1 CORINTHIANS 1

Paul was concerned about the unity of the Corinthian church.

He knew that many did not understand the message of the cross.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:

VERSE 18:
Question:
What 2 groups did Paul refer to?
    1. Those who will perish.
    2. Those who are saved.
    Note:
        These two groups were in the process
        of either perishing or being saved.
        We are going in one of these two directions daily.

Question:
What were the differences between the two groups?
    1. The first group perceived
        the preaching of the cross as foolishness.

    2. The second group accepted the
         preaching of the cross as the power of God.

Question:
Why was the preaching of the cross
perceived as foolish by one group?
    – Through human reasoning, they perceived Christ’s
      death on the cross as a sign of weakness instead of
      power expected from a Messiah.

Question:
Why did the others accept it as the power of God?
    – They knew there was a 2nd part to the story;
      His resurrection (which did denote power).

VERSE 21:
Question:
What are some big hindrances to faith?
    – Human wisdom;
          God provided a salvation plan that defies human
          logic and emphasizes the need for faith.
    – Wealth.
    – Peer pressure.
    – Reluctance to give up one’s own will.
    – Being judgmental of others.

VERSE 22:
The Jews were practical people;
they wanted something they could see.

The Greeks were thinkers;
they wanted to reason things out; to understand.

Each in their own way wanted
to be in control of the situation;
they wanted to dictate terms to God
instead of relying on His plan and power.

VERSE 23:
Question:
How did the preaching of Christ’s
crucifixion affect the Jews?
    – It was a stumbling block
      (they began to fall away because they could not
       accept the idea that the Messiah was crucified).

Question:
How did it affect the Greeks?
    – Pretty much the same way.
    – They felt the message of
       a crucified Christ was nonsense.
    – How could One condemned as a criminal
       have a true message from God?
    – How could He impart wisdom?
    – As a result, they pushed this message
       aside in favor of the words of
       philosophers, whom they honored.

VERSE 24:
Question:
What people are called?
    – Jews and Greeks (ALL people).

Question:
What is the significance
in God’s calling us to salvation?
    – He takes the initiative;
      He is in control;
      we cannot be saved by works
      and therefore we cannot boast.

Question:
How do those who respond to God’s call,
interpret the crucifixion of Christ?
    – It shows the power and wisdom of God.
    Note:
        If we perceive the crucifixion in this manner,
        perhaps we are a part of the group being saved
        (it is a continual process).

VERSE 25:
Paul makes two points about God’s actions:
    1. What God does that appears foolish
        to man is, in fact, wise.

    2. What appears weak in man’s eyes is, in fact,
        a display of strength superior to man’s.

    Note:
        There’s a hidden message for us:
            – Those who are truly wise, don’t need to call
               attention to their wisdom; they do what is
               needed without worrying about what others
               may think.

           – Those who are truly strong, do not worry about
              whether their actions may appear weak to others;
              their strength is great enough
              that they don’t have to display it.

VERSE 26:
Question:
What three groups does Paul mention that
will have a small percentage of people saved?
    1. Ones with strong human or worldly wisdom.
    2. Ones who are influential and affluent.
    3. Ones born into a wealthy heritage.
    Question:
    Why (for each group)?

VERSES 27-28:
God’s ways are not our ways.
His ways are in direct contradiction to our ways.
In order to follow God,
we must forfeit our natural impulses.
God’s ways are confusing to those
with thoughts directed toward worldly things.

VERSE 29:
Question:
Why are God’s ways different than ours?
    – So that no person can boast in His presence.

    – If we could come into a right relationship
      with Him on the basis of high intellectual
      accomplishments, reasoning, etc.,
      we may have a tendency to boast.

VERSE 30:
Rewards of our faith in Jesus Christ:
    1. WISDOM – spiritual wisdom.
    2. RIGHTEOUSNESS – acceptance by God.
    3. SANCTIFICATION – set apart by God.
    4. REDEMPTION – saved from sin; belonging to God.

VERSE 31:
Paul quotes a portion of Jeremiah 9:24
“If we must boast, then boast in the Lord.”

Question:
What could we boast about in the Lord?
    – He understands us.
    – He knows us.
    – He loves us.
    – He is the Creator of all.
    – He saves us.
    – He comforts us.
    – He sent His Son to die for us.
    – He blesses us.

SUMMARY:
– The message of the cross and Christ’s resurrection
   is important for the world; at the risk of being
  misunderstood, it must be shared with others.

CHALLENGE:
– Look for an opportunity to brag about God this week.