Study: 1st Corinthians

Once again, I have more time and attention to do Bible studies in the summer...so let's see if I can actually work through one!!

Read 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

(The Message) "I, Paul, have been called and sent by Jesus, the Messiah, according to God's plan, along with my friend Sosthenes. I send this letter to you in God's church at Corinth, believers cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life. I include in my greeting all who call out to Jesus, wherever they may live. He's their Master as well as ours! May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours."

1. Who wrote this letter (book) of 1 Corinthians? (1:1) Paul & Sosthenes

2. To whom was it written? (1:2) the people of Corinth and any who call out to Jesus

3. Are the recipients of this letter Christians? (Believers in God / Jesus) (1:2) yes

4. What was the reason for your answer to question 3? (1:2) refers to believers cleaned up by Jesus and to those who cry out to Jesus, which makes me believe that the others would be ones who understood Jesus' purpose and power!

I read this page to learn more about Corinth in Paul's time.

Corinth was a city in what country? Greece

Approximately how many people lived in Corinth and its 'suburbs'? about 650,000

Thinking now about where YOU live, is Corinth larger or smaller than the town or city in which you live? much larger

Let's think about why Corinth was such a large city of over « million people (actually about 650,000):

Was it a "college" town such as Athens, Greece? No

Was it a big commercial center? Yes

Was it on a major trade route with highways and seaports? Yes

What was its predominant "culture"? Greek

Since Corinth's culture was based on the Greek way of living and thinking, what kinds of things were important and emphasized in Corinth? (Circle your answer from the choices below. ... Hint: More than 1 answer may be correct.)

............Greek Philosophy............Man's Wisdom.............Man's Knowledge.........
............Art and Culture................Intellectual pride...........Oratory.............
............Worship of many gods & goddesses.....................education......
............learning...........................sacrificing to pagan gods and goddesses...
............immorality.......................physical beauty.............Sports..................
............worship or adulation of men who are wise and knowledgeable............................

Read I Corinthians 1:1-9 and highlight in blue every time you see the word Jesus or a phrase that refers to him. I'll go back up and do that in the above verses.

I already typed out 1-3, so here is 4-9: "Every time I think of you--and I think of you often!--I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There's no end to what has happened in you--it's beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives. Just think--you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that."

Does Paul seem to have concern and love for the Church and its members? Yes

Does Paul seem to have concern and love for the Church and its members? Yes

How can you tell? What does he say to them that makes you think that he loves them and is very concerned and interested in their Spiritual growth?

He reminds them that God has given them everything that they need, and that He will never forget them. He wants them to be assured of this, and of God's presence in their lives each day!

Dwelling in His Presence chapter 2

Read Genesis 3:8-13. What are some of the ways that God uses to call us to come out of hiding?

Asking us directly, asking how we know what we did was wrong, asking why we did what we did

In what ways to do you tend to hide from God?

I hide in my busy-ness

Dwelling in His Presence chapter one

Using his words in Phillipians 3:7-8 as a guide, write out your desire to be intimate with the Lord.

I want to discard the things that the world sees as important and spend my time cultivating a relationship with the Lord, for that is much more important in my eyes. I don't need to follow the world's rules and policies--the only one I need to worry about pleasing is the Lord!

How does God's invitation to intimacy stir your heart?

It brings back to mind what I so often forget in the busy, fast paced world: that God loves ME for ME, nothing more or less. He created me and knows even my innnermost thoughts, and loves me anyway. He WANTS to spend time with me and thinks I am wonderful just the way I am. Why would I avoid spending time with one who loves me so completely and unconditionally??

What are some hinderances or distractions that keep you from consistently dwelling in His presence?

I'm 'too busy', I'm 'tired'...I spend time doing mindless tasks that could be discarded forever instead of taking the time to spend with the Lord. I have to make Him the priority He desires to be, and spend the time with Him that He so wants me to spend!!

Prayer: Dear Lord, I am humbled by Your invitation for intimacy. May I not be content just to stand in the door; I desire to enter in and stay in order to enjoy the richness of Your grace and love. Amen.

Made to Crave--Chapter One

1. One weight loss company personifies craving as a little orange monster that chases us around, tempting us to eat unhealthy foods. Take a moment to reflect on your own experience of craving, recently and over time.
If you could personify craving based on your experience of it, what form might it take? Would it be like the little orange monster or would it take a different shape? Describe what your craving looks like and how it behaves. If you could sit down and have a conversation with this imaginary craving, what do you think it might say to you? What questions would you want to ask it? How do you imagine it might respond?

