Thursday
Evening Bible Study
September
25, 2014
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk
– Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Target 3500 words
In Paul's day, Corinth was the capitol of the province of Achaia (southern
Greece), and was the most important city in Greece.
Corinth was quite the cosmopolitan city. All merchant traffic flowing north
and south, as well as east and west, flowed through Corinth.
Corinth was also the center of the world’s greatest immorality.
The Temple of Aphrodite stood on the hill overlooking the city, and every
night 1,000 male and female prostitutes would come down into the city and
encourage the citizens to “worship” the goddess of love.
Paul had established the church in Corinth in AD 51 on his second
missionary journey. He had spent 18
months teaching and building the church before moving on.
It is now AD 56, and Paul is across the Aegean Sea in the city of Ephesus. He’s received a letter telling about the problems and
questions in Corinth, and now he’s writing back.
The first issue raised was about the divisions in the church.
(1 Corinthians 1:11 NKJV) For it
has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household,
that there are contentions among you.
The second issue had to do with immorality
(1 Co 5:1 NKJV) —1 It is
actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such
sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his
father’s wife!
The third issue was about lawsuits
(1 Co 6:1 NKJV) —1 Dare any
of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and
not before the saints?
The fourth issue was about marriage.
(1 Corinthians 7:2 NKJV) —2 Nevertheless,
because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each
woman have her own husband.
The fifth issue had to do with eating meat sacrificed to idols, and how we
need to learn to willingly limit our “freedoms” for
the sake of others.
(1 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV) —1 Now
concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
11:1 Imitation
:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate
Christ.
:1 Imitate – mimetes (“mimic”) – an imitator
Lesson
The Right Example
We learn an awful lot by watching and copying others.
You can tell who a kid admires in baseball when
you see how they hold the bat when they’re at the plate.
We tend to copy the people we admire.
When a kid grows up and has lived his life watching his dad abuse his mom, that’s the pattern that is impressed on him in
relationships.
It doesn’t mean that you have to follow that
example, but it does mean that if you’re not careful, that’s the example that
you can tend to automatically default to.
And this …
Some people make a point of doing
the exact opposite of the example that was set before them.
Some people, because their parents
were extremely strict, are just the opposite with their kids.
Paul gives us the right idea about the examples we need to copy.
The ideal is that we all learn to do things like
Jesus did.
Yet sometimes we have a hard time understanding what that looks like.
That’s one of the reasons why we
have each other.
If you need to see what it means to follow Jesus, be sure
you are following someone who is setting a good example, not a bad one.
And hopefully if we are learning to do things
right, we can say as Paul did, “You can copy my example because I’m copying
Christ”.
11:2-16 Head Coverings
:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember
me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to
you.
:2 keep the traditions
traditions – paradosis – giving over; a giving over which is done by word of mouth or in
writing
This word is used by Jesus to talk about the traditions
that the Jews followed instead of following God’s commandments.
(Mark 7:9 NKJV) He said to them, “All too well you
reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
The “Mishnah”, a set of teachings
handed down by word of mouth, the traditions that the Jews followed sometimes
instead of following the clear teaching of the Scriptures, such as how to
conduct yourself on the Sabbath…
But Paul isn’t talking about those traditions, he’s
talking about the traditions of the church.
All churches have traditions.
We do our baptism once a year in a kids wading pool out on
the back lawn.
We have communion on the 2nd Sunday of each
month.
We serve communion with little pieces of cut up pita bread
and grape juice served in little teeny cups.
Are these things right or wrong? No.
They are just tradition.
The thing about traditions is that we learn to hold them a little bit
lightly. Sometimes we even need to change traditions.
Our traditions may be good for us, but we don’t necessarily need to force them on other churches.
:3 But I want you to know that the head of every
man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is
God.
:3 the head of every man is Christ
Paul is talking about an authority structure here.
The Father is the “head” over Christ.
Christ is the “head” over every man.
A husband is the “head” over his wife.
Authority does not equal value. Just because you have
a greater authority doesn’t give you greater value.
Jesus is equal to the Father, yet He willingly submits to the Father.
A husband isn’t of greater value than the wife,
but God has put him in the place of authority over his wife.
:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his
head covered, dishonors his head.
:4 dishonors his head
dishonors – kataischuno – to dishonor; to put to shame
Who is the “head” of the man? It’s Jesus (vs. 1).
If a man prays or prophesies with his head covered, he is dishonoring
Jesus. Why?
The Jews pray to God with their heads covered with a veil supposedly after
the pattern of Moses, who began putting a veil over his head when he met with
God. (2Cor. 3:13)
(2 Corinthians 3:13 NKJV) —13 unlike
Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could
not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.
For the Jews, they cover their heads as
a symbol of their unworthiness to approach God.
But Paul tells us that Jesus has taken away the veil
because He died to remove our unworthiness. We can now approach God with
“unveiled faces”. (2Cor. 3:16,18)
(2 Corinthians
3:16 NKJV) Nevertheless when one
turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
(2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV) —18 But we
all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the
Spirit of the Lord.
