1 Corinthians #4 – Weekly Study Questions

Kyle Bartholic   -   August 7, 2025

Led by the Spirit

1 Corinthians (CGS#4) – 2:1-16

INTRODUCTION: Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church is actually a response letter to both reports that he received and a letter with questions from the Corinthian believers. It is also part of a larger pattern of correspondence between Paul and this group (5:9). 1 Corinthians is not the first letter that they received from Paul, and it was clear that they had been struggling for a while now. What were they struggling with? Growing into mature faith and obedience to Christ. Paul will make that clear in chapter three, where he tells them that they are still on “spiritual milk” when they should be eating solids. Nothing like a good food reference to tell them that they are acting like babies and need to grow up! Before he makes that statement, he will teach them about the Holy Spirit. That is the Spirit of God that actually helps them grow. This is good news for them and us! Growing into maturity is tough work, and God doesn’t require us to do it on our own; he has given us his Spirit to help us.

 

To begin making this point in chapter two, Paul reminds them that his preaching was not the typical style of their day or context. Here is how one commentator explains it, “The subject moves from the calling of the Corinthians (1:26–31) to the preaching of Paul. When Paul arrived in Corinth, he eschewed rhetorical virtuosity. He was determined to focus only on Jesus as the crucified Lord. He was even fearful that he would rely on himself instead of on the grace of God. Hence, he did not use the kind of rhetoric that dazzled crowds in the Graeco-Roman world. He relied on the Spirit and the power of the cross. Paul acted in this way so that the Corinthians’ faith might rest not on human wisdom but on God’s power.”[1] This explanation is helpful to understand Paul’s words in this section. Paul wasn’t against persuasive or enthusiastic preaching. Nor was Paul indifferent to the belief of the Corinthians. He earnestly desired them to come to know Jesus in a life-defining and saving way, and he was a great preacher! But, he understood that it wasn’t his ability or strength that would make the message believable; it was the Spirit of God. That is, as Paul explains, one of the jobs of the Spirit is to disclose and reveal the truth of Jesus and the mysteries of God (i.e., the plan of salvation). If we rewind to Acts 18, we actually see that when Paul arrived in Corinth, he was met with resistance and needed God to encourage him to press on! Paul’s humility was genuine and relatable.

 

Paul’s humility and teaching on the Holy Spirit are also a corrective for the Corinthians. They were a group that was arrogant and puffed up in their pursuit of wisdom. Yet, they were still wildly immature. We’ll hear this in chapter three. They had received the Spirit at the moment of their salvation, but now they needed to be humble and cooperate with the Spirit for their growth and maturity. Paul makes this point with a powerful closing statement, “But we have the mind of Christ.” Wow! They were given the mind of Christ not by their effort but by the Spirit’s power. Now that they have the mind of Christ, they are to stop thinking like Corinthians and instead, they are to think like Christ. This is tough work! But don’t forget, they are not alone in this endeavor; they have the Spirit of God to help them.

 

The same is true for you and me. We can default to our worldly or cultural ways of thinking. And it happens all too quickly! Paul’s corrective for them is just as needed for us. We have been given the mind of Christ, and that is how we are to think about the lives we’re living. We’re guided by the Spirit of God, who reveals to us the mysteries of God. We’re not called to think exclusively as Republicans or Democrats, as blue or white collar workers, or as Ames-ians or as Americans. Instead, as God’s people, we are to think as Christ. And God’s people are led by God’s Spirit.

 

 

GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, take time to answer this question together: When was a time in your life that you followed your own wisdom and came to find that God’s wisdom would have been much better?

 

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.

  1. 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?
  2. 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.
  3. What similar patterns, attitudes, or behaviors do you see in yourself that Paul has addressed in 1 Corinthians so far?
  4. If you had to explain what it meant to have the mind of Christ to a new believer, what would be the essential characteristics?
  5. What does it look like to live “distinctively different” in your daily context? How does the Spirit help with this?

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, ed. Eckhard J. Schnabel, vol. 7, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 2018), 76–77.