Relevant Information About the Corinthian Church

Care Group Ministry Bible Study: 1 Corinthians Session #5 1 Corinthians 3:1-23

THE MATURE AND THE IMMATURE

Pre-study Sharing. We have been looking at the wisdom of the world and wisdom of God. Can you discuss and give examples of what wisdom of the world will be like?Please give examples.

(1) Background and Introduction

Relevant information about the Corinthian church. 1. Corinth: wealthy and cosmopolitian. A centre of trade, philosophical and rhetorical pursuits. 2. Corinthian church: a church that has drifted. It was more affected by the surrounding culture than informed by the gospel. 3. First letter to the Corinthians: Paul writes to address a number of problems facing the Corinthian church. Paul responds to their problems with the gospel. The gospel: the announcement about Jesus Christ that opens up a whole new reality of living!

Theme of 1 Corinthians: Seeing all of life through the gospel

Outline of 1 Corinthians: Chapters 1-4 5-7 8-10 11-14 15 16 What’s happening Divisions Sex: Sexual Food: Food The The Final at Corinth in the immorality in offered to Gathering: Resurrection: Greetings church: the church idols disorder in Christians popularity their weekly disputing the contest worship resurrection gathering

What the gospel Church is a Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is God’s Spirit Jesus Christ’ changes? community died for your Lord; and works through resurrection is of people sins; including God’s love everybody in a indispensible: centered the ruin of compels us to unified way to The resurrection around the broken eat or not to build up the demonstrates Lord Jesus relationships eat church; and Jesus’ victory Christ caused by God’s love over sins and sexual compels us to death; it gives misconduct. love and seek power for the And our bodies the good of Christian life; will be raised others and it is a source from the dead of hope for our future

What doing life The gospel The gospel The gospel gives the power to The gospel gives together as a gives the gives the love others more than ourselves hope of victory community of reason for motivation for over death God’s people Unity sexual purity looks like through the lens of the gospel? 4. In Chapters 1-4, Paul was addressing the division within the church which in turn threatens the work of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 - Introduction and thanksgiving 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 - The first problem introduced: divisions in the church 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 - Boasting in the Message of the Cross of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 - We have the Mind of Christ 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 - The mature and the immature

Today’s Lesson Paul was drawing attention to the Corinthians church 2 fundamental mistakes the church were committing:

1. They were in danger of rejecting the gospel of the cross in favour of a human wisdom, which seems more successful, attractive, which is very Corinthian. Can we related to this? Give examples from the pre-study questions.

2. They misunderstood the unique nature of the church and its leadership. We will cover this in today’s session.

(2) Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 (ESV)

1 Corinthians 3:1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

2 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death or the present, or the future— all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

(3) Study of 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 (ESV)

Today’s Big Idea

3 Study Questions:

Q1. Paul wrote about the mature Christians in the previous chapter (1 Cor 2:6). Why do you think Paul called the church in Corinthians as infants in Christ? (vv. 1-4)

Q2: How did Paul wanted the Corinthian church to view the leaders? What point was Paul trying to make in relation to Corinthian’s emphasis on the leaders? (vv. 5-9)

Q3. Who is the only foundation for God’s building? How would you describe how the different leaders should build on it? (vv. 10-11)

Q4. What was Paul trying to tell the Corinthian church about the leaders in vs 12-15?

Q5: What question did Paul asked the Corinthians in v. 16? Why and what are the implications of the answers? How does it change how you view the leaders and the church?

Q6: What were the 2 warnings Paul gave to the Corinthians? Why? (vv. 18-23)

A Reminder: Wisdom of the world leads us to think like the world and is foolish in God’s sight.

4 (4) Summary

Summary

1. Relying on human wisdom alone for His work showed up our Christian ______;

2. Jesus Christ is the ______of His church and we are just but servants and instruments to be used by Him and for Him;

3. He deserves nothing but the ______from us in His work for the church for our work will be ______; and

4. Godly wisdom is given by God through the ______and no one should boast.

Today’s Big Aim

(5) Application to Life

Q1. Examine yourself and share if there were any time that you were following a particular person in church?

Q2. Have we been conducting ourselves as if the church belongs to God? Give both positive and negative examples. What are the possible signs of doing so and not doing so?

Q3: For the leaders in church, how does this study inform the way we are to serve God and His people? Does your ministry focus on building on THE FOUNDATION which is Jesus Christ?

5 References: 1. Jackman, David. Let’s Study 1 Corinthians. Edinburgh, UK: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2004.