Study Questions – 1 Corinthians #2
When you forget whose you are.
1 Corinthians (CGS#2) – 1:10-18
INTRODUCTION: Last Sunday, we started a new series in the book of 1 Corinthians. The church in Corinth was a mess. Divisions, moral laxity, material greed, and uncontrolled worship services all pointed to the reality that they looked more like Corinth than they did Christ, which isn’t how it was supposed to be! It was so bad that a few members actually wrote to Paul for help and guidance. 1 Corinthians is Paul’s response to their questions and concerns. In it, Paul will deliver some hard-hitting and needed truth. He will start with a greeting; it is a letter after all. Then he’ll move to remind them of their identity as the “church of God” and “saints together.” This reminder is crucial for them and us. To be in Christ is to belong to the church; it goes together. The way we said it last week was, as a Christian, you are who you are, because of whose you are. Everything for the believer is to flow out of our new identity in Christ. When we forget that, and when we forget that we belong to Christ (we are his… Jn. 17:6), all sorts of ungodly things begin to happen in our lives and in the church. And you know what? That is exactly what happened in Corinth. They forgot that Jesus was the central figure and head over the church. They forgot whose they were, and quarrels and division quickly followed. One commentator helpfully explains.
“The primary problem in the church, and Paul’s main reason for writing this letter in the first place, is division (v 10). But we divide because of pride; the root of factionalism is almost always self-importance and arrogance. So, before engaging with the factions and leaders in more detail in chapters 3 and 4, Paul looks first to cut the legs out from underneath worldly divisions by skewering human pride. He does this by drawing a series of contrasts—wise/foolish, strong/weak, influential/lowly—and showing how the gospel puts us on the “wrong” side of all of them. In our preaching, our message and our very existence we are foolish, weak and lowly. So if we are going to blow our trumpets about anything, it had better not be ourselves or any human leaders. Rather, “let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (1:31). Christian preaching is fundamentally foolish, at least in the eyes of the world. The world, in Paul’s day, had all sorts of wonderful techniques to make its messages more acceptable: wisdom, eloquence, intelligence, legal reasoning, philosophy (v 17–20). Our generation has added the power of advertising, popular music, newspapers, movies, websites and television shows which push a particular vision of the true, the good or the beautiful, and by presenting it well make it seem more plausible. Meanwhile the church is stuck with a method that looked foolish in ancient Corinth and looks even more foolish now: preaching. Not with tricks or stunts. Not with high-budget special effects or virtual-reality immersive experiences. Not with wisdom or eloquence, “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (v 17). Just proclaiming what God has done in Christ and trusting that God will use that message to turn people’s lives the right way up.”[1]
Our identity is crucial not just for our personal walks with Christ, but for the health of our churches. Unity never happens by accident, and unity is far harder than uniformity. But unity is a much better way, and it is what we are to have as the church under Christ. For the next several chapters, we’ll hear from Paul about unity in Christ and how it is a better way. In this section, he’ll continue to remind us of our identity and teach us that, when you forget who you are, you become what you were never meant to be.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, take time to answer this question together: What is the difference between unity and uniformity? What makes unity harder and better than uniformity?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday-Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions about the article of faith we are studying that week.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Have you enjoyed him? Have you heard his voice and the leading of his Spirit? Big ways or small ways.
- If you were in Paul’s shoes and had to give some advice to a church with the kinds of divisions that Corinth had, what advice would you give them?
- How do unity and humility go hand in hand? How do you see this combination in the life of Jesus? Consider Jesus’ prayer in john 17.
- As Christians, we choose to unified under Christ. That means we have to acknowledge that some things are more important than others. Discuss what falls into each of the following categories. Remember, preferences and debatable matters will be the most personal to your opinions and tastes. How can you be unified even when your convictions or preferences aren’t the same as another believer’s?
- Essentials – The non-negotiables of theology and doctrine.
- Convictions – Core beliefs that deeply influence ministry but are not required for salvation.
- Preferences – Stylistic and taste preferences that are important to one’s worship experience.
- Debatable matters – Things that are interesting to talk about but are not worth any amount of disagreement. I.e., Preferences light.
[1] Andrew Wilson, 1 Corinthians for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2021), 15–16.