The Corinthian church had a reputation for rejecting authority and refusing to share their love feast dinners with the poor or the less fortunate.

Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Tree of Life
Weekly Review
020319

In 1CO 11, the apostle Paul is dealing with the abuse and disorder in the church at Corinth concerning the celebration of the LORD’s table.

After dealing with the fact that some of the wealthy members of the church at Corinth were abusing their blessings by refusing to share their prosperity with those who were poor and not as fortunate.

It is quite interesting that the Church at Corinth that was known for the church that love was building, couldn’t even share the blessings that the LORD gave to them with others.

This is one of the main reasons that the apostle Paul had to go to the Church at Corinth to teach the Corinthians how to love, not in words only but also in action.

It was the apostle Paul who taught the Corinthians the principles of 1CO 4:5-7.

1CO 4:5-7, Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, {but wait} until the Lord comes who will

both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of {men’s} hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to

exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive?

But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

The sad thing today is that this same selfish spirit is still around today, only the names have been changed.

This is the type of individual who specializes in what I call the terrible 3’s manifested by lying, stealing and selfishness,

The Corinthian church had a reputation for rejecting authority and refusing to share their love feast dinners with the poor or the less fortunate.

These individuals are known for having a Laodicean spirit which is described for us in REV 3:14 where the Lord tells the apostle John to write down what He is about to say to the lukewarm believers in Laodicea, as well as to Corinth and Ephesus.

In REV 3:14-15, “And to the angel [messenger] of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness (that is the main witness our Lord and savior, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

REV 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold [like an unbeliever] or hot [a mature believer who uses the Problem Solving Devices (PSD).”

The question that some individuals have is; Why did the LORD say: “I would rather have you be cold” which is a reference to unbelievers rather than a lukewarm believer who compromises their doctrinal stand?

The LORD is saying that; If they are cold the solution is simple; it is a one shot decision to solve the problem of the unbeliever; ACT 16:31.

If they are Hot and they have made some negative decisions, they have to use the PSD to rebound and to recover. In both cases, the solution is that if they are cold that means that there is really no difference between them or an unbeliever.

The decision for the cold unbeliever is simple, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and they would be saved. The decision for the Hot believer is also simple, apply the PSD to the problems that the Hot believer has with the doctrine that is needed.

Therefore, the decision for the lukewarm believer is to get back into the plan of GOD for a certain amount of time so that the Lord is able to restore some of the doctrines they lost but now they need to have the humility to get back the things that they lost.

Cold = needs the solution for salvation;
Hot = needs to rebound and recover;
Lukewarm = a crash diet of doctrine.

Therefore, in REV 3:16, we have a medical principle that induces vomiting and steals the health of an individual away from the plan of GOD. And that is one of the reasons and remedies that our LORD uses to heal the sickness of another, especially for those believers who have positive volition toward doctrine as well as those whose desires are for the life that exists in the Predesigned Plan of GOD.

This is why REV 3:16 says that with warm water, it functions as if the individual expresses his positive volition toward doctrine and therefore, our LORD’s desire is for a healing especially in the spiritual realm if needed.

REV 3:14-16, “And to the angel [angelos - messenger] of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot [cold referring to an unbeliever] and So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’”

Now, in REV 3:17, these type of believers don’t even know that they have needs that need to be met and fulfilled as they worship our Lord.

Therefore, in REV 3:17, the apostle John gets right to the point as our LORD says to them; Here’s what our LORD says and what He thinks;

First of all, they say that they are thinking; Because you say that you are rich; You have become wealthy; You have need of nothing; You do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Therefore, our Lord tells us about these type of believers.

REV 3:18-22, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and {that} the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.

He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Back in 1CO 11.

1CO 11:18, For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part, I believe it.

Please notice two things here;

First: All of us are told to come or gather together with one another. Remember that in HEB 10:23-26 we are told “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one another}; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Again, for those individuals who reject the gathering together of the servants of the LORD, to reject what our Lord said means that you are willfully saying, NO to the gathering together of the saints of GOD.

It is a principle that is found throughout the Word of GOD and it is accepting the invitation with passages such as MAL 3:16, Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard {it,} and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.

Here is another principle that is vital: In fact, from the original languages of the Koine Greek, there are certain prepositional phrases that GOD the Holy Spirit uses to say such things as EPH 3:18.

EPH 3:14-17, For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; {and} that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Here is what I mean about the prepositional phrases in the Koine (Common) Greek.

In EPH 3:18, the apostle Paul says EPH 3:14-18, For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; {and} that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Then EPH 3:18 should sound something like this “That you may be able to comprehend [not with all the saints] but the prepositional phrase which sounds or looks like this;

EPH 3:18, “That you may be able to comprehend [not with all the saints] but [in the presence of all the saints] what is the breadth and length and height and depth,…

MAT 18:20, “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.”

MAT 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

If you do not gather together for the cause of Christ then you are literally saying that you are on Satan’s side and not our LORD’s.

In 1TH 5:11, Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Let’s get a doctrinal look at the early church and how they gathered together for fellowship and edification or building a soul structure so that we can live the spiritual life.

ACT 2:42-47, And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they {began} selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Now, notice a few principles in this chapter.

Notice their emphasis in verse 42.

1. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching or doctrine.
2. They also emphasized the importance of fellowship with one another.
3. They celebrated some of the Love Feasts and the Sabbaths.
4. They also gathered together to the breaking of bread.
5. They also gathered together for prayer with one another.

My point is that there was a large group of believers who would gather together with one another on a habitual basis.