Brentwood Bible Fellowship Reading thru the New Testament 2017

Transcription

1 Week 33 Brentwood Bible Fellowship Reading thru the New Testament 2017 I Corinthians I Corinthians Key Verse: But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. I Corinthians 12:7 August NAS Version Monday I Corinthians 10 - Beware of following the mistakes of Israel Tuesday I Corinthians 11 - Christian order, Direction concerning the proper attitude at the Lord s Supper Wednesday I Corinthians 12 - Information concerning Spiritual Gifts Thursday I Corinthians 13 - The preeminence of love Friday I Corinthians 14 - Information concerning the use and misuse of Spiritual Gifts in worship Saturday - Review Sunday Review

2 Questions and comments concerning the daily readings I Corinthians Week Thirty-Three I Corinthians I Corinthians 10:1-4 List the blessings listed here that pertained to Israel as God rescued them from Bondage in Israel. Who was their ultimate rock? What does this say to you about Jesus? 2. I Corinthians 10:5-13 In spite of the blessings which God gave to Israel, most of them died in the wilderness due to their disobedience. (Verse 5) According to Israel s example in verses 6-12, what actions should we be aware of so that we will not fall into the same sins as Israel? Explain the message of I Corinthians 10:13, especially as it pertains to the preceding verses. 3. I Corinthians 10:14-22 What is the primary message that Paul is sharing in this passage? How can we relate it practically to our life today? 4. I Corinthians 10:23-33 Paul summarizes his principles governing Christian liberties in this passage. v Edification is more important than personal gratification. v Love is preeminent v Be sensitive to your own conscience as well the consciences of others. v Whatever we do should glorify God v What is Paul s message in verse 33? I Corinthians 11 Christian order; The Lord s Supper 1. I Corinthians 11:1-16 God is a God of order, not of disorder. What do you learn about order within the church in this passage? What do you learn about the relationship between Jesus and the Heavenly Father? What do you learn about the relationship between man and woman? Most evangelicals see the issue of having the head covered or uncovered as a cultural action during the time of Paul.

3 If we do not practice the covering or uncovering of the head today to show honor and respect, how might we demonstrate respect today in keeping with the basic teaching of this passage? 2. I Corinthians 11:17-22 Explain the problem which existed when the Corinthian church came together to share in the Lord s supper. In chapters 1-4 the Church at Corinth was divided over whose pastor was the best. What is the cause of division is this passage? What did Paul suggest in verse 22? 3. I Corinthians 11:23-26 What was the purpose of the Lord s supper according to verse 26? What does the bread symbolize? What does the cup symbolize? What promise do we observe in the keeping of this ordinance? How long should we continue to observe the ordinance of communion or the Last Supper? 4. I Corinthians 11:27-34 Verse 27 relates back to verses This verse may relate to Christians who are out of fellowship with God and other believers, as would be this immediate context, or it may also relate to non-believers who participate in the Lord s Supper. What is the person guilty of who participates in the Lord s Supper, but does so in an unworthy manner? Do you think we take this seriously today? Why or why not? Verses What must a person do before they participate in the Lord s supper? Explain what that means. According to verse 30, what was the result for many of those in Corinth who participated in the Lord s Supper in an unworthy manner? It says that some of them slept. What does that mean? According to verses 31-33, why does God discipline us? Can you think of a time when you believe you have been disciplined by your Heavenly Father? Explain Paul recommendation in verses I Corinthians 12 Instructions concerning Spiritual Gifts. (We all have them, you know.) 1. I Corinthians 12:1-3 What is Paul s message to each of us in the first verse of chapter 12? Did you get it? What benefit do we gain from the Holy Spirit according to verse 3? 2. I Corinthians 12:4-6 Notice the involvement of each of the three members of the Godhead in the use of our Spiritual Gifts.

