Some Assembly Required
Bible Study, Together and Apart. Seek out someone who will read 1st Corinthians with you and discuss. Look for study notes online at http://hawkmohawk.weebly.com/
Read Chapter 1 of First Corinthians
Paul sends a blessing of peace to “…all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (verses 2-3)
When you read, YOU receive a greeting of peace from the Apostle Paul. Scripture is a living word and that living greeting of God’s peace is for you, the reader.
Paul says the Corinthians, “…are not lacking in any spiritual gift…” (vs. 7)
God invests gifts in every believer. This word is for you! What questions arise?
Paul speaks of factions in the church. What are the church ‘factions’ today?
Paul says “Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom…” What do you see around you that looks like people wanting a sign for their religious/ spiritual experience? What in our world looks like people who desire wisdom?
Prayer: To receive the grace and peace of God, and to pass that gift on to others. Pray for unity in God’s church. Understand this prayer may lead to the unexpected.
FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION
Ask yourself what it means when the Living Word says to you personally, “You are not lacking in any spiritual gift.” Stop and consider that declaration. Does it surprise you? Write or discuss your thoughts about what it means.
Jews and Greeks
In our world there are still ‘Jews and Greeks.’ For our purposes, let us include not just people who follow Judaism, but people of any established religious practice. As for Greeks- let this mean any of the myriad philosophical world views that originate in human thought rather than in divine revelation.
Paul says “Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom…” What do you see around you that looks like people wanting a sign for their religious/ spiritual experience? What in our world looks like people who desire wisdom?
Paul counters both signs and wisdom with this: “we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
Please notice Paul assumes “those who are the called” includes both Jews and Greeks. This is a hint at one of the main themes of this letter- that people from different walks of life are untied in Christ. This was a radical idea for that time and place. Is it still radical?
FIRST CORINTHIANS
(New Testament)
The context of Paul’s letter to the Christians at Corinth is important for better understanding. Paul knew the people of Corinth. He certainly preached and taught in Corinth, and may have been the founder of the Corinthian church. But Paul was a traveling preacher. That means he was not a long-term pastor in a congregation such as we know today. He generally stayed in a city anywhere from several weeks, to several months, and then moved on. (In some cases, he stayed for a few years.)
This means there were significant time periods when he did not see members of a church he founded or taught. He kept in touch via letters, which travelled rather slowly in the ancient world.
Corinth was a port city and an important trade center which means there were people -and religious influences- from all over the Mediterranean world. This is exactly the sort of place a new religion might have a ready audience. It was also a place where lots of ideas and ideologies got mixed up, mixed in, and that led to confusion, mistakes, factions, and in some cases, bad theology, and worse practices.
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