HANDOUT: 1 Corinthians 10:21-11:6 Imitators

April 22, 2016  1 Corinthians 10:21-11:6

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Paul continues his theme of how our behavior impacts others, particularly in questionable or debatable areas, such as (for the Corinthians) food offered to idols.  Then his commands lead us right into an area that can raise controversy in our own day.  Download the handout and see what conclusions you come to about the issues Paul raises.  Think about how you distinguish between issues and instructions that are timeless and those that are cultural.  Which ones are only applicable in the first-century?  Which ones apply to us?  How much (if at all) are they to be adapted to our twenty-first century Western customs?

One of the goals of our discussion group has been to improve our ability to learn from the Bible individually and together.  With that end in mind, the Observation, Interpretation, and Application questions in the handout are generic, not specific to this passage.  Use the inductive method (including more suggested questions on the back of the handout) to explore this passage and sharpen your skill for understanding Scripture.

 

1 Corinthians 10:6-23 Sacrificial Meals

April 15, 2016   1 Corinthians 10:6-23

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Paul continued his exhortation for self-examination.  In the previous section we ended our discussion on his words of warning based on the negative example of the Israelites (v. 6).  Now he expands on that example with specific sins of God’s people:  idolatry (v. 7), immorality (v. 8), trying God, putting Him to a test (v. 9).  Those are weighty, serious sins.  Then he adds something that almost seems surprising by comparison, grumbling (v. 10).  Most of us don’t struggle (at least not outwardly) with worshipping images or flagrant immorality or challenging God.  Grumbling and complaining about our circumstances may hit closer to home. Continue reading

Handout – 1 Corinthians 10:6 – 23  Sacrificial Meals

April 15, 2016   1 Corinthians 10:6 – 23

 

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This passage continues Paul’s example of the Israelites, further expanding his comments about being “disqualified” from the previous segment.  This is an opportunity to look at a familiar and comforting verse about temptation (v. 13) in its broader context.

One of the goals of our discussion group has been to improve our ability to learn from the Bible individually and together.  With that end in mind, the Observation, Interpretation, and Application questions in the handout are generic, not specific to this passage.  Use the inductive method (including more suggested questions on the back of the handout) to explore this passage and sharpen your skill for understanding Scripture.

 

1 Corinthians 9:18 – 10:6 Examples

April 8, 2016   1 Corinthians 9:19 – 10:6

 

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Paul has just made a dramatic change in direction.  First he makes a compelling case for the rights he has in his ministry (1 Corinthians 9:4-12a).  Then he proclaims that he is not using those rights (v. 12b-17).  In the present passage he expands on his rationale. Continue reading

HANDOUT   1 Corinthians 9:18 – 10:6       Examples

April 8, 2016                  1 Corinthians 9:18 – 10:6

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 9_18-10_6 examples

 

Everything in the Bible is important (2 Timothy 3:16-17), but sometimes we get the impression that a writer is especially concerned about communicating a particular truth.  In this passage Paul uses examples and illustrations from his own life, from sports, from the Jewish Scriptures.  Interwoven with these persuasive pictures are startling statements about aimlessness and disqualification.

Download the handout and see what you can learn about the positive and negative influences that motivated the apostle Paul.

 

1 Corinthians 8:12 – 9:8         Rights

April 1, 2016                           1 Corinthians 8:12 – 9:8

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 8_12-9_18 rights

 

The tone of Paul’s letter seems to change dramatically at the beginning of chapter 9.  His expression of sacrificial humility and concern (“If food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again” in 1 Corinthians 8:13) becomes what various members of our discussion group described as a tangent or a “bunny trail” or even a defensive rant.

Perhaps the unspecified issues raised by the Corinthian’s questions (1 Corinthians 7:1) included concerns or criticism or complaints about Paul’s lifestyle.  Whatever the question (if that is what prompted his response) Paul defends his rights:  regarding food and drink (v. 4), regarding marriage (v. 5), regarding work (v. 6).  One of our group members commented that there was a common practice for itinerant philosophers and teachers to travel to different cities making money by giving speeches.  Perhaps Paul was being compared to this group and accused of mercenary motives.  (We barely avoided a lengthy comparison with present-day political figures!)

