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1 Corinthians With Mark Dever: When Church HurtsSample

1 Corinthians With Mark Dever: When Church Hurts

DAY 4 OF 5

Nothing except…

Read 1 Corinthians 2

Paul practised what he preached… or rather, he preached what he wrote.

When I came

In Paul’s time, secular orators would come to Corinth, praise the city, tell of their achievements, and impress with their eloquence.

  • How was Paul somewhat different (verses 1, 3)?!
  • What did Paul think was most important about his speaking (verse 2)?
  • Why did he not want to seem impressive himself (verse 5)?
  • Apply

  • How should we apply Paul’s words here to our attitude to preachers today, do you think?
  • How do these verses encourage our own efforts to tell people about Jesus?
  • Imagine you found yourself moving to another community and looking for a new church. What should you look for most of all?
  • A message of wisdom

    Paul has already said that the message at the heart of Christianity seems “foolishness” (1:18). Yet, at the same time, it is “a message of wisdom” (2:6)!

  • Who recognises this (verse 6)?
  • Who doesn’t? How do we know this (v 8)?
  • So how can anyone see that trusting in the cross is true wisdom (verses 10, 12)?
  • God’s wisdom is a gift. And the ability to understand it is, too. People, including us, are by nature blind to the beauty of God’s truth (verse 14)—and so we need it to be revealed to us. Remembering this keeps us humble; and it reminds us that to the watching world, Christians will always seem odd.

    Apply

  • Do you ever ignore God’s wisdom because the world says it is foolish? How?
  • Do you find yourself listening to the world’s wisdom even when you know God has said it is foolish? How?
  • How do these verses encourage you to live more by God’s wisdom, and less by the world’s?
  • Pray

    Thank God for revealing the message of His Son crucified to you, through the work of His Spirit.

    Pray that you would be able to judge everything in line with the Spirit’s guidance; and that you would not be too concerned with the judgment of the world (verse 16).

    Day 3Day 5

    About this Plan

    1 Corinthians With Mark Dever: When Church Hurts

    The Corinthian church—perhaps like ours—was struggling with division, immaturity and immorality. The apostle Paul pulls no punches, but points them to the cross; because “to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. This is a free sample of Explore daily Bible reading notes, published by The Good Book Company.

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    We would like to thank The Good Book Company for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.thegoodbook.com