There are some brethren who note that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church calling them a church of God and saints (1 Cor. 1:2), even though he enumerated a myriad of errors in which they were engaging. Then they say, “Even though the Corinthians were wrong in many doctrinal and moral matters, they were still a church of the Lord.” But would they always be? Their reaction to the correction Paul offered would determine whether they would be. Consider these questions:
- If grace covered these errors, why did Paul write to the Corinthians telling them to change?
- If Paul had not told them of their error, would he have been a loving and faithful minister of the gospel of Christ (See 1 Cor. 4:14-15)?
- If they had continued in their error after Paul had written to them, would the Corinthians have been faithful Christians?
- Since the Spirit threatened to remove the candlestick from the church at Ephesus if it would not repent (Rev. 2:5), would He not have done the same thing to the church at Corinth if it had not repented?
- Is it conceivable that Paul would have peacefully continued to fellowship Corinth if they had not repented (See 1 Cor. 5:3-7)? BY TIM RICE
“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE
INCARNATE 