December 11, 2015                  1 Corinthians 1:29 – 2:13

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 1_29-2_13 spirit
Download translations:  1 Corinthians 2_13 Bible Gateway (selected)

Paul started his letter to the Corinthian church with an immediate concern about divisions and factions and loyalties to different teachers (1:1-17).  Then he addresses the contrast between the world’s view of wisdom and the seeming foolishness of the Gospel (1:14-31).  The tendency seemed to be to boost the attractiveness of the “foolish” Gospel with supernatural signs and philosophical sophistication (1:22).  In fact, the different styles of speaking or the various ways of teaching by Paul and Apollos and others may have been a significant part of the factions causing problems in the church.  In this passage, Paul gets even more specific, pointing to the shortcomings of his own ministry in Corinth. Continue reading →

December 11, 2015                  1 Corinthians 1:29 – 2:13

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 1_29-2_13 spirit
Download translations:  1 Corinthians 2_13 Bible Gateway (selected)

Paul continues his exhortations to the Corinthians about substance and form, or “my message and my preaching” (1 Corinthians 2:4).  Download the handout and see what he says in addition to the passage we looked at last week.

A second handout is also available.  The last phrase of 1 Corinthians 2:13 is interesting (which is usually a way of saying that different translators treat it in different ways).  The handout provides a handy (and hopefully helpful) way to compare ten different translations.  Look at those translations and any others that you find helpful.  What are the nuances of differences between the variety of ways scholars attempt to express Paul’s idea?  What can you learn from comparing the different translations?  Is that a helpful exercise, or just confusing?

Friday morning should be interesting, as always.

December 4, 2015   1 Corinthians 1:14-31

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 1_14-31 foolishness
Download structural outline: 1 Corinthians 1_14-31 ‘For’ outline

After Paul’s opening concern and exhortation (1:10) about the divisions in the church, he moves to what seems to be another topic which still applies today.  Some teachers or preachers are better or more skilled than others.  Some use more sophisticated language or convincing arguments.  Perhaps Paul’s train of thought is connecting the two issues.  It might be that the divisions in the Corinthian church (“I am of Paul.  I am of Apollos.”) were based on teaching style of the different teachers.  Luke records in Acts 18:24 that Apollos was eloquent and “mighty in the Scriptures.”  Later Paul hears that some in the same church were quite unimpressed by his speaking ability (2 Corinthians 10:10).  As is the case today, the believers at Corinth may have been more influenced by style instead of content, form over substance.  (“Let’s go to that other church.  The pastor is much more entertaining.”) Continue reading →

December 4, 2015   1 Corinthians 14-31

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 1_14-31 foolishness

Paul began his letter to the church at Corinth expressing his concern about the divisions that were already arising among the believers.  Factions and personal preferences seemed to be overriding the unity of the Gospel.  Then (in this weeks’ passage) he seems to move quickly to another topic, discussing foolishness and wisdom, cleverness and simplicity.  Is Paul going through a list of issues that are unrelated to each other?  Or is he concerned about a connection between the two troubling symptoms in the church?

Download the handout and see what conclusions you come to and what questions you have for our discussion group.

November 20, 2015                 1 Corinthians 1:1 – 17

Download discussion questions:  1 Corinthians 1_1-17 no divisions

Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth in a ministry that appears successful (a church was established) and turbulent (the disturbance described in Acts 18).  He left the city around AD 51-52 and wrote this letter about three years later.[1]  The letter (followed at a later time by his second letter) is apparently his response to reports that had reached him about the state of the church. Continue reading →