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Q4. (1 Corinthians 4:17) What qualities about Timothy encouraged Paul to send him on a sensitive mission to the Corinthians -- that might have involved some disrespect and abuse? If God were to call you to fulfill a sensitive mission -- to a neighbor or across the world -- would you accept? Why or why not? In the eyes of Paul, who loved Timothy, he was faithful to the LORD and lived the kind of life similar to Paul and in essence, he trusted Timothy with sharing the truth of the gospel, as did Paul. This made Paul feel that Timothy to handle the sensitivties of the mission field as he touched others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have accepted the calling of God on my life. Eveb though that calling has not led me to foreign countries, He has led me into new situations in which I have started new Bible classes and small group ministries and other like venues where I am able to stand firm in my faith about the matchless Word of God and "the" truth" of His gospel.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 4:9-13) Why do you think Paul lists the abuse he has to take? What effect did he want it to have on his readers? What effect does it have on you? Do you avoid ministry that comes with abuse? Paul may have been thinking about the Romans parading captured enemy soldiers through the town before execution. Sometimes he uses metaphors to lead the reader to the fact that there are ills and abuses to believers as much as to soldiers against the current empire but that the LORD calls us to serve Him through extreme faith and confidence in Him and His protection of us…Often we approach situations hesitantly out of fear or what I like to say lack of confidence/faith that can sustain us no matter what. He was preparing the Corinthians for being able to stand firm in the midst of abuse, opposition, ridicule for their faith. Even though Paul used words like foolishness, weakness, suffering, his stance was that the Corinthians needed to let these situations be established as the truth of their faith and not allow the gospel to be damaged. It is the same today as the devil is alive and active and posing opposition, threats, etc in our way and we need to remain firm in our faith, because when we are firm in the name of the LORD, we can remain effective even under opposition.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 4:3-5) Why doesn’t Paul care how others judge him? Why doesn’t Paul judge himself? Why are our motives so important in God’s judgment process? Do you see God as a harsh judge? An easy judge? Why? Paul does not bother about what others think about him and he does not worry about himself because it is only the LORD at the appointment Who will judge him. Our motives are important in this process because God see what is in our hearts and want us to be open before him. What we feel about our situation or excusing ourselves from what we do or do not do matters not, only that which matters to God. He alone sees our motives, which may be hidden to others and/or to ourselves. God is neither a harsh nor an easy judge; He is God but holds us accountable to that which is right and is part of our sanctification process.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) In what sense is a Christian worker a “steward”? Have you ever met a Christian worker who wasn’t faithful? What effect did this have on the church? On this person’s witness. What are the reasons we are sometimes unfaithful in our area of ministry? What can we do to remedy that? A steward is typically a manager…one who has responsibility over a program, a house, a church, financial resources, property, et al. A Christian worker is indeed a steward or manager of the grace of God given through the Holy Spirit through which He works to bring the good news to others as well as helping to build up the church (people) in being more faithful and devoted to the LORD Jesus. People who claim to be Christian workers and who are not faithful to the LORD are truly a hindrance and road-block to the matchless Word of God and the message and heart of He who died for the forgiveness of all our sins and gave us the command to spread His message to all the world. This attitude negative affects the church’s ability to be credible to the unbelieving world and thereby prohibits the progress in the sharing of this Christian message of hope to the world. Sometimes we get over our heads by not saying “No” to some service opportunities; not stopping to weigh the priorities of our spiritual gifts against the myriad areas of service so they match. That leads to feelings of being overwhelmed and not being faithful to the tasks we have said “yes” to being stewards/servants.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 3:17) Division and church splits injure people, especially tender new believers. Why do you think there is such a harsh punishment for those involved in hurting Christ’s church? What are better ways to deal with differences in the church? First of all, we are held accountable and responsible for the edification of the church; i.e., the teaching in the faith and the building up of the church. When the schisms/splits occur, the LORD must be quite disappointed because the church is being hurt by people being at odds with one another but also by splitting and people leaving for better green pastures… We have the responsibility to communicate and work together as the people of God rather than working against the will of God by putting forth our selfish motivations. God expects the church to work together.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 3:9-13) In terms of building congregations in our day, how would you assess quality vs. slip-shod building materials and methods? How important is improving your ministry skills through training? Prayer? Practice? Diligence? Faithfulness? Doctrinal accuracy? Devotional life? Openness to spiritual gifts? Etc. Each church and each individual Christian within the church is held accountable for quality construction not only of buildings but of souls as well. In fact, Paul stated to the Corinthians that we was skilled, not shoddy, builder who concentrates on the quality of the construction from the inside out…that he was not just a run-of-the-mill builder but a highly skilled contractor. Likewise today whether constructing buildings or souls, the foundations of such need to be laid in direct relation to faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. In order to maintain those high skills maintained by Paul, we too must remain prayed up and trained up, taking advantage of as many training seminars and Bible studies in order to remain equipped for the work at hand. Our skills need not be dull but continually sharpened in prayer, diligence, our faith, our knowledge and accuracy of doctrine, as well as remaining involved with our devotional life and being open to the spiritual gifts with which the LORD has blessed us.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 3:4-9) In what ways do denominations encourage Christian unity? In what ways do they foster disunity? Does belonging a “non-denominational” church make any difference regarding unity throughout the body? How can we tear down the barriers that divide us? There are all kinds of attempts for Christian unity among denominations from seminars to retreats to weekend gatherings. I am specifically referring to thos who remain true and loyal to the "matchless Word of God", wherein there is One true God, Son and Holy Spirit. Those efforts are Biblically correct and empahsize unity appropriately. Although there are legitimate reasons for denominations, that is one of the main reasons for disunity because there is quarreling and fighting to try to prove whose is the right theological way. The only thing that matters is our relationship with the risen LORD, not to which particular denomination we may belong. Although each Christian non-denomination or denomination can lead towards unity if they have the following in common: a personal forgiven relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ and working in sync with Him towards the unity of us all...

