Lesson 33 – 1 Corinthians 1-6
The
following experience was related by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin: “While traveling along a mountainous road one
evening through a driving rainstorm punctuated with frequent claps of thunder
and flashes of lightning, Sister Wirthlin and I could barely see the road,
either in front of us or to the right and the left. I watched the white lines
on that road more intently than ever before. Staying within the lines kept us
from going onto the shoulder and into the deep canyon on the one side and
helped us avoid a head-on collision on the other. To wander over either line
could have been very dangerous. Then I thought, ‘Would a right-thinking person
deviate to the left or the right of a traffic lane if he knew the result would
be fatal? If he valued his mortal life, certainly he would stay between these
lines.’ “That experience traveling on this mountain road is so like life. If we
stay within the lines that God has marked, he will protect us, and we can
arrive safely at our destination” (Ensign, Nov. 1990, 64).
At
the time Paul wrote his first epistle to the Saints in Corinth, some of them
had begun to stray outside the lines of the gospel. This lesson will discuss
Paul’s exhortations for the Saints to repent of three of the ways they had
begun to stray—through Contention and disunity, Relying on the wisdom of the
world, and Immorality. We should always remember to seek the
blessings that come from being unified in Christ, following the Spirit, and
being morally clean.
Avoid contention and be unified.
1
Cor. 1:10-13 Paul addressed the problem of contention and disunity in these
verses. Some of the Saints claimed to
be “of Paul,” some “of Apollos,” some “of Cephas [Peter],” and some “of
Christ”. Instead of being unified as
followers of Jesus Christ, some of the Saints divided themselves into groups or
factions within the Church. We sometimes make this same error.
Mosiah
18:21-22; 3 Nephi 11:29-30; D&C 38:27 Divisions and contention affect our fellowship as
disciples of Christ because they cause us to forget that we are all children of
God; they stir up anger; and they keep us away from Christ because, if we are
not one, we are not his.
1
Cor. 1:10
Paul counseled the Saints to do some specific things to be more unified:
1
Cor. 3:1-4 The
Corinthian Saints received only the “milk” of the gospel because they were not
ready for spiritually mature teachings.
Contention prevents us from receiving the “meat” of the gospel because
it causes us to act like immature children. We can prepare ourselves to be fed
the “meat” of the gospel by seeking the Spirit and behaving in a Christlike
manner.
1
Cor. 3:5-11
Paul taught that there are many ministers (servants) of the gospel but that
Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation.
Helaman
5:12 It is
important that we have the Savior as the foundation for our faith because he is
the only one who can protect us from the temptations and afflictions of Satan.
Rely on the Spirit rather than the wisdom of the
world.
1
Cor. 1:18-21
Paul taught that God’s wisdom will “make foolish” the wisdom of the world.
Isaiah
55:8-9; D&C 38:1-2 God’s wisdom differs from the world’s wisdom because He
knows all things.
In
some ways, secular (nonreligious) learning can be a blessing to us as it
provides training for the job market, but it can also be a stumbling block to
us if we listen to all that some vain learned men teach and theorize as if it
were true.
2
Nephi 9:28-29 We can properly balance secular and spiritual learning if we hearken to
God first. President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “There is opportunity to
get both [secular and spiritual learning] simultaneously. … If we spend our
mortal days in accumulating secular knowledge to the exclusion of the spiritual
then we are in a dead-end street, for this is the time for man to prepare to
meet God; this is the time for faith to be built, for baptism to be effected,
for the Holy Ghost to be received, for the ordinances to be performed.
Contemporary with this program can come the secular knowledge, for even in the
spirit world after death
our spirits can go on learning” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward
L. Kimball [1982], 390).
1
Cor. 1:27
Paul said that God had chosen “the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise” and “the weak things of the world to confound the … mighty”. God often chooses the “weak things of the world” to fulfill his purposes
because they are the individuals who rely on the Spirit more than on worldly
strength.