His defense centered on his role as an apostle, one who had actually seen “Jesus our Lord” (9:1).  In addition to his authority as an apostle, Paul extends the defense of his rights in three directions:  common sense, Biblical principle, and practical precedent.  The common sense argument cites examples of soldiers and farmers and shepherds who benefit from their work (v. 7).  Then Paul says that his defense is not limited to common sense of “human judgment” but is also confirmed in the Law of Moses (v. 8).  He quotes from Deuteronomy 25:4 about not muzzling an ox, presumably to allow the working animal to graze.  (He quotes the verse again in 1 Timothy 5:18 to encourage the support of elders.)  Finally, there is a precedent of payment for spiritual assistance that “others” (v. 12) have received.  Paul makes a strong case for his rights, particularly it seems his right to be compensated for his ministry.

Then, after building such a strong argument for his rights, he once again changes direction and asserts that he is not using the right he has just established:  “Nevertheless we did not use this right” (v. 12b).  Just as in the case of the freedom to eat even pagan food (8:12-9:1), here again Paul seems to be making a clear, intentional choice to forego legitimate rights.  In this example, his concern seems to be even broader than the “stumbling” of an individual brother (8:13).  Now Paul is concerned with the wider reputation of the gospel and his preaching.  Both priests in the Jewish temple and those in pagan worship make their living from what they do (v. 13) and so also those who proclaim the gospel (v. 14).  But Paul wants to be certain that no accusation can be made against him based on mercenary motives or monetary rewards.  Instead, he points to the reward that actually motivates him.  One member of the group suggested this is a reference to heavenly rewards.  But the text itself seems clear that Paul has something much more immediate in mind:  “What then is my reward?  That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge” (v. 18;  Note that he uses the word gospel eight times in his explanation in v. 12-18).  Paul is motivated by the gospel itself and the privilege he had in preaching its life-giving message.  The reward of freely offering God’s salvation to others far outweighed the rights he gladly gave up.  Perhaps the passion that fueled Paul’s “rant” was driven by the depth of joy he had in preaching the gospel.  He didn’t want any other reward to diminish that joy.

Our discussion turned to our own rights.  What we might need to sacrifice for the benefit of the gospel?  The gospel was more important to Paul than even his basic right to financial support.  What about us?  Our day-to-day experience of our rights may not be as dramatic as Paul’s, but their subtlety is part of the problem.  We often assume rights (usually unspoken), and we react badly when those rights are violated:  the right not to be hurt, the right to a good reputation, the right to good treatment.  Those rights are easily disregarded by a comment from a spouse, or the attitude of an unpleasant store clerk, or a rude driver, or a hundred other minor irritations.  Our natural response is usually annoyance, or anger, or a retaliatory word.  That response becomes our reward, the satisfaction of getting even, or putting another person in their place, or preserving our dignity.  We have defended our rights.  But if the gospel is more important to us than our rights, our desire will be, like Paul, to “cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ” (v. 12b).  Christ Himself, whose rights were most egregiously violated, is our best example:  “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).  He was not compelled to retaliate because of His dependence on His Father.  May we recognize the “rights” we are assuming and consciously, intentionally choose to “endure all things” (1 Corinthians 9:12) for the reward of displaying the character of Christ and the content of the gospel in our behavior.

 

HANDOUT   1 Corinthians 8:12 – 9:8         Rights

April 1, 2016                             1 Corinthians 8:12 – 9:8

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 8_12-9_18 rights

 

Paul has just finished a fairly short section on a controversial topic of his day about food from pagan worship.  Now he moves (it seems) into a broad range of topics, from marriage for apostles to who gets paid for what.  Or is this passage a continuation of the previous section but from a different perspective?  Download the handout and see what connects (or separates) his thinking from last week’s text to this one.

