cf2\ul 1Co_7:25-40\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 16: When a Right May Be Wrong (\cf2\ul 1Co_9:1-23\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 18: Lessons We Must Learn From Our \ldblquote Fathers\rdblquote (\cf2\ul 1Co_10:11-14\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 21: Spirituality and SpLVALiritual Gifts (\cf2\ul 1Co_11:1-3\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 23: \cf2\ul 1Co_11:1-16\cf0\ulnone \endash Its Issues and Implications (\cf2\ul 1Co_11:1-16\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 26: Spirituality and Spiritual Gifts\emdash Part 1 (\cf2\ul 1Co_12:1-3\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 28: Spirituality and Spiritual Gifts\emdash Part 3 (\cf2\ul 1Co_12:12-31\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lesson 33: Spiritual Gifts, Part IV: The Measure of a Gift (\cf2\ul 1Co_14:1-25\cf0\ulnone )\tab\par Lessons 35-38: A Refresher Course on the Resurrection of the Dead (1 Cor. 15)\tab\par \fs24\par \cf3\f1\fs22 Formatted for e-Sword by David Cox\par Copyright \'a92008 Biblical Studies Press, reprinted with permission from \cf0{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "www.bible.org"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 www.bible.org}}}\cf3\f1\fs22 for free redistribution.\line Contact: daustin@bible.org\par \lang2058\f2\fs16\par } z">M : v  O o 2j+ v!$39-40 Paul's Closing Words 16HTNh5L@#35-38b Refresher on Resurrection of Dead 15oFh5h\"35-38a Refresher on Resurrection of Dead 15\{ h5h\!34 Spiritual Gifts and Self Control 14:26-40u^5j^ 33 Measure of a Gift 14:1-25&#^5J>29-32b What is love^58,29-32a What is this thing called love? 13:1-13uT5nb28 Spiritual part 3 12:12-31tT5J>27 Spirituality part 2 12:4-11j}nT5NB26 Spirituality & Spiritual Gifts 12:1-3KYJ5bV24-25 Corrections for Communion 11:17-34,5^R12 Relation between Spirituality &Sexuality 7:8-16 ,5vj11 Sex & the Spiritual Christian 7:1-7›,5^R 10 Relation between spirituality & sexual morality4,5vj 09 Courting Sin 6:1-11W,5>2 08 Church Discipline: Taking Sin Seriously 5:1-13"5th 07 Follow the Leader 4:1-22"5F:06 A Call to Repentance 3:18-23,o"5PD05 A Different Look at Leadership 3:5-17~;t"5bV04 Substandard Saints 3:1-4vV"5H<03 True Wisdom 2:1-16f?5<002 Multiplying Divisions 1:10-31g(5RF01 Introduction and Background 1:1-9-5ZN00 Deffinbaugh - True Spirituality&5VJLVAL5{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Georgia;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 MS Sans Serif;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang2058\b\f0\fs24 Lesson 1: Introduction and Background (\cf2\ul 1Co_1:1-9\cf1\ulnone )\par \fs22\par Major Outline of 1 Corinthians\b0\par \par Before we begin our study of the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, it would be good for us to view the book as a whole as summarized in this outline:\par \par 1:1-9 Introduction: Salutation (verses 1-3) and Thanksgiving (verses 4-9)\par 1:10\endash 4:21 Dealing With Divisions / Unholy Separation\par 5:1\endash 6:20 Dealing With Sin / Biblical Separation\par 7:1\endash 10:33 Questions Answered: Commitments (7) and Convictions (8-10)\par 11:1\endash 14:40 Church Conduct\emdash Diversity Without Divisions\par 15:1-58 The Doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ\par 16:1-24 Conclusion\emdash Getting Personal\par \par \b Introduction\par \b0\par A number of years ago, one of the seminary students in our congregation left for a summer ministry in the South. During that week, we received word that his car had broken down on the way and that he was stranded. It was reported as a matter for prayer, but in jest, someone suggested the church send \ldblquote Bob\rdblquote to fix the car. My response was that, while I may be able to \ldblquote heal the sick\rdblquote (automotively speaking), I am not able to \ldblquote raise the dead!\rdblquote\par \par While a student in seminary, I became friends with a student who was a veterinarian. I always teased him by telling him his ministry could be preaching in a church that was going to the dogs. I wonder just how one would feel about being sent to a church like the one in Corinth, as described in the two epistles of Paul to the Corinthians. Frankly, from a purely human point of view, the situation in Corinth appears to be hopeless.\par \par And yet when we read these introductLVALory verses to this epistle, Paul is positive, upbeat, and optimistic. His prayers concerning this church are filled with expressions of thanksgiving. How can this be? How can Paul be so positive and optimistic as he communicates with this church? One thing is certain\emdash it is not because of the godly conduct of many of its members.