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INTRODUCTION TO CORINTH
ICEBREAKER
To introduce the city of Corinth to you and to serve as a brief icebreaker, take a look at the following pictures of cities and see if you can identify them. Do you know what cities they are?
This first picture here is Manhattan or New York. And then we have Las Vegas, and then this last one is a bit more challenging, but this is Harvard.
Now what if I told you that the city of Corinth in New Testament times was like a combination of all of these cities rolled up into one. What am I suggesting about Corinth? What would you expect it to be like?
Well, a couple of things.
If Corinth was somewhat like New York City, then we know that it was a place where money and business was important. Corinth was a port city that saw a lot of economic prosperity. So the culture there was very materialistic and money oriented. The Corinthians defined success as having money and power.
How was it like Las Vegas? Corinth was also a very sexually liberal society. Immorality and prostitution were rampant in Corinth, and it was kind of known as the Sin City of its day. Being a port city, you had sailors frequently coming back to the mainland after months of being at sea which would lead to all kinds of debauchery and violence.
But what about Harvard? Well there was also an intellectual aspect to Corinth. It was a center of education and philosophical thought but at the same time very Pagan in its religious orientation with lots of idol worship and temples and shrines. So their views on God, morality, and commandments was very cerebral and dismissive of serious faith.
Now imagine trying to live as a Christian in that type of environment. It would be difficult right? And it was. The major challenge the saints of Corinth faced was to live in the world but not of the world. It’s not easy to be constantly exposed to and surrounded by the world and not be influenced by it in some way. And you’ll get that sense as you study the two books of Corinthians. The members there are struggling to live “as becometh saints” in this very wicked environment. And those struggles are causing problems within the church. Paul is going to try and help solve those problems, or help them to overcome those problems. In fact, sometimes I like to refer to the epistles to the Corinthians as a book of problems.
TRANSITION
What are some of those problems? Let’s identify those first.
Look up the following verses and see you can What are three of the problems that the Corinthian saints are struggling with in the following verses? Read them and see if you can pinpoint the issue.
1:11
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
So problem #1: Contention and disunity amongst members. We saw some of that back in Romans. We’ll see it again in other books. Getting Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians to get along proved to be quite a struggle in the early Church.
Problem #2
1:18
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
What’s the problem here? Those with worldly wisdom making faith look foolish. There is a mocking of sacred things and faith. The learned and intellectual types within the city are looking down on the beliefs and morals and practices of the members of the Church.
And then finally, problem #3
5:1-2
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed, might be taken away from among you.
Problem #3 is sexual sin or immorality. Remember, Corinth is partly Las Vegas. What happens in Corinth, stays in Corinth. And some of the members are being drawn into that lustful and lascivious mindset. Here, you’ve got a member of the Church who has committed a fairly serious form of immorality, but Paul tells us they are puffed up about it. Rather than mourning the sin, they’re laughing about it—cheering him on!
So, as you look at that list, do you think that counsel we find in the Book of Corinthians is going to be applicable to us? Are the Corinthian problems relevant to our day? And I can’t imagine your class giving you any other answer than a resounding YES. We’re in the same boat as the Corinthian saints, aren’t we? We too face the challenge of living righteous in the midst of a wicked world.
I’ll mention briefly here that there is a fourth problem in these chapters found in the first half of chapter 6 and that is members taking each other to court and suing each other, but for time’s sake, I usually leave that one out. But let’s take a look at each of those three problems in turn.
PROBLEM #1-BRIDLING YOUR PASSIONS
ICEBREAKER
I’ve decided to start with the third problem first because I feel it is one of the biggest challenges our society faces today and if my time was short and I could only choose one of the problems to cover, this one would be it.
Ezra Taft Benson once said
The plaguing sin of this generation is sexual immorality. This, the Prophet Joseph said, would be the source of more temptations, more buffetings, and more difficulties for the elders of Israel than any other. (See Journal of Discourses, 8:55.)
Ezra Taft Benson
(The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson , p.277)
In my opinion, Paul deals with this particular subject better than almost any other scripture author I can think of, with Alma the Younger coming in a close second with his counsel to his son Corianton in Alma 39.
But as an Icebreaker to this topic I would have my students try the following thought experiment.
Consider the following scenario. A reporter from some distant and very culturally different country comes to visit the United States to report on America’s views on love and sex. And for research, they come and watch an episode of our 5 most popular tv shows, the 5 most popular movies, 5 most popular songs on the radio, thumb through 5 our most popular magazines and then analyze our nation’s top 5 internet searches. With that in mind, what conclusions do you think they would come to about our views on love and sex? Give your students some time to think about that one.
