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1 CORINTHIANS I. BACKGROUND
1. Author - Paul the apostle: 1:1 Who had originally preached the gospel in Corinth
and converted many of those who received this letter. 2. Date - About 4 years after Paul had left Corinth
while he was in Ephesus: 16:8,19 (A.D.
53-54) 3. Setting - Paul had received information about
the situation in Corinth (1:11;
16:17-18), and had received a letter from the congregation asking certain
questions (7:1). He planned to visit
them, but wanted them to change some attitudes and relationships before he arrived so
he wouldn't have to deal harshly with them. II. PURPOSE OF
THE BOOK
1. Key Verses:
1:29-31; 3:1-3 2. Purpose:
Paul wanted to deal with some problems that existed in the church. Central to all their problems was their
living and glorying in the flesh, not the
Spirit. (1:29-31; 3:1-3;
3:18-23) 3. Since this needed correcting, they needed to
understand the practical reality of love as shown in: chapters 8-10; 12:31-13:13 1) God:
1:4-9, 18:31 2) preachers of the gospel: 2:1-4:13 3) Jesus:
5:7-8; 11:23-25 4) Paul himself: 4:16; 11:1; 14:18-19 5) their hope:
chapter 15 4. This
reality of love was called for in specific ways: 1) Lord's supper: chapter 11 2) Participation as a body: chapter 12 3) Giving to fulfill needs: chapter 16 4) Willingness to limit our rights: chapter 9 5) Our assemblies and each individual's
involvement: chapter 14 III. APPLICATIONS - LESSONS
1. If we glory in men (our self or others), then
we have lost the purpose of the gospel to be those who "glory in the
Lord". 1) Do not glory in man's actions, only in
the Lords. 2) Do not glory in man's words, only in
the Lords. 3) Do not glory in man's position, only
in the Lords. 2. Love is the answer to any of the struggles
the church has as a group or each individual Christian's struggles. 1) Struggles over differences: chapter 8 2) Struggles over rights: chapter 9 3) Struggles over idolatry: chapter 10 4) Struggles over oneness or unity: chapter 11 5) Struggles over body-life and individual
roles: chapter 12 6) Love is the answer: chapter 13 3. 1 Corinthians 1:10 - "Speaking the same
things," "having no divisions among you," "being of the
same mind and same judgment" does not deal with
specifics of doctrinal issues or persuasions but with greater, more
meaningful principles of: 1) Glorying in the Lord, not men: 1:29-31 2) Seeing ourselves as temples of the Holy
Spirit: 3:16-17 3) Serving God without distraction: 7:35 4) Exercising love rather than knowledge or
gifts: chap. 12 & 13 5) Maintaining
a living hope in the coming resurrection of the dead: chap. 15 4. What will confirm us unto the end, so that we
shall be unreprovable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ? 1) Not ourselves, our wisdom, our
actions, or our goodness 2) Christ Jesus revealed in us: 1:7-8 1 CORINTHIANS
QUESTIONS
1. If any man is going to glory he ought to
glory in _______________________. (1Corinthians 1:31) 2. Was it possible to have the spiritual gifts,
but not walk by the Holy Spirit? 3. What one word, one attitude (or action) is
the answer to all problems in the church?
(1 Corinthians 13) 4. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and
said that they were carnal (physically minded) and babes, did he ever
indicate that they were not Christians or that he would not have
fellowship with them? 5. How can God's kind of love answer these questions and problems: 1) Which
teacher do you follow? 2) Whether
to start a lawsuit against another Christian? 3) Whether
or not I can eat beef in India? 4) Whether
preachers of the gospel can be supported? 6. Name the examples of love that they had to
imitate: 1) 2) 3) 7. Is Christ divided? _________________________ Was Paul crucified for you? __________________ Were you baptized in the name of Roger?
___________ 8. Who is the wisdom and power of God? |