The day of our Lord Jesus Christ, spoken of in 1 Corinthians 1:88Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8), brings before the Christian’s mind God’s answer to His Son’s rejection by Israel and the world at large. The present is “man’s day” and that term is actually used in 1 Corinthians 4:33But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. (1 Corinthians 4:3) (New Translation); but the Scriptures abound in assurance that the day of man’s rule is to be presently superseded by another day, another order of things, in which God will carry out what He has long purposed. Fifty-one times in the New Testament the term “day” is used with reference to what is to come, as “that day,” “the day of redemption,” “the day,” etc.
It is evident from these passages that this promised “day” has three distinct characters; first, in point of time will be the day “of our Lord Jesus Christ” as in the eighth verse of our chapter. It is called “the day of the Lord Jesus” in 1 Corinthians 5:55To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:5) and in 2 Cor. 1:1414As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1:14); “the day of Jesus Christ” in Philippians 1:66Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6); “the day of Christ” in the tenth verse of that chapter, and in the 16th verse of the second chapter. This “day” will be heavenly in its sphere, beginning with the resurrection morning when we shall go to be with the Lord.
“The day of the Lord”, so much the theme of Old Testament prophecies, and named in 1 Thess. 5:22For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2); 2 Thess. 2:22That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (2 Thessalonians 2:2) (N.T.) and 2 Peter 3:1010But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10), will begin when He descends to the world to overthrow the wicked and begin His millennial reign.
“The day of God” (2 Peter 3:1212Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:12)) is at the end of the scenes of judgment, after the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-1511And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15)). Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness will dwell, the old creation, everything on which the unbelieving have rested, being dissolved and passing away. Here begins the eternal state, in which the kingdom, hitherto under the Lord’s dominion, will be given up to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:2424Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)).
1 Cor. 1:88Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8) in our chapter suggests a reference to Jude 2424Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (Jude 24); Eph. 5:77Be not ye therefore partakers with them. (Ephesians 5:7) and Rev. 19:5-95And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Revelation 19:5‑9), which will have their fulfillment before the Lord descends from heaven to earth to begin His promised reign (2 Thess. 1:7-107And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑10); Rev. 19:11-2111And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21) and 6).
Every believer will be blameless in the day of Christ, because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The Christians at Corinth were very blameworthy when the Apostle wrote, as he proceeds to show them from this first chapter and all through the Epistle; but he can speak to them of God’s faithfulness: God is faithful, though they were not; and by Him they had been called unto the fellowship, or communion, of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
You and I, too, dear young Christian, just as truly as the Corinthian believers of Paul’s day, have been spoken to by God concerning the fellowship of His Son. “Called,” in verses 1, 2 and 24, “calling” in verse 26, speak of the Christian’s vocation, but “called” in the 9th verse is used in quite a different sense, referring to an invitation, or we might say, a designation, from God for each of His children, to share in all the precious and holy fellowship of His beloved Son. Fellowship began as soon as the Church was formed by the descent of the Holy Spirit, as we see from Acts 2:41-4241Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41‑42). It is linked with the death of Christ, and in the Lord’s supper it finds expression, as it is said in the tenth chapter of this Epistle: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (or fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread (or loaf) and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.”
Fellowship is, as, another has said, having a part together with Christ, and in the blessings that are with Him.
These verses, 4 to 9, have brought before us very briefly the most singular favor of our God to His children. The subject is dwelt upon in far greater measure in the Epistle to the Ephesians, but the state of the believers at Corinth was such that the Holy Spirit, instead of bringing before them the glories of Christ and their own highly privileged place in God’s sight, had to address them strongly about their bad ways.
Verses 10 to 13 set out the first of the offenses, at Corinth. As yet it was only a party forming within the Assembly, but it was, as we know from what has taken place in Christendom, the beginning of a very great evil. God, who knew all from the beginning, all that would form the history of His Church here on earth, foreseeing the legion of sects and divisions that have developed, wrote by the Apostle the words which are before us in these verses. It is impossible to avoid their direct application; no words could be more plain, no instruction more precise.
These verses come to us therefore with all the authority of the Lord Jesus—to us, and not only to the saints at Corinth in Paul’s days, because, as we have already seen, the second verse of the Epistle takes in every Christian everywhere.
If 1 Corinthians 1:1010Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10) were regarded as the Word of God for today, by the many thousands of believers who are united with sectarian bodies and other divisional groups and parties, should they not make diligent search in order to learn the true path for faith, which is assuredly to be found from the Scriptures? There is one body and one Holy Spirit, and Christians are to endeavor (or use diligence) to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3-43Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:3‑4)). Where He has liberty in every heart and conscience, verse 10 of our chapter is fulfilled.
It was through members of a woman’s household that the Apostle learned of the contentions within the Church of God at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:1111For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. (1 Corinthians 1:11)). The entire company of the saints had entered into a party spirit; some were boasting of being “of Paul”; others “of Apollos”; yet others “of Cephas” (Peter), and lastly, and probably the most boastful of all, there were those who professed to be “of Christ,” as of a superior grade of sanctity. How pointed is the comment in the thirteenth verse: “Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” Thus was the folly of their party-forming exposed.
Whenever a difference of opinion develops among the saints of God, it is plain that one or the other must have erred; perhaps, indeed, both are wrong. The infallible, unerring Word of God is in the hands of each of us as the only Guide Book of the children of God, and the Holy Spirit is present to apply that Word (John 16:1313Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. (John 16:13)). Instead of resorting to argument and contention, the saints will, if they are subject to God and His Word (Acts 20:3232And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Acts 20:32); 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:15-17) resort to earnest and continued prayer, and in His time they will learn what is of Him. Then division, if it occurs, will be for Christ’s glory in the separation of the saints who are guided by the Word of God from those who are set upon a course of their own choosing.
The Apostle thanked God that he baptized none of the Corinth believers but Crispus and Gaius, and the household of Stephanas; he did not know if he had baptized any others. The twelve were commissioned to baptize (Matt. 28:1919Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19)); not so was the Apostle to the Gentiles, although he baptized on occasion, and we are expressly told that the believers at Corinth were baptized (Acts 18:88And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. (Acts 18:8)).