1 CORINTHIANS 1-4 “UNITY/DIVISION” Before Reading
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1 CORINTHIANS 1- 4 “UNITY/DIVISION” 1 CORIN THIANS 1:1- 9 Section Overview: “Paul introduces the letter by greeting the church in AUTHOR Corinth and thanking God for them. When Paul thanks “The letter’s first line identifies God at the beginning of a letter, he usually includes the the author. “Paul, called by the letter’s theme in seed form. One way to state the will of God to be an apostle of theological message of 1 Corinthians is that the gospel Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:11). Few requires God’s holy people to mature in purity and have contested that Paul wrote unity. ‘The testimony about Christ’ (1 Cor. 1:6) is the 1 Corinthians” (Naselli 212). gospel Paul has proclaimed to the Corinthians, whom Naselli, Andrew Expository Commentary Romans-Galatians Vol. X God will faithfully sustain to the end. The church in Crossway, 2018. Corinth has many problems, but the gospel solves them.” (Naselli 224). 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10- 31 The image part Section Overview: with relationship ID rId7 was not found in the file. “First Corinthians 1:10 begins the letter’s body (1:10-15:58). This (1:10-4:21) addresses the first of ten major issues: @reclaimedstudents dividing over church teachers. It is common for sermons and [email protected] commentaries to divide this unit into multiple sections. That is The image part The image part with with relationship relationship ID rId7 ID rId7 was not was not found in the not wrong, but it makes it harder to remember that this is a found in the file. file. single unit responding to one main issue. It is long- Paul devotes more words to this issue than to any other. But it is @reclaimedfbcm Reclaimedstudents helpful to work through the unit together without dividing it up -fbcmelbourne into separate parts. Paul provides three major reasons the Corinthian Christians should not divide over church teachers: (1) The gospel requires the church to be unified- not divided over its teachers (1:10-17). (2) God’s wisdom contradicts worldly wisdom (1:18- After reading 2:16).” (Naselli 230). – Consider these questions • What is God’s word saying about who He is and who you Before reading – Pray are? • Admit you can do nothing apart from God. (John 15:5) • What do you need to do about • Rely on the Holy Spirit by praying for supernatural what God is saying in His power to understand His Word and to obey His Word. Word? (Psalms 119:35-38) • Journal your thoughts, prayers • Cherish His Word by reading it and praying over every and any action steps you need word. (Philippians 2:12-17) to take. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:1- 3 WORD CHECK 1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of • ________________________ Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the • ________________________ church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified • ________________________ in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all • ________________________ those who in every place call upon the name of our • ________________________ Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace • ________________________ to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Who and/or what are you praying for? April 1, 2021 (THURSDAY) – 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 o ______________________________ • Pray ______________________________ • In verse 2, Paul says, “Called to be saints ______________________________ together.” Why? ______________________________ o ______________________________ ______________________________ • What do these verses say about God? o ______________________________ ______________________________ o ______________________________ • What do these verses say about you? • What else is God’s Word saying? • What do you need to do about what God is saying? • Journal your prayers and thoughts: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:4- 9 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of WORD CHECK the grace of God that was given you in Christ • ________________________ 5 Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him • ________________________ 6 in all speech and all knowledge— even as the • ________________________ testimony about Christ was confirmed among • ________________________ you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as • ________________________ you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus • ________________________ Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Who and/or what are you praying for? o ______________________________ ______________________________ April 2, 2021 (FRIDAY) – 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ______________________________ ______________________________ • Pray o ______________________________ • Who is God faithful to? ______________________________ o ______________________________ ______________________________ • What do these verses say about God? o ______________________________ • What do these verses say about you? • What else is God’s Word saying? • What do you need to do about what God is saying? • Journal your prayers and thoughts: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10- 12 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our WORD CHECK Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that • ________________________ there be no divisions among you, but that you be • ________________________ united in the same mind and the same • ________________________ 11 judgment. For it has been reported to me by • ________________________ Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, • ________________________ my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you • ________________________ says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Who and/or what are you praying for? April 3, 2021 (SATURDAY) – 1 Corinthians 1:10-12 o ______________________________ • Pray ______________________________ • What was dividing the Church at Corinth in ______________________________ Verse 11? o ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ • What does this verse say about God? o ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ • What does this verse say about you? o ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ _______ • What else is God’s Word saying? • What do you need to do about what God is saying? • Journal your prayers and thoughts: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:13- 17 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or WORD CHECK were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank • ________________________ God that I baptized none of you except Crispus • ________________________ 15 and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were • ________________________ 16 baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the • ________________________ household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not • ________________________ know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ • ________________________ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Who and/or what are you praying for? o ______________________________ April 4, 2021 (SUNDAY) – 1 Corinthians 1:13-17 ______________________________ ______________________________ • Pray o ______________________________ • In whose power was Paul called to share the ______________________________ gospel? ______________________________ o ______________________________ ______________________________ • What do these verses say about God? ______________________________ o ______________________________ ______________________________ • What do these verses say about you? ______________________________ • What else is God’s Word saying? • What do you need to do about what God is saying? • Journal your prayers and thoughts: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18- 21 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are WORD CHECK • ________________________ perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the • ________________________ power of God. 19 For it is written, • ________________________ • ________________________ “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, • ________________________ and the discernment of the discerning I will • ________________________ thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not Who and/or what are you praying for? God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not o ______________________________ know God through wisdom, it pleased God through ______________________________ the folly of what we preach to save those who ______________________________ believe. o ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ o ______________________________ April 5, 2021 (MONDAY)– 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 ______________________________ ______________________________ • Pray o ______________________________ • Why is the message of the cross foolish to those ______________________________ who are perishing? ______________________________ _______ • What do these verses say about God? • What do these verses say about you? • What else is God’s Word saying? • What do you need to do about what God is saying? • Journal your prayers and thoughts: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:22- 25 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek WORD CHECK wisdom,23 but we preach Christ crucified, a 24 • ________________________ stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but • ________________________ to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, • ________________________