Marriage - 1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Understand It

• What guiding principles about marriage does God want us to know? (7:1-40)
• Why should "each man . . . have his own wife"? (7:2)
• What obligations does a Christian wife have toward her husband? (7:3)
• To whom does a Christian’s body belong if he or she is married? (7:4)
• Under what circumstances may married partners deprive each other’s sexual needs? (7:5)
• Why is it important for husbands and wives not to deprive each other’s sexual needs? (7:5)
• What instruction did Paul give to the unmarried and widowed? (7:8-9)
• To what has God called us? (7:15)
• What is more important than whether a person is married or single? (7:17-19)
• What is more important than whether a person is a slave or free? (7:20-24)
• What is one advantage in remaining single? (7:28)
• Why did Paul think it best to remain single? (7:28)
• What perspective can help us serve God well whether married or single? (7:29-31)
• What advantage do unmarried people have in ministry? (7:32-35)

Apply It

• What is one step you can take this week to free yourself from concern about a mortgage, a job, a project, or some other earthly matter?
• How can you use your unique experiences as a married or single person in service to God?

Lawsuits Among Believers - 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Understand It

• Why was Paul disturbed by the practice of Christians bringing their disputes before non-Christians? (6:1-6)
• Who will judge the world? (6:2)
• By what authority will Christians judge angels? (6:3)
• Who is qualified to serve as a judge for disputes among Christians? (6:4)
• What did the Corinthians need to do when they were wronged by other Christians? (6:7)
• How were the Corinthian Christians settling disputes with each other? (6:7-8)
• What did the fact that the Corinthians were suing each other prove about them? (6:7-10)
• How were the Corinthians deceived in their beliefs? (6:9)
• Who will not inherit the kingdom of God? (6:9-10)
• What were some of the Corinthians before they were saved? (6:11)
• What had changed the Corinthians’ standing before God? (6:11)
• How should the knowledge of Jesus’ redemptive work motivate you to abandon sin in your life?

Apply It

• What do you want to remember the next time you are wronged by another Christian?
• What particular action or attitude can help you forgive others when you are wronged?

Sexual Immorality - 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Understand It

• What did Paul mean by saying, "I will not be mastered by anything"? (6:12)
• Why should we abstain from sex outside of marriage? (6:12-20)
• What value does God place on our bodies? (6:12-20)
• What will God destroy? Why? (6:13)
• For what are our bodies meant? (6:13)
• What promise is given to Christians because God raised Jesus from the dead? (6:14)
• What makes our bodies special? (6:15)
• What’s wrong with sex outside of marriage? (6:15-16)
• Why is it not possible to be one with both Christ and a prostitute? (6:15-17)
• What does it mean to be one with Christ in spirit? (6:17)
• How is sexual immorality different from other sins? (6:18)
• How are Christians’ bodies unique? (6:19-20)

Apply It

• In what way can you remind yourself this week that you were bought at a price and are God’s temple?
• In what settings or situations should you take precautions against sexual immorality? How?

Apostles of Christ - 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Understand It

• How did Paul want the Corinthians to regard Christian leaders? (4:1)
• What does this passage teach about the life of an apostle? (4:1-5, 8-16)
• What attitudes should Christian leaders have? (4:2-4)
• Whom did Paul take pains to avoid judging? Why? (4:3-5)
• Why should we judge "nothing before the appointed time"? (4:5)
• How were the Corinthians going beyond the teaching of Scripture in their behavior and attitudes? (4:6)
• Why did Paul warn the Corinthians about pride? (4:7-13)
• In what way had Paul become a father to the Corinthians? (4:15)
• Why did Paul send Timothy to the Corinthians? (4:17)
• How is the kingdom of God a "matter of power"? (4:20)

Apply It

• What is one way you could imitate the example or wisdom of a more mature Christian you know?
• How can you remember to avoid a judgmental spirit toward others this week?

Apostles of Christ - 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Understand It

• How did Paul want the Corinthians to regard Christian leaders? (4:1)
• What does this passage teach about the life of an apostle? (4:1-5, 8-16)
• What attitudes should Christian leaders have? (4:2-4)
• Whom did Paul take pains to avoid judging? Why? (4:3-5)
• Why should we judge "nothing before the appointed time"? (4:5)
• How were the Corinthians going beyond the teaching of Scripture in their behavior and attitudes? (4:6)
• Why did Paul warn the Corinthians about pride? (4:7-13)
• In what way had Paul become a father to the Corinthians? (4:15)
• Why did Paul send Timothy to the Corinthians? (4:17)
• How is the kingdom of God a "matter of power"? (4:20)

Apply It

• What is one way you could imitate the example or wisdom of a more mature Christian you know?
• How can you remember to avoid a judgmental spirit toward others this week?

