Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

• The failures of those who were known as the people of God in the Old Testament, at least in part, serve as a warning to those who are known as the people of God today (In the Church).
  • All of Israel identified with the Lord in passing through the Red Sea and following the pillar of cloud.  But not everyone who was identified with Israel was truly a follower of God.
  • In the church, we identify with the Lord through baptism.  But, not everyone who’s ever been baptized is truly a follower of God.
    • Matthew 7:15-23
• The actual rock that Moses struck did not follow Israel around in the wilderness (As intriguing as that sounds).  However the spiritual Rock, Christ, did.
  • There are two ways that we might be prone to separate the Old and New Testaments, which are united in this passage.
    • Paul, writing to a largely Gentile church in Corinth called Israel, “Our fathers.”
    • Christ was with the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness and was put to the test in their rebellion.
• Whenever I might get into a situation that seems entirely unique and where I feel like there’s no way I can NOT sin…
  • There is no temptation that is not common to man.
  • God will provide the way of escape and I will be able to endure.

Questions to consider:

1. There is so much information in this passage about the period of the Exodus, it might be easy to get distracted and dig into all the narrative details, but what is the major point Paul is making?  What was the major application for the church and Corinth and for us today?
2. How do verses 7 and 8 correlate with the previous passage in this letter?  What has Paul been talking to the church about (7:1 and 8:1)?  By using these examples to teach the church, what has Paul modeled for other believers when we have questions that need answers?  Where should we go (What is our source of information) to answer questions we have?
3. Why can we say “no” to any temptation?  What is true about him and what he has given us which gives us the ability to make the right choices and bear good fruit in our lives?

Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul continues the argument of being willing to give up personal rights to serve people and spread the gospel.
• Being in Christ, Paul was no longer under the restrictions of the law, but if something like eating pork chops or bacon (As a silly example) was going to prevent him from being able to share the gospel with a Jew, he was willing to go without!
  • Our greatest goal is to love and please God.  Then, to love others.
    • Sharing the blessings of the gospel is more important than demanding my rights.
    • If my greatest goal truly is to love and please God, then sharing the blessings of the gospel will also be far more joyful than demanding my rights.
• The victory we are pursuing is more significant than every Olympics, World Cup, Superbowl, World Series and NBA Finals combined.  “Run” to win.

Questions to consider:

1. How does Jesus’ statement in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” fit in with what we read in these verses?  How could these concepts change our definition of what makes our day a “good” day?
2. What happens when a person you share the gospel with repents and becomes a Christian?  How has their eternity forever changed?  In what ways is leading the lost to Christ better than winning any championship?
3. What does it mean to run aimlessly (Verse 26)?  What does it mean to run with purpose toward your goal for the Christian?  How can you continue to improve as you race toward the prize?

Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 9:1-18

Helpful thoughts:

• When preachers are treated like celebrities instead of brothers in Christ, they will be picked apart in criticism instead of interacted with for mutual edification.  Such was the case with the way some in the Corinthian church spoke of the Apostle Paul.
• “Those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.”  Paul proclaims the right of the pastor to make a living through his work in the church.  However, because he knew it would be a stumbling block to this often materialistically minded church, he willingly chose not to receive any money at all.
• Paul’s willingness to lay down his right (His right to be paid by the church) was/is to be an example to the church.  There are more important things than having my rights.  If laying aside my right or putting aside my personal preference results in the God-glorifying spread of the gospel, I can be glad “not to make full use of my right.”

Questions to consider:

1. To whom will pastors ultimately answer?  Why does a pastor serve his flock best when he understands that he serves, first and foremost, to be pleasing to God?
2. What is the mission (The Great Commission) of the church?  What personal rights or preferences (Or maybe even comforts) have you put aside to actively participate in the mission of the church?
3. What gets lost in our minds and hearts when we start to think that church (Or church services and ministries) exist to be pleasing to us?  What has to happen for a church to become a “Christian club” instead of an outpost in the advance of our gospel mission?

Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Verses 1-3 give us a filter through which to read much of 1 Corinthians.
  • If you read this book looking for what you can and can not get away with, if you get frustrated that all your questions aren’t answered, you could very well be reading this book for the sake of “knowledge.”
  • If you read this book and it changes your perspective…to think less of yourself and the rules you have to follow and to think more of how you can be freed to love God and love other people to Christ…then you are getting the big picture.
• Our consciences are shaped by what we know (What we think).  Our consciences can be wrong and weak.
  • The way to help your brother or sister get a stronger conscience is not by coaxing them into violating their weak conscience.
  • If our consciences are shaped by our thinking, then what people with a weak conscience need is the Word of God and a patient selfless friend.
• All things are from God and for God.  We exist for Him.  Christ is Lord.
  • If my greatest desire is to please God, then my decision to withhold from “eating meat” for the sake of my brother will give me more joy than if I had “eaten the meat.”

Question to consider:

1. So…is it ok to “eat meat?”  Without any personal relationships involved, what was the answer?  When would the answer change and why?
2. What are the things that are more important than tasting that meat?  What matters more than whether or not I get to taste my favorite dish?
3. What did Christ give up for us?

Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Helpful thoughts:

• We Christians know that Jesus is coming again.  This knowledge causes us to look at the world and life differently.  We have a different purpose and reason for living.
• A Christian who remains single has not sinned.  A Christian man and woman who marry one another have not sinned.
  • All of the above should love Jesus most and look at everything they do through the lens of following Him.
• As it relates to a person’s ability to focus their attention and schedule on the work of the Lord, the Apostle Paul (And the Word of God) says it is better to remain single.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the context of this passage and the original question from the church (1 Corinthians 7:1-2) help us to understand this passage with a right balance (As well as passages like Ephesians 5:22-33)?
2. Single adults in local churches often report being asked why they are having a “hard time” finding a spouse, in ways that make it apparent people think there’s something wrong with them.  How does this passage correct that thinking?  What advantage do single believers have?   Should single believers and couples look down on each other or be thankful for and support one another?  How are both good for the church and to be celebrated?
3. Whether you are married or single, what future event (And person) is to hold preeminence in your expectations (Revelation 19:11-16) and therefore hold the greatest sway in your decision making?

Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Helpful thoughts:

• In the same way that a person who had become a Christian should not seek to divorce their unbelieving spouse (Previous verses), all Christians are encouraged in this passage to continue in whatever surroundings they are in (Within reason) to shine the light of Christ.
• Your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, etc. can be seen as places and people to whom the Lord has purposely placed you so that the Gospel message can be heard!
• Being a bondservant or slave in Corinth during the time of the writing of this letter was a far different experience than we know of from American history.  All the same, Paul still encouraging slaves to purchase their freedom if they were able.
  • This should encourage anyone who is in a wrong, sinful, or abusive situation to understand, Paul’s exhortation to “remain in the condition you are in” should not be seen as a command to remain in those dangerous conditions.

Questions to consider:

1. What appears to be the heart of Paul’s message in these verses?  What are Christians to be and to do with the people they are around in life (Matthew 5:13-16)?
2. What are the “Conditions you are in?  Who lives near you in your neighborhood?  Who do you see at work or at school?  Who are your family members?
3. How can you be praying for and seeking to communicate the gospel with these people with whom God has purposely placed you?

Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 7:8-16

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul continues his argument from verses 1-7.
  • Those who are presently single, it’s good to remain single if you are comfortable to do so.  If not, get married.
  • Those who are presently married, don’t leave your spouse in order to pursue the gift of singleness!  What God has joined together, let not man separate (Matthew 19:6).
    • Anyone who had already done this was not at liberty to marry anyone else.  If they were going anywhere, it needed to be back to their spouse.
  • If you have become a Christian and your spouse has not (Remains an unbeliever), you should not divorce them (God could use you to lead them and your children to Christ!).  If the unbelieving spouse divorces the believing spouse, the believing spouse is freed (Meaning, they would be free to later marry a believer).
• In verses 10 and 12 there are two parenthetical statements: “Not I, but the Lord” and “I, not the Lord.”  This does not mean that Paul was speaking on his own or that these verses aren’t the Word of God.  Paul was simply referring to the teachings of Christ.
  • What Paul taught in verses 10-11 came from Jesus’ teaching.
  • What Paul taught in verses 12-16 were further details Jesus had not specifically addressed in his earthly ministry.

Questions to consider:

1. Jesus lamented that divorce was a necessary evil in this sin cursed world (Matthew 19:8).  What does this passage reiterate concerning the intended permanence of the covenant of marriage?  If we begin reading passages like this looking for loopholes, what is already wrong with our thinking?
2. How does this passage encourage those who are presently married to unbelievers?  What might God do in their marriage?  How can it also be an encouragement/instruction to a single Christian who desires a spouse?  What should be the most important characteristic of a potential spouse for a Christian?
3. How do Christian parents lead their children to be set apart from the world (“Holy”)?  How can you point your children toward Jesus today?  Or, based on where God has you in life (What relationships he has given to you) who is your primary mission field?

Today’s passage: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

• Verses 1-24 in this chapter are written to answer the question sent from the church to Paul concerning this statement, “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
  • This is not a statement Paul is making.  It is a statement the church is debating.  Paul provides the definitive response (God’s Word on the matter).
• Concerning sexual relations, Paul lays out two gifts from the Lord:
  • Marital intimacy – “Each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”
  • Singleness – Paul will later share how he appreciates the freedom to focus himself on the work of the Lord.
• Paul’s preference was that everyone remain single, but he knew that was not God’s design.  God does not gift every believer in the same way for a reason.

Questions to consider:

1. What important truths do we learn about marital intimacy in these verses?  Do we find words like “take” or words like “give?”
2. With what we read in this passage, what kinds of intimacy would be considered impure or the result of a lack of self-control?  When is intimacy pure and good, to be enjoyed?
3. If singleness is a gift from God, how should the church interact with single people among the church?  Why is it wrong to treat single people like they have something wrong with them?  In what way are they especially equipped to serve the Lord in ways married people can not?