4 3. I Corinthians 12:7 This is one of the key verses concerning the use of our spiritual gifts. Each believer is given a manifestation of the Spirit. That is each believer receives at least one Spiritual Gift. Each gift is given for the common good, or for the benefit of the whole church or whole body. Gifts are not given simply for personal edification. 4. I Corinthians 12:8-11 Notice the diversity of the gifts in verses According to verse 11, who disperses all of the gifts? Notice the gifts are dispersed according to the Spirit s will, not according to our desires. 5. I Corinthians 12:12-13 Though we are diverse in our gifts we all make up the one body. According to I Corinthians 12:13, we all received or were baptized into the one body at the point of our salvation. That is when the Holy Spirit enters our lives. 6. I Corinthians 12:14-26 Notice the comparison between the physical body made up of many parts and the Spiritual body also made up of many parts. God created us this way to make up a complete and functioning spiritual body. If one part of the physical body is not working then the physical body will not be able to function as well as it might have if all of the parts were present or functioning effectively. Example: If I am missing an arm or a leg or an eye or an ear, I cannot function as effectively as if I had all of those parts. The same is true for the church or the spiritual body. Each of us has at least one spiritual gift. If I decide that I will not use my specific gift, then the church will not function at the level which God intended. If fifty percent of a human body decided to take a week off, then that person would not accomplish very much if anything during that week. He or she may even cease to live at all. The same is true for the church. If fifty percent of the church decided that they will not be active and use their spiritual gift, then that church will not be very effective either. Verse 18 - God has placed each gift in the body as He desires. The action of placing the gifts is past tense. I can develop the gift I have, but I will not be able to have the gift someone else has just because I want it. I may be able to fulfill the job of another gifted person, but not at the level at which that person could do it when they are using the gift God has given to them. They cannot pass their gift on to me or teach me how to use their gift effectively if it is not mine. The best thing each of us can do is to discover the gift or gifts which the Holy Spirit gave us at the time of my salvation and develop it to be used for the Lord and the church to the best that it can use it.

5 7. I Corinthians 12:27-31 Paul gives another list of the Spiritual gifts in this passage. He reminds us that we do not all have the same gifts. Do not covet someone else s spiritual gift. In verse 31 it says to earnestly desire the greater gifts. That simply means that we are not, as a church, to be enamored with some of the more mystical or flamboyant gifts, as we will see in chapter 14, was the case in Corinth. As a church, we are to seek the greater gifts such a person with the gift of prophecy and allow him or her to use their gift for the edification of the body. I Corinthians 13 The preeminence of love!!! (A more excellent way!!!) 1. I Corinthians 13:1-3 Paul makes a number of hypothetical statements in these three verses. They are if statements. It does not say they are true or that they will happen. He simply says that if, I could do all of these things, but failed to have love, they would be worthless, of no value. List the things that Paul states are valueless without love. 2. I Corinthians 13:4-7 Paul lists the nature or qualities of Agape, Biblical love, in this passage. Notice that passion is not among the attributes or qualities of love listed here. List each of the qualities individually. Now define each of the qualities. Ask yourself, is this a quality that others would say is true of your life. You may even ask someone you trust to tell you if each attribute is true of you. In which attributes, if any, are you weak. Make a plan to develop that or those attributes in your life so that you may more fully demonstrate Christian love toward others. The discussion of Spiritual gifts should never be separate from Christian love. 3. I Corinthians 13:8-13 Note the permanency of love. Verse 8, love never fails. Verse 13, faith, hope and love remain and the greatest of these is love. Prophecy and knowledge will be done away with. They will be removed when the perfect comes. Tongues will cease. In the middle voice in the Greek, it simply means they will cease by themselves. Prophecy and knowledge on the other hand will be removed. Some believe the perfect in verse ten was the completion of the Bible. Others believe that it is when Jesus returns.

6 I Corinthians 14 Information concerning the use and misuse of the spiritual gifts. 1. I Corinthians 14:1-5 Why does Paul say that prophecy is more important than tongues? 2. I Corinthians 14:6-12 According to I Corinthians 12:7, what was the purpose of spiritual gifts? According to verses 6-12, why does Paul seem to say that tongues are an inferior gift? Remember, the purpose of spiritual gifts are always for edification of the body. 3. I Corinthians 14:13-19 What is Paul s direction concerning the use of tongues, according to this passage? 4. I Corinthians 14:20-25 According to these verses, what is the purpose of tongues? What is Paul s direction here for their use in the church? 5. I Corinthians 14:26-33 Notice, Paul says that the ultimate purpose of any activity in the worship service is for edification, according to verse 26. Without the New Testament yet, those with the gift of prophecy shared in the worship service. Prophecy in the Bible means to speak forth, or to speak clearly the Word of God. In some cases, it would deal with future events, but that was certainly not always the case in the early church. What is the primary message in verses 26-33? Especially take into account verse I Corinthians 14:34-36 Paraphrase according to your own understanding the meaning of verses These verses may not seem to be too politically correct, but I have found that God is not always politically correct. He is just correct!!! 7. I Corinthians 14:37-40 Paul establishes his claim that what he has written is of the Lord and not to be questioned. Verse 40 is an amazing verse concerning how worship services are to be conducted. All things are to be done properly and in an orderly manner. God is a God of order. (See verse 33)