The Only Eternal 'Gift of the Spirit'

This is now, the Study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting October 9 to study 1 Corinthians 13.  Since no one showed October 2, we'll try this again on the 9th.  This chapter is probably made more difficult by its familiarity more than anything.  There are few real problems with translation but we will spend most of our time in word study through verses 4 through 7.

Read this chapter through slowly.  Then go back and read chapters 12, 13, and 14 together.  Then read through thirteen again slowly.  Jot down observations.  What are your thoughts about the overall tone, and unpack some of the implications of how Paul describes love.  What would this sort of love look like on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at home, work, school, traveling, and shopping?  Be sure to use several translations, especially on the middle four verses, but really everywhere you will see some diversity in translations.  I suspect this is more an attempt to shake up the familiarity so we think more, than it is about some difficulty in understanding the words.

After reading through the chapter a few times, read back through with the questions below:

• What do you think the 'context' of verse 1 means for the 'clanging' and 'noisy' instruments?  In other words, where does the 'speaking in tongues of men and of angels' happen that they would correlate to such horrible 'music'?
• If, in verse 2, Paul says the result of not having love is nothing, and then in verse 3, gain nothing, what do you thing the 'nothing' is in verse 1?  Is it 'sound like nothing'? or what?
• The first 'gift' referred to in verse 1 is tongues; then prophecy, knowledge, and faith in verse 2; then giving, and martyrdom.  What do you think about these as 'gifts of the Spirit'?  The list differs somewhat from chapter 12, so do you think these are all truly spiritual gifts?
• Look at Galatians 5:22, 23.  How many of these qualities of love in this chapter match those in the list of 'Fruit of the Spirit'?
• As you read these qualities in verses 4 through 7, what are your fears?  What concerns you about this list or living this way every day?
• There are 'is' and 'is not' qualities listed.  How many of each kind do you find? (I found 7 'is' and 8 'is not', but I only looked in verses 4 through 7)
• With the list containing 'is not' qualities, Paul contrasts love with other, possibly more common, behavior.  What do you think the people of Corinth thought of this list?  What do you suspect may have been their qualities?  Now, what about you?  How do your qualities match up?  Is your 'is' and 'is not' list somewhat inverted from this one? (Mine is)
• In the last verses of this chapter, Paul moves to another set of contrasts that demonstrate the priority of love.  Why will prophecy, tongues, and knowledge all 'pass away'?  When do you think that will happen?  Why do you think that will happen?
• What do you think Paul means by his illustration of being a 'child' versus a 'man'?  When does that happen in this discussion?
• When will we see face-to-face and know fully?  So, Paul is pointing to a future when none of these 'gifts' will be necessary, yet love will remain.  What does that mean for 'gifts' today?
• Look at Hebrews 11:1.  Since faith substantiates hope, what do you think 'substantiates' faith?  Or do you think Love is also substantiated by faith, or hope?  How do these relate in such a way that love is 'greatest'?  Do you think James 2:14-26 sheds light on this relationship?  If so, how?

That should keep us busy for an hour.  Hopefully, at the end of this we will really have a better understanding, not of love itself, but how we are to love every day.  How's that for a challenge?

The Unifying Function of the One Spirit

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Study Group meeting September 25 to study 1 Corinthians 12.  We've finally reached that portion of 1 Corinthians that inspired our choice of this letter.  We're now exploring the gifts given by the Holy Spirit.  This chapter introduces this topic, but it's clear from Paul's position, this is really just leading into something else, supporting arguments he's going to use later.  We already know what's in chapter 13 (but we'll still spend some time there), and I believe we wrap up this discussion in chapter 14.  So, perhaps the more distilled discussion will be in chapter 14.

In any case, this chapter provides the ground work for any discussion of spiritual gifts, or as Paul puts it in verse 1, 'spiritual stuff'.  Read through 12, 13, and 14 together, then go back and focus on 12.  Read through it a few times jotting down questions and observations.  Try and use different translations, noting any differences you find.  There shouldn't be many differences between translations, but there are some.

After having gone through a few times, go back through using the questions below:

• What do you think it means that Paul doesn't want the Corinthians to be 'unaware' of spiritual gifts?
• Why do you think Paul would bring up, at the outset, that they had been 'pagans'?
• In verse 3 Paul makes a statement about confessing Jesus as Lord or cursing him.  Why do you think this distinction is at the very beginning?  What 'problem' or 'view' do you think it addresses?
• Why do you think would Paul point to both 'gifts' and 'ministries'?  What's the difference in his statements?
• Verse 6 is one of the places where versions differ in wording.  Look up 'effects'/'working'/'activities'/'operations' here.  The verb used for God's action is related.  Look it up here. It's the Greek word from which we get 'energy'.  It's a common Greek word for any sort of 'activity' in which someone might be engaged.  While some of its derivatives are divine references, this one is not exclusively 'divine'.  What do you think that means for Paul's discussion here?  Why do you think He chose this wording?
• Verses 4 through 11 really form one point.  What do you think is Paul's point? 
• It would be a good idea to look up each gift/ministry listed in 8 through 10, but not necessary.  I think it's more interesting to note the 'pairs'; why Paul one with the other.  Some are obviously related, but what do you think about pairing 'faith' and 'healing' or the 'triplet' 'miracles', 'prophecy', and 'distinguishing spirits'?  Why put these together?
• In verses 12 through 26 is Paul's famous metaphor of the body for describing the church as the body of Christ.  His argument is actually supposed to be funny.  Instead of 'members' as most translations read, try 'part' (like the NIV) or even 'limb'.  Read through substituting 'part' or 'limb' in each place where it might say 'member'.  What difference does that make in your understanding or view of Paul's statements?
• Obviously Paul is referring to the church as made up of different parts or 'limbs' distinguished by ministry and gifts.  But what application do you think would be appropriate for his discussion of those body parts we consider 'weaker' or 'less presentable' in verses 23 through 25?  How does this apply to our church?
• Do you think that verse 28 'prioritizes' gifts or lists them 'chronologically' or what?
• Paul applies his previous arguments in verses 29 and 30, and it's not surprising, but what do you think about the first statement in verse 31?  Was that surprising?  How do you think we 'desire' the 'greater' gifts?  And what do you think that means for my question about verse 28?

The last statement in this chapter really belongs to chapter 13, and we'll include it in that discussion, hopefully next week.  This should be plenty to keep us busy this week.

Examining Self-Examination Within A Group of Other-Examiners

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study meeting September 18 to study the rest of 1 Corinthians 11.  It's taken about 2 weeks to finally get to this passage, but I believe we can finally get some of this covered.  It's important stuff.

Read through the whole chapter again at least once.  Then focus on verses 17 through the end.  This is specifically about the Lord's Supper/Communion and the problems with their practice.  The exact details are sketchy, so read carefully.  Try and get a sense of what was happening when they practiced the Supper.  Pay specific attention to differences from the way we practice today.

After you've read through the passage several times, jotting down your own observations and questions to bring to the group, read through again with the questions below:

• Switching gears, he says, 'But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you...'  What instruction, the one he concluded, or the one coming up?  And if the one concluded, why would he start it with a statement that seems to imply he does praise them?  If the one coming up, then what do you make of the 'praise' in verse 2?
• Read 1 Corinthians 1:10 and 11.  Why do you think Paul would put 'in part' about his belief of 'divisions' when he's already covered some of them?  What might that mean for this particular issue?
• After criticizing their 'divisions' at the beginning of the letter, he now claims they are necessary?  What do you think he means by that?
• In their practice of the Lord's Supper, Paul says it has stopped being the Lord's Supper.  Why do you think that would be the case?
• Paul describes what they are doing in verses 21 and 22.  How would you describe what they are doing?  For instance, where do you think this happens?  Try, as best as you can, to remove your own 21st Century practice out of the mix, and imagine what is happening.
• Paul repeats for them what he had delivered to them when he was there.  Where does he say he got it?  What do you think he means by 'I received from the Lord...' since he wasn't a disciple of Jesus?
• Paul uses a word 'remembrance' in his quotes of Jesus in verses 24 and 25. Look it up here.  What do you think could be another or even better English word choice?
• What do you think about Paul's point of the Lord's Supper in verse 26?  Is that what it's all about to you?
• What is Paul's claim that to eat the Lord's Supper in an 'unworthy manner' is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord tied back to?  Why does that make you guilty of the body and blood of the Lord?
• Look up the word, 'examine' here.  What other English words would work well here?
• What do you think you should be looking for in this examination?
• What are the consequences for not examining yourself as you take the Lord's Supper?
• Considering the consequences, what do you make of verse 32?  Do you think Paul is saying it's for our own good when we die because we take the Lord's Supper unworthily?
• Paul applies this to the specific practice in Corinth in verses 33 and 34.  How do you think we should apply it in our worship?

That should/may keep us occupied for an hour.  After this it's on to expression of 'gifts'.  Hopefully this will enlighten us about our own practice since this is a very common practice among modern churches, where gifts are more controversial than common.

Worship Problems, From Head Gear to Meal Ettiquette

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Group meeting September 4 to study 1 Corinthians 11.  This is a somewhat weird chapter, at least it begins weird.  The first verse actually goes with chapter 10, the first issue is very confusing after 2,000 years of cultural change, and the second issue seems to refer to a practice of the Lord's Supper we no longer use, and no one seems to remember.