Some possible conclusions they might come up with:
· Premarital sex is not only acceptable, but the expectation.
· Your first sexual experiences should happen in your young adult years.
· Pornographic indulgence is normal, acceptable, and rampant.
· Appearance should be the number one consideration when selecting a partner.
· Women are objects of lust and sensuality.
· All forms of sexual perversion are justifiable and tolerated.
And there are many others that they could identify
TRANSITION
Corinth had a lot of the same issues as our society. In fact the term to “Corinthianize” meant to engage in gross sexual immorality. And the members there are struggling with this too. So Paul is going to reason with the members and make the case for morality or sexual purity. He’ll give us 6 good reasons to be morally clean. And you could use this handout to help guide your students through this lesson. Then encourage them to place the handout in their scripture for future reference.
The World’s Argument
But first he’s going to start by identifying the world’s most common argument FOR immorality, for increased sexual liberality.
Can you identify it? It’s in chapter 6:13.
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats.
Do you understand what they mean by this? I’ll help you out if you’re struggling. The Corinthians are comparing sex to meat and sexual desire to hunger. In other words. Hey, there is meat over there and I feel the hunger to eat it, therefore, why shouldn’t I eat it. The hunger justifies the eating. They’re saying that it’s the same with sexual desires. If there is an opportunity out there for sexual indulgence and I feel a desire for it, therefore it must be ok to indulge in it.
Now does the world still use that argument today, and if so, how?
In my opinion, Satan’s tactics haven’t changed much over the years. People today make the same argument but just use different words. They say things like, hey, It’s just natural. It’s human. There’s nothing wrong with sex before marriage, or pornography, or infidelity. It’s just too difficult to harness these sexual impulses we have, so why fight it. You see, the world wants to turn us into mere animals that have no rational thought or control over their behavior, as if we can only react to our impulses and stimuli. It’s just meats for the belly, and the belly for meats. But even their metaphor is faulty. Just because we are hungry and there is something available to eat, does that automatically mean we should we eat it? Or that it’s good or advisable or justifiable to do so. No. What if the food is spoiled, or poisoned. There are certain foods that are edible, but we know are not good for us. And if we eat too much or too often, that can have serious ramifications on our weight and health. There are rules to healthy and optimal eating and natural consequences for not following those principles. It’s the same thing with sex. The Lord has established rules for its use and natural consequences for not following them.
Reason #1 for Morality
Paul is now going to give us 6 good reasons to be morally clean and the first reason is in vs. 13.
What does Paul say is the consequence for living according to the “meats for the belly" philosophy?
Answer: God will destroy both it and them (And no, I don’t think that means that he’s going to start hurling lightning bolts from the sky at them, and smiting them, but there is a type of destruction that comes to the immoral, there are negative consequences that come for the individuals themselves and the relationship)
So let’s consider that for a moment: How can immorality destroy relationships and the individuals involved in them?
And of course there are things like STD’s and unwanted pregnancies that can come as a result of immoral behavior, but someone might argue, oh, but that’s not a problem as long as I’m safe and careful about it. But are there other repercussions to relationships built on sexual sin?
I like this quote from Gordon B. Hinckley who is also quoting elder John A. Widtsoe
“I heard Elder John A. Widtsoe … say, ‘It is my observation that a young man and a young woman who violate the principles of morality soon end up hating one another.’ I have observed the same thing. There may be words of love to begin with, but there will be words of anger and bitterness later.”
Gordon B. Hinckley and John A. Widtsoe
(“True to the Faith,” Ensign, June 1996, 5).
I agree with that statement. In my experience, personally knowing a number of individuals who have made moral mistakes, those relationships just don’t seem to last. The world tells such a powerful lie, and that is, if you really love somebody, you have sex with them and then that will make the relationship stronger, that’s the way you show someone you really care about them. Forget about commitment and sacrifice, but physical intimacy the end all and be all of expressing love. That message is blatant in the media! Just think of the last movie or television show you saw were there was a sexual relationship between unmarried people—not portrayed explicitly but just suggested even. The message is clear. This is what people do who love each other. But usually, in reality, the exact opposite is the case. I know of a young lady who was seriously dating a young man who everybody else could see was not a good influence in her life. She ended up pregnant at age 17. Now they decided to get married which, at the time, was promising. But I’ll never forget her coming back to my office about two years later with her beautiful little girl and saying. I’ve decided to leave him. He just doesn’t care about us anymore and is almost never at home. I tried to make it work, but it’s over. I could see the love was gone. The sexual sin did not strengthen that relationship, it eventually ended it.