Q1. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) In behavioral terms according to these verses, how would you classify yourself in terms of hunger for the Word? In terms of jealousy and quarreling? – infant, child, teenager, adult? What will it take for you to grow to the next stage? a. I have always been hungry for the Word Of the LORD. The Bible feeds my hungry soul so that I can become more like Chirst, get closer to Him, be enabled to love Him more and to serve Him more as I become more spiritually equipped. I continue to study the Word for my own edification but also teach his Word in my Bible Study class and small group ministry I facilitate. I take classes like this and also participate in other Bible studies as a participant to assist in my growth process out of infancy one day. b. In order to grow into the next stage, I must continue with what I submitted in paragraph a. above. In so doing, I stay away from any jealousy, quarreling or other stressful situations that might change my focus on the LORD and His will for me.

Q5. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). Explain how we can “have the mind of Christ.” How does this work, according to these verses? How does having the Holy Spirit “circulating” through our minds explain spiritual gifts working through us? First, the Spirit which is of/from God helps us to understand that the substance and the verbal expression of the apostles' witness to Jesus are indeed from God. Up to this point, it seemed that using the term "spirit" or "spiritual" seemed to refer to things or words but Paul seems to be moving in a different direction here in referring to "spiritual" people: only the Spirit can render the message of the cross truly understood to someone...this means that believers/Christians then are spritual people, and non-believers do not have the spiritual capacity to understand the things of God. 1 Corinthians 2.10b states that "the Spirit searches all things...no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God". Second, and according to verse 13, ESV, the Spirit "interprets spiritual truth to spiritual men", again making the point that people who have received the Holy Spirit have the frame of mind and perspective to not only receive but also to understand and comprehend spiritual things. V. 16 states that "he who understand the mind of the LORD has the mind of Christ". Acording to our lesson, we have the Holy Spirit and can communicate and share our thoughts even at their most basic level to someone else. The thoughts come to us from the Holy Spirit through Bible Study, prayer and intimate moments with the Spirit.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 2:1-6) Why didn't Paul conform to the rhetorical standards of his day in order to communicate more clearly? What is the danger of "repackaging" the message? What does it mean that Paul relied on a demonstration of the Spirit's power? Paul did not conform to the standards ofd his day because his message came from the LORD through the Holy Spirit and did not need to include any lofty eloquence, wisdom or pursuaveness of the world at that time. His message was fresh and new and atypical of the time, and that is what is so refershing of the Word of the LORD God. That was his focus and remained his stance no matter his circumstance nor his physical condition...he was content in his situation and remained strong in using the Holy Spiriti of God and the LORD Jesus fromhis heart to share the message of Almight God.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) In what way does Christ represent God’s wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption? How far do these go to lay the basis of a truly Christian philosophical system? Christ shares His reality of values, what is good for us, what is right for us through His life and through the matchless Word of God. He points us in the right direction for the right kind of living. He sets us apaart of His glory as our lives become dedicated to serving Him and the cleansing of our lives enrich and equip us to follow Him in service to Him and others.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 1:21-25) In what areas do non-Christians in our culture stumble over the basic gospel of Christ? To what degree can we help bridge this gap through careful and creative presentation? To what degree might that be "watering down" the gospel? Why can't we escape the tension between culturally-relevant communication and changing the essence of the message? Verse 21 states that wisdom was not something that the world knew and was a stumbling block but through preaching it can be obtained clearly. Most were not in good relationship with God and therefore like the world today do not comprehend and further refuse to try to understand and are more pleased with that status than being uncomfortable in a righteous realm of understanding. An attmept s to water down the gospel may sound attractive to the world but does not get at a personal relationship with the LORD; there is no concept of forgiveness of sin and no redemptive concept consequently enters the picture. we therefore continue to be engaged in the dichotomy of current culture and the attempts to change the truth of the message versus the validity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Q1. Name four value differences between Christian teaching and the values you see pushed to us on television. Example: Sex between consenting adults is okay, vs. sex belongs in marriage. Now name four more. 1. Worldly Attention to Money vs. Spiritual Wealth of God In Or Souls 2. The World vs. The Matchless Word of God regarding prayer, Bible, the mention