My first reaction is that the title of this blog is an oxymoron. As I’ve been reading through 1 Corinthians I see Paul attempting to implement discipline in the church through a letter. He is totally dependent on the members of the church to perform the actions he recommends. Unfortunately, this situation has gotten worse. …
1 Corinthians 5
Big Idea: Sin is contagious. 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 1. What is the big issue Paul is concerned about? The big issue is the immoral environment that surrounds the Corinthians. This is the environment that they have just come out of. Following Jesus should lead the church to a new lifestyle, but there will always be…
1 Corinthians 4
Big Idea: Love must cause pain if that is the only way to achieve a change in direction. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 1. What did the Corinthians think of Paul? There are many ways we can view our spiritual leaders and I want to focus on three of them. The first way is to elevate them,…
1 Corinthians 3
Big Idea: God is the builder of the church. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 1. How is Paul feeling as he writes this? I think Paul is frustrated. He spent 18 months with this group of believers, and they seem to be much less mature than other groups that he only spent a short time with. 2….
1 Corinthians 2
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 1. How does Paul describe his preaching? The kind of preaching that Paul did is difficult to find today. He talked about God and specifically about His Son Jesus who came to earth and died on a cross to save us from our sins. 2. What is Paul’s message? At the center…
1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 1:1-4 1. How many times does the name Jesus appear in these verses? The name Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ appears 5 times in these verses. 2. Why might that be significant? Paul is going to address several issues within the church at Corinth. The issues indicate that the congregation has taken its…
Acts 18
Sources for information on Corinth: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/places/main-articles/corinth https://www.padfield.com/acrobat/history/corinth.pdf https://www.bibleplaces.com/corinth/ http://helpmewithbiblestudy.org/16History/CityCorinth.aspx#sthash.i5PqoRDD.dpbs Corinth was a port city with two harbors. In the 1800s a canal was cut through the city to allow ships to pass from one side to the other. It was an ancient city with a combined Greek and Roman culture. This made Corinth a strategic…
2 Thessalonians 3
2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 1. What is Paul’s first prayer request? Paul was always thinking about and praying for his mission. His desire was that the good news of forgiveness in Jesus would spread to everyone everywhere. 2. What is a reality that will always exist in this world? Wicked and evil people will always be…
2 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 1. What is upsetting the believers in Thessalonica? False teaching that asserts that Jesus has already returned and that there is no longer any hope for eternal life. 2. Why would this false teaching spread? In our fallen state we seem to tend to want to believe the worst. In my experience…
2 Thessalonians 1
2 Thessalonians 1:1-3 1. How have the Thessalonians responded to Paul’s first letter to them? They are growing in both faith and love. This likely means that they are trusting God even though their circumstances are difficult. It also indicates that they are caring for one another through these challenges. 2. What is missing from…