Life Lessons from Israel and Communion

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting August 28 to study 1 Corinthians 10.  This chapter possibly wraps up the topic of 'eating food sacrificed to idols'.  It has lots of interesting pieces to it including an assessment/application of Israel's history to current church life.  It contains several familiar verses, but I'll bet this is the first time most of us have really dug through the context of them.

Read through the chapter several times, jotting down observations and questions.  Look through several translations, and note areas of disagreement.  Also, bring different translations to the group - like the different one we had last week.  That helps us all get different perspectives. 

After reading through and making your own notes/questions, read through again using the questions below:

• Paul points out the 'unity' of experience of the people of Israel in the desert (vs. 1-4), but notes that God was not pleased with them.  What counter-argument do you think he is trying to undermine with that statement (it's all one sentence in Greek)?  What do you think the believers in Corinth were saying that needed this to correct?
• Paul begins to site their faults as 'examples'.  Keeping in mind the passages so far in this letter, why do you think Paul chose these items as examples?
• Which of those that Paul chose do you think still apply to church today?
• Paul thinks he lives at the end of the age (v. 11).  In what ways might he have been right?
• After the illustrations from Israel's history, then he puts in the verse about temptation (v. 13), but not before his challenge to those who think they stand.  Why do you think he's 'building' his argument right here this way?  What do you think he's arguing against in the church in Corinth?
• We have been told that we are to flee immorality as a sin, but here we are told to also feel idolatry.  Why do you think we hear so much about the one, but not the other in our churches today?
• Paul now applies these things to the Lord's Supper.  This is why we call it "Communion", we all partake together from the same thing.  Paul acknowledges that this unifies the church, but what do you think he sees as the 'additional lesson' they should have taken from it?
• In verse 22, what lesson from Israel do you think Paul might be referring back to?
• What do you think Paul means in verse 23?  Are all things truly 'permissible' or 'lawful'?
• Now Paul lays down some specific direction.  Who do you think this direction is for? Who do you think this direction is supposed to affect?  Why do you think Paul may have switched his 'victim' here at the end?  Or do you think he did?
• How do you think all this changes or modifies your understanding of verse 31?  Or has it?
• What are some ways we can apply the ending principle of verses 32-33 in our lives/church?

That should keep us busy for at least an hour.  Remember to bring your own notes to share.