Author: Calleen Hough

A building project

Paul’s analogy of spiritual growth focused on the progressive steps that were necessary to reach spiritual maturity. Paul began by pointing out that God’s gift of salvation did not guarantee spiritual growth. He stated, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 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” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). The two Christian characteristics Paul compared in this passage, spiritual versus carnal, represented the difference between being supernaturally regenerated or born again and unregenerated, living an animal-like existence. Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand that they were not only acting like babies, but also were in danger of missing the whole point of their salvation. His statement, “I have fed you with milk” (1 Corinthians 3:2) eluded to the Corinthians’ immaturity and lack of awareness of their own bad behavior. Most likely, Paul was trying to make the point that his advice needed to be taken seriously and not treated as meaningless babble.

Paul explained to the Corinthians that spiritual maturity required a process of growth similar to a building project or planting a garden. The process of growth involved stages that might be compared to things like laying a foundation, erecting a structure, etc. Paul started by making it clear that he and others might be involved in the process, but God alone produced the results. He stated, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Paul differentiated himself from other teachers by indicating he was a masterbuilder, a chief constructor or architect (G753). He said, “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. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).

Paul seemed to be concerned that his work of preaching the gospel was being undermined by teaching that was inconsistent with God’s plan of salvation. Paul didn’t give any examples of the errant messages that were being circulated, but implied that Jesus Christ’s role was not being emphasized enough. It could be that the process of salvation was being miscommunicated and Paul needed to remind the Corinthians that their supernatural regeneration was a result of what Jesus did for them through his substitutionary death on the cross. Paul explained that when it comes to the process of salvation our work and Christ’s work are two separate things. Although we cannot save ourselves, our service to God contributes to our spiritual growth and development and we will one day be judged for the results we’ve produced. Paul stated, “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” (1 Corinthian’s 3:13).

The power of God

During Paul’s two-year stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:10), a man named Apollos ministered to the Jews in Corinth. It says in Acts 19:27-28 that Apollos “helped them much which had believed through grace: for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” Apparently, Apollos’ method of teaching was different than Paul’s. Paul was opposed by the Jews in Corinth and it was there that he “shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6). Apollos on the other hand was born at Alexandria and was described as “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures” (Acts 18:24), meaning Apollos was a great speaker that was probably able to captivate his audience with his relevant application of God’s word and understanding of Christian living.

The stark difference between Paul and Apollos’ styles of preaching caused the believers at Corinth to prefer one them over the other and to form subgroups or cliques that divided the congregation. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul addressed this problem in a very direct manner. He stated:

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:10-12, ESV)

Paul’s argument against the divisions that were occurring in Corinth was that no man could claim credit for the salvation of others. Paul stated, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but unto us which are saved it is the power of God…For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21).

Paul’s reference to the foolishness of preaching in 1 Corinthians 1:21 was meant to stress the absurdity of the idea that a person could be saved by someone explaining the scriptures to him. Paul pointed out that a person had to be “called” or invited into God’s kingdom and that it was the power of God that made it possible for people to accept Christ and be born again (1 Corinthians 1:24). Therefore, Paul concluded, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5). Paul went on to say that true wisdom was a gift from God and explained that the power of God was conveyed through his Holy Spirit. According to Paul, God can only reveal things to us through his Spirit and he stated, “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” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

Cultural conflict

Paul’s negative impact on idol worship in Asia resulted in a serious cultural conflict in Ephesus where the temple of Diana was located. Demetrius, a silver smith that made his living selling silver shines for Diana “called together workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone in Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: so that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth” (Acts 19:25-27). Demetrius’ declaration that his means of getting rich was being ruined by Paul was the fuel that sparked the fire of a riot in Ephesus. It says in Acts 19:28-29, “when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.”

The theatre identifed in Acts 19:29 was located on the slope of Mt. Pion at the end of the Arcadian Way and could seat 25,000 people (Introduction to the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, p. 1694). Paul’s friends in Ephesus encouraged him to stay away from the theatre (Acts 19:31), but apparently he didn’t head their warning (Acts 20:1). The climax of the event came when a man named Alexander was drawn out of the crowd and appointed a spokesman for the Jews. “And Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made his defense unto the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:33-34). The chanting of the crowd must have been something like what you would hear today in a football stadium when the fans are cheering for their team. The fact that their shouting went on for two hours demonstrates the extreme devotion of Diana’s worshippers.

