We shall continue the study of First
Corinthians of the New Testament.
Theme: Stewards Only
The letter opens with addressing the strife within the church over their division, making use of Paul and Apollo in the process. Here Paul appears to wrap up his rebuke to the church with a repetition of the matter.
(1) Vv. 18-23—All things are ours
a. According to Paul, how did the church of Corinth demonstrate their pride and worldly wisdom? How has it hurt the church?
b. How does the fact that “all things are ours” relate to no more boasting about men?
c. How does Paul explain the meaning of “all things are ours” in vv. 22-23?
(2) Vv. 1-5—We are stewards only
a. Since all things are ours, do we then own all things?
b. What should our relation to all things be?
c. Who are we according to v.1?
- What have we been entrusted with? What does it mean? (Refer to Colossians 1:23 -27)
- What then is required of us? Try to define faithfulness within the context of this passage.
d. It is obvious that Paul has faced criticism from the Corinthians.
- What kind of criticism might be easier to judge?
- What kind of criticism might be less easy to judge?
- What if we honestly feel that we are being wrongly criticized?
- Since motives are the hardest to judge, what advice does Paul give?
(3) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Theme: We are nothing
(1) Paul tells the Corinthians that what he said previously he has purposely applied to Apollo and himself; the main attitude was one of not “going beyond what is written.” It is helpful to reflect on the references he has made so far concerning Apollos and himself and see how this attitude is reflected (1:12, 3:4-6, 22).
(2) I think we all know that we receive everything from God—our salvation, our knowledge of Him, our ability and opportunity of serving Him and the results—yet we still tend to boast as if either we had something to do with them or deserved them. What might the reasons be and how may we overcome them?
(3) In v.8 Paul makes three sarcastic remarks against the Corinthians. They boasted in already having the following things (all without the need of Paul and Apollos as teachers).
a. All they wanted (i.e. being satiated)—they had no need of being fed
b. Being rich—they had no need to hunger and thirst for the truth
c. Being kings (i.e. are reigning)—they were in complete control spiritually
Based on these remarks by Paul, what kind of Christians were these Corinthians or what kind of a church was it?
(4) In shaming the Corinthians, Paul speaks frankly of his own condition which was characterized in these ways:
a. Being a fool to the world
b. Being weak
c. Being dishonored
d. Being hungry and thirsty, physically
e. Being in rags
f. Being brutally treated
g. Being homeless
h. Working hard (engaged in labor work) with own hands (as ministers)
i. Being cursed
j. Enduring persecution
k. Answering kindly to slander
l. Becoming scum and refuse to the world
m. In summary, being like the condemned prisoners in a public procession
- Check the list above and see with which you can identify yourself.
- Imagine yourself as one of the Corinthian believers:
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Theme: Be like me (the Apostle Paul)
(1) As much as the mistakes of the Corinthians were serious and Paul used harsh language towards them, why does Paul appear to hold out hope that these prideful Corinthians might listen to him?
(2) Read Acts 18:1-18 and see if you understand why Paul says, “Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (v.15).
(3) What qualifies Paul as their spiritual father?
(4) Is Paul wrong in urging them to “imitate him”? Why or why not?
(5) How would the sending of Timothy serve to justify this admonition by Paul?
(6) In what way then, can you or should you imitate Paul?
(7) From the previous chapters, we understand at least two things about the Corinthian believers: (i) They take pride in human wisdom, and (ii) based on that they set Paul against Apollos.
a. Why should they be leery of Paul’s coming in person?
b. How would Paul demonstrate with his presence that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power”?
(8) What can you learn about church discipline with Paul’s words in v. 21?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Theme: Church needs discipline
(1) As shocking as the sin described in v.1 is, from a secular perspective, how would people justify such a behavior?
(2) Why does Paul, from a biblical perspective obviously, call it “sexual immorality—a kind that does not occur even among pagans”?
(3) How has the church dealt with the incident and on what basis? Why does Paul accuse their action of being “proud”?
(4) What should they have done according to Paul? Why?
