1 Corinthians 5-8 QuestionsFriday,October25, 2013
1 Corinthians 5
vv. 1-2 Why might the Corinthians have felt proud about themselves despite the sin that had been exposed in their midst? When do you feel proud about your spiritual life even though there might be glaring sins that you are not acknowledging in your life? How can this kind of pride cause you to be blind to areas of sin in your life?
What perception would you have about a church that responded to this sexual immorality with being filled with grief and putting out of their fellowship the man who did this? Regardless of whether one agreed with the actions of the church, what is one thing that could be said about this kind of church?
v. 3 How did Apostle Paul model the role of a spiritual leader? How does this differ from your view of what a spiritual leader should be like or what you want your spiritual leader to be like?
How would you regard a spiritual leader that never passed judgment but accepted all behavior?
vv. 4-5 “Hand this man over to Satan” referred to excommunication not eternal destruction. Paul recommended excommunication with the aim that the man, desperate not to be shut out of the vital church community, would be shocked back to his senses.”[1] What was the end goal of this action? What does this action reveal about what is ultimately most important? What is the extent of the measures necessary to attain this end?
vv. 6-8 How is sin like a little yeast? What are ways in which the old yeast, “malice and wickedness,” manifests in your life?
The emphasis of sincerity and truth “is not on our perfection and sinlessness, but our openness and honesty….”[2] What are the ways I need to uphold sincerity and truth in my battle against sin? What would a church look like that upholds sincerity and truth?
v. 9 What does the content of Apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthians reveal about the nature of Christian life?
vv. 10-11 What is the more fundamental issue with the sexually immoral, the greedy, swindlers and idolaters in the church?
In v. 11, what is the key point of the phrase “calls himself a brother but is”? What discrepancy does this statement point to? Explore ways in which your life demonstrates this type of incongruity.
Apostle Paul equates the way they were to treat the sexually immoral with the way they were to treat the greedy, swindlers and idolaters among them. How does this tell us about the way we ought to evaluate and judge sin in our midst? What are some sins that you have been compromising on because they don’t seem as serious or outwardly blatant as sexual immorality?
vv. 12-13 Why does Apostle Paul consider it his business (and our business) to judge those inside the church? How does Apostle Paul’s practice of dealing with those inside the church challenge us in how we ought to relate with brothers and sisters in the church?
What is it they were to hold one another responsible for? With what level of responsibility do I relate to my brothers and sisters in the church? What can we learn about what it takes to bring ourselves to repentance and what it takes to bring someone else to repentance? What is the goal of this kind of treatment of the wicked in their midst? What negative effects and damages are caused by those who call themselves Christian but do not live according to the teachings of God’s Word?
1 Corinthians 6
vv. 1-7 How should disputes be handled among believers according to this passage? Name 2 main points from Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians.How does having lawsuits among believers represent “complete defeat”? How does the Gospel enable Christians to respond as Apostle Paul suggests – rather be wronged and cheated?
v. 8 What is the irony of the Corinthians bringing lawsuits against one another while they were cheating and doing wrong as well?
vv. 9-11 In v.9, “Paul is not talking about isolated acts of unrighteousness, but about a whole way of life pursued persistently by those who thus indicate that they would be aliens in the kingdom of truth and light” (cf. I John 3:4-10).”[3] Is there this kind of persistent sin in my life that I need to repent of? The sins listed in v.9 seem to all represent some form of ruthless self-gratification and recklessness towards other people. Is there any way I am fostering this kind of way of life?
Why does Apostle Paul list very specifically what the Corinthians used to be? How might they have felt as they heard this list? And, how might they have felt as they heard words like washed, sanctified, justified after hearing the list that described their previous life? How does understanding the depth of my own sinfulness help me in my disputes with others?
v. 12 How does engaging in permissible but not beneficial behavior lead to being mastered? What are some “permissible” behaviors or habits I am engaged in that may not be beneficial for me?
vv. 14-15 Why does Apostle Paul bring up in v. 14 the fact that God will raise us from the dead, and how is the fact that we are members of Christ related to our future resurrection?
vv. 13-20 In what ways does Apostle Paul describe God’s view of our bodies? How do these descriptions of how God views our bodies differ from the world’s view of our bodies and what it’s for?
How should this affect/change the way we conduct ourselves, and what we consider permissible? What does my conduct reflect about my view towards my body?
v. 18 What can I learn about the nature of temptation and how to deal with temptation? What are some of my current temptations which can be dealt with by fleeing?
1 Corinthians 7
vv. 1-4 What two categories of Christians does this passage v. 1
How does this passage challenge the world’s obsession over marriage? Why may Apostle Paul have said that “it is good for a man not to marry”?
v. 4 How does v. 4 challenge the world’s notion of “my body is my own to do with as I please”? What obligations do singles have towards God and towards their future spouses with respect to their bodies?
vv. 5-9 What does Apostle Paul’s advice in v. 5 reveal about the nature, attitude and the importance of prayer? Why did Paul give specific guidelines and principles of duties of a man and a woman in relating to each other in marriage? What does this level of concern show about Apostle Paul’s heart for the Corinthians? What can I learn about spiritual leadership based on the tone and the content of the advice that Apostle Paul gives in vv. 5-7?
