A Church in Chaos
Who is Sufficient for These Things? Part 3
A Series on Our Attitude toward serving God-Servanthood and Personal Growth
(Check out the rest of the series. You can find the series index here)
Primary Series Passage
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?“ — 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (ESV)
In our last post, we paused to examine our hearts and asked ourselves why we truly serve God. Now that we have set our posture toward ministry, we must turn to the historical context of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.
To truly understand why the Apostle Paul wrote so passionately about being a “simple clay pot,” we first have to understand the heartbreak and chaos he experienced with the church in Corinth.
Paul and the Corinthian Church
Paul actually founded the Corinthian church around 51-52 A.D., working as a tentmaker alongside Aquila and Priscilla. He faced intense threats from both Jews and Gentiles in the city, but the Lord came to him in a vision to encourage His servant:
“And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.’ And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” — Acts 18:9-11 (ESV)
Despite this divine protection and the church’s initial growth, a severe problem arose: spiritual immaturity
To understand this immaturity, we must look at the cultural climate of the city. The worship of false gods and false powers was sown into the very fabric of the everyday lives of the Corinthian people. Most of the believers in the Corinthian church had come directly out of this pagan, idol-worshipping background.
Furthermore, the city was known for extreme wickedness; the inhabitants worshipped at the Temple of Aphrodite, a pagan goddess, where thousands of prostitutes plied their trade.
It was a culture steeped in sexual immorality and the pursuit of “earthly wisdom,” where people highly prized slick philosophical speaking skills over genuine truth.
Because of their lack of spiritual maturity, the believers allowed this toxic culture to bleed directly into the church.
By the time Paul wrote his first letter to them, the congregation was plagued with chaos. Instead of unity, there were bitter divisions and factions, with people claiming, “I follow Paul” or “I follow Apollos”. The situation was so dire that Paul had to address:
A shocking case of incest
Believers dragging each other into court and suing one another
Rampant sexual immorality
Confusion and questions concerning marriage and divorce
Disorder during worship services
Severe abuses taking place during the Lord’s Supper
Yet the apostle loved the people of the church of Corinth to the extent that is caused him untold anguish.
“For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” — 2 Corinthians 2:4 (ESV)
Paul was so troubled about how they would receive his rebuke that his spirit was not at rest. Eventually, however, Titus returned to him with the joyous news that the Corinthian believers had sincerely repented of their grievous spiritual and moral compromises, flooding the Apostle’s heart with profound consolation.
Yet, a dark cloud still hung over Corinth
An additional threat had crept in, and this one struck at the very foundation of the Gospel.
A group of arrogant men had arrived, attempting to steal the hearts of the people by tearing down Paul’s authority and promoting a man-centered, counterfeit message.
Stay Tuned
Reference Scriptures for Further Study:
The chaos in Corinth was multifaceted. For further study on the specific issues born of their spiritual immaturity, see Paul’s first letter addressing: divisions (1 Cor. 1:10-17), incest (1 Cor. 5), lawsuits among believers (1 Cor. 6:1-11), sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:12-20), questions on marriage and divorce (1 Cor. 7:1-24), disorder during worship (1 Cor. 11:2-16), and abuses at the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34).
Reflection Questions:
Personal Assessment: When you face conflict or spiritual immaturity within your own community, do you respond with “anguish of heart and many tears” out of abundant love, as Paul did, or with frustration and anger?
Spiritual Application: Why is a foundation of spiritual maturity so vital for protecting the church against the chaos of division and false teaching?
Next Time: How do we recognize false leaders who seek to tear down authentic ministry? In Part 4, we will expose the specific tactics of Paul’s opponents in “The Tactics of the Super-Apostles”.
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About Risen Scepter Ministries International Risen Scepter Ministries International (RSMI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to “Expressing the Kingdom of God in the Earth”. Our core vision is to equip pastors in developing nations so that they might in turn equip their people to do the work of the ministry, fulfilling the mandate of Ephesians 4:11-13. Through biblical training centers, pastor support programs, and initiatives for at-risk children, we bring hope and resources to leaders serving Christ in non-industrialized nations—many of whom minister faithfully in the face of extreme poverty or persecution. We firmly believe that the Word of God and the correct application of biblical principles has the power to transform individuals, families, communities, and entire nations.
He truly had love for people. He was patient with them. Perhaps because he himself had once gone through a difficult and messy past, he was transformed. Maybe that experience taught him to love others with greater compassion. Thank you very much for sharing hard lesson
2 Corinthian 2:15-16 is one of my favourite passages; it's so beautifully written and full of depth.
Also, earlier this week, I was led to Acts 18. so this feels like a gentle confirmation of what He's highlighting to me. Thank you for sharing this!