FIRST CORINTHIANS Chapter 1

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1 Calvary Chapel WestGrove s Women s Ministry Bible Study Looking Ahead FIRST CORINTHIANS Chapter 1 This year, we will be studying 1 st & 2 nd Corinthians. In our first lesson, we will focus on briefly introducing 1 st Corinthians. We are very excited, so let s get started Paul preached the Gospel in Corinth on his second missionary journey in A.D. 50 to the saints those who had been sanctified in Christ Jesus. They had been learning and applying the Biblical principles they were being taught and running their race well but now, six years later (A.D. 56), it has been brought to Paul s attention that carnality was rapidly increasing among the believers within the Church. This letter is written in response to that concern. It had become necessary for these new believers to be corrected in regard to their understanding of spiritual matters. Some of the things Paul will address are areas in which we, as a church today, also have need to be corrected. Ryrie s Study Bible says: Problems there included divisions in the church (1:11), immorality (chap. 5; 6:9-20), and the questions concerning marriage, food, worship and the resurrection. Aberrant beliefs (departing from the accepted standard) and practices of an astonishing variety characterized this church. Sound familiar? Ryrie continues with a paragraph summarizing the Contents of 1 Corinthians: The letter is largely practical in emphasis, dealing with spiritual and moral problems and questions. It is a casebook of pastoral theology. Important emphasis include: the judgment seat of Christ (3:11-15), the temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19-20), the glory of God (10:31), the Lord s Supper (11:23-34), love (chap. 13), the exercise of gifts (chaps ), and resurrection (chap. 15). (Please note: 1 Corinthians is specifically directed to believers, not to the world ). We pray that you will be encouraged, challenged, reproved, corrected and trained in righteousness as you grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ TOGETHER! This week s Memory verse is 1 Corinthians 1:9. Begin memorizing the verse(s) today. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you memorize this passage and for opportunities to apply it God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 Write out 1 Corinthians 1:9: Write this verse(s) on your index cards keep one with you and post the other one in a prominent place 1

2 DAY ONE Pray, and read 1 Corinthians 1: What are we taught about the author of 1 st Corinthians? (v.1a) Who is SOSTHENES? 2. Where was the letter sent? (v.2a) CHALLENGE: Using your personal study tools/helps, share what you discover about Corinth in Paul s time JEHOVAH MEKEDDESHEM The Lord Who Sanctifies Exodus 31:13 A. Who was it specifically sent to? (v.2b) To those who have been in Christ Jesus, Define SANCTIFIED sanctified I.e., set apart for God s use. There are three aspects to sanctification: (1) positional sanctification, possessed by every believer from the moment of his conversion (his perfect standing in holiness, Acts 20:32, 1 Cor. 1:2); (2) progressive sanctification, the daily growth in grace, becoming in practice more and more set apart for God s use (John 17:17; Eph. 5:26); and (3) ultimate sanctification, attained only when we are fully and completely set apart to God in heaven (1 Thess. 5:23). Ryrie Study Bible 1. What are these sanctified people called? (v.2c) Define SAINT SUCH GOOD NEWS!! Isn t it wonderful to you that, in spite of your sin/failures (deliberate or otherwise), as you abide in Him, your position as His saint will never change?! Share your thoughts in regard to the world s or religion s idea of a saint vs. God s Word 3. Write out Paul s statement to the Corinthian church in v.3:. The foundation and the life of the Church is Christ Jesus given from the Father. Geneva Study Bible Time to practice our memory verse: is, through whom were into with His Son, our. : DAY TWO Pray, and read 1 Corinthians 1: What was Paul thankful for that the believers had been given? (v.4a) A. What position must a person be in to be given this grace from God? (v.4b) 2. Paul continues in v.5a, that in you were in Him ) Define ENRICH EVERYTHING 2

3 Wow!! Verse 5 tells us that God wants to enrich/bless us in everything as we seek Him and walk according to the grace He has given us. Share how this encourages you. A. In what ways were the brethren enriched according to v.5b? * in all and all The effect of grace in the life of the Corinthian Christians was to make them enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and in all knowledge. The Corinthians were a rich church, not only materially, but also in their speech and knowledge of Jesus. David Guzik 3. Re-read vs Verse 7 explains that the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed. In what way were they not lacking? 1:7 gift. I.e., spiritual gift (cf. 12:4-11). Spiritual gifts are abilities that God gives believers in order that they may serve Him. Every Christian has at least one gift (I Peter 4:10). At Corinth all the various gifts were found within the group. Ryrie Study Bible A. As they were enriched and not lacking in their newfound faith, for what did this enable them to be eagerly awaiting? (v.7b) 4. What promise in given to the Corinthians AND us in v.8? confirm = guarantee. The Corinthians had God s guarantee that they would be in Christ s presence when He returns and that they would then be blameless. The assurance is based on the wonderful fact that God is faithful. Ryrie Study Note PREFECT time to practice 1 Corinthians 1:9: Define FELLOWSHIP DAY THREE Pray, and read 1 Corinthians 1: Before we begin this section, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any particular area(s) you may be guilty of. This Word is for our edification, not condemnation. Paul has graciously prepared to confront his brethren. (v.10) ** "Now I you,, by the of our, ** Define EXHORT ** that you and ** that there, ** but that you and A. WHAT? How is this supposed to be accomplished without our becoming carbon copies of one other? Re-read v.1-10 how many times is the name Jesus, Jesus Christ or Lord Jesus Christ spoken? Ladies, it is Christ Jesus, and His Word that we are to be in 100% agreement with the absolutes of Scripture, not in the area of opinion. Share your understanding of how we (many members, one body) are able to "have a difference of opinion" and yet not allow that difference to "divide" the Body of Christ: 3

