New Testament Lesson # 33: 1 Corinthians 1–6
“Ye Are the Temple of God”
Introduction
Paul wrote to Corinth more than to any other branch of
the Church. This letter, although not the first (see 1 Cor. 5:9), was written
while he was at Ephesus for three years, during his third missionary journey. He
had established the branch during his second missionary journey (see Acts 18). The
purpose of his letters can be found in 1 Cor. 15:1–2: “Moreover, brethren, I
declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in
memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” Corinth was
the capital of the Roman province Achaia, which covered most of ancient Greece
south of Macedonia. “As a wealthy trade center, Corinth attracted people from
throughout the Roman Empire, making it one of the most diverse cities in the
area. Idol worship dominated Corinthian religious culture, and there were
numerous temples and shrines throughout the city. At the time of Paul’s
ministry, the Corinthians had a reputation of being grossly immoral. For
instance, ritual prostitution was reportedly practiced at the temple of
Aphrodite.” The Saints in Corinth “struggled with disunity, false doctrines,
and immoral wickedness in the society in which they lived.”[1] Of
course we only have Paul’s letters in answer to the Corinthian Saints and not
those they wrote to him. But these letters are by way of reconversion. In the
same way as General Conference in a few weeks time will fortify us in our faith
as we prayerfully approach it, so do Paul’s letters to the Corinthians renew
their faith and ours.
The first problem Paul dealt with was one of disunity. With
relatively few members of the Church and the communities now scattered over a
wide area and with travel and communication long and tortuous, the Saints
appeared to be confused as to loyalties. It appeared to be important to them as
to who baptized them. We can see a likeness to the transition from the baptism
of John to that of Christ, but as John willingly and gladly pointed his
disciples to Christ, so Paul exhorts the Saints in Corinth to focus on
Christ—the foundation of their faith—not the individuals who performed the
baptism in His name. With General
Conference coming up soon, are we prepared to accept the inspired messages?
We sustain the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve as prophets, seers,
and revelators. N. Eldon Tanner said, “Today there are many issues under debate
as controversies rage all around us. It should be evident to all that we need
divine direction, as men and women who argue their causes seem to be unable to
come to workable or peaceable solutions. It is sad indeed that the world does
not know or accept the fact that in our midst is a prophet through whom God can
direct the solution of world problems. True Latter-day Saints have no such
dilemma. They know that the messages of the prophet have come from the Lord and
have the concurrence of all the General Authorities, who are men of vision and
integrity, and who themselves try to keep in tune with deity. They are not, as
some would suggest, following blindly and acting without their own agency to
speak and think for themselves. Through prayer to our Heavenly Father each of
us can have the assurance that the course we choose has His divine approval.”[2]
How can we follow Paul’s counsel in
verse 10?
As a side note, as with Lydia in Philippi, prominent in
the congregation in Corinth is Chloe, who hosted the meetings and presumably
sent the report to Paul.
In chapter 3, Paul repeats this warning but indicates
that disunity comes because of carnal, not spiritual nature. He then gives the
metaphor of milk and meat. It is the transition from a baby’s nourishment to
that of an adult. We are promised the fullness of the Gospel, but as our digestive
systems have to mature to be able to cope with more complex foods, so preparing
ourselves for the “meat” of the Gospel means first having a strong grounding in
the “milk”—the basics. Then we go to the temple! Elder McConkie, “Paul, ‘as a
wise masterbuilder,’ laid the foundation for the Corinthian Church on Christ
and his atoning sacrifice. Similarly, in this day, Joseph Smith said: ‘The
fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and
prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again the
third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our
religion are only appendages to it.’ (Teachings
[of the Prophet Joseph Smith], p. 121.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 2:325).
Question: What is the
wisdom of the world? And why is that in conflict with the wisdom of God? 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” (The Teachings of
Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 390).
Question: How does
seeking for spiritual knowledge help us in our search for secular knowledge?
Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: “The Lord’s prescribed
methods of acquiring sacred knowledge are very different from the methods used
by those who acquire learning exclusively by study. For example, a frequent
technique of scholarship is debate or adversarial discussion, a method with
which I have had considerable personal experience. But the Lord has instructed
us in ancient and modern scriptures that we should not contend over the points
of his doctrine. (See 3 Ne.
11:28–30; D&C
10:63.) … Gospel truths and testimony are received from the Holy Ghost
through reverent personal study and quiet contemplation” (“Alternate Voices,” Ensign, May 1989, 29).
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 Corinthians
3:16–17; 5;
6:9–20.
Be Morally Clean
The Greek suggests that when Paul
referred to the “Temple of God,” in 3:16–17, he meant that the body of Saints
as a whole was like temple, but this should not detract from our modern-day
interpretation of keeping our own bodies undefiled, because as one immoral act
can defile our whole body, so can a congregation be tainted by individual acts.
Hence the need for individual repentance. Paul’s reiteration in 6:19 that our
bodies should be as a “temple of the Holy Ghost,” reinforces that
interpretation. Elder Christofferson: “Those who believe that our bodies are
nothing more than the result of evolutionary chance will feel no accountability
to God or anyone else for what they do with or to their body. We who have a
witness of the broader reality of premortal, mortal, and postmortal eternity,
however, must acknowledge that we have a duty to God with respect to this
crowning achievement of His physical creation. In Paul’s words: ‘What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye
have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s’ (1 Corinthians
6:19–20). Acknowledging these truths … , we would certainly not
deface our body, as with tattoos; or debilitate it, as with drugs; or defile
it, as with fornication, adultery, or immodesty. As our body is the instrument
of our spirit, it is vital that we care for it as best we can. We should consecrate
its powers to serve and further the work of Christ. Said Paul, ‘I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God’ (Romans 12:1)”
(“Reflections
on a Consecrated Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 17).
Lest we think that Paul’s warnings to
the Corinthians do not necessarily apply to our day and age, here is what Elder
Packer had to say on the subject: “We are now exactly where the prophets warned
we would be. Paul prophesied word by word and phrase by phrase, describing
things exactly as they are now. I will quote from Paul’s prophecy and check the
words that fit our society: ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves—Check!
covetous—Check!
boasters—Check! proud—Check!
blasphemers—Check!
disobedient to parents—Check! Check!
unthankful—Check!
unholy—Check!
Without natural affection—Check! Check!
trucebreakers—Check!
false accusers—Check!
incontinent—Check!
fierce—Check!
despisers of those that are good—Check!
Traitors—Check!
heady—Check!
highminded—Check!
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God—Check! Check!
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. . . Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [See 2 Timothy 3:1–7].”[3]
boasters—Check! proud—Check!
blasphemers—Check!
disobedient to parents—Check! Check!
unthankful—Check!
unholy—Check!
Without natural affection—Check! Check!
trucebreakers—Check!
false accusers—Check!
incontinent—Check!
fierce—Check!
despisers of those that are good—Check!
Traitors—Check!
heady—Check!
highminded—Check!
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God—Check! Check!
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. . . Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth [See 2 Timothy 3:1–7].”[3]
There is danger all around us, but by keeping ourselves
unspotted from the world, seeking for spiritual knowledge, understanding how
the Atonement works in our own lives, looking for the good in ourselves and
others, and, above all, as Paul admonishes us, focusing on Christ, we can
protect ourselves and our families from that danger. Elder Holland: “The
Savior’s spiritual suffering and the shedding of his innocent blood, so
lovingly and freely given, paid the debt for what the scriptures call the
‘original guilt’ of Adam’s transgression (Moses 6:54).
Furthermore, Christ suffered for the sins and sorrows and pains of all the rest
of the human family, providing remission for all of our sins as well, upon
conditions of obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel he
taught (see 2 Ne.
9:21–23). As the Apostle Paul wrote, we were ‘bought with a price’ (1 Cor.
6:20). What an expensive price and what a merciful purchase!” (“This
Do in Remembrance of Me,” Ensign,
Nov. 1995, 67).
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