Even though the crowd appeared to be out of control, an important local official was able to stop the riot and regain control of the Ephesians’ unlawful assembly. His logic was based on the fact that Ephesus was secure in its religious practices. He asked, “what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly” (Acts 19:35-36). In his final exhortation to the people, the town clerk stated, “For we are in danger to be called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse. And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly” (Acts 19:40-41). Apparently, the Ephesians were rational thinkers that were able to see the foolishness of their actions. Paul left Ephesus immediately after this riot, but later returned there (Acts 20:17), shortly before he was arrested in Jerusalem and was taken to Rome for his trial.

Baptism

When Paul returned to Ephesus during his third and final missionary journey, the topic of baptism came up. Paul’s conversation with the Ephesian believers is recorded in Acts 19:2-6 where it says:

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Paul’s differentiation between John’s baptism of repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit emphasized the fact that repentance was only one aspect of salvation and that it was insufficient for conversion or being born again. Paul’s interaction with the believers at Ephesus was probably a result of his awareness that there had been no change in their behavior in spite of their profession of faith. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul discussed the new life with Christ and talked about walking according to the course of this world (Ephesians 2:2). Paul told the Ephesians they “were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:2-4).

The Greek word Paul used that is translated quickened, suzoopoieo (sood-zo-op-oy-eh’o) means to reanimate conjointly with (G4806). Suzoopoieo is a contraction of the words sun (soon) and zoopoieo (dzo-op-oy-eh’o). These two words together convey the idea of a connection that facilitates co-life, somewhat like how Siamese twins sharing vital organs cannot be separated after birth. The Greek word zoopoieo refers specifically to resurrection life which involves the changing or fashioning anew of the bodies of the living. In this context, quicken means to be enabled to respond to the voice of God. “Once born again and indwelt by the Holy Ghost, one does not have to wait to be able to respond. Response comes fully and instantaneously” (G2227). Paul’s understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit seemed to include an aspect of shared power. Just like blood flowing through our physical veins, Paul seemed to see the Holy Spirit as a lifeforce that flows in and through the believer’s spiritual heart. According to Paul, without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a believer was for all intents and purposes, still spiritually dead. In their conversation about being born again, Jesus told Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

A transition

The last stop on Paul’s second missionary journey was Ephesus, a “leading commercial city of Asia Minor, the capital of provincial Asia and the warden of the temple of Artemis (Diana)” (note on Acts 18:19). The temple of the great goddess Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was the glory of Ephesus. It was “425 feet long and 220 feet wide, having 127 white marble columns 62 feet high and less than 4 feet apart. In the inner sanctuary was the many-breasted image supposedly dropped from heaven” (note on Acts 19:27). It says in Acts 18:19 that after Paul arrived in Ephesus, he “entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.” The Greek words translated reasoned, dia (dee-ah’) and lego (leg’-o) suggest that Paul had a dialogue with the Jews in Ephesus, rather than just preaching the gospel to them. Paul seemed to be showing respect to the Ephesian Jews and may have been aware of the fact that in spite of tremendous pressure to conform to the Ephesian culture, these Jews had remained loyal to Jehovah (note on Acts 19:33).

Paul’s brief stay in Ephesus was followed by a visit from a man named Apollos who was described as “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures” who “was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:24-25). Apollos was an ordinary man who apparently took it upon himself to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ without having any official capacity to do so. Apollos’ arrival in Ephesus marked an important transition from Paul’s formal effort to spread the gospel through his missionary journeys to a more informal method of teaching the scriptures in churches that had already been established. Rather than rebuke or criticize Apollos because he didn’t have an adequate understanding of the gospel message, Paul’s companions, Aquila and Priscilla, took Apollos aside privately and “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26). Afterward, it says in Acts 18:27 that Apollos went to Corinth and “helped them much which had believed through grace.”

Apollos’ background in secular history may have contributed to his success in teaching the Jews at Corinth about Jesus (Acts 18:28). Apollos was from Alexandria, a town founded by Alexander the Great around 332 B.C. It says in Acts 18:24 that Apollos was not only an eloquent man, but he also had a good command or understanding of the scriptures. Paul’s failure to reach the Corinthian Jews, contrasted with Apollos’ success suggests that a cultural connection rather than a divine anointing was necessary to preach the gospel effectively. It seems likely there was a cultural barrier that kept the secular Jews from understanding Paul’s concept of grace. It’s possible that the Corinthian Jews’ compromised lifestyle made them more defensive and unreceptive when Paul explained to them that Jesus Christ had been crucified for their sins. It says of Apollos in Acts 18:28 that “he mightily convinced the Jews,” meaning he left them without a shadow of a doubt that what he was saying was actually true, Jesus was Christ.