4 2. According to v.11, WHO informed Paul about the "quarrels" between the brethren? Who is Chloe? Share your resource. 3. Paul asks them a startling, but thought-provoking question concerning the divisions among them. Write out v.13a: "?" "...The Christ has been divided into various parts, with the present result that He lies here broken up into fragments which are distributed among you. Paul was not crucified on your behalf, was he, or, it was not into the name of Paul that you were baptized, was it?" Kenneth S. Wuest, teacher of New Testament Greek. A. It appears that there was a bit of "idolatry" going on. BUT they were all believers how could this be? JK! In your own words and understanding what was going on here? "The glory of Christ then is not to be divided between Him and His servants; neither is the unity of the body to be torn asunder, seeing Christ is one still." John Wesley 4. What was Paul thankful for in v.14? A. Why? (v.15) "I have noted that the more spiritual a man becomes, the less denominational he becomes." G. C. Morgan 5. In v.17, Paul declares that Christ sent him with a specific purpose. Answer the following questions: ** WHAT was he sent to "do"? Define PREACH ** HOW was he called NOT to preach? What does this mean? Share your resource. ** WHY was he to preach in this way? How is it possible that the cross of Christ could be made "void"? Share your resource. A. Read Matthew 28:19-20 and Philippians 1: Using these passages, in the space provided below, write a brief statement as to the purpose that YOU have been called: Please discuss in group. Perfect time to practice 1 Corinthians 1:9: DAY FOUR Pray, and read 1 Corinthians 1: What two affects does the word of the cross have on people? (v.18) "The word of the cross ** is, ** but to. A. Explain what the word of the cross is. Share your resource. 4

5 1. Read v.18 in the Amplified Bible: "For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God." In your own words, explain what you understand this passage to mean. a. What is written in regard to the wise and the clever? (v.19) Print in CAPS. 2. What three types of people does Paul mention in v.20? A. What is the wisdom of the world in comparison to God s wisdom?(v.20b) Perhaps as you read v.20, a particular person came to mind. Stop and pray for that person. Remember, God opens blind eyes and deaf ears and is even able to take a heart of stone and cause it to become pliable in His wonderful hands. Lest we should forget go LOOK in the mirror Hey! Someone was praying for you too! 3. Re-read and meditate on v.21 for a few minutes. Re-write this verse in such a way that a child could understand it. Need help? Read the Living Bible Translation and then answer. For God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never find God through human brilliance, and then He stepped in and saved all those who believed His message, which the world calls foolish and silly. A. To whom is God s wisdom made known? 4. According to v.22, For indeed the Jews ask for and Greeks search for ; A. Is it wrong to seek signs and wisdom? Yes No Explain. The signs the Jews craved for were not mere miracles, but direct tokens from heaven that Jesus was Messiah (Luke 11:16). Greeks seek wisdom namely, a philosophic demonstration of Christianity. Whereas Christ, instead of demonstrative proof, demands faith on the ground of His word, and of a reasonable amount of evidence that the alleged revelation is His word. Christianity begins not with solving intellectual difficulties, but with satisfying the heart that longs for forgiveness. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown 5. WHAT did Paul and the disciples preach? (v.23) Print in CAPS. A. To Jews this was a and to Gentiles Define GENTILE B. BUT to those who have been called (believers), BOTH Jew and Greeks, the word of the cross has become: (v.24) 1. WHY? (v.25) Write out 1 Corinthians 1:9: Ask someone if you may share 1 Corinthians 1:9 with him or her. If you did share with your group 5

6 DAY FIVE Pray, and read 1 Corinthians 1: In v.26, Paul exhorts the believers to consider what? Define CONSIDER there were not, not, not ; A. What HAS God chosen? *** (v.27) God has chosen *** (v.27) God has chosen *** (v.28) and the and the God has chosen, *** (v.28) the things that, so that He may the things that, 1. God not only uses weak people, but He uses weak or insignificant objects. Let s look at a few that God chose to accomplish His plan. MIX & MATCH! A. Judges 3:31 trumpets, broken pitchers, torches B. Judges 7: ,000 men killed by the jawbone of a donkey C. Judges 9: Philistines were struck down with an oxgoad D. Judges 15:15-17 an upper millstone a. God chose to use foolish, weak, base and despised things. WHY? (v.29) Print in CAPS. 2. According to v.30, By His (God s) own doing WHAT has He provided for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS? A. What is the ultimate purpose in this? (v.31) Whom Paul cast down before, now he lifts up, indeed, higher than all men: yet in such a way that he shows them that all their worthiness is outside of themselves, that is, it stands in Christ, and that of God. He teaches that especially and above all things, the Gospel ought not to be condemned, seeing that it contains the principal things that are to be desired, that is, true wisdom, the true way to obtain righteousness, the true way to live honestly and godly, and the true deliverance from all miseries and calamities. Geneva Study Bible Have you been encouraged to let Him use you right now in whatever way He may chose. If you are, just say: Lord, Here I am, use me! Read and pray Hebrews 13: Share your thoughts: Time to write out your Memory Verse: "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. " Galatians 6:14 6