I know of a man who decided that his sexual fulfillment existed outside of his current marriage and had an adulterous relationship. That sexual sin ruined his marriage to a wonderful, faithful woman and greatly impacted the lives of his children. After the divorce, he married the other woman, but a few years later, that marriage also ended in divorce. The relationship built on immorality destroyed both of his marriages. Now I understand this may be considered anecdotal evidence, but I could tell you twenty more similar stories that I am personally aware of that are similar. And, I am also aware of a number of statistical studies that have concluded that relationships based on unmarried sexual behavior are more likely to end (one such study can be seen here: https://ifstudies.org/blog/counterintuitive-trends-in-the-link-between-premarital-sex-and-marital-stability) My conclusion, is that Paul is right. Sexual indulgence outside of marriage almost always weakens relationships rather than strengthening them. They get destroyed in a sense.
So reason #1 to be moral: Immorality destroys love. It does not strengthen it.
Reason #2 for Morality
Reason #2 is also in vs. 13
What does Paul say about our bodies in vs. 13?
“The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the lord for the body.”
And you might need to explain a little about this one as a teacher. After considering our first reason for morality above, the world might argue back and say “Ok then, why do we feel sexual desire then? What’s its purpose?
And to this we say, sex was created by God for his purposes. It was not created for fornication, it was not just created as a recreational means of feeling pleasure, but for the Lord and the accomplishing of his plan. There IS a purpose to sex. And it is a divine purpose. What is it? And actually I’ve been able to find at least two reasons, both backed up by the words of prophets.
Allow me to read to you a few quotes and I want you to see if you can find the two divine purposes for sex in them:
First, Spencer W. Kimball
The union of the sexes, husband, and wife (and only husband and wife), was for the principal purpose of bringing children into the world. Sex experiences were never intended by the Lord to be a mere plaything or merely to satisfy passions and lusts. We know of no directive from the Lord that proper sex experience between husbands and wives need be limited totally to the procreation effort, but we find much evidence from Adam until now that no provision was ever made by the Lord for indiscriminate sex. (75-24)
Spencer W. Kimball
(The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, edited by Edward L. Kimball, p.311)
And this from Parley P. Pratt:
The object of the Union of the sexes is the propagation of their species, or procreation; also for mutual affection, and the cultivation of those eternal principles of never-ending charity and benevolence, which are inspired by the Eternal Spirit;
Parley P. Pratt
(Key to the Science of Theology/A Voice of Warning, p.164)
· So the first and most obvious reason for sex is procreation. To bring children into this world. The family is central to our Heavenly Father’s plan, and bodies must be provided for those spirits. Sex between a married husband and a wife increases the likelihood that that child will be born into the best possible situation for its growth and development. Interesting that it absolutely requires a man and a woman to bring a child in to this world. There is no other way. And not that we need scientific proof to bolster revelation, but statistical studies have repeatedly shown that children born and raised in married households result in better outcomes for the child across a range of areas (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3342452/). Now that doesn’t mean that a child raised in a single parent household is doomed, or that a child raised in a married household is guaranteed to have a good life and success, but there is a very strong statistical correlation between the two.
· Now there is another purpose for sex that is suggested in those quotes as well. Parley P. Pratt called it mutual affection. Or more simply stated, it's a way to bring husbands and wives closer together. Sex provides a joyful, bonding experience that is sacred and only shared between the two of them. It makes that relationship different and special from all others in their lives.
If our sexual activities do not fulfill one of these two purposes, then I argue that they're wrong.
Reason #2 to be morally clean: To fulfill the Lord’s divine purposes for sex.
Reason #3 for Morality
Reason #3 is in :15-17
Can you find the reason here?
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Paul frequently uses the metaphor of the body to refer to the church. The church is the body of Christ, and we are all individual parts of that body working together to accomplish his work. He’s going to go into a lot more depth on that metaphor in chapter 12.
So I think the point he is making here is that your sexual immorality may have an effect on others and the church as a whole.
And how is that possible? How could one member's immorality affect other people and the church as a whole?
Possible answers here: We may set a bad example for others around us. Because we commit that sin, somebody else may feel more justified in also committing it.
If an older sibling commits that sin, they pave the way for their younger siblings to do the same. Our peers and younger people that look up to us may be affected.
It may give the church a bad reputation to those who are not members of it. They may say, “See, members of the Church of Jesus Christ act the same as everybody else in the world. They may talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.”
I know of a missionary who committed moral sin while in the field and that area had to be closed down for years because it was publicly known.
Also, immorality can destroy families, and families are the backbone of the church. Immorality hurts spouses, and children, and parents, and other loved ones.
I think it’s common for many to justify immorality by saying, hey, I’m only hurting myself. My response to that would be: You wish. Our actions impact others and it’s vital that we consider that when we make decisions of an immoral nature.
