Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  (11) For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.  (12) Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollo’s,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”  (13) Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?  (17) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul and it is a letter of correction concerning certain behaviors that became apparently the rule rather than the exception in the church in Corinth.   There were contending rivalries  – even hostilities – arising from  cults of personalities in the church there.   This is a perversion of the gospel as these divisions meant various opinions about Jesus. – about His  significance  and authority.  Paul is telling the Christians in Corinth there should be unity of doctrine completely based on Scripture which is the foundation of the church. If this is missing the church is left a foundation of shallow sentimentalism. And, in my opinion, this is true of the Roman Catholic Church today.

Paul is showing how serious a problem it really is to glory in the name of men when the purpose of the gospel is to show Christ’s exclusive and sufficient authority in His church. Christ alone is Lord. Ministers are due honor but all serve Christ – the poison of all churches is the cult of the personality.   The gospel says we are reconciled to God in Christ Jesus and Paul is warning the Christians that they are renouncing the benefit of redemption when attaching themselves to men.  In Christ we are not at liberty to do so.  No one partners with Christ.  Paul then goes further when he maintains that it was given to him to teach and he is not dismissing baptism.  He expands on his role by saying he taught not with the wisdom of words – not as a great orator – but as a minister of the Spirit.  Admiration for the gifts of men is a distraction and the only result is the majesty of God  is not to be seen. And then Paul brings forward the cross which is only understood by rejecting the wisdom of the world.  The cross is our salvation and Paul preaches Christ crucified as God ordered.
The gospel is the key – the basis – for all human relationships. It is incompatible with human pride.

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother. (2) To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. (3) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. Corinth was a strategically located and a major trading center in southern Greece – a city infamous for its culture of debauchery and moral corruption. Corinth was also the venue for the Isthmian games bringing increased traffic. Another major attraction was Corinth was the site of the temple of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. The temple was served by 1000 priestesses or prostitutes who worked at the temple by day and would visit the city by night.  Paul founded the church there on his second missionary journey and followed his pattern of teaching at the synagogue at first and then removing himself when he encountered seemingly inevitable resistance. However, he preached with some success as  two of the leaders of the synagogue embraced Christianity and one of those Jewish leaders  was Sosthenes who is probably the well known scribe mentioned in our verse 1.

We learn later on in this letter that there were problems with the church in Corinth but our verses today tell us that Paul is establishing his authority as an apostle and an apostle by the will of God.  Paul is writing a corrective letter and here is basically saying that if the Christians oppose him they are also opposing the will of God.  He is reminding the Christians in  Corinthians of their position as men/women justified in faith in Christ Jesus and of their journey of sanctification. An important element in these verses is Paul is reminding them that they are called by God to be holy – set apart – and they are to behave as they believe.  A Christian is a sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ not yet perfect.  But he/she is in their way to heaven – the culture of Corinth was causing some to backslide.

The paradox here is Paul went to urban areas, strategically located – and while constant traffic enabled the spread of the gospel, the intrinsic values of the Christians in such cities were more easily corrupted by the surrounding pagan culture.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said:  “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.  (35) But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.  (36) The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all – (37) that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: (38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

The Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke; Physician, historian and beloved companion of the apostle Paul. Our verses today come a the tail end of a conversion story written about in acts 10, 11 and 15 and is about the commission that the resurrected Christ Jesus gave his apostles – to go forth to all of the known world, both Jews and Gentiles, baptizing and teaching all nations about Jesus. For the first time we have an apostle speaking to a Gentile as directed by the Spirit. The Jews were now on an equal footing with the Gentiles.  This change from centuries of belief that salvation came from the Jews and through the Jews was revolutionary.  Our verses today from the apostle Peter, as recorded by Luke, were an insight that would change the history of the world.
Cornelius, a centurion of the Roman army – the elite Italian regiment – was visited by an angel and told to send for a man, Peter, as God had heard the prayers of this devout man. The next day Peter had a vision, the point of which was “What God has cleansed you must not called common.”  Peter’s vision of God’s cleansing of all animals indicated the abolishing of Old Testament dietary restrictions which was symbolic of how Gentiles had been cleansed by the atoning death of Christ. At this time Peter was told by the Spirit that three men – sent by Cornelius – were at the gate of the house where he was staying. Peter let them in and heard that their master had been divinely instructed to send for Peter to hear his words.  Peter went with them and found Cornelius, his household, relatives and close friends waiting to hear Peter’s words from God. Peter states plainly that Jesus is Lord of all, not just the Jews.  He didn’t even finish his teaching before his audience responded with obvious evidence of salvation by faith in the Lord.
Salvation spreads to others by God’s witnesses of which we , as Christians in faith, are. Salvation comes to all who believe in Christ. It is not a vague general sort of belief.  Peter’s sermon teaches salvation is not based on national identity or good works but it is centered on Christ Jesus.

if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, (3) how by that revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already…….(5) which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: (6) that the Gentiles  should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, (7) of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome for preaching the gospel. In our verses today Paul is expanding on earlier truths in this letter. He is confirming his divine authority for teaching the oneness of Jew and Gentile in Christ. In verse two I believe we can infer that knowledge of God calling the Gentiles wasn’t a problem and wasn’t addressed except in passing when Paul ministered at Ephesus.  It seems as if the controversy was raised later and Paul here is undertaking the defense of the gospel.  (He isn’t reminding the Ephesians of former statements.)

The doctrine of equal standing of Jews and  Gentiles in Gods eyes, in Christ, was a subject of many prophetic predictions. Even Jesus Christ spoke of it to his apostles. So my question is why is Paul saying this was not made known to the sons of men in other ages. I believe that there was no understanding – no information as to how the grace of God would be extended to the Gentiles.; that the manner of this accomplishment was unknown as the repeal of the ceremonial law was unknown. Paul was correct in calling this a mystery that was hidden – that was not understood. He is saying that by the Spirit and by divine authority, it is now revealed that Gods will and plan in Christ, was the admission of the Gentiles to be placed on a level with the Jews.
Remember that the gospel itself was a novelty. The world was truly turned upside down.