On Divisions in the Church - 1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Understand It

• Why did Paul call the Corinthians "mere infants"? (3:1-3)
• What were the Corinthians like? (3:3-5)
• What traits did the Corinthians have that made them worldly? (3:3-5)
• How did Paul want his readers to view both Apollos and himself? Why? (3:5-7)
• What is each Christian worker’s purpose in ministering to others? (3:8)
• How is the person who plants like the person who waters? (3:8-9)
• Who were the "fellow workers" who worked together on the Corinthian "field" or "building"? (3:9)
• What made Paul and Apollos equals under God? (3:9)
• What is the foundation of the church? (3:11)
• What is like either gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw? How? (3:12-14)
• What happens to the person who builds in others’ lives? (3:13-15)
• What important fact had the Corinthians failed to appreciate? (3:16)
• Why should we abandon the world’s idea of wisdom? (3:19)
• Why were the Corinthians to stop boasting about the individual leaders they followed? (3:21-23)

Apply It

• What is one way you can point another person to Christ this week?
• In whose life do you want to build God’s Word? How can you start?
• What need could you meet in your church over the next month to build up other Christians?

Wisdom From the Spirit - 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Understand It

• What kinds of wisdom are there? (2:6)
• In what way does the world’s wisdom fall short? (2:6)
• Where does the world’s wisdom lead? (2:6)
• How does God’s wisdom differ from the wisdom of this age? (2:6-16)
• What is God’s secret wisdom that only the mature will attain? (2:7)
• How was Jesus’ crucifixion related to the world’s lack of understanding God’s wisdom? (2:8)
• Why do people often fail to see God’s purpose for them? (2:9)
• Why is it possible to understand God’s wisdom only if His Spirit reveals it? (2:9-16)
• What characteristics will the wisdom that the Spirit teaches us have? (2:13)
• How are spiritual and unspiritual people different? (2:15-16)
• Who can make "judgments about all things"? Why? (2:15-16)

Apply It

• What spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible study, meditation on Scripture, etc.) could you practice this week to make you sensitive to the Holy Spirit?
• How might you approach a person you know who believes strongly in the wisdom of the world?

Thanksgiving - 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Understand It

• How did Paul describe himself? (1:1)
• What themes did Paul repeat several times? (1:1-9)
• What specific truths did Paul affirm? (1:1-9)
• What kind of people were the Corinthian Christians? (1:2)
• What words of affirmation did Paul have for his readers? (1:2-3)
• For what traits of the Corinthians did Paul thank God? (1:4-9)
• In what ways had the Corinthian Christians been "enriched"? Why? (1:5-6)
• What did the Corinthian Christians have? (1:7)
• What spiritual gifts did the Corinthians have? (1:7)
• Why did the Corinthians not lack for any spiritual gift? (1:7)
• For what period of time were the Corinthians’ spiritual gifts given? (1:7)
• For what were the Corinthians waiting? (1:7)
• How would the Corinthians be able to live as God called them? (1:8-9)
• What words of encouragement did Paul include in his opening? (1:8-9)
• How are Christians able to live as God has called them? (1:8-9)
• To what has God called all Christians? (1:9)

Apply It

• How can you use your spiritual gift at least once this next week?
• What Christian do you want to affirm?
• In what part of your daily routine this week can you take time out to thank God?
• How can you remind yourself to say thank you to God at least once each day this week?

Divisions in the Church - 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Understand It

• On what basis did Paul appeal to the Corinthian believers? (1:10)
• Why did Paul ask the Corinthians to agree with one another? (1:10)
• What kind of action did the Corinthian church need to take? (1:10-17)
• What specific problem were the Corinthian Christians having? (1:11-12)
• How was Paul a part of the Corinthians’ problems? (1:13-17)
• How did baptism cause division in the Corinthian church? (1:13-17)
• What can result from preaching the gospel with "words of human wisdom"? (1:17)
• What did Christ enable Paul to do? (1:17)
• What danger is there in dividing a church? (1:17)
• What danger was Paul trying to avoid? (1:17)
• What’s wrong with preaching the gospel with "words of human wisdom"? (1:17)

Apply It

• What is the first step you could take to heal a damaged relationship with another Christian?
• How could you help your church leaders build the unity of your congregation?

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God - 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

Understand It

• To whom is the message of the Cross foolishness? (1:18)
• To whom is the message of the Cross powerful? (1:18)
• How can people hear the message of Christ differently? (1:18)
• What does God’s message mean to the person being saved? (1:18)
• How does the message of the Cross contrast with what most people consider wise? (1:18-19)
• How does God get His message across? (1:19-31)
• How does God’s wisdom contrast with the world’s wisdom? (1:20)
• How did the demands of the Jews and Greeks contrast with the Corinthians’ hope? (1:22-23)
• How do God’s attributes compare with ours? (1:25-26)
• What were the Corinthians like before they were called? (1:26-27)
• How does God use the foolish and weak things of the world? (1:27)
• Why does God express His power and wisdom through "foolish," "weak," and "lowly" means? (1:28-29)
• What has Jesus Christ become for us? (1:30)
• What kind of boasting is good? (1:31)
• How did Paul’s regard for the world’s wisdom affect his preaching and testimony? (2:1-5)
• Why was it good that Paul came to Corinth in weakness and fear? (2:3-5)
• On what should our faith rest? (2:5)

Apply It

• To what area of your life now could you apply God’s "foolishness"? How?
• From whom can you learn more of God’s wisdom? How and when?
• How could you seek out God’s wisdom and power this week? Where?
• What can you do this week to witness for Christ in only God’s wisdom and not your own craftiness?