I’d like to you back to a verse in Romans that would serve as a great cross reference to our discussion here. Take a look at Romans 13:10. It contains one of the most important lessons we can learn about love. And I’ll preface this by asking what you think is usually the most common justification give for immoral behavior. If you were to ask someone why they committed fornication, or adultery, 9 out of 10 times they are going to say, “But we were in love”, or “I did this thing because I was in love”. But what does Romans 13:10 teach us about love? Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. That’s how you know if what is motivating you is truly love or something else. If it works ill to your neighbor, it’s not love. I would ask:
Does love fill a soul with guilt?
Does love close doors of the temple on a couple?
Does love have to coerce the other person into doing something they don’t want to do?
Does love intentionally hurt the other person, either emotionally or physically?
Does love hinder our prayers?
Does love break up homes?
Does love take children from a parent?
The answer to each of these questions is no. Love worketh no ill. So if ills are brought about by your actions, you can rest assured that it wasn’t love that was motivating you. We mustn’t taint the word love, by justifying these actions with it.
So that’s another reason to be moral: Reason #3 You won’t end up hurting others.
Reason #4 for Morality
Reason #4 is in vs. 18 (which by the way also contains the best advice on how to deal with the temptation of sexual sin. And you could ask that. What is the best response to sexual temptation? Flee fornication. Just run from it. Get away. Best example of this. Joseph of Egypt with Potiphar’s wife. I love how it describes what he did. It says he “fled and got him out.” I suggest we do the same when confronted with this form of temptation. Just flee and get out. And just for fun. I sometimes like to tell my students about an excellent technique for resisting temptation. I call it the Alma 11:23 method. I tell them that if anybody ever tries to push them into doing something they’re not comfortable with; if somebody attempts to coerce them into going too far morally, then they should point their finger at the other person, shout ALMA 11:23 and then turn around and run away as fast as they can. And then the other person will be so curious that they’ll look up that verse, and they’ll get their message. And, I’ll let you check that one out on your own. The Alma 11:23 method. It works!
But anyway:
Paul then makes this point:
18 . . .Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
This is an interesting one. Somebody may try to justify their immoral behaviors by saying things like. Nobody gets hurt by me doing this. If I just practice safe sex, everything will be ok, everything is permissible between consenting adults, pornography is a victimless habit, I’m not hurting anybody. Well, we’ve already decided that that’s not true, but there is another individual that we are really hurting most.
Who is it that we are sinning against most? Ourselves.
I think the point Paul is making here is that most sins are external in nature. We commit them against other people. If I steal, I steal from YOU, If I lie, I lie to you, If I get angry, I get angry at you, But immorality is a sin that you commit against yourself. You hurt yourself.
And how? How does immorality hurt the individuals involved themselves?
STD’s, unwanted pregnancies, there's the effect it may have on your future relationships, you open yourself up to be taken advantage of, it can lead to addictions. Amongst other things.
So reason #4: We will not hurt ourselves. We won’t sin against our own bodies.
Reason #5 for Morality
And in the next verse, Paul gives a very specific consequence that comes to all those who commit sexual sin. Our actions may not guarantee that we get an STD, or an unwanted pregnancy, or even that our relationships will fall apart, but this is a guaranteed consequence.
What is it?
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,
Based on vs. 19, if our bodies are a temple of the Holy Ghost, what do you think happens to the Holy Ghost if we commit sexual sin?
Answer: It leaves. We lose the Spirit.
So reason #5 to stay morally clean, You will maintain the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Reason #6 for Morality
And then finally, reason #6
After all these arguments, you could see somebody saying, “OK Paul, I understand what you’re saying, I get it. But, I can do whatever I want. It’s my body, I’ll do with it as I please.
And what does Paul say to that? He looks back and says, “Not so fast.”
The end of verse 19 and then verse 20.
and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
So no, your body is not yours. It belongs to God, This mortal body of ours is just a rental, and God sets the rules for it. He bought us with a price. What was that price? His atonement. Therefore we have no right to use these bodies of his for our own selfish reasons. They are not our property. They have been created from materials that were his to begin with. They were formed by him. When we die, they will be taken back into this earth of his from whence they came. They belong to Him and therefore we must follow the proper instructions for their care and use.
So reason #6 is: We show respect and reverence for God’s property: our bodies.
Now that’s a strong case for chastity or morality in my opinion.
Now if you wanted to add one more quick point and verse to this discussion, you might consider taking your students to chapter 7:4. And the point is that WE, as individuals do not hold the key to our sexuality. Somebody else does. Who is it according to 7:4?
