1 Corinthians #1 – Study Questions
Remember Who You Are
1 Corinthians (CGS#1) – 1:1-9
INTRODUCTION: This Sunday, we are going to begin a new series through 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.
“Sociologists have observed an interesting trend in America in recent years—the growing number of “unchurched believers.” It used to be considered natural that if you claimed to be a Christian, you would be a part of a church. In fact, for most of Christian history it was believed that membership in a church was an essential part of Christian life. Already in the mid third century, the church father Cyprian declared “There is no salvation outside the church.” The “unchurched” were assumed to be “unbelievers.” But no more. More and more people who express some allegiance to Jesus view the church as simply an optional extra, a mere helpful tool, or perhaps even a detriment to spiritual life. In one poll, when asked, “Do you think that a person can be a good Christian if he or she doesn’t attend church?”, 88% of those who don’t attend church said yes, but so did 70% of those who do.
A number of reasons may account for this shift in opinion. Americans are independent by nature; increasingly they separate spirituality from real life in the world; and, because of well-publicized scandals, many have grown cynical about “organized religion.” But this “believing without belonging,” this “faith without fellowship,” bears little resemblance to what we see displayed in the pages of the New Testament. More than that, it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel message itself.
From the beginning, when God declared that it was not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18), the divine design for human life included social relationships—a community that in some way reflected the triune love found within the Trinity. Sin ruptured the relationship not only of man with God, but also between human beings. The image of God in the world was defaced.
But God in his grace has purposed to restore his fallen creation and to redeem a people for himself. In Jesus Christ God has acted to rescue sinful human beings from his wrath and to reconcile them to himself. This work of Christ in his cross and resurrection is now applied to us by the Holy Spirit, who unites us with Christ so that what is true of him becomes true of us. And in uniting us with Christ, the Spirit also creates a new community we call the church. The church, as those saved by God’s grace and united with Christ by God’s Spirit, becomes the embodiment of the gospel in the world.” [1]
When we forget that our identity as the church is in Christ and Christ alone, all sorts of unhealthy and ungodly things begin to happen. They can even be done with good intentions, but ungodly nonetheless. That is why we need to be rooted in our identity in Christ. As Christians, we are who we are because of whose we are.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, take time to answer this question together: What were your first impressions of church, both positive and negative? How has your understanding of the church matured as you have followed Jesus?
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.
- How would you answer the question, “What is the purpose of the Church?”
- Considering Paul’s words in the opening of 1 Corinthians, what stands out to you about the phrases “church of God” and “saints together?”
- Consider the three questions from the sermon.
- What is my view of the church?
- What is my role in the church?
- How does my identity begin and end with Christ?
[1] EFCA. Evangelical Convictions, 2nd Edition (pp. 195-197). Free Church Publications. Kindle Edition.