May 1st: Lesson Two God's Call To Holy Living and Lesson Three Christ's Strength in Our Weakness

There was trouble in the church in Corinth. Divisions, immorality, false teaching, and wrong practices had arisen since Paul's visit there on his second missionary journey. Corinith, a port city in Greece and a link between Rome and the East, was filled with more than 500,000 people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. At first, Paul preached the gospel in the synagogue there. But when the Jews rejected his message, he went to the Gentiles with the good news.

Jesus told Paul in a vision that Corinith contained many of God's chosen people and to keep preaching. Through Paul's ministry, Christ established a thriving church in Corinith and the apostle stayed for 18 months to disciple the believers. Some years later while in Ephesus on his third missionary journey, Paul heard troubling news about the church in Corinith and also received a letter from them, asking him various questions. The church had divisions in it caused by pride, immaturity and lack of love. So Paul wrote to deal with the problems, to answer questions, and to emphasize the centrality of the cross of Christ and Christ's resurrection.

Paul addresses the Corinthian church as "sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy." He expresses thanksgiving for the believers because of God's grace on them, pointing out that God could be trusted to complete his work in their lives.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians, Acts 18:5-11

Bible Truth: Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to correct bickering, wrong doctrine, immorality, rebellion and lack of love. He emphasizes the centrality of the cross in preaching the gospel.

Memory Work: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2