(5) In v.2, Paul opines that they should “have put out of your fellowship the man who did this”. By so doing, it appears that they would “hand this man over to Satan.”
a. What is meant by putting someone out of the fellowship?
b. Why would such an action amount to handing the person over to Satan?
c. What is the purpose of so doing?
(6) On what basis might the Corinthians be boasting about their not kicking the adulterous person out of the church? How does such action please the world around them?
(7) Paul uses the eating of the Passover Feast to remind the Corinthians of who they are.
a. What is the original purpose of observing the Passover Feast?
b. Why is yeast specifically prohibited from being used to bake the bread for the festival?
c. Do you know why yeast is being used in normal baking?
d. What is the yeast that Paul is accusing the Corinthians of having?
e. What is the consequence of not getting rid of yeast in the fellowship of believers?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Theme: Be ye different
(1) Can you define sexual immorality biblically?
(2) In order to keep ourselves morally pure, is it not wise simply not to associate with non-Christians? Why or why not?
(3) Paul admonishes the church to “expel” the wicked man from among them.
a. Within the context of this passage, who is the wicked person that should be expelled?
b. How should it be done in the church?
c. What if we do not expel such a person?
d. Why does Paul prohibit us from maintaining social contact, like eating, with such a person so expelled? How then can such a person repent? (Read 2 Co. 2:5-11 for a possible answer.)
(4) Apart from sexual immorality, what other kinds of sin does Paul mention as causes for expulsion?
(5) What might be the reasons that today’s churches hesitate to exercise church discipline against the “wicked man” within the church?
(6) What has been the result of the church’s weakness in this respect?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Theme: Willing to be wronged
(1) What are the implications of two Christians suing one another before the court of the land?
(2) Why is Paul so against it?
(3) Normally, the fact is that leaders of the church are not legally trained to resolve disputes, so on what basis can they make a fair judgment between two parties who have grievances against one another? What does Paul mean by “trivial cases”?
(4) Here, Paul affirms that we will judge the world and the fallen angels together with Christ (e.g. Rev. 20:6). How should such knowledge affect you, especially when you yourself are involved in a dispute with another Christian?
(5) In what way are we “completely defeated already” if we bring a lawsuit against another believer?
(6) In v.7 Paul points out the most crucial attitude concerning disputes among believers.
a. What is this attitude?
b. Why is it the key to resolving disputes among believers?
c. Without such an attitude, should we even entertain resolving disputes among two believers? (Look also at Lk. 12:13-15)
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Theme: Flee immorality
Vv. 9-11
(1) Since all who do not believe in Christ cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, why does Paul choose to give a rather grotesque list of sins of those who cannot inherit the kingdom of God?
(2) In the original Greek, v. 11 reads
a. But you were washed
b. But you were sanctified
c. But you were justified…
What is Paul trying to emphasize?
Vv. 12-20
Most commentators think that “everything is permissible (or more literally translated as lawful)” had become a slogan among the Corinthian Christians in justifying their licentious lifestyle since, as Paul taught them, they were no longer under the law.
(3) It is true that the Pharisees in particular, had turned the Law of Moses into an extended list of “it is not legal to...”. Now that we are not under the law, according to Paul, what then should our guiding principle be? Paul actually lists two guiding principles in v.12—what are they and why? (In particular—to whom is it beneficial? What is meant by not being mastered?)
(4) The Corinthians were influenced by Greek philosophy and appeared to buy into the dualism that what you do to your body does not affect the spirit. What should the relationship between our body and food be?
(5) Is an obsession with food (or too much emphasis on food) purely a matter of the body with no spiritual implications?
(6) What is the body meant for and why?
(7) Where is the body of Christ at His resurrection? Did God only raise Christ’s Spirit? What then is the implication to our body?
(8) Read v.15 carefully. How does this verse correct the Corinthian’s view of the body?
(9) What then distinguishes the particular severity of the sin of sexual immorality from all other sins?
(10) Reflect on these words: “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” How then should you live?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?