Irony : a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result. 1 Corinthians is a letter that exposes a lot of ironies, and I think all of these can be connected to their misunderstanding of the gospel and of what it means to be set apart by grace in the local church.  What are some of the glaring ironic things we see in the Corinthian church as they claim to be a faithful and strong local church? Christians in a church were a people formerly divided in the world but now united in Christ, ironically, the Corinthians had to be called out for the pursuing divisions (1 Cor 1 v 12-13). The gospel message that is foolish to the natural man because of the cross is ironically being delivered dressed up with eloquence that empties it of its effect (1 Cor 1 v 17-18). Believers owe all they are to God, yet some were ironically tempted to boast in themselves rather than the LORD (1 Cor 1 v 31).  God causes the church to grow ...