I would see it as a little green devil on my shoulder, telling me all the Devil's lies about why I deserve to give in to my cravings. It sneers and jeers at me when I make healthy choices. I think it talks to me in smooth, soothing tones until I argue with it, and then it is nasty and smart back to me.

2. How do you respond to the idea that God made us to crave? Have you ever pursued a craving--a longing, passion, or desire--that made a positive contribution to your life? What do you think distinguishes that kind of craving from the craving that leads you to eat in unhealthy ways?

The thing that comes to mind is how with all 3 pregnancies, I physically craved ice water! It was what my body needed and the desire for it took place of all the cravings I might have had for sugar sweetened drinks. It was a good craving that felt empowering and positive to fulfill, unlike fulfilling the desires for bad for me foods, etc. I didn't feel guilt after consuming it like I do other things.

3. If it's true that we are made to crave, how might it change the way you understand your cravings? Do you believe there could be any benefits to listening to your cravings rather than trying to silence them? If so, what might these benenfits be? If not, why not?

If I use it as a stepping stone to pray instead of reach for the things I want to eat, it can definitely be a good thing! It will lead me to a closer relationship with the Lord!

There are other questions, but these are the ones that struck me.....I only shared my answers to these, and will do so for the other chapters as well.

Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Contentment

Starting a new Bible study or two for Lent...you know me, I don't always stick with these things! I found this e-book on amazon for free right now, and I think it was God sent!

Chapter 1: Webster's definition of perspective: looking through; seeing clearly; the capacity to view things in their true relation of relative importance." Therefore, an eternal perspective is God's way of seeing. When we have God's perspective, we view our lives and evaluate what is important from His viewpoint.

Positives:
healthy children
married to my best friend
job I love
healthy extended family
church family
house
food
cars
clothes
enough extra so we don't have to stress about each and every thing we spend

Negatives:
weigh too much
don't have enough 'me' time
feel like I don't have close friends at work, etc. anymore
would like to have more discretionary money to spend
house needs updating
need more space in house
would like the baby to be healthier..not as many cold, ear infections, etc.
would like more sleep!

Now the question is "Which list do I spend the majority of my time dwelling on?" I think I DO spend more time on the positives!!

Day 17: Jesus' First Tour of Galilee: Jesus Calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John a Second Time

Jesus arises early in the morning while His disciples sleep and goes off to a lonely place to pray. His disciples awake and search for Him. They tell Him the crowds are looking everywhere for Him. His response must have surprised them. Write His response (Mark 1:38):
"Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

Decision: Does Peter trust his own professional expertise or does he trust and obey the command of Jesus? hat is always the issue. "I know my business," one man says. "I can handle it," or "I wasn't given a brain and talents for nothing," says another. "I can do this!" is the typical response of proactive, capable men and women. The question is, Will you trust your experience and expertise or will you trust God? This was Peter's decision.

Have you ever struggled with relying solely on God versus your expertise?

For sure! I have had several times when I wanted to follow what I thought was best, but it wasn't what God had in mind or what God was leading me toward. It is hard to lay aside my humanity and do what He says, but I will always be better for it!

Great list of God's opposites of man's thinking on page 60!


Jesus Heals a Leper and Sends Him to the High Priest

Jesus has been rejected in His hometown, has incurred the wrath of the Pharisees for cleansing the temple in Jerusalem, and has violated their oral laws regarding the Sabbath. He has healed many and is the new matinee idol of the multitudes because of the miracles He has performed. His ministry will now take a hard right turn. He will do something unprecedented in Jewish history. By performing a certain miracle, He will nonverbally, but unequivocally, announce that He is the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18 (the Messiah).

Leprosy was a dreaded disease and thought to be highly contagious. Lepers could not socialize with uninfected people and were banned from the synagogue. Considered unclean both physically and spiritually, they were forced to live outside the cities and beg for money to stay alive. As we saw on Day 2, because the Jews were cause and effect thinkers, they considered leprosy a punishment from God. The priests did not even bother to pray for their salvation or for their healing. Leprosy was called "the finger of God." It was God's curse on them for something in their past or the sin of their parents before they reached the age of accountability.

What is significant about this particular leper?

I looked up several internet resources about what was significant about this particular leper, but I am not getting it!

Thankfully the book goes on to say that the leper would have had to believe that Jesus was the Messiah because only the Messiah could heal him.