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
And the answer is that our spouse holds that key, whether that’s our current spouse or we’re talking about our future spouse if we’re unmarried. So if somebody came along and tried to pressure you into entering an immoral sexual relationship, you could say, “I know what you want, but what you are asking for, is not mine to give. I don’t have the key; it belongs to somebody else. So I’m afraid this has to stop here.”
So there you have it, 6 powerful and logical reasons to be sexually pure.
TRUTH
Living God’s laws of sexual morality just makes sense. When these principles are obeyed, blessings come. When they are ignored, there are consequences.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
What evidence have you seen in your life that this principle is true?
CONCLUSION
Our Heavenly Father has made us sexual beings for a divine purpose. But I bear witness that when we misuse these sacred powers, the consequences are real. I encourage us all to do things the Lord’s way. When we follow his rules and commandments regarding relationships, our lives will be filled with love. As Alma said to his son Shiblon, my favorite statement in the scriptures regarding all kinds of desires, “Bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love” (Alma 38:12). The principle is simple. If you want more love in your life, bridle, or control those powerful emotions and God will fill your cup with love until it runneth over. And I know that this may be too simplistic and doesn’t cover everybody’s circumstances. I understand there are many different situations out there. Things like abuse, and temple divorces, and single adults who would love to be married but have not had that opportunity, and same gender attraction, and loads of other personalized situations. But my personal experience and testimony goes something like this. I am so grateful that I had the guidance of these standards regarding sexual purity and relationships in my youth and great leaders and loving parents that gave me the support I needed to navigate those difficult years. With their help, I was able to bridle my passions and to remain sexually pure throughout my youth. And when my marriage came, both my wife and I left for our honeymoon wonderfully naive. And from that union has grown a beautiful marriage that increases in love and understanding from year to year. That union has brought us four amazing children that have filled our lives with yes, challenges, but an increase of love fourfold. I know that not everybody’s story works out like this, but I can testify that my life is filled with love. I attribute this directly to and thank my Heavenly Father for, his divine laws of chastity.
PROBLEM #2-IS CHRIST DIVIDED?
Well, let’s go ahead and cover the other two problems, but maybe a little more briefly
Problem #2 is contention between church members
And we already covered some great advice on this issue back in Romans 14 with despisers and judgers, but Paul is going to give us some additional help here in Corinthians.
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker, I like to do the following object lesson. And you know I typically like to do object lessons that don’t cost anything but this time you do need a special item to make this work. But, it’s only like 10$ on Amazon which I can provide a link to in the video description below. (https://amzn.to/45tTKWz) It’s called an energy stick. And what it does, is if you hold on to one end of the energy stick and then another person holds on to the other, and then you join your other hands together, it lights up and makes a little noise. As soon as you let go though, it stops. So the cool thing is that you can get your entire class involved with this one. If you have everyone hold the hand of one person and then the hand of another to create a giant human chain, and then two people in the chain grab the ends of the energy stick, instead of each other’s hands, it will light up and make a noise. Which means that the energy and connection that lights the stick is passing through every single person in the class. And you can use that to illustrate the power of unity within the Church. When we are unified, when we symbolically work hand in hand with each other, the light and power of the Spirit can be felt by all, and amazing things happen. But what happens when people stop getting along, when they fight with each other, when they allow contention and pride to sneak into their interactions. And then I use two people as an example and say, “What if Sara and Bob here stop getting along with each other and begin to fight, what happens?” And then I invite them to let go of each other’s hands. The energy stick goes dark and silent. It has an effect on the entire group. We have lost that power. Contention has much the same effect on our congregations and communities.
TRANSITION
And then I might ask: How many of you have seen contention between ward members cause significant problems? And I’m pretty sure that most of us have had experiences where we’ve seen what contention can do and how it can affect the spirit of an entire group of people. Well that’s not what God envisions for his church. Rather he wants his Saints to fit this description in 1 Corinthians 1:10.
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
In order to attain this condition in our congregations, we have to avoid the dangerous mindset of vs. 11-12.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
And what’s going on there is that members of the church in Corinth were dividing themselves based on who baptized them. Some had been baptized by Paul, others Apollos, and others Peter and now the members are showing this very human tendency to categorize and rank themselves based on perceived value. For them, it was who had baptized them that set them apart. One might boast, “Well, Paul, an apostle, baptized me!” And another might say, “But I was baptized back at the beginning, when Christ was still alive,” when maybe somebody else who had been baptized by Apollos, might feel like less a member since they hadn’t baptized by an apostle.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures to ourselves here, let’s brainstorm something. That may not be the issue that divides members of the Church today, but what kinds of things might cause divisions and rankings to take place in our wards today?
