Plymothian

There is a form of Christianity that is out for self-gain – it is popular but false.  We are called to be witnesses for God.  The first command is not to look out for ourselves, but to love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Paul mocks the self-aggrandisement of those who count themselves spiritual because of the status and material benefits they have gained from the world.  It is like a Chinese Christian who has survived torture for the cause of Christ sarcastically acknowledging that the American pastor must be more spiritual because he has a swimming pool.  What things cause you to count yourself as blessed?

1 Corinthians 4:8-13

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! ⁹For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. ¹⁰We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ¹²We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

Questions

1. What do the Corinthians seem to think they have become?
2. Where are the apostles in the procession?
3. How does this paragraph reinforce the theme of unity through humility?
4. Do you know anyone whom you respect who seems particularly humble?  What do they contribute?
5. How can you be humble and at the same time bring more unity to a group?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. How many exclamatory sentences does this paragraph contain?
2. Who is watching the procession?
3. What opposites are used by way of contrast?
4. What do the apostles do when they are cursed?
5. What two things does Paul end the paragraph by saying the apostles have become?

Interpretation

1. Why would Paul be writing in ways that are exclamatory?
2. How does the description by Paul compare to a Roman triumph (look up triumph)?
3. How does Paul’s lowly condition prove his argument?
4. Are Christians meant to live in self-sacrificing poverty?
5. Is there something to be said for missionaries paying their own way?

Application

1. What inconveniences do you suffer because you are a Christian?
2. How are inconveniences and hardships a blessing?
3. Does God want you to sacrifice yourself to the point that you never say no and become stressed?
4. How do you answer when someone critcizes you?
5. How should you raise a child to have a healthy self-image and to place themselves at the back of the line?

The Bible reveals that all gifts, skills, talents, and abilities come from God.  This means that when someone does well at church, home, school, or work we should first think of God who gave the skill and secondly the conduit of the ability God has given.  Sports stars would do well to remember this; Politicians would do well to remember this; Even some pastors would do well to remember this.  If we remember that without God there would be nothing, we can find good reason to look on others as equal.  We all have a soul and are created with the dignity of being in the image of God.

1 Corinthians 4: 6,7

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. ⁷For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Questions

1. Who are the two main figures Paul uses as illustrations about division?
2. Beyond what should the Corinthians not go?
3. What is truly the origin of difference between one person and another?
4. How do we cope with issues such as disability and retardation if God is cited as the source of difference? (Hint: is Paul talking about negative distinctions between people?)
5. Where do you see boasting about differences in your life or in the life of others?

I frequently think of verse 4.  My conscience is clear, but it is the Lord who judges me.  The first time I read it it struck me as true that I can not trust my own judgment of myself.  I can not trust others’ judgments of me.  I need to try and evaluate myself as God sees me.  I am always his child, accepted and forgiven.  My sins are permanently wiped away by Christ.  However, the discernemnt of my choices, whether they are good or bad, is only clear in light of God’s truth.  It is clear then, that God-focused motives are the basis to evaluate actions.  We, therefore, have to avoid judging others especially when their motives are unclear.

1 Corinthians 4: 1-5

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. ²Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ³I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. ⁴My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

Questions

1. What must Paul and Apollos prove to be?
2. Whose judgment matters to Paul?
3. When should people judge each other?
4. How does this attitude produce unity?
5. Who have you written off and why?

After asserting that the Corinthians should not get caught up in human-generated wisdom, Paul goes on to point out that human beings are inferior to Christ.  That Christ is not just another human is assumed.  In all of the dealing that the Corinthians have, they need to keep the main thing the main thing.  This causes us to reflect on our priorities and all the things that comebefore Christ in our schedule and wallet.

1 Corinthians 3

 ¹Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. ²I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? ⁴For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

 ⁵What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ⁹For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

 ¹⁰By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

 ¹⁶Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

 ¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[a]; ²⁰and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^{[b] 21}So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas^[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Questions

1. What words does Paul use to describe the Corinthians spiritual condition?
2. What metaphors or similes does Paul use to make his point?
3. If spiritual growth is dependent on God, how might the Corinthians have hindered it?
4. How do people today hinder their spiritual growth?
5. How can overcommitment hinder growth?

We tend to deceive ourselves.  When we get a little education we think that we know something.  I often think of Richard Dawkins as the pinnacle of this kind of pride.  A little knowledge in his speciality gives him authority to talk in areas he knows very little.  He reduces the world to what he can see and investigate, he has a sense of wonder, but not a sense of the transcendant.  We are all like this.  Limited by our own capacity we think that we have a grasp on things when we really have a grasp on so little.  Thankfully the infinite God has opened up all things to us through Christ.  Everything is ours in Christ.  That should lead to unity because no-one has more than anyone else.

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[a]; ²⁰and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^{[b] 21}So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas^[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Questions

1. What should the Corinthians not do?
2. What should a person not boast about?
3. What things belong to the Corinthians and why?
4. What latest discoveries, inventions, or thoughts are you versed in?
5. How can you avoid lording it above those who don’t know what you know?