Antichrist

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was primarily a follow-up to the one he had previously sent them. The topic of Christ’s return remained the central focus of Paul’s communication. Apparently, the Thessalonians were convinced that Jesus was going to return at any moment. Paul told them, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of the Lord is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to understand that the rapture was only one of a series of events that would take place during the end times. He explained, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

Antichrist’s appearance on the religious scene will be evident by his impersonation of God. This will only be possible because God will remove his Holy Spirit from Earth and allow Satan to be in full control of the world during the Great Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Paul told the Thessalonians, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10). Paul indicated that Antichrist would be successful in establishing his kingdom on Earth because of a deliberate rejection of God’s word. Because unbelief will become the norm, Paul told the Thessalonians, “for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

Paul’s introduction of the man of sin, whom he also referred to as the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3), emphasized the uselessness of Satan’s attempt to overthrow God’s kingdom. Paul referred to Jesus’ second coming when he said that the Lord would consume Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of his coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8). The Apostle John described the scene of Antichrist’s defeat in Revelation 19:11-16. Afterward, John said, “The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:20-21).

The rapture

Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica included a detailed account of an event commonly referred to as the rapture. Paul said, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Paul included additional detail about this event in his first letter to the Corinthians where he stated, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

Looking at Paul’s two descriptions of the rapture, it appears that the purpose of this event is to transform believers into a similar state/form as Jesus Christ. Although there are only a few references to Jesus’ resurrected body, it was clearly different than the one he had before he was crucified. Luke’s gospel indicated that Jesus was able to disguise his identity (Luke 24:16) and vanish into thin air (Luke 24:31). John reported that Jesus’ body still had the marks of his crucifixion on it (John 20:20, 27), but he was able to function normally (John 21:15). The Greek word translated changed, allassō means to make different (G236). Allasso is derived from the word allos which “expresses a numerical difference and denotes ‘another of the same sort'” (G243). The best way to interpret allasso in the context of Paul’s explanation of the rapture might be to say that you’ll receive a duplicate body or you could say that your body will be instantaneously changed into a carbon copy of the one you were born with.

Paul indicated that after the rapture, believers would be united with Christ throughout eternity (1 Thessalonians 4:17) and said, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10). Paul’s emphasis of unbroken fellowship with the Lord may have been intended to encourage believers to not fear death. The word Paul used that is translated live, zao (dzah’-o) literally means to live or always be alive. Even though, our current physical bodies may cease to exist, our souls and spirits will not. Jesus told his disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).

Thessalonica

“Thessalonica was a bustling seaport city at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. It was an important communication and trade center, located at the junction of the great Egnatian Way and the  road leading north to the Danube. Its population numbered about 200,000, making it the largest city in Macedonia” (Thessalonica: The City and the Church, p. 1722). The Apostle Paul was only in Thessalonica briefly and left abruptly after some unbelieving Jews “took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason” (Acts 17:5), the man Paul and his companions were staying with. Paul’s accusers said of his evangelical ministry, “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus” (Acts 17:6-7).

The primary topic Paul chose for his letters to the Thessalonians was the second coming of Christ, which may have been motivated by the intense persecution they were experiencing. Paul was explaining his abrupt departure and lengthy absence from Thessalonica when he said, “But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us” (Thessalonians 2:17-18). The Greek word he used that is translated hindered, egkopto indicated that Satan had put a roadblock in Paul’s way in order to keep him from returning to Thessalonica. Although Paul didn’t specifically state what the roadblock was, he may have been referring to the nonbelieving Jews that followed him when he left Thessalonica. Because they caused a riot in Berea (Acts 17:13), Paul had to leave immediately. Afterward, he sailed down to Athens, approximately 200 miles away.

As a result of his abrupt departure, Paul may have left the Thessalonians with the impression that he wasn’t concerned about their welfare. In his first letter to them, Paul went to great lengths to assure the Thessalonians that they were constantly on his mind and mentioned in his prayers (1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3:10). Paul described the Thessalonians as his crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19). What he probably meant by that was that the Thessalonians were a great tribute to the power of the Holy Spirit to save even the basest of sinners. The difference between the great multitude of Greeks that believed Paul’s gospel message (Acts 17:4) and the unbelieving Jews that followed him to Berea and caused a riot (Acts 17:13) was that their faith caused the Thessalonians to eagerly await the return of Christ. Paul praised the Thessalonians for their continued faith in spite of persecution (1 Thessalonians 1:6) and singled them out as model believers (1 Thessalonians 1:7). Prior to becoming Christians, the Thessalonians were idol worshippers. Paul used their afflictions as a testimony to the Thessalonians commitment to follow Christ and said of them, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).