Some possible answers: Social status or income, how nice their cars and homes are, political affiliation, race or ethnicity, which callings they serve in, perceived righteousness, even something as frivolous as which sports team they root for have been known to cause major divisions amongst members.
SEARCH-THE SOLUTION
What are Paul’s solutions to this problem? Well I’m going to do one myself for you as an example and then I’m going to assign you one to study and ponder for yourself..
So let me take you to 1 Corinthians 1:13
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
The key is in that first question. Is Christ divided? No. When it comes to church, we’ve got to put worldly differences behind us and focus on what unifies us. And the thing that unifies us, no matter who we are or where we’re from is our common belief and commitment to Christ. Christ is not divided. These worldly issues that divide us have nothing to do with the gospel of Christ. Christ doesn’t consider or care about those kinds of things. Does Christ care what my income is? Does Christ care what race I am? Does Christ care what sports team I root for? If the answer is no, then I should put every effort into setting those differences aside. Instead of dividing ourselves up into cliques and factions, we can unite ourselves around Christ. You may live in an affluent neighborhood, and I live in a trailer park, but we both believe in Christ’s atonement. You may be a democrat and I a republican, but we both worship in the same temple. You may root for the Cougars while I root for the Utes, but we both have a testimony of the Book of Mormon.
So one solution to contention and disunity is to: Focus on our common Christian values and beliefs and forget about the temporal differences that divide us. When we associate with each other as disciples of Christ, we strive to put all those other issues behind us.
Now I want you to give it a try. Paul is going to use two excellent metaphors to describe what Christ’s Church is meant to be like. He’s also going to give us another one next week, probably the most well-known one where he’s going to compare the Church to a body-you know, all the different body parts working together. But this week he gives us two additional, lesser-known metaphors. And each one can offer us insight. As a teacher, I would number off my students as either one’s or two’s and then assign them the following scripture references to study and ponder and to be prepared to answer the three adjoining questions.
Ones=3:4-9 (up to the word “husbandry”)
Twos=3:9-17 (starting with the last phrase of verse 9)
1. What thing does Paul compare the Church to in your verses?
2. Why do you think that’s a good metaphor for the Church?
3. What truths about Church unity does Paul teach by using that metaphor?
Now your students may very well struggle with this activity because Paul can be hard. But that’s OK, we’re trying to help our students learn how to study and interpret scripture. So just give them some time to try it out, and allow them to share their thoughts. If they still struggle, you as the teacher can maybe jump in and help them out a bit. Here’s what I see.
Number one’s then. 1 Corinthians 3:4-9
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry,
So what thing does Paul compare the Church to here? Paul is comparing the church to a garden, or as the footnotes suggest for the word “husbandry”—a cultivated field, or farm. We are all laborers in this garden. And I think that’s a great metaphor for the Church because a farm or garden requires lots of different kinds of work in order to grow fruit. Some plant, and some water. And we are growing something wonderful here. Something delicious. Something that we can lay up in store for the future. We’re growing Zion and the fruit it produces we’ll lay up in store to enjoy for eternity. But it’s not the specific work that you do in the church that matters so much as that you are working. It would be pretty silly for somebody who was responsible to plant the seeds to boast themselves over somebody whose job it was to water them. Saying something like, “Planting is where it’s at, those waterers should really get their priorities straight”. Or either group boasting that they are the reason the garden grows. No, it’s God that gives the increase. God provides the sunlight, the fertile soil beneath our feet, the miracle of growth. Same with our Church labors. God gets all the credit. He’s the source of all that grows in his kingdom. We are just laborers. And whatever responsibilities we have from prophet, to teacher, to administrator, all contribute to the end result. Whate’r thou art, act well thy part.
So Solution #2: Remember that no person in the church is more important than another, regardless of what labor they perform in it. God is the source of all growth and goodness in it.
Missionaries that serve foreign missions are no more important than those that serve domestic. Those that serve as bishops are no more important than those that serve as primary teachers. Those that have the gift of healing are no more important than those that have the gift of teaching. It’s God that is giving the increase and the power in all these situations, so, of what have we to boast.
Ok, number twos. 3:9-17, starting with the last phrase of verse 9.
