| HANDOUT SHEET |
| 1 Corinthians 4:1-13 — Apostles of Christ |
1. In Verse 1, Paul says “men ought to regard us as servants...” Who is he referring to as “us?” 2. He goes on to say that says that you’ve been entrusted with the “secret things of God.” What are the secret things is he talking about? (1 Timothy 3:16) 3. Paul says in verse 2 that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Were you ever unworthy of trust put in you (babysitting, house sitting, keys to the family car, preparing a special meal, caring for a pet, etc.)? What happened? 4. In verses 3 to 5, can you explain what Paul says about judging himself? (I don’t care if others judge me. I don’t judge myself. I have a clear conscience but I may be guilty. Do not judge before the “appointed time.”) (Habakkuk 2:3) 5. Corinthian factions judged one another by the reputation of the leader they followed. What then does Paul mean by the saying he quotes in Verse 6 (“Do not go beyond what is written.”)? How does this apply today? 6. Pride is a theme that runs through much of Paul’s writings. Verses 4:6-7 are the second time in this book that Paul mentions pride (also in 1:26-31). How would you sum up how a Christian should view pride? (Proverbs 11:2, John 13:14-17) 7. It is important to understand Verses 8 and 10 in the way Paul intended. These are ironic and sarcastic statements (ironic means happening in the opposite way to what is expected). Why does he do this? 8. In verses 11 to 13, Paul gives a graphic description of his three years in Ephesus from his arrival there right up to the writing of this letter to the Corinthians. In contrast to the self-centered, power-oriented message that some Corinthians believed and followed, what does Paul’s life exemplify? 9. If all people were in a line between Corinthians (prideful, self-centered, power-oriented) on one end and Paul (humble, persecuted, slandered, scum of the earth) on the other end, where would you be? Would you like to be in a different place than you actually are? Is it easier to be like Paul or the Corinthians? |
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