 

1 Corinthians 8:1-13                Knowledge

March 25, 2016              1 Corinthians 8:1-13

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Paul begins this passage with another of his “Now concerning” transitions to a new topic.  These may be the specific questions the Corinthians had asked him about (1 Corinthians 7:1).  From the first subject of marriage (7:1-40), now he turns to another question that was a part of the Corinthians’ lives:  idol worship (8:1).  The specific issue was about the food that had been sacrificed to idols.  What could (and could not) be done with the food after the pagan service? Continue reading

HANDOUT   1 Corinthians 8:1-13                Knowledge

March 25, 2016              1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 8_1-13 knowledge

 

The long list of items Paul has for the Corinthians continues.  How to deal with rival loyalties to different teachers?  What to do about blatant sin in the church?  How to approach singleness and marriage, especially between believers and nonbelievers?  Now the Apostle addresses another very practical concern for the Corinthians surrounded by the idolatry of their culture.  What to do about food that was part of a pagan ceremony and is now being sold in the market or served at a meal?

We don’t generally have an issue with this exact problem, but Paul gives us principles about dealing with what might be called “disputed matters.”  Even as dedicated Christians we may not agree about the appropriateness of different practices.  How do we relate to believers who see things differently?  How do we decide what are disputed matters and what are just excuses for sin?  Download the passage and see what Paul might say about differences you have with other believers over very practical matters.

 

1 Corinthians 7:29-40    Free from concern

March 18, 2016              1 Corinthians 7:29-40

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 7_29-40 free from concern

Often we puzzle over the exact meaning of a Biblical passage or what the writer was trying to communicate.  Sometimes the text includes a clear, direct declaration of the purpose.  We should take every advantage to use that purpose as a filter to help understand the rest of the passage.  In 1 Corinthians 7:32, Paul gives us just such a statement:  “I want you to be free from concern.”

A little later in the passage Paul elaborates on that purpose:  “This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”  His instructions leading up to this declaration certainly could sound restraining:  guidance for marriage versus singleness, separation from a spouse, widowhood, even the physical intimacy between a husband and a wife.  All of those directions should be interpreted in light of his purpose, to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

The beginning of the passage (v. 29-31) can be puzzling apart from Paul’s purpose.  Married persons should act as if they were not?  Ignore emotions of weeping or rejoicing?  Pretend we don’t have the things we possess?  As one member of our discussion group pointed out, the same Apostle who instructed husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25) is not likely telling men to pay no attention to wives.  Suppressing emotions may look like spiritual strength, but it does not build Christian community.  Denying our economic status may just be lying.  So what is Paul getting at?  How are those instructions aimed at our undistracted devotion to the Lord?

We need to see how even the good things in our lives, the abundant blessings God provides, can become distractions.  Paul’s desire is that we don’t define our lives by those things.  The form or framework of the world (as mentioned in the previous article) is passing away.  The commonly accepted ways people evaluate themselves and others (marital status, emotional stability, wealth, career, etc., etc.) are not to be our criteria.  When we live our lives even for good things (marriage, career, health, children, ministry), how do we react when problems develop or the good things begin to fade (marital problems, job loss, cancer, rebellious child, failed ministry)?  Blessings we depend on for our identity or satisfaction or fulfillment become the distractions that take us away from devotion to the Lord, the true Source of all those expressions of our joy in Him.

Paul doesn’t expect married believers to desert their believing spouse or to become emotional stoics or to renounce all their possessions.  What he does want is for us (husbands) to love our wives (Ephesians 5:25; Colossians 3:19), for believers to weep and rejoice with others (Romans 12:15), and to use possessions responsibly (2 Corinthians 8:14), especially for the benefit of others.  His concern is the distracting potential of those good things.  Too often, when we fear losing blessings we begin to manage circumstances and manipulate people to make sure the things we desire remain in place.  We develop the attitude (usually unspoken and not even consciously thought), “I need this for life to be OK.”  That is the distraction from our devotion to the Lord that Paul wants us to avoid.  He doesn’t say, “I want you to ignore concerns” but rather “I want you to be free from concern” (1 Corinthians 7:32).  As long as we live in the world (married or single, cheerful or solemn, rich or poor) we will have concerns.  Paul wants to minimize those concerns (e.g., his advice to stay single if possible), but he also wants believers to be free from the bondage of those concerns.  Those concerns are part of life, but they are not the controlling factors.