If a believer prays or prophesies with
his head still covered, he is bringing disgrace to Jesus, because he is making
a statement that Jesus didn’t pay enough for him to
remove his veil.
Lesson
Don’t dishonor Jesus
There are some people
who struggle with accepting
God’s forgiveness.
I know that sometimes our guilt can be
overwhelming and difficult to deal with, but the bottom line is that Jesus HAS
paid it all for us.
The Bible says,
(1 John 1:9 NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Are you struggling
with guilt over something you’ve done?
Then you need to
confess your sin to Jesus.
And
then you need to simply
“receive” His forgiveness.
Your forgiveness isn’t based on you being good enough for it, it’s based on
the blood of Jesus paying for your sins.
Is Jesus’ blood enough
to pay for your sins?
Then accept God’s
forgiveness.
:5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her
head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head
were shaved.
:5 every woman who prays or prophesies
Note – Paul is not questioning whether a woman is able to pray or prophesy
in church. He assumes it to be so.
Some take Paul’s admonition for a
woman to not teach men or have authority over them to mean that a woman cannot
be used or speak in church.
That’s not true.
:5 dishonors her head
Who is the “head” of the wife? Her husband.
Whatever it means for a woman’s head to be covered has to do with its
effect on her husband.
:5 with her head uncovered
The principle about head coverings for a woman is different from a man
because the principle is drawn from a different
source.
Some folks take this to mean that even today a woman should be wearing a
head covering in church.
Though I find it admirable to want to follow the Scriptures, I think it’s important to dig into why Paul says this, and understand
the “tradition” in order to apply the principle to today.
Remember Corinth.
Corinth was famous around the world for its lewd set of standards. On the highest hill of the city stood their temple to Aphrodite,
the goddess of love. Every night Aphrodite would send out 1,000 of her
male and female prostitutes who would sell their bodies for Aphrodite. How
could you spot one of the female prostitutes? How could you tell the apart from
the other gals?
The prostitutes did not cover their heads.
A Christian woman in Corinth could make a case that she is “free in
Christ”.
Aren’t “all things lawful”? Yet if she went around
without a head covering, she would be mistaken for a prostitute.
And if she was married, that would bring disgrace
to her husband. Would it not?
Lesson
Don’t dress like a prostitute
If a married woman comes to church looking like a prostitute and flirting
with other men in the church, who does she
“dishonor”? Her
husband.
I think it’s good for gals in the church to dress
modestly.
I hope that wasn’t a gal who goes to church.
Don’t dress
(or act) in a way that gives people the wrong impression.
:6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be
shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn
or shaved, let her be covered.
:6 let her also be shorn
In Paul’s day, a woman’s head was shaved to
disgrace her. It was a symbol of shame.
:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his
head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
Different rules for different “heads”.
:8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man.
:9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman
for the man.
:8 woman from man
Woman was created by taking man’s rib (Gen. 2).
:10 For this reason the woman ought to have a
symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
:10 because of the angels
Why would the angels have a problem with a woman’s head covering?
I don’t know.
It could be that the angels are simply embarrassed when we don’t do things God’s way.
They are here and they see what we do.
Some have suggested that angels are somehow “stumbled” by a woman dressing
the wrong way – not so sure about that.
I have to admit I don’t follow Paul’s reasoning
here.
:11 Nevertheless, neither is man
independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 11:11 NLT) But
among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not
independent of women.
:12 For as woman came from man, even so man
also comes through woman; but all things are from God.
:12 as woman came from man …
Eve was created from Adam’s rib.
Every man has been born of a woman.
I think the point is this – don’t think you can
live without having an effect on people of the opposite sex.
Some gals might think to themselves – “Well if a
guy is having a lust problem because of the way I dress, then he just needs to
grow up”.
And there are plenty of guys who think the same
way towards women.
The truth is, we all need and depend on each other.
Treat each other with respect.
Lesson
Limiting Freedom
Remember the lesson Paul has taught us regarding meat
sacrificed to idols?
The point was that even though
we have the freedom to eat anything we like, sometimes we need to limit
what we eat for the sake of other people because they might stumble when they
watch what I do.
(1
Corinthians 10:23–24 NKJV) —23 All things
are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for
me, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
:13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a
woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
:14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if
a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?
:14 if a man has long hair
Illustration
The length of a man’s hair is pretty much a
cultural thing.
Today you can’t
quite make the same point as Paul saying that long hair is dishonorable to a
man.
Back in the sixties and seventies, most men had longer hair.
It was the fashion. Fashions change.
Yet to be honest, sometimes I feel
a little weird when I’m behind a person with long hair and I assume it must be
a woman until the person turns around and has a beard.
I remember sitting in a Pastors’
Conference and seeing someone a few rows in front of me with long blond hair. And
then they turned around and “she” was a “he”.
:15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to
her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.
:16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have
no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
:16 if anyone seems to be contentious
If you want to pick a fight with Paul over this, the fact is that this isn’t some hard fast rule in the churches. But especially in Corinth it sure made wise sense.
11:17-34 Communion Conduct
:17 Now in giving these instructions I do not
praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the
worse.
:18 For first of all, when you come together as a
church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.
