Undivided
Theme: Unity in Christ
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-31
Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)
Know: God desires for His followers to be united around their mission in Christ.
Think: View all believers as teammates in the mission to spread the gospel.
Do: Cultivate unity with other believers in order to spread the gospel
Notes and questions:
B1 1 Corinthians background
C1 Map
C2 About the city
D1 Made money from hauling goods from Lechaeum to Cenchrea.
D2 God was Aphrodite (Love and beauty)
D3 1,000 slave girls servicing the men at the temple
D4 Rome conquered and destroyed it
D5 Julius Caesar built a new city on this site in 46 BC
D6 Paul came to preach about 51 AD
D7 Pluralistic city with many cults
D8 Large population of Jews
D9 Legendary moral depravity (that was the heathen’s opinion)
C3 About the church
D1 Luke wrote about their time in Corinth in Acts 18
D2 Paul was there with Apollos, Aquila, and Priscilla
D3 Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians while there
D4 The church had many questions for Paul
D5 Paul had concerns about the beliefs and activities of the church
D6 Paul had to rebuke the Corinthians on false ideas and actions about the church, fellowship, the gospel, ministry, lawsuits, sexual sins, marriage, worship, spiritual gifts, the Lord’s Supper, etc.
D7 The church needed correction about the doctrine of the resurrection
D8 1 Corinthians was written in Ephesus
D9 1 Corinthians was written about 55 AD
B2 Unity needs and is based on
C1 Truth
C2 Humility
C3 Scripture interpretation
C4 Faith
C5 Doctrine
C6 What else?
B3 Can you worship with
C1 Lutheran
C2 Church of Christ
C3 Seventh Day Adventist
C4 Roman Catholic
C5 Calvinist
C6 Arminian
C7 Pelagian
C8 Emergent
C9 New Apostolic Reformation
C10 Rob Bell
C11 Pope Francis
C12 Hebrew Roots
C13 Orthodox
C14 Episcopalian
C15 A Democrat
C16 A Republican
C17 A Libertarian
C18 A Socialist
B4 Could you be a member of all the above?
B5 Corinthian unity problems
C1 Not based on doctrine
C2 Not based on lifestyle
C3 Not based on socio-economic status
C4 Based on a “pillar” of the church as Paul, Christ, Apollos, or Cephas
C5 What is the main problem with this elevating a person and aligning with them?
B6 1 Corinthians 1:10-17,
C1 1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Is this even possible today?
C2 1 Corinthians 1:11 NKJV For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.
D1 Contentions:
E1 Is used 9 times in the New Testament
E2 Is the Greek word: ἔρις eris
E3 Means: arguing
E4 They are not discussing issues; they are in each other’s face in argument. These arguments were emotional enough that they were causing splits in the church.
D2 When is something a conviction? When is something a convenience? What is the difference?
D3 What are convictions based on? What about convenience?
D4 Daniel 1:8 NKJV But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
E1 Is this conviction or convenience?
E2 What was his conviction based on?
E3 It was based on God’s law given through Moses. Was Daniel “saved” by keeping this law?
C3 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 NKJV Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” (13) Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
D1 What was the core problem with the brethren? Pride?
D2 What is the solution?
B7 1 Corinthians 1:18-31,
C1 1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
D1 Why is the message of the cross foolishness?
D2 Can we save ourselves?
D3 Why did Jesus have to die?
C2 1 Corinthians 1:19-22 NKJV For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” (20) Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (21) For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. (22) For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom.
D1 What is the wisdom of the wise and understanding of the prudent?
E1 No matter how wise in philosophy or examination can the truths of God and His ways be known?
E2 God reveals them so that even a child can understand them.
E3 God’s wisdom is so awesome that it makes the wisest of the wise seem foolish.
D2 How does God make the wisdom of the world foolish?
E1 The word scribes is understood by most to be the learned teachers of Israel– the Scribes.
E2 Why don’t they know?
E3 What was wrong with Nicodemus? John 3:10 NKJV Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
D3 Why does God state that He will destroy the wisdom of the wise? How does He do this?
D4 How does this apply to the Gospel?
C3 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 NKJV For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; (23) but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, (24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
D1 What is preached? A person, Jesus Christ. What is the importance of this compared to signs and wisdom?
D2 What should we do– signs, wisdom, or preach Christ crucified?
D3 Do miracles and philosophy bring people to Christ?
D4 Why is the crucifixion troubling to most people?
D5 What is Christ to us who are saved?
D6 Is there unity in the Gospel?
D7 How can there not be unity?
C4 1 Corinthians 1:25-29 NKJV Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (26) For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. (27) But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; (28) and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, (29) that no flesh should glory in His presence.
D1 How is God’s foolishness wiser than men and the weakness of God stronger than men?
D2 Are you glad the Scriptures state, “…not many wise…mighty…noble are called?” It could have not any wise, mighty, or noble are called.
D3 Why did God do things this way?
C5 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 NKJV But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— (31) that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.
D1 What 4 attributes of Jesus are listed?
D2 What does “…glory in the Lord” mean? One thing it means is not to glory in ourselves. What else?
B8 What idea or principle should be our unity? The gospel of Jesus Christ.
C1 There is only one Gospel. Note: believed God, God saw, and God reckoned to righteousness. Moses wrote it, Paul wrote twice, and Peter wrote. Jesus preached it, the Apostles preached it, and Paul preached it, so did Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets.
D1 Abraham:
E1 Genesis 15:6 NKJV And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
E2 Romans 4:3 NRSV For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
E3 Galatians 3:6 NRSV Just as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
E4 James 2:23 NRSV Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
D2 The prophets, Apostles, and Paul preached the same:
E1 Joel 2:32 NKJV And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
E2 Acts 2:21 NKJV And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
E3 Romans 10:13 NKJV For Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
C2 All the prophets preached the same Gospel: Acts 10:43 NKJV To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
C3 The gospel
D1 No one is good. The standard is God’s Law (Exodus 20).
D2 The penalty for breaking God’s law is death– physical, spiritual, and eternal.
D3 God initiates salvation, for no one seeks God (Romans 3).
D4 The Holy Spirit brings conviction, opening every human’s eyes, mind, and heart (John 16:7-9, Acts 16:14, John 6:44, 1 Peter 2:9, etc.). The Old Testament teaches it as well: Psalms 40:6 NKJV Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
D5 The idea of repentance is to turn, so we admit we are not good, we admit we cannot do good works to be saved, we admit we will be punished and go to hell; God is right; I am wrong.
D6 Belief: John 3:14-18 NKJV And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (18) “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
D7 Praying, calling out, asking for forgiveness: Romans 10:13 NKJV For “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
B9 Next week:
C1 Pure in His eyes
C2 Theme: Purity in Christ
C3 Scriptures:
D1 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
D2 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Posted by choco at 15:16
Labels: Corinthians, Gospel, Only one Gospel, Sunday School Lesson