1 Corinthians Week #7 – Study Questions
Servants – Stewards – Saints
1 Corinthians (CGS#7) – 4:1-7
INTRODUCTION: We have made our way through the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians. This Sunday, we will begin chapter four. And chapter four is the conclusion of Paul’s longer opening section that includes chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4. In this broader section, we have heard repeated about our identity in Christ and the Corinthians’ pride problem. Paul will once again put these two items in front of them and us. It will help us to understand chapter four by reminding ourselves of what Paul has already said.
Chapter 1 – Paul reminded the Corinthians that they are “saints together” and the “church of God” who are sanctified in Christ Jesus. These statements were a corrective aimed to show them that they were looking and living more like their culture (Corinth) than Christ. That is not how it was supposed to be!
Chapter 2 – Paul reminded them that they were filled with God’s Spirit. And that is all that is needed in order to live obediently. You can hear Paul saying it this way, “Yes, following Jesus in Corinth is hard. But you have the Spirit of God in you, and the Spirit has given you the mind of Christ, not the mind of Corinth. So don’t give up on the Jesus way so easily.”
Chapter 3 – After the positive encouragement of chapter 2, Paul leans back in with a dose of spiritual medicine and calls out the immaturity of the Corinthians. He literally tells them that they are a bunch of big babies and should have grown so much more by now. Their immaturity resulted in pride, divisions, quarrels, and rivalries. Paul teaches them that spiritual maturity is not an optional pursuit or outcome for the believer.
So, this all leads us into chapter four, where Paul is going to remind them and us that obedience is God’s love language. He’ll say it this way, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. (v.2)” Again, maturity and the resulting obedience are not optional for the believer, even though the Corinthian church was acting like it was. Yet, Paul isn’t just concerned about behavioral modification; he gets to the heart and the motivation for the believer, received grace. I love how Andrew Wilson expresses it when he writes, “As he concludes this section, he asks one of the most beautiful questions in the entire Bible: “What do you have that you did not receive?” (v 7). This is Pauline theology in a sentence. All is grace. Everything the Corinthians have—and everything Paul has, and everything we have—is a gift of God. The cross, the Spirit, the wisdom of God made known in Christ, any knowledge or insight that they have … they are all gifts. None of us have earned them, and none of us deserve them. Grace, more than any other Christian teaching, pulls the rug out from under our self-reliance, our boasting and our pride. If everything we have has been given to us by God, then how on earth can we boast as if it is somehow ours by right?” [1]
The truth that we have received everything from God is such a humbling and freeing truth. It motivates the believer to operate out of a non-anxious posture and to have genuine motivation for behavioral righteousness. It is the very thing that a watching world needs to see. It is the very thing that allowed Paul to tell them that he, Apollos, and Peter were simply stewards and servants. They weren’t heroes or saviors. Only Jesus is the Savior. But the Corinthians were also to see themselves as servants and stewards of the mystery of God that was given to them through grace. This is both a corrective for their sin of pride and immaturity and a motivator to live obedient lives that are curiously different than their culture. Knowing is a partial thing; knowing and doing is the whole thing. And obedience is God’s love language.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, take time to answer this question together: If you thought of yourself as a steward of the mysteries of God (i.e., the gospel message), how might that change your daily interactions?
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.
- What tends to be your primary motivator for obedience to Christ? … Grace, fear, hope, shame?
- Are there ways in which you are impressive in the world’s eyes? Or do you feel particularly unimpressive? Either way, how will you make sure you boast in Christ alone?
- Who are you influenced by, and whom do you influence? Do you need to make any changes either to the examples you follow or the example you provide?
[1] Andrew Wilson, 1 Corinthians for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2021), 41.