Grammar matters.  I know that many of us don’t like to hear that.  We want to read the Bible and have it tell us what we think it says rather than what it really says.  The two verses that we are looking at today ar talking about the Corinthian church (you-plural) being a temple of the Holy Spirit.  If we are looking for a singular use of you it is in chapter 6 verse 19.  Here Paul is reminding the whole church that they are a united body indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  That serves the overarching theme of unity.  The punishment for breaking apart a church is very serious. I knew a family growing up that was very destructive to those in the church but they could never see their self-righteousness.  They both died remarkably early. I wish that kind of fate on no-one.  But God may have had to take them home early to preserve the temple of his Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

¹⁶Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

Questions

1. What is the pronoun in the first question?
2. Is that pronoun singular or plural?
3. What will happen to the individual who promotes disunity in the church?
4. Who complains and forms divisions among Christians?
5. How can you think of God’s temple and support its unity?

Paul has natural abilities as a communicator and as an administrator.  We see this in his command of pagan literature and even in the small detail of how he held the coats at Stephen’s stoning.  However, these natural talents and abilities are from God who is the creator of the natural world.  I think that Paul is more aware of this than many today.  After he became oa follower of Christ that natural gifts, talents and abilities that he had were further enhanced through Christ.  He also has the power of the Holy Spirit working through him.  For the Christian who is walking the path to life with God in heaven, it is only the parts of our life that are built with God that will survive eternally.  What would we build in ourselves if we lived with eternity in mind?

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

 ¹⁰By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Questions

1. What simile does Paul ‘build’ in this passage?
2. What is the foundation of the building and how does it depend on the individual laying it?
3. How do the building materials effect longevity?
4. How is longevity regarded in today’s buildings?
5. Are you building a life with the long term in mind?  How are you doing that?

Going Deeper

Look again at some of the ruins of ancient Greece from the pictures from the 1 Corinthians Introduction.  How did such buildings last the test of time?  As you travel today look at buildings.  Think, “Will they last?”  Then think, “What am I doing that will last?”

“We are al in this together.” How often and in what situations have you heard this phrase?  Jesus pointed out the comon sense behind this kind of statement when he stated that a kingdom that is divided can not stand.  Paul in this passage follows the same line of reasoning.  Followers of Christ are all members of the same team.  Each member of the team has a part to play, but it is suicide to attack the members within your team – especially if it leads to internal rivalries.  What role has God given you in your ministry, small group, job, or household?  How do you serve as a God honouring team member in that location?

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ⁹For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Questions

1. What are Paul and Apollos according to the passage?
2. What was the role of God in the Corinthians growth?
3. What descriptor is given for ‘workers’?
4. What rivalries do you think would occur in a town like Corinth?
5. What rivalries are there in your home, church, or workplace?  How can they be resolved?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. With what two questions does Paul open this paragraph?
2. What common role do Paul and Apollos share?
3. What does the Lord assign?
4. What two agricultural roles do Paul and Apollos carry out?
5. How will God’s workers be rewarded?

Interpretation

1. Why does Paul use an analogy about growing plants with an audience that lives in one of the biggest cities in Europe at that time?
2. How does seeing the Lord assigning tasks undermine divisions?
3. Who is greater: the evangelist or the spiritual mentor?  Why is this a common type of question that we ask even if it leads to divisions?
4. Why do builders get more glory than the owner of the building?
5. Why should the owner of the field get glory rather than those who work in it?

Application

1. What kinds of ministry or minsters does your church spend time glorifying?
2. Does your home, church, or work focus on the people doing the work or the cause that they are working for?
3. Do you want recognition?  How does Paul challenge that kind of view?
4. How does receiving a reward from God help you to continue working in his field?
5. If the reward is not necessarily a material reward, how does God choose to reward you for being a selfless team player?  Are you satisfied with that?

How would you cope if someone pointed out that you were immature?  It is the kind of accusation that generally needs to be made by someone who really loves another.  In such cases the truth might be received.  In most cases the hearer of the truth show their immaturity by spurning the criticism, pouting, sulking, and giving their friend the cold shoulder.  In my opinion many ‘successful’ people are compensating for problems that are unresolved from their childhood.  In my opinion many leaders in the church are looking for authority and control.  Some people in relationships have learned to avoid confrontation or arguments.  They think they have created a peaceful environment.  However, as their inner tension and stress grow they are surprised by the lack of growth in their lives.

1 Corinthians 3:1-4

¹Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. ²I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? ⁴For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

Questions

1. As what can Paul not address the Corinthians?
2. What does Paul say that the Corinthians are?
3. How does following a popular person, even in the church, breed worldly immaturity?
4. What divisions in the church do people have temper tantrums over?
5. How can godly maturity lead to more unity in your life?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. How many times is ‘worldly’ or its equivalent used?
2. What description is used for the Corinthians stature in Christ?
3. What qualifier is used twice before ‘men’?
4. Which two examples of of popular leaders does Paul give?
5. What is coupled with jealousy in this passage?

Interpretation

1. Without plasma TV’s and Rock ‘n’ Roll, what opportunities did Corinthians have for worldliness?
2. What exactly constitutes ‘worldliness’?
3. How do people become Christians and get stuck in worldliness?
4. How are jealousy and quarreling interdependent?
5. What would be the ‘solid food’ that Paul would have given the Corinthians?

Application

1. Would Paul write to you as a maturing Christian or as someone stunted by worldliness?
2. Are you reading things that stretch you spiritually? What do you read?
3. Where do you see a pattern of jealousy and quarreling?  How does an attack and defend scenario stunt growth?
4. How does polarizing around political affiliation, cultural preferences, or worship styles stunt growth?
5. How do you pray?  Is there a more or less constant conversation between you and God?