“Paul puts himself in the position of a father; he gives thanks for his children, the Corinthians, all the time, regardless of what they have done. They are called to be one with all believers in Christ (Origen). Paul begins with praise in order to prepare the Corinthians (Chrysostom) for the admonition that is to come (Theodoret of Cyr). Some of the Corinthians were no longer living according to their faith, so as to appear to make void the grace they had once received (Ambrosiaster, Pelagius). On the day of the Lord (Jerome), unbelievers will know the truth of what they disbelieved. Christians will find that what they believed is wonderful beyond what they had imagined (Ambrosiaster).”
- Bray, G. L. (1999). 1-2 Corinthians. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT.
Read 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 and reflect on the sermon
from Sunday September 18th “Rich Because of Jesus.”
Then work through the following questions.
4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1. Before
discussing the problems in Corinth Paul gives thanks for the evidences of God’s
grace within the Corinthian church. Why is having a spirit of thankfulness important
for how we interact with people (especially difficult people) in the church?
2. How much
would our church be transformed if each of us made it a practice to regularly thank
God for others and then to tell these others what it is about them that we
thank God for? Set for yourself the task of faithfully praying for and thanking
God for several people you know. After you have been at it a few weeks tell these
people what you have been doing – and then keep on praying for them.
3. What are
the things that Paul is thankful for in the Corinthian church? What are the
things you are thankful for in our church? Using this passage as a springboard
point out some ways that God has graciously enriched our church and thank him
for these things next time you pray.
4. How and
why is Jesus the greatest gift of God’s grace to his church? In what ways does
Jesus bring God’s grace into our lives now? In what ways will Jesus bring God’s
grace into our lives in the future? Does your life show evidence of the fact
that you believe Jesus is the greatest gift of God’s grace in your life? Why or
why not?
5. How is
God’s faithfulness and grace tied in to our remaining strong in our faith? How
should this encourage you in how you approach and live out your daily Christian
life (especially in times of doubt or difficulty)?
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