Verbal Rape

Dear Friends and Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

I thought I had experienced every type of rape there was until a little over a week ago when I was verbally attacked by my supervisor. John Doe is a retired naval officer that has what I would describe as a commanding presence. I was told by one of my coworkers that he was once the captain of a ship. I had only been working for John for about a month when the attack occurred. One of the reasons I believe it happened was because of the intimacy that John established through eye contact and sexual gestures that were obvious only to me. I have to admit that I was caught off guard and I didn’t see the attack coming. Afterward, I was just as stunned as I was the first time I was raped at the age of 14.

The important thing to note about what happened to me is that rape can come from any direction, at any time, and usually when you least expect it. I’m happy to report that John’s attempt to verbally rape me was unsuccessful. What I noticed right away was that John was angry for no apparent reason. He began to ridicule me in a way that he had never done before. When he began to attack my moral character, I knew it was time for me to walk away. The thing that stood out the most about John’s attack was that he was trying to scare me. I could tell that he was using fear as a way of manipulating my behavior. After I realized what had happened, I called our employee assistance program hotline and spoke to a counselor. She was very helpful in talking me through the event and determining what had actually happened and also encouraged me to file a harassment complaint.

Choosing to file a complaint was not difficult for me because I knew John had intentionally tried to hurt me, but the aftermath has been a nightmare that I wouldn’t encourage anyone to go through. I had never been involved in any kind of workplace dispute before this and can see now why so many incidents go unreported. What helped me the most was having a close friend that I could talk to and a church family that was praying for me. As I continue to walk through this unfortunate experience, I am determined to trust the Lord and believe that something good will come out of it. If any of you have been or are in the future verbally attacked by someone, please take it seriously and consider your options carefully before you decide what to do. Verbal violence is just as and maybe even more damaging than physical violence. The wounds go deep and are hard to remove once they’ve been lodged in your soul.

God bless you everyone,

Calleen

Gaining traction

Paul’s ministry began to gain traction after he arrived at Corinth. One of the factors that seemed to fuel the growth of his ministry was Paul’s conviction that he had been specifically called to preach the gospel to the non-Jewish populations around the world. A turning point occurred when Paul let go of his assumed obligation to preach to the Jews that were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. It says in Acts 18:6, “And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”

While he was in Corinth, Paul received a prophetic message from Jesus. Luke tells us, “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:9-11). Jesus’ command to not be afraid suggests that Paul was experiencing anxiety because of the antagonism he was getting from the Jews (Acts 17:5, 13). The bravery he demonstrated in continuing to preach the gospel reflected Paul’s belief that Jesus was with him because he was fulfilling the purpose of his ministry, to spread the gospel around the world.

Paul’s extended stay in Corinth probably enabled him to develop closer relationships and deeper feelings for the Corinthians than he did at any of the other churches he established. The two lengthy letters (1 Corinthians & 2 Corinthians) Paul wrote a few years after his first visit to Corinth show that he had a great deal of concern for the Corinthians spiritual well-being. The city of Corinth which was “perched like a one-eyed Titan astride the narrow isthmus connecting the Greek mainland with the Peloponnese, was one of the dominant commercial centers of the Hellenic world as early as the eighth century B.C. No city in Greece was more favorably situated for land and sea trade. With a high, strong citadel at its back, it lay between the Saronic Gulf and the Ionian Sea and ports of Lachaion and Cenchrea” (Corinth in the Time of Paul, p.1641).

The Lord’s selection of Corinth as Paul’s temporary home base was likely due to its ideal location and culture. “It has been estimated that in Paul’s day Corinth had a population of about 250,000 free persons, plus as many as 400,000 slaves. In a number of ways it was the chief city of Greece…it was a crossroads for travelers and traders” (Introduction to The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, p.1640). In many ways, the Corinthians were similar to believers today. “Most of the questions and problems that confronted the church at Corinth are still very much with us — problems like immaturity, instability, divisions, jealousy and envy, lawsuits, marital difficulties, sexual immorality and misuse of spiritual gifts.”