So, part of our problems will be how to apply these peculiarities to our life today.  If it's so difficult to see what Paul's talking about then, it will be extremely hard to come up with what we need to carry forward 2,000 years to our church life today.  I'm confident we'll find something, but it will be very interesting to discover what.

Read through the chapter in as many translations as you have.  I know this takes time, but there isn't a better practice that will bring linguistic issues to the forefront.  Even as I translate, I still have about 6 versions right there to look at while I'm doing it; it helps to spot inconsistencies or consistencies in translation.  Differences are good places to ask questions or make some further investigation, like with a Strong's.

After reading through several times, jotting down notes and questions, read through again with the questions below:

• Do you think Paul is being 'truthful' in verse 2?  Do they really 'remember him'?  Do they really hold firmly to traditions?  Has he given any examples of that either in previous chapters or in this one?
• Do you think there is a 'progression' in verse 3?  Does it go 'Christ, man, woman'? What about God?
• The word 'head' is used twice in verse 4, do you think Paul is referring to the man's literal head both times?  Why or why not? (you may need to think about this verse in light of verse 3 to answer)
• Not only is 'head' used twice in verse 5, but clearly a literal head is in view because of 'shaved', and 'shorn' in verse 6.  But do you think her literal head is 'disgraced'?  Why or why not? (again, consider verse 3 and then verse 7)
• Read Genesis 1:27.  What do you think of Paul's allusion to this verse in verse 7?  Do you think his argument makes sense as he applies Gen 1:27 to this issue of head-coverings?
• Verses 8 and 9 originate out of the Genesis 2 creation story (Gen 2:20-24).  What do you think of Paul's use of those verses here?
• From verses 7 through 9, Paul clearly refers to the creation account in Genesis.  Why do you think he would go there for this issue?
• You really need to look at verse 10 in at least a King James or New King James translation.  Then look at a New International or New American Standard version.  If you have it, look at the whole passage in the New Revised Standard.  All these translations work over verse 10 differently.  Note especially the 'italics' where a word is added that does not appear in the Greek text.  Read the verse through without the italicized words.  What do you think might be an alternative meaning after reading it that way?
• Do you think verses 11 and 12 soften Paul's stance on women in church, or do they simply reveal his true belief which lies behind what he writes here?  Why do you think any such distinction is important, both to us and to the church in Corinth?
• In verses 13 through 15, does Paul truly support his view of head covering with his point about hair?  Have you ever seen a picture of Jesus with short hair?  Any of the apostles?  Ever?  What do you think he's referring to here? 
• Since Roman customs seemed to include men with what we would consider 'short hair', it might be easy to say this is local for Corinth, a Roman colony.  But do you think we can really do that considering verse 16?
• Switching gears, he says, 'But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you...'  What instruction, the one he concluded, or the one coming up?  And if the one concluded, why would he start it with a statement that seems to imply he does praise them?  If the one coming up, then what do you make of the 'praise' in verse 2?
• Read 1 Corinthians 1:10 and 11.  Why do you think Paul would put 'in part' about his belief of 'divisions' when he's already covered some of them?  What might that mean for this particular issue?
• After criticizing their 'divisions' at the beginning of the letter, he now claims they are necessary?  What do you think he means by that?
• In their practice of the Lord's Supper, Paul says it has stopped being the Lord's Supper.  Why do you think that would be the case?
• Paul describes what they are doing in verses 21 and 22.  How would you describe what they are doing?  For instance, where do you think this happens?  Try, as best as you can, to remove your own 21st Century practice out of the mix, and imagine what is happening.
• Paul repeats for them what he had delivered to them when he was there.  Where does he say he got it?  What do you think he means by 'I received from the Lord...' since he wasn't a disciple of Jesus?
• Paul uses a word 'remembrance' in his quotes of Jesus in verses 24 and 25. Look it up here.  What do you think could be another or even better English word choice?
• What do you think about Paul's point of the Lord's Supper in verse 26?  Is that what it's all about to you?
• What is Paul's claim that to eat the Lord's Supper in an 'unworthy manner' is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord tied back to?  Why does that make you guilty of the body and blood of the Lord?
• Look up the word, 'examine' here.  What other English words would work well here?
• What do you think you should be looking for in this examination?
• What are the consequences for not examining yourself as you take the Lord's Supper?
• Considering the consequences, what do you make of verse 32?  Do you think Paul is saying it's for our own good when we die because we take the Lord's Supper unworthily?
• Paul applies this to the specific practice in Corinth in verses 33 and 34.  How do you think we should apply it in our worship?

That should keep us plenty busy Thursday.  I hope you can make good use of the extra day to study.  This is a perplexing chapter, so let's puzzle over it together!