\par \par Paul\rquote s first words to the Corinthians are not just a repetition of a standard form, a kind of \ldblquote boiler plate\rdblquote greeting, as though he were using a pre-packaged computer program which needed nothing else but to fill in the name of the church. The salutation of this epistle provides us not only with a demonstration of Paul\rquote s optimism and enthusiasm in writing to these saints, it also indicates how he can be so positive about this troubled body of believers. More than this, it begins to lay a theological foundation for Paul\rquote s ministry and teaching as it will be given throughout the epistle. This salutation tells us not only how Paul feels about this church, but why he feels as he does. Gordon Fee has this to say about the importance of these first nine verses of 1 Corinthians:\par \par With the elaborations of this letter Paul begins a habit that will carry through to the end. In each case the elaborations reflect, either directly or subtly, many of the concerns about to be raised in the letter itself. Even as he formally addresses the church in the salutation, Paul\rquote s mind is already at work on the critical behavioral and theological issues at hand.[1]\par \par \b The Founding of the Church at Corinth\par \b0\par At the end of Paul\rquote s so-called first missionary journey with Barnabas, the Jerusalem Council met to decide just what should be required of Gentile converts (\cf2\ul Act_15:1-29\cf1\ulnone ). When Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways, Paul took Silas with him and set out on what was to be called the second missionary journey of Paul (\cf2\ul Act_15:36-41\cf1\ulnone ). They began by revisitiLVALng some of the churches that had been founded on the first journey, delivering to them the decision of the Jerusalem Council (\cf2\ul 1Co_16:4-5\cf1\ulnone ).\par \par After being divinely prohibited from preaching in Asia (\cf2\ul Act_16:6\cf1\ulnone ) and Bithynia, Paul, Silas, and Timothy ended up at Troas, where Paul received the \ldblquote Macedonian vision\rdblquote (16:9-10), which brought them[2] to Philippi where a number were saved and a church was established. From Philippi, Paul and his party went to Thessalonica, then to Berea, and finally to Athens (Acts 17). From Athens, Paul went to Corinth, an ancient city of Greece, the seat of government of the Roman province of Achaia. It was in Corinth that Paul first crossed paths with a Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Like Paul, this man was a tent-maker. He and his wife had fled from Italy because of a command from Claudius that all Jews must leave Rome (\cf2\ul Act_18:1-3\cf1\ulnone ). Every Sabbath, Paul went to the synagogue, where he sought to evangelize Jews and Greeks (18:4). Eventually he was joined by Silas and Timothy, who had just arrived from Macedonia. Apparently they brought a gift from the Macedonians which enabled Paul to fully devote himself to the Word, so that he gave all of his efforts to preaching Christ (18:5).\par \par As usual, Paul\rquote s preaching prompted a reaction from the unbelieving Jews, so that he left the synagogue and began to concentrate on evangelizing Gentiles (18:6-7). Paul moved his headquarters to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a Gentile God-fearer who lived next door to the synagogue (18:5-7). Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, became a believer along with the rest of his household. Many other Corinthians were also being saved as well and were submitting to baptism (18:8). The Lord appeared to Paul in a vision, assuring him that there were many more souls to be saved in that city and that he was not to fear. He was to speak out boldly, rather than to hold back for fear of trouLVALble (18:9-10).[3] As a result, Paul extended his ministry in Corinth, staying a total of 18 months, a considerably longer period of ministry than usual.\par \par Paul\rquote s lengthy ministry was facilitated, in part, by Jewish litigation and by the precedent-setting ruling of Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia (18:12-17). The Jews seized Paul and brought him up on charges before Gallio. They accused him of being neither a faithful Jew nor a good citizen. They accused him of speaking and acting against the law. Paul did not even get the opportunity to speak in his own defense. Before he could open his mouth, Gallio gave his ruling. This strife between Paul and the Jews was but another instance of the in-fighting which was so typical of the Jews. Gallio was fed up with it and with them and was not about to be used by these Jewish zealots to prevail over their Jewish rivals. This was not a matter for his judgment. He threw them and their case out of court.