1
Cor. 2:1-3
Paul faced the weaknesses of inadequate speech, lack of wisdom, and fear as he
taught the gospel.
1
Cor. 2:2, 4-5 Paul’s weaknesses were made into strengths as he relied on the power of
God.
1
Cor. 2:10-13
According to Paul, we know the “things of God” through the Spirit of God. Because we are human, we sometimes rely more
on our own wisdom and intellect than on revelation through the Spirit, but we
miss powerful learning opportunities if we fail to rely on spiritual
learning.
Elder
Bruce R. McConkie taught: “Pure
religion is a thing of the Spirit and not of the intellect alone, and its
truths must be carried into the hearts of hearers by the power of the Spirit,
otherwise the human soul is not changed … and the seeker after salvation does
not become alive in Christ” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols.
[1966-73], 2:318).
1
Cor. 2:14
Paul taught that it is impossible for the “natural man” to receive the things
of God because the natural man thinks spiritual things are foolishness.
Mosiah
3:19 To
overcome the natural man, we must become saints through the atonement, become
as humble as a child, be submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and
obedient to the Father.
Be morally clean.
1
Cor. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 6:19-20 Paul compared our bodies to a temple of God. This is an appropriate comparison because
the flesh is the abode of the spirit.
1
Cor. 6:9
In his warning against many serious sins of his day, Paul included several
sexual sins.
D&C
42:23; D&C 59:6 God’s law of sexual morality requires that we be free of
lust and adultery.
Elder
Richard G. Scott said: “Any
sexual intimacy outside of the bonds of marriage—I mean any intentional contact
with the sacred, private parts of another’s body, with or without clothing—is a
sin and is forbidden by God. It is also a transgression to intentionally
stimulate these emotions within your own body” (Ensign,
Nov. 1994, 38).
The
following quotations explain why sexual sins are so serious:
Elder
Joseph B. Wirthlin taught: “One of the most pervasive deceptions in recent years is the notion
that immorality is normal and acceptable and has no negative consequences. In
truth, immorality is the underlying cause of much suffering and many other
problems that are prevalent today, including rampant disease, abortion, broken
families, families without fathers, and mothers who themselves are children” (Ensign,
Nov. 1994, 76).
Elder
Boyd K. Packer taught: “[Satan] knows that this power of creation is not just an incident to
the plan, but the key to it. He knows that if he can entice you to use this
power prematurely, to use it too soon, or to misuse it in any way, you may well
lose your opportunities for eternal progression” (Ensign,
July1972,).
Paul
counseled the Saints “not to company [associate] with fornicators” (1 Cor. 5:9). This counsel
applies to us because the friends and forms of entertainment we choose can
affect our desire and ability to be morally clean. We avoid immoral influences
by associating ourselves only with righteous friends and virtuous activities.
As
we know, Satan tries to persuade us that there are exceptions to God’s laws of
morality…
Elder
Richard G. Scott said: “Satan
tempts one to believe that there are allowable levels of physical contact
between consenting individuals who seek the powerful stimulation of emotions
they produce, and if kept within bounds, no harm will result. As a witness of
Jesus Christ, I testify that is absolutely false. … Decide what you will and
will not do. When temptation comes, do not change your standards” (Ensign,
Nov. 1994, 38).
1
Cor. 10:13
assures us that we can withstand Satan’s temptations.
1
Cor. 6:11; Isaiah 1:18; D&C 58:42 The Atonement of Jesus Christ offers those who
repent of sexual sin the opportunity to be forgiven, washed clean, sanctified,
and have his sins remembered no more.
Like
Paul, the apostles and prophets of our day continue to teach us what we should
do to stay within the boundaries the Lord has set. If you review past issues of
the Ensign, you will find conference addresses in which the prophet or
one of the apostles spoke on a topic Paul dealt with in his letter to the
Corinthians, such as avoiding contention, relying on the Spirit, or staying
morally clean. You will be blessed as you apply counsel from Paul or one of the
latter-day apostles or prophets.