of the LORD's name in public schools and government buildings 3. Empahsis on outward beauty especially in women vs. the beauty of the inward soul 4. Idolatry (many gods) vs. The Biblical Truth of One God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 1.10-12) What kind of divisions do you see in your congregation? There are continual divisions in our church because of the differences of opinions of various individuals involved in that process...it lends to not being in agreement and is against the command seen in verse 10. There have been schisms in this church in the past but that was a long time ago. The divisions now are problematic and if unresolved could very well go into a schism mode...this church leadership is more pastoral-led than members-led and due to that factor, divisions occur but overall work themselves out but not within the framework of unity in spirit and mind and thought. What is the cause of the divisions in Corinth? Within the Corinthian church were quarrels, contentions, rivalry, pride, discourse...all types of division that could easily lead to schisms, which, as our leader has put in the notes, is "ugly and sinful"! What is the cause of divisions today? Divisions today have the same basis or foundation as existed with the Corinthian Church which all related to non-unity among the people. How do we obey the command to "agree with one another" from verse 10. Even though we do have the common bond of the LORD Jesus we people still tend to try to push personal opinions through at the cost of unity. Paul was correct when he wrote to another church (at Ephesus) to "be humble and patient with each other, approaching one another and the issues in love, unity and peace because we all have one LORD, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father over all of us."

God gives us so many gifts and graces which include those in this study: strength, forgiveness, faithfulness and fellowship...without these gifts I would be totally lost on completely on my own. All those years in my life where I found myself on my own by own choice led me into total chaos, a mess, and totally distraught and downcast against me. But praise God, I came to my senses and started benefitting from these gifts. As I will emphasize, these are not one-sided, i.e., only to be received...sure they are free and undeserving but that is what grace is all about. I "do" have to participate and strive to become closer to Jesus along the way. By so doing I will gain the strength for the living of my days and the work of service in which I am involved. By seeking and receiving His forgiveness, I not only experience that great feeling of reconciliation but also can enjoy an increasing faith in Him while simultaneously knowing and experiencing His complete faithfulness to His promises of always being with me no matter what I do or where I am. Oh, yes, I know this to be true and can witness to that fact over a multitude of times in my life. And finally, there is nothing better than to be involved with and participate in the fellowship of believers. We brothers and sisters in the faith partner together with each other and with our LORD in an amazing realization of His love and our devotion to each other and to Him.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 1.4-7): How often do you thank God for the blessings of those who don't like you, or of your actual enemies? What does it say about Paul that he thanks God for the gifts of those who are at odds with him? What specifically does he thank God for about the Corinthian believer? So often I find it difficult to thank God for those whom I do not like or are not in good relationship with. It is an area that I try to pray bout often because I need help in this matter. Although I recognize that there is nothing impossible to Him, I need to pray even more intentionally about this. I admire Paul in that he could reach out much beyond himself to get the help/discernment he needs to pray for his enemies. In fact, Paul specifically asked the LORD that no one lack any gifts/blessings from the LORD God.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 1.2): What does "called to be holy" or "called to be saints" mean? What is a saint according to the Bible? Why is it so comfortable for us to say, "I'm no saint"? what is expected of a person who has been set apart as the personal property of the living God? What kind of behavior does the world expect of those who claim to be followers of Christ? Called to be holy and/or a saint is being set apart by God to a special relationship with Him as one who calls upon the name of our LORD Jesus Christ and that we are called alongside all others called before us everywhere who along with us call upon the name of the LORD Jesus. We make a mistake and are misinformed by thinking that a saint is synonymous of "being perfect". The notes confirm that we are not perfect (as the world would wrongly expect us to be) and that sainthood does not reflect perfection but rather God set us apart into this relationship. We belong to God and it is HE who set us apart into this position/relationship. If we accept this calling, then we are aligned with Him in personal obedience and love for Jesus.

Good morning, I am Larry from Georgia near Atlanta and am excited to participate in this study of 1 Corinthians. I am an avid Bible reader/studier on a daily basis...I teach Bible study on Sunday mornings in my church and facilitate a small group in my home one night a week in a Bible study format. I always look forward to Bible studies and am excited about this new way of doing it. Have a great day on this Good Friday in our Holy Week activities.