College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
1 Corinthians 1 - Introduction
Butler's Comments
Chapter One
THE PROBLEM OF SCHISM (1 Corinthians 1:1-31)
IDEAS TO INVESTIGATE:
1.
How could Paul address people with so many spiritual failures as saints and sanctified? (1 Corinthians 1:2)
2.
Do Christians have to all agree on everything and think alike? (1 Corinthians 1:10)
3.
If Christ did not send Paul to baptize, is baptism then not essential to salvation? (1 Corinthians 1:17)
4.
Does Paul's denunciation of the wisdom of the wise mean Christians should reject all human knowledge? (1 Corinthians 1:20-25)
APPREHENSION AND APPLICATION:
1.
Why do you think the apostle Paul left his home country and wandered all over the Roman empire preaching Christ? Could anyone do that?
2.
Would the city of Corinth, for its time, be comparable to a large American city? Could people be sanctified to God in New York? San Francisco? How?
3.
What is a saint? Which work of grace sanctifies people?
4.
Why does Christian unity have as its basis the character of God?
5.
May Christians be united with those who impugn the character of God?
6.
How important is God's faithfulness to you? Could not all religious people unite without all believing in the absolute faithfulness of God?
7.
What does the Bible mean by saying God is One?
8.
Is it possible for all Christians to be of the same mind and united in the same judgment? How?
9.
Why are the principles of interpreting human language so important to Christian unity?
10.
Why do people divide the church over human leaders? Do leaders sometimes contribute to division? Why didn-'t Paul?
11.
Did Paul infer that baptism was unessential or unimportant? Why didn-'t he baptize those he converted? Who is authorized to baptize people?
12.
What is the instrument with power sufficient to unite all men in God?
13.
What is a revelation? Why must we accept the atonement of Christ for our sins as a revelation?
14.
Why is the acceptance of revelation necessary to Christian unity?
15.
What has the historicity of the gospel to do with unity? Should Christians seek unity with those who deny the historicity of the Bible? On what basis?
16.
Is preaching foolishness? Why does the world consider the cross foolish?
17.
Is there anything wrong in seeking signs? Is there too much of that today?
18.
Can there be faith without the Word of God being preached? In what?
19.
In what two ways may we prove the Word of God is reliable to produce Christian unity? Have you discussed this with other believers lately?
20.
Should Christians keep reminding themselves of what they were before being saved? What has that to do with unity in Christ?
21.
Do Christians have anything about which they may boast? Nothing at all? Why not?
Applebury's Comments
CHAPTER ONE.
Analysis
A.
Salutation and Thanksgiving (1 Corinthians 1:1-9).
1.
Salutation (1 Corinthians 1:1-3).
a)
Paul describes his apostleship in relation to Christ and the will of God.
b)
Sosthenes, the brother who must have been known to the Corinthians.
c)
He speaks of the church as the church of God, made up of sanctified ones who are called saints.
d)
They are associated with all who in every place call on the name of the Lord.
e)
His customary salutation is Grace and peace.
2.
Thanksgiving (1 Corinthians 1:4-9).
a)
He reminds the readers that he thanks God for them always.
b)
This thanksgiving is based on the grace of God that had been given them in Christ. It has enriched them in word and knowledge.
c)
The testimony of Christ had been established or confirmed among them with the result that they lacked no gift.
d)
In this manner, they were prepared to await the day of Christ's coming.
e)
Christ would confirm them to the end as blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.
f)
Assurance of this is given in the faithfulness of God who called them into the fellowship of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
B.
Beginning of the discussion of the problem of division (1 Corinthians 1:10-17).
1.
Introducing the problem. Following the introduction, Paul develops this topic by rebuking the sin of division. In it he contrasts the word of the cross with the wisdom of the world.
2.
Points in this paragraph.
a)
His approach.This is an exhortation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for oneness of thought and of expression of opinion.
b)
Source of his information, and what they were saying.
c)
Series of questions showing the folly of their actions.
d)
Why he baptized only a few of the Corinthian converts: Lest the cross of Christ be made void.
C.
The word of the cross and the wisdom of the world (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).
1.
Why he discusses this subject.He has just mentioned the contrast of the word of the cross and the wisdom of the world. This is at the bottom of the problem of division. This phase of the topic continues through 1 Corinthians 2:16.
2.
Points of these paragraphs.
a)
The contrast explained (1 Corinthians 1:18-25).
(1)
Two views of the word of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-19).
(2)
Series of questions and answers showing God's view of man's wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:20-21).
(3)
In contrast to the Jews-' interest in signs and the Greeks-' concern for wisdom, he preached Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:22-25).
b)
Appeal to their own lives to support his view of Christ who became wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
Questions
1.
What is the history of the founding of the church at Corinth?
2.
Why did Paul write the book?
3.
What is the theme of First Corinthians?
4.
What are its principal divisions?
5.
What is said of Paul's call to apostleship?
6.
What is meant by called apostle?
7.
Who is Sosthenes? Why is he mentioned?
8.
What does the word --church mean?
9.
Why is it called the church of God?
10.
What is meant by sanctified? What is implied by this term as to the life of the Corinthian church?
11.
How does the expression called saints-'-' relate to the problem at Corinth?
12.
What is meant by call upon the name of the Lord? What bearing does this have on the problem?
13.
How many times is the word Lord used in the first nine verses?
14.
What effect would this have on the readers of the epistle?
15.
In view of the situation at Corinth, well known to Paul, why speak of grace and peace?
16.
Knowing these conditions, how could Paul say, I thank my God?
17.
What was the grace that had been given them?
18.
What had enriched them?
19.
What is meant by utterance and knowledge?
20.
How was the testimony confirmed?
21.
Why did Paul say, Ye came behind in no gift?
22.
What is meant by the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ?
23.
What is meant by confirm you unto the end? How accomplished?
24.
What is the day of our Lord Jesus Christ?
25.
What is meant by unreprovable? What would its use suggest to the Corinthians?
26.
What is meant by called into the fellowship?
27.
What is meant by each word in the expression, Lord Jesus Christ?
28.
What was Paul's purpose in appealing to the Corinthians in this name?
29.
What is meant by mind and judgment?
30.
What is meant by perfected together? How does this relate to the problem at Corinth?
31.
What was the source of Paul's information about conditions in Corinth?
32.
What was the nature of their divisions?
33.
Why did Paul ask, Is Christ divided?
34.
How account for Paul's remark about baptism?
35.
Who were Crispus, Gaius, and Stephanas?
36.
How could the cross of Christ be made void?
37.
What two views of the word of the cross does Paul show?
38.
What two views of wisdom are given?
39.
How does the power of God reach our lives?
40.
What is meant by the foolishness of preaching?
41.
How can the word of the cross save the believer?
42.
In what were Jews and Greeks interested?
43.
Why was Christ a stumbling block to Jews?
44.
Why was the message of the gospel considered foolishness by the Greeks?
45.
What is meant by the statement, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God?
46.
What did Paul mean by the foolishness of God?
47. Why did Paul say, beyond your calling?
48.
What is meant by no flesh should glory before God?
49.
In what way are righteousness and redemption related to Christ?
For Discussion
1.
In what ways are the divisions in the church today like those in Corinth?
2.
How would the remedies for division which Paul presents in First Corinthians work today?