\par \par From all we are told of him, Gallio was a pagan who cared nothing for the Jews, the gospel, or Paul. And yet his ruling was a landmark decision, officially legitimizing and protecting those who preached the gospel throughout the entire Roman Empire. Judaism was an official religion, recognized and sanctioned by the Roman government. The Jews were seeking to convince Gallio that Paul was really no Jew and that the preaching of the gospel was not the practice of Judaism. Thus, they inferred, Paul was a threat to the stability of Roman rule. They argued that neither Paul nor any other Christian should be allowed to preach the gospel under the permission and protection of the Roman law. When Gallio refused to rule on this matter, calling it a Jewish squabble, he was declaring Paul\rquote s preaching of the gospel to be the practice of Judaism. Christianity, Gallio\rquote s ruling indicated, was Jewish and thus protected by Roman law. Thus, Paul\rquote s ministry was legal, and any Jewish opposition could not claim Rome as their ally.\par \par LVAL Gallio drove them away from his judgment seat. The Jews were furious, and in retaliation they seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began to beat him in front of the proconsul. He looked on with disdain, not at all impressed or concerned. This Sosthenes seems to be the same person who is with Paul as he writes to the Corinthians (1:1).\par The City of Corinth\par \par Secular history only verifies and clarifies the impression of the city of Corinth which we gain from the pens of Luke (Acts) and Paul (1 and 2 Corinthians). It was a great city in many ways. Politically, Corinth was the capital city of the Roman province of Achaia, a territory including nearly all of Greece. That is why Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, was in Corinth and heard the charge against Paul. Geographically, Corinth was so strategically located it could hardly do other than prosper. The city was situated on a plateau overlooking the Isthmus of Corinth, two miles distant from the Gulf.[4] Nearby was the Acrocorinth, a 1900-foot mountain that was perfectly suited as a citadel for the city. This fortress was so secure it was never taken by force until the invention of gun-powder.[5] It also contained an inexhaustible water supply in the fountain of Peirene.[6] At the summit of Acrocorinth was the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. At the base of the citadel stood the temple of Melicertes, the patron of seafarers.[7]\par \par Located on an isthmus, Corinth became a crossroads for both land and sea trade. By looking at a map, one can quickly see that Corinth is situated between two large bodies of water and two land areas, and these are virtually surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Were it not for the isthmus on which Corinth was founded, the southern part of Greece would be an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Goods exchanged between the north and south would normally be shipped by land through Corinth.\par \par Much of the sea trade of the Mediterranean from east to west also passed through Corinth. To tLVALhe west of Corinth was the port city of Lechaeum on the Gulf of Corinth. On her east was the port of Cenchrae on the Saronic Gulf. These were ports of call for ships that sailed the seas. Travel across the isthmus and through Corinth was generally considered safer than the 200-mile voyage around Cape Malea, the most dangerous cape in the Mediterranean.[8] So dangerous was this journey by sea that the Greeks had two sayings well known to sailors in those days: \ldblquote Let him who sails round Malea forget his home,\rdblquote and, \ldblquote Let him who sails round Malea first make his will.\rdblquote [9]\par \par To avoid the distance and danger of the journey around the Cape of Malea (now called Cape Matapan[10]), goods would be unloaded at one port, transported across the four-mile strip of land (through Corinth), and reloaded on the other side. Smaller ships were actually transported with their cargo over the isthmus by means of rollers. Consequently, the isthmus was named the Diolkos, \ldblquote the place of dragging across.\rdblquote [11] Nero had planned a canal to join the Aegean and Ionian seas, and he even began construction in A.D. 66. The three and one-half mile canal was finished in 1893.[12]\par \par Corinth thus became a great commercial center. Luxuries from all over the world were available, and the vices of the world were also to be found there. These evils did not all have to be imported, however, for the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was nearby with 1,000 cult prostitutes who sold themselves in the name of religion. The Greeks had a proverb about the city which tells a great deal about its moral decay: \ldblquote It is not every man who can afford a journey to Corinth.\rdblquote [13] Those who were worldly wise used the verb \ldblquote corinthianize\rdblquote to describe an act of immorality. \ldblquote Corinthian girl\rdblquote was known to be a synonym for prostitute.