Grace and Error

Tim Rice
10/09/11 - Accountability

There are some brethren who note that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church calling them a church of God and saints (1 Cor. 1:2), even though he enumerated a myriad of errors in which they were engaging. Then they say, "Even though the Corinthians were wrong in many doctrinal and moral matters, they were still a church of the Lord." But would they always be? Their reaction to the correction Paul offered would determine whether they would be. Consider these questions:

1. If grace covered these errors, why did Paul write to the Corinthians telling them to change?
2. If Paul had not told them of their error, would he have been a loving and faithful minister of the gospel of Christ (See 1 Cor. 4:14-15)?
3. If they had continued in their error after Paul had written to them, would the Corinthians have been faithful Christians?
4. Since the Spirit threatened to remove the candlestick from the church at Ephesus if it would not repent (Rev. 2:5), would He not have done the same thing to the church at Corinth if it had not repented?
5. Is it conceivable that Paul would have peacefully continued to fellowship Corinth if they had not repented (See 1 Cor. 5:3-7)?

Share Online