The leper was to tell _______________. no one

Moses had commanded this as a ______________ to them. testimony

This is the first of three messianic signs by which Jesus would validate Himself as the Messiah. Who better than the high priest to examine this man who was in the advanced stages of leprosy and have to testify that the leper was indeed clean and fully cured? In doing so, he would be indirectly saying that Jesus was truly the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18

There was one problem. No priest had ever performed this cleansing because no Jewish lepers had ever been healed. Turn to Leviticus 14 and you will read about the eight-day, step-by-step procedure required in the law to be performed by the priest. The humor in this is that the priest would have no idea how to perform the cleansing. Can you imagine the panic in his face and the scrambling he would have done to look up the procedure in Leviticus as if cramming for a test?

Day 15: Jesus Arrives in Galilee and Begins Teaching

Jesus is welcomed in Galilee, but what appears to be acceptance of Him and His messiahship is really a rejection. They flock to Him for one reason His miracles--what he can do for them physically. How would they know He was the Messiah that had been prophesied for generations? how would they know that this was not just a charismatic rabbi with unique gifts? We must see this through Jewish eyes.

These would be the three signs that the Messiah was on the earth and should cause every Jew on the planet to fall down and worship Him.

Miracle #1: The Messiah would heal a Jewish leper. The Old Testament records the healing of Naaman the leper, but he was a Gentile. There was no record of any Jew ever being healed.

Miracle #2: The Messiah would heal a demon-possessed man who was also dumb (could not speak). There were exorcists in that day as there are today. However the demon would also be communicated with through the voice of the one who was possessed.

Miracle #3: The Messiah would heal a man born blind from birth.

Luke 4:15 tells us what three things about Jesus' teaching?
1. He taught in the synagogues
2. Everyone glorified/praised Him
3. ??? I'm not getting the third thing!

Be the Royal Official: Once again, this story will have great meaning to you if you study it emphatically or autobiographically by putting yourself in the scene. Just the small amount of information that has been mentioned is enough to understand and feel the drama of what this man and his wife must have been experiencing. Your son has become increasingly ill and no remedies are available. You are an official who works for one of the most powerful men on earth. You would have access to the best medical care, but nothing is working. You and your wife stay up night after night trying to bring the fever down. There is no ice, so cool water from a well is all you have. You cat nap while your wife watches him. She, in turn, does the same so you can rest. You must be at your job every day, but you can't concentrate. Your wife is becoming emotional, and as the fever climbs she cries, "Do something!"

Herod and his top officials are aware of a Nazarene named Jesus and have been monitoring his movements. The Rabbi has miraculously cured people of many illnesses and He is now in Cana, some seventeen miles away. Wit the dual emotions of fear of never seeing your son again and the hope of a miracle, you set out on your journey. A good day's travel in antiquity was about seventeen miles, but this is your son's life that quivers in the balance. You keep a breakneck pace, slowing down only to catch your breath and drink some water. Time is critical; your son may not have a day left. You reach Cana and ask where you might find Jesus. "Look for the crowd," they say. You come with desperate boldness as you burst into the front of the crowd that surrounds Him. You entreat Him to come to Capernaum and heal your son. You have memorized your speech for seventeen miles, but no convincing is necessary. He speaks to the crowds about needing a miracle in order to believe, then looks in your eyes and with no drama or emotion and calmly says,"Go, your son lives." He has no questions about the illness and there is no hesitation, only a firmness and confidence in His voice and compassion in His eyes. It was not what you expected. Would He not need to personally go to your home and touch the boy? You believe Him, but aren't sure why. It was some indefinable quality that you can't quite put your finger on. You can't explain it, but you walk away wit complete assurance that your son will be okay.

Could you have trusted Jesus that much or would you have had to first see the results? Why or why not?

I think in such a situation, I would have trusted Jesus, because what other choice did he have? He didn't know if his son was going to live, but he obviously thought by going there that he might get a miracle...I think I would trust that it had happened!

In verse 52, what day did the healing occur?

yesterday

Step back into his sandals for a moment: You have had little sleep in weeks. Because of the urgency of the situation, you have traveled seventeen miles in record time. You have survived on pure adrenaline and the love for your child. Jesus tells you he is healed. You believe it! But would you not rush back so you could throw your arms around that little boy as fast as you could, worn out or not? Instead, an afternoon and a night pass. The next morning he begins his journey. It is very likely that the royal official, assured that his son is well, went off completely at peace and got a good night's sleep before starting for home the next morning. Amazing confidence in Jesus!