[14]\par \par Estimates of the population of Corinth range from 100,000 to 600,000. The diverLVALsity of peoples who lived in this city is explained by her history. In Paul\rquote s day, Corinth was a very old and yet a very new city. \ldblquote Signs of habitation date back to the fourth millennium B.C.\rdblquote [15] Alexander made Corinth the center of a new Hellenic League as he prepared for war with Persia.[16] In 146 B.C., the city was destroyed by Roman soldiers because it led the Greek resistance to Roman rule. All the males of the city were exterminated, and the women and children were sold for slaves.[17] The city was rebuilt by Julius Caesar 100 years later, and it eventually became the capital of the province of Achaia. Many of those who settled in Corinth were not Greeks. A large number of Roman soldiers settled there after retiring, having received their freedom and Roman citizenship in addition to grants of land.[18] A variety of nationalities settled in Corinth, enticed by the prospects of economic prosperity. A good number of the immigrants were Jews.\par \par Being a relatively recent city with newly acquired wealth brought problems, for there was the absence of an established aristocracy which would have provided a much more stable society. Farrar spoke of Corinth in this way:\par \par \'85 this mongrel and heterogeneous population of Greek adventurers and Roman bourgeois, with a tainting infusion of Phoenicians; this mass of Jews, ex-soldiers, philosophers, merchants, sailors, freedmen, slaves, trades-people, hucksters and agents of every form of vice \'85 without aristocracy, without traditions and without well-established citizens.[19]\par \par Every two years Corinth presided over the Isthmian Games, a contest in which all the Greek city-states took part. At these games, the sea-god Poseidon was specially honored.[20]\par \par \b The Occasion for Writing 1 Corinthians\par \b0\par After Paul had completed his 18-month ministry in Corinth, he set out for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. On reaching Ephesus, Paul ministered for a short time, promising to return if thLVALe Lord willed (18:19-21). He left Priscilla and Aquila there and journeyed on to Caesarea, Jerusalem and Antioch (\cf2\ul Act_18:18-22\cf1\ulnone ). After strengthening the churches in Asia Minor, Paul returned to Ephesus for a much more extensive ministry. He stayed in Ephesus, teaching in the school of Tyrannus for two years. While in Ephesus, he seems to have received unfavorable reports about the Corinthian church which prompted him to write his first letter to this church, a letter which was not preserved as a part of the New Testament canon (\cf2\ul 1Co_5:9-11\cf1\ulnone ).\par \par Later, while Paul was still ministering the Word in Ephesus, he heard from some of \ldblquote Chloe\rquote s people\rdblquote that divisions were beginning to emerge among the Corinthian saints. In addition, Paul was informed of a case of gross immorality in the church, one with which the church had not dealt. Instead of feeling shame and sorrow over this sin, at least some of the saints were proud of their tolerance (chapter 5). He heard also of Christians taking their fellow-believers to court, seeking to have pagans pass judgment on spiritual matters (chapter 6). Paul was also told of unbecoming conduct at the Lord\rquote s Supper (chapter 11) and of doctrinal error concerning the resurrection (chapter 15). A three-man delegation consisting of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus also arrived from Corinth (16:17) bringing a letter which inquired of Paul about marriage (7:1), virgins (7:25), food sacrificed to idols (8:1), spiritual gifts (12:1), the collection for the saints (16:1), and Apollos (16:12). It was while he was in Ephesus that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to the reports and questions he received there.[21]\par Paul\rquote s Preamble\par (1:1-3)\par \par 1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call LVALupon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.\par \par That Paul should write such a letter as this should come as no surprise to us and certainly not to the Corinthians. After all, Paul had already written one epistle which was not preserved for us. Paul was the one who first came to Corinth with the gospel. Many of the members of the church in Corinth were the fruit of his ministry (\cf2\ul 1Co_9:2\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul 1Co_9:2\cf1\ulnone Corinthians 3:1-4). Paul wrote with apostolic authority. By the will of God, he was chosen and called as an apostle. He wrote with full authority. His words were not to be ignored.