1 Corinthians 1:1-2:5 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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Jesus Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
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I. Greetings (1:1-9)

>1. Who is the sender of this letter?

* 1 Corinthians 1:1 "Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,"

* "Paul"

* "Sosthenes"

* Paul wrote this letter in 55 or 56 AD while he was at Ephesus during his 3rd missionary journey. Paul is dealing with problems concerning the young congregation as a whole and also with personal problems.

The first issue makes it clear that Jesus is the head of the church. I belong to him. I follow him. He was crucified for me. I was baptized into his name. I should not turn another into a kind of living idol.

I did not know God. I could not have known God unless he reveals himself to me. (21) Even if I were to study and learn from the wisest and most published person I would not know God. The world through its wisdom cannot know God.

I am saved through the cross of Christ. The cross of Jesus is foolishness to mankind. The cross of Jesus is a weakness to mankind. We are wrong in both. The cross of Christ is God's strength and God's wisdom.

Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Some have said I know a lot and am well studied. The more I study the more I see that I know little nor have much wisdom unless God reveals it to me. That what I don't know or understand I study a lot to learn a little more in hopes to understand that which I don't understand. Once I learn something it brings more questions and things that I do not understand. So more study, prayer, and thought is needed. Yes, I accept all I know has been revealed to me by God through his Spirit.

I am not strong physically even though I jog and go to the gym. I am not strong mentally nor emotionally though it may appear to be so from the outside. When trouble and problems come I try to face them with faith. Yet I worry and am concerned.

So for wisdom and strength, I go to God. I am weak. He is strong. I am not wise. He is all wisdom.

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>How does he identify himself?

* "called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus"

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>Why has he been appointed this?

* "by the will of God"

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>Who was with him? (Acts 18:17)

* "and our brother Sosthenes"

* Acts 18:17 "Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever."

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>2. Which congregation is called out as the recipient and how did he hear the gospel? (2a, 2:1; Acts 18:1-5, 11)

* 1 Corinthians 1:2a "To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy"

* 1 Corinthians 2:1 "I When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God."

* Acts 18:1-5 "After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ."

* Acts 18:11 "So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God."

* ""To the church of God in Corinth"

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>How are they identified?

* "to those sanctified in Christ Jesus"

* "called to be holy"

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>What does this personally mean to you?

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>Who is addressed? (2b)

* 1 Corinthians 1:2b "together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours"

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>What does God's grace and peace mean to you? (3)

* 1 Corinthians 1:3 "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

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>3. What was Paul thankful for? (4-6)

* 1 Corinthians 1:4-6 "I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you."

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>Why was it important to know that the gospel spoken to them was confirmed?

* "our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you"

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>What do we eagerly wait for?

* 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."

* "you do not lack any spiritual gift"

* "as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed"

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>How can one be made and then remain blameless before that day?

* "He will keep you strong to the end"

* "so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ"

* "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."

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II. Agree With One Another (1:10-17)

>4. What problem arose in the Corinthian congregation? (10)

* 1 Corinthians 1:10 "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."

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>what are some ways divisions can occur in a congregation?

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>What does it mean to be "united in mind and thought"?

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>5. What was the source of quarrels at Corinth? (11-12)

* 1 Corinthians 1:11-12 "My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."

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>What answer to the questions in verse 13 could have avoided the quarrels?

* 1 Corinthians 1:13 "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?"

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>6. What was Paul thankful for and why? (14-16)

* 1 Corinthians 1:14-16 'I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)"

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>To Paul, what was his first priority? (17, 15:1-8; Mark 16:15-16)

* 1 Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."

* 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."

* Mark 16:15-16 "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

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>What is yours?

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III. Boast in the Lord (1:18-2:5)

>7. What are two ways that people see Jesus' crucifixion? (18-19)

* 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 "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. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'"

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>What two wisdoms are there and what is the outcome of each? (20-21)

* 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

* "the world through its wisdom did not know him"

* "God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe"

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>How is God's way to know him, Christ crucified, a stumbling block to miracle and/or wisdom seekers? (22-23)

* 1 Corinthians 1:22-23 "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,"

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>What do both fail to accept? (24-25)

* 1 Corinthians 1:24-25 "but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."

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>8. Take a sincere look at what you were like before Christ called you considering verse 26.

* 1 Corinthians 1:26 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth."

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>What are the three reasons that God chose such things according to verses 27-29?

* 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are"

* "to shame the wise"

* "to shame the strong"

* "to nullify the things that are"

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>What is the final reason from our perspective? (29)

* 1 Corinthians 1:29 "so that no one may boast before him."

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>9. What is the only way to be in christ Jesus? (30)

* 1 Corinthians 1:30 "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."

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>Who then is Jesus to true believers?

* "who has become for us wisdom from God"

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>What does it mean in more detail?

* "righteousness, holiness and redemption"

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>Can you or anyone then say that they came to know God through their own power or wisdom? (31)

* 1 Corinthians 1:31 "Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

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>10. What simple way can and should the gospel be preached? (2:1, 3-4a)

* 1 Corinthians 2:1 "I When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God."

* 1 Corinthians 2:3-4a "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words"

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>Who is the core of the gospel? (2)

* 1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

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>Who really makes it possible for anyone to hear the gospel and why? (4b-5)

* 1 Corinthians 2:4b-5 "but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

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>Can you preach the gospel this way? (John 4:28-30, 39-42)

* John 4:28-30 "Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" They came out of the town and made their way toward him."

* John 4:39-42 "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

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