On Paul’s 3^rd Missionary journey he wrote two books to the church at Corinth. As we saw in a recent study the Corinthian church was the result of Paul’s year and a half stay in that great city. He worked hard at establishing them in the faith and equipping them for service. He saw the potential of reaching a whole region through them. Shortly after he left problems arose in the church. 

 

How he instructed them to deal with these problems is a lesson book on church discipline and restoration. Paul points out that even a little leaven will leaven the whole lump of dough if not removed. Leaven is referred to symbolically in the Bible as that which defiles. It is evil working to make more evil. If the church doesn’t remove it the whole church will be defiled and lose her vitality and effectiveness. 

 

The same would be true regarding false teaching. Left unchallenged it can destroy the foundation of our faith. 

 

In the midst of his tough teaching on discipline in the church Paul wrote that beautiful description of love in 1^st Corinthians 13. The truth of God expressed in love is God’s answer in dealing with any problem in the church. When the Corinthian church applied Paul’s instructions lives were touched. Then truth and love were to be exercised in restoring the repentant sinner. 

 

Paul declared, from his own experience that “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” That’s why Paul could say, “By the grace of God I am what I am!”