1 Corinthians 1 Review

Review: To remember things it is best to revew them. It would be good for us to review now what we have studied. It should not take you long to read the first chapter. Look for the introduction, the thanksgiving and the addressing of division in the church.

1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1

¹Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

²To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— ⁶because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. ⁷Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

¹⁰I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. ¹¹My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹²What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas^[a]“; still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into^[b] the name of Paul? ¹⁴I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. ¹⁶(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”^[c]

²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power yof God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

²⁶Brothters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of nobile birth. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the thingrs that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—tuhat is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Questions

What subject is raised in verse 7 that we will revisit in chapters 11-14?
How is maturity emphasized as a goal?
Why might spiritual gifting be a source of contention?
How does Paul address division?
How do you mature into a less contentious, combative person?

Going Deeper

Observation

What is the theme of the first paragraphs?
What is Paul thankful for?
What question does Paul ask about baptism?
What will ‘I’ destroy?
What do Greeks and Jews demand?

Interpretation

Read Acts 18:24-28. About whom does this give us insight?
Do you think that there were those supporting Christ who had become part of the problem through pride?
How are apologetics and the work of the Holy Spirit connected?
What kind of boasting is permitted?
How does 1 Corinthians 1:18 form a thesis statement for the rest of the paragraph?

Application

How do people in the church think in highly individualistic ways? What does this chapter teach such people?
What does this passage have to say about denominationalism?
How do you think missionaries manage to overcome their differences and work together?
Isthe preaching that you hear cross-centered? How much preaching should bring us back to the cross?
What is your view on signs and wonders? How does the Holy Spirit work in your life?