9 . . . ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
So this time, Paul compares the members of the church to a building. And what kind of building is it? It’s a temple laid upon the foundation of Jesus Christ that has been set and established by his special witnesses and leaders-the masterbuilders, of which Paul was one. And what is our job? To build on that foundation. We are all in the labor of building up the temple of Zion. But it’s verse 12 that really catches my attention most. It’s a list of various building materials you could choose from to add to God’s temple. Do you notice anything interesting about the materials? Are they all of the same quality? They’re not. You have gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble. Gold, silver, and precious stones are obviously more durable and aesthetically pleasing than wood, hay, or stubble. And stubble here means straw. But then, God plans to do something interesting to the building. Something that, at first glance, seems counterproductive. What is it? He’s going to burn it. He’s going to set it on fire. Now why would he do that? To test it. To test its strength and durability—a trial by fire—a refining fire. And some of those materials are going to survive, and others are not. Which ones? The gold, silver, and the precious stones will endure, they can stand up to the heat. But what’s going to happen to the wood, hay, and straw? They are going to burn. It’s a great metaphor. So how does this help me? It causes me to consider the kind of offering that I’m making in my Church labors. Am I offering gold, or stubble? Now can you imagine somebody placing a big piece of plywood on the side of the Salt Lake temple? Or stacks of hay bales on the roof? That would look very out of place. When we make casual, lax, or less than our best kind of offerings, then that’s what’s it’s like. When we’re careless or negligent in our church callings, when we’re sloppy in our obedience, when we give the Lord and each other token offerings or service, it’s like placing hay on the temple.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
And let’s take a moment to really liken the scriptures on this one. Just a personal pondering activity. Consider the following areas for a moment and ask yourself what kind of offering you making? A gold offering or stubble?
In the way you serve in your church calling?
Your temple attendance?
Your scripture study?
Your personal prayers?
Your efforts to share the gospel?
Your obedience to the commandments?
TRUTH
So what is our final solution for increasing unity in the church?
Solution #3 We can strive to give our absolute best in our gospel labors.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Jesus once taught us that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. I’m certain that if we can focus on what unifies us, recognize the unique contribution each member offers, and offer our very best in our labors, then we will stand more unified as members of Christ’s church. The energy or power of the Holy Ghost will flow through us as we stand hand in hand connected by a common set of beliefs and practices. Our garden will grow and be fruitful and beautiful. And the temple of our wards and congregations will stand majestically and splendidly covered in the gold, silver, and precious stones of our obedience, dedication, and sacrifice. United we stand, divided we fall.
By the way-this will not be the last time we talk about this idea. Paul has a lot to say about Church unity in his epistles, so stay tuned.
PROBLEM #3-WISDOM OF THE WORLD
Now let’s take a look at our final problem
ICEBREAKER
And for an icebreaker, a fairly simplistic activity. It’s a word unscramble. I have a list of four synonymous words that describe what I feel is the world’s #1 weapon of choice when it comes to attacking faith. It seems like this is their major tactic when it comes to opposing religion or belief in the divine. Can you figure out what these words are? Like I said, they’re different ways of saying the same thing. What’s the world’s preferred method of assaulting faith? With youth, I would offer a small reward to those who can identify the words. You could do this with a PowerPoint slide, on a whiteboard, or as a handout. And I’ll make the slides and handout available to those that are interested. So we have:
Mocking
Ridicule
Scorn
Contempt
In my experience, this seems to be the major way the world attacks faith. It’s not rational debate, it’s not mutual respect and discourse, it’s not about building up and fortifying their own position. It usually just boils down to attacking the opposition with a high degree of derision. Because, if I don’t agree with faith or belief in the divine, I don’t really have to prove my side, I just have to make your faith look foolish enough that I feel I win. Some examples of this, celebrities like Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, George Carlin, the guys who made The Book of Mormon musical. What’s their major weapon against religion? It’s ridicule. And these are very funny, talented, clever people. Is it any wonder that in Lehi’s dream, the symbol for the wisdom of the world was a great and spacious building. And what is the activity of choice for those in the building. To mock and laugh at those outside of it. Apparently there really isn’t anything better to do in there. In my experience, most people out there don’t want to sit down and have a rational discussion with us about why we believe what we do. They mock the fact that we often can’t produce tangible, empirical evidence of what we believe. But faith, by its very definition is neither provable nor unprovable. That is the way our Father in Heaven has arranged for our mortal experience to be. We are being tested.
I might then ask my students if they have ever personally had this kind of experience in their life.
Have you ever had your faith mocked? What happened and how did you react?
I know that I’ve had this experience a number of times in my life. I remember speaking to a man who asked me if I really believed in Gold Plates and angels and miracles. And I said yes I do. And all he said to that was “Interesting", but he just gave me this look, this smug, mocking, smirk. Maybe you’ve seen that before. To the world, things like golden plates and angels and miracles will always appear to be “foolishness” to them.
TRANSITION
The members of the Church in Corinth are facing the same kind of issue. And Paul understands that and he’s going to offer them and us some help. So that will be our next major question: What can help us to stand firm in the face of scorn?
