Mark A. Horne

This morning I want to begin with a question. Actually it is a statement of Paul’s that we read in verse 26. I want you to think about the time before you were a Christian. For some of you it has been a long time ago, maybe even when you were a child. Some of you may not remember a time that you were not a Christian. Yet, for some of you it may have only been a few short years ago. Think about what you were. Were you any different? Did you have a change of lifestyle? If you did have a change of lifestyle, was it immediate or was it a gradual change where you gave up certain vices one at a time?

I have read somewhere that rules don’t change us relationships do. I guess that for the most part that is true. But for it to ultimately be true I would say a relationship with Jesus Christ is what changes us. I remember a Family Circus cartoon where the whole family is piled up in the car fixing to start out on a trip. Mommy turns around and says to the children, “Remember the safety rules: stay buckled up and don’t say ‘how much further, Daddy?’” It is a cartoon we are all familiar with. We have experienced that scenario at one point or another. Yet, we still asked “how much farther daddy?”

Paul is calling some in his church to remember who they were. You see, Christianity in Paul’s day was still frowned upon heavily. The Christians were still outlaws; they were still apart of an illegal religion by Rome. But for our passage this morning, we must remember that Roman society wasn’t a democracy, especially like we are familiar with. And the farther you got away from Rome, like Corinth, the less democratic society was. For the people in the Corinthian church, they lived in a patron society. It was a society where the rich were the powerful and relationships were built around them. These were the nobles. These were the ones thought to be wise. And everybody else was poor, slaves, or poor slaves. To get ahead one did not just go out and borrow money from a bank and then invest it. Th banks at that time were only vaults where the valuables were kept safe.

If you wanted to get ahead in Paul’s day you had to establish a relationship with one of the nobles. The relationship was always started by the one who needed something. Never did a noble person ask a lowly peasant for something. What is interesting is that the peasant initiated the relationship by giving a gift to the noble to set up a trade cycle. The one always receiving the gift was in an inferior position. Exchange was expected later. Thus, when the noble was expected to give back it was in his terms. For example, a roman peasant might need a little extra land that he owned for the ability to produce a larger crop. Yet, the noble might ask for his whole family to vote for him in the next three elections. Though the peasant may not like the noble, for him to survive socially and economically he had to do it. How it affected a person socially was if the gift was refused. When this happened it put the person in a state of shame. And in that day honor and shame was more important than economic wealth. For if you were shamed, you may as well be a slave because no would have anything to do with you. So, this patron system involved more that social and economic power, it involved honor and shame as well.

This is what Paul is reminding his hearers about. You notice that Paul mentions “not many of you…” this is important because Paul probably did have a few noble people in the midst. They were probably apart of the elite. They were the ones who could provide the venue for the house church meetings. These were the ones that would make the letter writing possible, so they were the literate. They were the ones who probably read Paul’s letters at the meetings.

Yet, Paul implies that many of them were of the lower class. And Paul assures them two things. First, God chose them. They were called by God. And second, they would be the ones to make the strong weak. Notice Paul’s choice of words here. Though they were not the ones who were in positions to accept gifts in order for the ability to enslave, God called them, he being the Most Noble, of any being initiated the relationship with the giving of the gift, that of his Son, Jesus Christ.

This word “called” in the Greek has an imperative connotation. It is a must type of situation. Because Paul uses it in this manner, there is a point we would not know unless we knew the culture. If they had rejected the call then they would be saying they despised the humbleness of the cross. If they had rejected the calling they would have taken away all merit from all human wisdom, power, and glory. Paul wanted to make them realize in all their boasting about what they had done, who they followed, what they knew – they were ultimately being ungracious and regarded the gospel of Christ with disdain. Paul assures them that they were called, but in that calling they had to be entirely void of pride.

What is the most comforting is that because God chose them, they would be used by him to bring down the powerful, wise and influential. If nothing else makes you feel good about yourself this morning, I hope this realization does. God is using you for a purpose that you can’t even imagines. And that purpose is most likely to make all of those people who think they are so smart and so powerful go down on their knees in acknowledgement of who God is and what God does. God may be using the testimony of your life to be a witness of his grace and mercy and that he will be glorified. You may be going through the roughest toughest time, but God is using you to shame those who think they don’t need him.

Can you see how God used the culture of Paul’s day to show they people what they were all about and for us to understand today? They, as well as us, were apart of a backward religion. The God of the universe provided a gift of his Son’s death on a cross for relationship with us, most of us the most lowly of even our own community. God initiated it by his call. And then how does the shame come about, from the rejection of his gift. Those who are not called will think all of this is foolish and unwise. But because they think that, they are the ones foolish and unwise and are shamed from the presence of God and his people forever and ever. Notice verse 28. Those things that appear to be the reality and the best of life will be nullified. This is not a choosing of poor people over rich. This is a choosing of the poorest of spirit who knows they have salvation, and holiness, and redemption in Jesus Christ because of God’s working in their life and they will bring Glory to God because of his work. These are the people God uses to nullify the proud (verses 30 &31).

Notice in the first five verses of chapter 2 that Paul gives an example of how this is done. His example is personal. It is one that the Corinthians probably remembered well since it wasn’t that long since he had left them. He reminds them that man’s eloquence and superiority isn’t the way to boast in Christ. The way to boast in Christ is simple; you allow the work of the Holy Spirit to rule. It is the power of God that changes lives. God requires one simple act in our relationship with him. We are to preach Christ and Him crucified. It is the only thing we have to know. Paul, who was trained to be eloquent by Roman standards, wise by Pharisaic standards, powerful by military standards – was nothing more than an a weak and fearful and stammering person in his gospel presentation to the Corinthians. And God used him and God will use us. This is where our faith must lie.

Prayer: God help us to be weak and humble as your chosen ones that we may boast only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord we know we allow our arrogance and prideful influence to stand in the way of your work, but allow us still to be instruments of preaching the gospel message for you. Lord, most of us remember the life we had before we accepted the calling of grace – if nothing else allow for us the time that we had this morning to be a reminder of our foolishness before you entered in relationship with us – and accept our thankfulness that we are apart of your chosen kingdom and not apart of that which will be nullified when your Son, Jesus Christ returns again.

Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, I ask that your face will shine upon us this upcoming week and your mercy and peace be imparted to us as we leave this place of worship to enter in the world to preach the gospel message. May your arms wrap tightly around us in protection and love. In Jesus name, amen.