There is no doubt in my mind that these people, in Corinth whom Paul is writing to, are saved through the blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is evident through the first half of the chapter. Paul makes that very clear.
But the rest of the book shows the people to be drunks, adulterers, liars, etc.. So what does this mean? These people are saved and act like this?! It just doesn't make any sense.
Paul says that these people are saved. Even though they act the way they do. So how are we supposed to think around the "Christians" in our society. In chapter 2 verse 14 Paul explains what a natural, or unsaved, person does. He "does not accept the things of the Spirit of God."
Now...what are the things of the Spirit of God? I might be wrong on this one because I have not studied exactly what Paul is talking about, but on first look it appears as if Paul is talking about wisdom. Most of the second chapter revolves around the idea of wisdom. So it would not be a long shot to think that he is still talking about it here in verse 14.
A natural person does not accept wisdom, so an unnatural, or saved, person would. I think that is our answer. It is all about being able to accept being wrong! Humility is a showing characteristic of our salvation. We show humility every time we worship God. As seen in Revelation 4, the 24 elders throw their crowns at the foot of God and worship Him! They show humility. Worship is a way of telling God that He is more important than us. It is also the sole reason we are on Earth.
We also see this idea being set forth, by Paul, in chapter 5. There is a man who is doing such a sinful act that they throw him out of the church. The man says he is saved, yet doesn't act like it. So Paul says they will throw him out in order to save him from his flesh (v. 5). And praise God, in 2 Corinthians we learn that he did repent from his sin (2 Corinthians 2:5-11).
This is still a difficult idea for me to grasp. Hopefully as I further dive into God's Word the answer will become more and more clear to me.
Side note...I put in quotes the word Christian referring to people who do not appear to be saved. I have no remorse in putting quotes around it. In fact, there should be quotes around myself sometimes. I feel as if it should serve as a reminder that we are sinful, wretched people who do not deserve God's gift of salvation. But God is full of grace and mercy and we can rely on the fact that He has forgiven us of all our sins! I cannot wait to get to heaven and worship at the throne.
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"There is no doubt in my mind that these people, in Corinth whom Paul is writing to, are saved through the blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is evident through the first half of the chapter. Paul makes that very clear."
The groups Paul is addressing in 1Corinthians are found in the first chapter verse 2 which reads
"To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in everyplace call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their Lord and ours." NKJ
I was first trying to figure out how many groups Paul was actually addressing. At first look I thought there was three but upon further thought realized there are only two groups Paul is addressing. The two groups are "the church of God which is at Corinth" and "those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus". The third group that I thought existed was the "saints" but later realized Paul was describing those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus clearly illustrating that this group of people are born again Christians. For the first group, in the way Paul addresses them as the "Church of God at Corinth", I think Paul is allowing that the church is not completely made up of saved born again Christians. For it is possible to attend church and have knowledge of Christ and God without having been saved or born again; which is evident in 1 Corinthians 5:1&2 where Paul is giving instruction to essentially excommunicate one who has committed such sexual immorality that it is not even tolerated by the pagans. Why and how could he in good conscience do this to a born again believer?
I believe this is important to note because as Paul continues in chapter 5 verses 9-13
"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler, not to even eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God Judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you." We are called to keep the church pure and clean but done so in a loving way as commanded as well for we are all sinners and all fall short of the Glory of God. But what is important to keep in mind is that there is no middle ground with God. You are either for Him or against him and those in the middle or the luke warm have no inheritance.
I can understand where you get the idea of 3 groups, but if you take notice...there are no conjunctions within verse 2. Which means he is using many adjectives to describe one group. It would be me calling you, "To the man named Paul, to the man who lives in Ridgecrest, to him working at Remax" (I know what you're thinking...you don't have anything to worry about. Nobody reads this blog) :)
So the people to whom he is talking to are...
"Church of God"
"Sanctified"
"Saints"
All one people group with many adjectives. The funny thing is, Paul puts more theology into his greeting than I can in a 5 minute talk about grace! Not only is it in this one verse where he is clarifying who his audience is, but it also extends through verse 9.
I think it does become evident in chapter five that he is addressing those saved because he does not tell the sexually immoral man to leave the church. Instead, he tells the people in the church to kick him to the curb.
And amen to the final part! Let us live radically for God. May we be, for a lack of a better term, a boiling pot of water!
I like your point but something else to said stuck out-"I think it does become evident in chapter five that he is addressing those saved because he does not tell the sexually immoral man to leave the church. Instead, he tells the people in the church to kick him to the curb." This made me think that Paul is specifically addressing the saved in the church and not the unsaved, still allowing that yes he is addressing the born again at the church in Corinth but not saying that all that attend the church are born again. What do think of this possibility?
I think that's a good assumption and DEFINITELY showed in today's culture.
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