What principles and guidelines have been passed down to me from my leaders that I should adhere to so that I will not fall into sin? Self control is crucial in fighting off and being aware of Satan’s temptation (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). In what areas of my life do I need to exercise self control so that I can guard myself against Satan’s schemes? How can I cultivate overall self-control in my life?
vv. 10-12 Why does Apostle Paul make a distinction between what he’s saying and what the Lord is saying?
Marriage is a life time commitment. In today’s society, how serious are marriage commitments kept? Why would marriage be impossible without this kind of commitment? Why is commitment key to building any kind of deep and lasting relationship? The Bible analogizes my relationship with God as a marriage relationship. What kind of commitment do I have towards my relationship with God?
v. 14 “’Sanctified’ and ‘holy’ cannot here mean ‘saved,’ as verse 16 proves. Rather they refer to ‘the moral and spiritual impact of the life of the believer’ on the rest of the family, making those other family members ‘set apart in a very special place… as God’s object of devotion.’”[4]As a Christian, how can I have a “holy influence” toward non-Christians around me, especially my family members?
v. 15What can I learn from the fact that a believing man or woman is not bound to unbelieving spouses? What do the words “God has called us to live in peace” imply about the relationship between a believing spouse and an unbelieving spouse? What should be the most important criteria for who I marry? (Cf. II Corinthians 6:14)? How does this challenge my values regarding marriage?
v. 16What does v. 16 say about the prospects of a believer converting his/her spouse? What does this imply about the centrality of personal decision in salvation and our “control” over loved ones?
v. 17 Why is it appropriate for believers to “retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him”? How do these verses specifically address the issue of being married vs. single?
vv. 18-19 What can I learn about the fact that circumcision, which was an external sign of a Jew’s covenant/commitment to God, was considered nothing compared to keeping the commands? What “counts” before God?
vv. 20-27 Why does Apostle Paul tell the Christian slaves to “remain” as slaves and not to “let it trouble you”?What life circumstances and “situations” do people wish and try hard to change in their life?What does our frequent desire to change our “situation” reveal?Based upon “the Lord assigned to him” (v. 17) and “in the situation God called him to” (v. 24), what can I learn about God? What’s the relationship between being “responsible to God” and “remain in the situation”?What “situation” do I need to “remain in” and not to allow it to “trouble me”?What may God want to teach me through my present “situation”?
v. 28 “Many people naively think that marriage will solve all their problems.” (Life Application Bible study notes). What problems can marriage not solve? How does this text challenge the world’s view of marriage?
vv. 29-31What is the relationship between the “brevity of life” and the life that Apostle Paul exhorts them to live as expressed with the phrases ‘live as if they had none’, ‘as if they did not’, ‘as if they were not’, and ‘as if it were not theirs to keep’? What temporal issues and possessions do I need to let go of and no longer be engrossed with?
vv. 32-35What “concerns” do I need to be “free from” in order to have an “undivided devotion to the Lord”?What kind of person must I strive to be in order that my loved ones will not be concerned with how he/she can please me?
What advantage does a single have over a married person in order to live in the “right way in undivided devotion to the Lord”? What spiritual admonishment do I receive as “restrictive” when it is for my “own good?”What determines the “good” and “right” way to live? How does this challenge the world’s notion?
1 Corinthians 8
vv. 1-3 What kind of “knowledge” puffs up a person? Are there any ways I have been “puffing” myself up before others, because of some knowledge, talent or anything else I may possess? How can I use these things to build up others?
vv. 4-8 What “knowledge” is Apostle Paul talking about in v.7?
How could this “knowledge” lead astray those with “weak conscience” if it’s not accompanied with love? Why would those with “weak conscience” be easily led astray?
vv. 9-10 Apostle Paul urges the Corinthians not to demand their rights in ways that cause fellow Christians to sin. In what ways have I been exercising my freedom without any regard to how I may be negatively impacting others?
What is the relationship between love and refraining from exercising my freedom for the sake of others?What are some ways I can limit myself in order to love others (Cf. Galatians 5:13-14)?
v. 11What examples of “Christian freedom” exist today which “destroy” young believers, leading them to be “[…] alienated from Christ and fall away from the sphere of God’s saving power, being sucked back into their former way of life?”[5]
vv. 12-13 How is sinning against another Christian a sin against Christ (cf. Psalm 51, Matthew 18:5)?How seriously did Apostle Paul take the issue of sinning against other brothers?To what length am I prepared to go in order to not cause others to sin?
[1]Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994) 1636.
[2] John R.W. Stott, The Message of 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985) 77.
[3]GraigBlomberb, 1 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994) 118.
[4]GraigBlomberb, 1 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994) 135.
[5] Richard B. Hays, “1 Corinthians,” Interpretation (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1997) 142.