\par \par Paul addresses his epistle to the church at Corinth and then proceeds to define the church. This is a very important definition to which we should give our full attention. First, Paul wants us to be assured that the church belongs to God. How often we hear churches identified in terms of who the pastor is. That is ______\rquote s church, and we fill in the blank with the pastor\rquote s name. When we do so, we indicate our deep and fundamental difference with Paul who believed that the church belongs to God. God is the One who brought the church into existence through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. God is the One who sustains His church. It is God\rquote s church.\par \par Generally speaking, the term \ldblquote church\rdblquote is defined in terms of two categories: (a) the local church and (b) the church universal. The local church is understood as that body of believers who gather regularly in one place. The \ldblquote universal church\rdblquote consists of all believers in every place and in the whole course of church history.\par \par I do not wish to differ with these two definitions of the church. They are probably useful ways of considering groups of believers. But the \ldblquote local church\rdblquote and the \ldblquote universal church\rdblquote are not entirelLVALy consistent with Paul\rquote s use of the term as he employs it in the New Testament. Here, the church is defined as (a) \ldblquote those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling,\rdblquote and (b) \ldblquote all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ\rdblquote (verse 2).\par \par We might be inclined to think of this first category as \ldblquote the local church.\rdblquote In a sense, it is. But when Paul speaks of the church, he simply refers to a group of believers. Sometimes this group is a \ldblquote house church,\rdblquote a group of believers meeting in a certain person\rquote s home (\cf2\ul Rom_16:5\cf1\ulnone , \cf2\ul Rom_16:19\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Col_4:15\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Phm_1:2\cf1\ulnone ). These \ldblquote house churches\rdblquote may have met in a larger gathering, as did the saints in Jerusalem (see \cf2\ul Act_2:46\cf1\ulnone ). Then, Paul referred to the \ldblquote city church,\rdblquote that is, the group of all believers in a particular city (see Revelation 2 and 3), or the church at a particular city (\cf2\ul Act_11:22\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Act_13:1\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Act_18:22\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul Rom_16:1\cf1\ulnone ). This is the way Paul referred to the Corinthian church, the \ldblquote church of God which is at Corinth\rdblquote (\cf2\ul 1Co_1:2\cf1\ulnone ; \cf2\ul 1Co_1:2\cf1\ulnone Corinthians 1:1). Finally, Paul speaks of the church as all those living at one time, who have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation.\par \par I fear our view of the church is either too narrow (the local church\emdash our church) or too broad (all those who have ever lived and trusted in Christ for salvation). We pray for our missionaries, the missionaries we have sent out from our local church, or more broadly, from our denominational group. A few churches share with those in need within their own fellowship or local church. When the new believers (the church) at Antioch heard a famine was coming upon the world, they enthusiasticaLVAL lly began to prepare to give to their brethren in Judea. They understood, even at this early stage in their growth and maturity, that the church is bigger than the local church.\par \par When we hear of disasters taking place around the world, do we immediately begin to consider the impact on our brethren, our fellow members of the world-wide church, and act accordingly? I fear we do not, at least to the degree we should. With such rapid communications in our time, we could easily and quickly learn of the trials and tribulations of fellow believers, no matter where they are in the world. And our ability to respond is also significantly easier than it was for the saints of Antioch. Let us begin to think of the church in Paul\rquote s terms, rather than in the narrower terms to which we are accustomed.\par \par In this broader sense of the church, we see that Paul\rquote s epistle, though addressed to the saints at Corinth, was also written to the church at large. Look once again at the first two verses of Paul\rquote s salutation: \ldblquote Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.\rdblquote\par \par This broader element in Paul\rquote s salutation is important because it reminds us that \ldblquote church truth\rdblquote is \ldblquote church truth.\rdblquote That is, Paul\rquote s teaching to the saints at Corinth is just as applicable and just as authoritative for the church at Philippi, or Ephesus, or Dallas. Too many have tried to avoid Paul\rquote s teaching in his Corinthians Epistles by insisting he is speaking to a very special and unique problem found