:19 For there must also be factions among you,
that those who are approved may be recognized among you.
:19 there must also be factions among
you
factions – hairesis (“heresy”) – dissensions
arising from diversity of opinions and aims
:19 may be recognized among you
recognized – phaneros – apparent, manifest, evident, known
Lesson
Divisions and Egos
Paul has already talked about how there
were “divisions” in the church of Corinth.
There were groups who favored Apollos’
teachings.
Others favored Peter’s teachings.
Others favored Paul.
Paul says one of the reasons people
create divisions is for “recognition”
They want to be “known”
They want to be “somebody”.
One of the reasons why you are going to
find people picking fights and disagreeing with others over things is so they
can feel important.
Paul’s going to be moving us into an entire couple of chapters based on how
the church needs to act in order to “get along”.
Chapters 12 & 14 will focus on how spiritual gifts help us function
within the church.
Chapter 13 will give us the “more excellent” way of love.
But for now, Paul will elaborate on some of the
problems, the divisions within the church.
:20 Therefore when you come together in one place,
it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.
:21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper
ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
:22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink
in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame
those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I
do not praise you.
:20 to eat the Lord’s Supper
The church would often meet not just to share in communion, but an “agape”, or “love feast”. It was like our
potluck suppers.
But when they did it, people were abusing what was
done. Some didn’t have enough food, others came and
got drunk.
:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also
delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was
betrayed took bread;
:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it
and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in
remembrance of Me.”
:25 In the same manner He also took
the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of
Me.”
:25 the new covenant in My blood
The new “covenant” or new “testament” is a new agreement between God and
man.
The old agreement, the “old testament” was based
on the Law of Moses.
I am right with God if I obey all the commandments.
The new agreement is based on the blood of Jesus.
I am right with God if I allow the blood of Jesus to pay for my sins.
:25 in remembrance of Me
There are many different views of communion.
Some say that when a pastor says the magic words over some bread and wine,
that it turns into the real, literal, actual, physical, body and blood of Jesus
Christ.
The problem I have is that it doesn’t look
anything like real flesh in blood. This
seems untruthful to me.
We believe that communion is meant to be a
symbolic ritual. It is done for “remembrance”, to help
us remember what Jesus has done for us. The bread is symbolic of Jesus’ body, the juice is symbolic of Jesus’ blood. Yet it’s still just bread and grape juice.
:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
:26 the Lord’s death till He comes
When we share in communion and we “remember” that Jesus gave His body and
His blood for us, we are proclaiming what Jesus did for us.
The church will continue to do this until the day that Jesus returns.
It is a testimony to the world of
what Jesus has done until the day He returns.
It is also a reminder of what Jesus said,
(Matthew 26:29 NKJV) But I say to you, I will not drink of this
fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My
Father’s kingdom.”
There will be a day when we all eat and drink with Jesus in His kingdom.
:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this
cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord.
:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him
eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy
manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
:29 eats and drinks in an unworthy
manner
Some have the idea that it means that you must not sin for at least 24
hours before taking communion. I think that’s frankly
impossible.
Paul says that the issue is one of “not discerning the Lord’s body”. I
think this carries at least two aspects:
1) A person does not understand what Jesus has done for them, dying in
their place. I think this is the case when an unbeliever takes communion. They’re
might think that they’re just performing some silly ritual, but they are in
fact disgracing the body of Jesus, the body that was broken for the sake of
their sins.
2) I think there may also be an element here of not realizing that the
other believers around you are also the “Lord’s Body”. The
people in the church in Corinth were in the practice of not caring anything
about each other, and hence were not “discerning the Lord’s body”.
:30 For this reason many are weak and sick
among you, and many sleep.
:30 many are weak and sick among
you
There were people in Corinth who were sick and even dying because of their
abuse of communion.
:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not
be judged.
:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by
the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
:31 if we would judge ourselves
Judge what you do and change your actions lest you find yourself being
judged by God.
:33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together
to eat, wait for one another.
:34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home,
lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I
will set in order when I come.
:33 wait for one another
Lesson
Others
My first pastor had a wonderful practice of teaching his kids hospitality.
Whenever they would have a guest over for dinner, the code word among the
family was “FHB”. This was especially true if someone unexpected was joining
the family for dinner.
“FHB” meant “Family Hold Back”.
The idea was that the family members needed to not eat up all the food, but to leave some for the
guests.
Some people are always hungry, and never think about the journey ahead or
the people they’re travelling with.
Video: LOTR – “Second Breakfast”
For the church gathered together for their potlucks, the rule was also
“FHB”.
If you’ve been at the church for a while, you’re “Family”.
When you show up to the potluck, think
of others first.
You’ll probably still end up being able to pile your plate
high, you’ll still probably end up being stuffed, but do that the second time
through the line, not the first.
If you are so starving that you think you’re going
to die, then take care of that at home, not at church.
Don’t run to be the first in line
and filling your plate high with food in the potluck line.
Of course, this principle is bigger than just potlucks.
Being at church is a great time to work on putting others first.
(Philippians
2:3–4 NKJV) —3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit,
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each
of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of
others.