SEARCH
And here is a brief activity you could do with your students. Place them into groups of four and assign them one of the following scripture references with this question in mind. How could your assigned scriptures help someone to be stronger in their faith in the face of mocking? Give them a chance to study and ponder their assignment and then give them a chance to share their thoughts with the other 3 individuals in their group. Then bring the class back together and ask if anyone would like to share their thoughts with the class or if anyone felt like someone in their group really hit the mark and gave a great explanation. And then, if you like, you are always welcome to add your own thoughts as a teacher as well. And for the sake of this video, I’ll offer you some of my thoughts on these verses.
1. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19
2. 1 Corinthians 2:5
3. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
4. 1 Corinthians 3:2
1:18-19
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
One thing that will help us to stand firm in the face of mocking is to remember that one day the tables will be turned. At some future time, God will destroy the wisdom of the world, and we will all have our faith wonderfully confirmed. One day, the laughing will stop, and those that deemed us to be fools will be revealed to have been the foolish all along. Their mocking will all be brought to nothing. Until that day, endure.
2:5
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Something that can help is to make sure our faith stands in the power of God and not the wisdom of men. Remember that the most firm foundation you can build your faith on is the Rock of our Redeemer. Don’t build it on other people or the wisdom of men. We don’t believe in certain things because somebody else reasoned us into it, or proved the truth to you. “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). We must be careful not to have our faith simply stand on parents, friends, missionaries, or even church leaders, but in the power of God. If we build our faith on Christ, on your own personal connection with Him, then we cannot fall.
2:10-11
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
We also need to realize that the way we gain spiritual knowledge is through the Spirit. And how does the Spirit reveal things? In our minds and hearts. It comes as thoughts and impressions to our minds, and feelings within our hearts. It comes through experiences provided to us by God, like answers to prayers, miracles, and spiritual guidance. It comes through trusting the authority of God's special witnesses, leaders, and prophets. So something that will help us to stand strong is to gather evidence for our beliefs in God’s way, not the world’s.
3:2
And finally, start with milk not with meat.
It says: 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Stick to the basics until you have a firm grasp on them. One of the tactics of the adversary is to throw meat topics at the spiritually undeveloped, and their youthful faith just can’t bear it yet. Sometimes it’s better to focus on gospel fundamentals first, and then slowly work your way to more solid foods. Somebody who is a new convert may not be able to bear more “meaty” gospel issues. I don’t think it is wise to start throwing issues like “the historicity of the Book of Abraham”, “the practice of polygamy in the early church,” or “DNA evidence and the Book of Mormon” at people when they haven’t fully grasped the concepts of faith, repentance, restoration, and the plan of Salvation. When others mock us on meat topics, there is nothing wrong with saying: “I’m not sure I really understand that yet, but I believe there are answers to those questions. And one day, I plan to tackle them. But I’m still a baby in the faith. I’m still working on the milk. So until that day, I will act on the faith of what I do know”.
Now those are just my thoughts on those verses. Your students will probably come up with insights and ideas of their own.
TRUTH
How to keep your faith strong in the face of mocking:
Remember that in the end your faith will be confirmed and vindicated.
Build your faith on Christ, not the wisdom of others.
Learn by the Spirit
Focus on milk before meat.
CONCLUSION
I believe a great way to conclude a lesson on this topic would be to just bear pure testimony to your class. Give them a simple, straightforward declaration of your faith, and then ask if any of them would like to do the same.
And I would be happy to do that myself right now. I want you to know as my listeners that I do sincerely believe in these things that I’m teaching you. I believe in God, I testify that he’s real, and I have had real experiences with Him. He has answered my prayers, I’ve felt his presence, and I’ve witnessed miracles that in my mind cannot be explained away by coincidence. I believe in Christ and in the power of His Atonement and I have felt the power of that Atonement in my life, I have felt my guilt washed away through repentance, I have felt it’s strengthening, comforting, and enabling power during dark times. I believe in the scriptures and have found great guidance, comfort, and inspiration in them and I love them. I know that when I live according to their teachings, that I’m happier, and that I’m stronger in the face of opposition. I know that they are good. I believe in the doctrine of living prophets. It makes sense to me that a loving God would send us leadership, authority, and continuing revelation to guide us through our current times. When I listen to them speak and testify, both my mind and my heart tell me that they are sincere, and that they are speaking the truth. I believe in the power and the idea of faith. It makes sense to me that our Father in Heaven would operate that way. This life is a test. And learning to believe and face opposition is a big part of that test. But I believe that we can do it. We can stand strong in the face of the pointing fingers and the scorn and the contempt. And God will help us to do that. And I share that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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