Loved by God.

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Chicago, IL, United States
* It's good to suffer loss, for it draws me to the Cross where God's loss is more than what anyone ever lost. * We cannot hear what the stories of the Bible are saying until we hear them as stories about ourselves. * Let go of control. * Trust God. Thank God. Think about God. Talk to God. Talk about God.

Friday, September 18, 2020

You Will Judge the World (1 Cor 6:1-11)

You Will Judge the World; I Say This to Shame You
  • How does 1 Cor 6:2, 3, 10 share Paul's common repeated theme so far (1 Cor 1:7; 3:13; 4:5; 5:5)? What should you learn about Paul's eschatological framework? How would you apply this to your daily life?
  • Why was Paul so horrified Paul (1 Cor 6:1, 6)?
  • Do you--Christian--believe that you will judge the world (Dan 7:18, 22; 1 Cor 6:2; Mt 19:28; Lk 22:30; Rev 3:21; 20:4)? What is the logic of Paul's argument (1 Cor 6:2-3)? Why does he call their cases "trivial"?
  • Who are "the ungodly," "those whose way of life is scorned in the church" and "unbelievers" (1 Cor 6:1, 4, 6)? Just how bitingly sarcastic is Paul (1 Cor 6:5)? Why is it so terribly wrong, ludicrious and shameful to bring their disputes before public officials (1 Cor 6:1, 5-6)?
  • What do their lawsuits show about them (1 Cor 6:7a, 8)? What should they do instead (1 Cor 6:7b)?
  • What does Paul's repeated question "Do you not know..." (1 Cor 6:2, 3, 9) show about their ignorance, their disputes, their lawsuits and their eschatology?
  • What were they not to be deceived about (1 Cor 6:9-10)?
  • Do you notice Paul's emphasis on who they are in Christ [indicative] (1 Cor 6:11) and not just on what they should or should not do [imperative] (6:8-10)?
  • Explain what it means to be washed, sanctified and justified (1 Cor 6:11). What is this so important and fundamental? Can you articulate the difference between what you were in the past and what you are now in Christ?  

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Expel the Wicked Man (1 Corinthians 5)

  • 𝑪̳𝒂̳𝒏̳/𝑾͙𝒊͙𝒍͙𝒍͙ 𝒚̳𝒐̳𝒖̳ ̳𝙘͢𝙤͢𝙣͢𝙛͢𝙧͢𝙤͢𝙣͢𝙩, 𝒅̳𝒊̳𝒔̳𝒄̳𝒊̳𝒑̳𝒍̳𝒊̳𝒏̳𝒆̳ and ᴇ͙͢͢𝒙͙͢͢ᴘ͙͢͢ᴇ͙͢͢ʟ͙͢͢ 𝒔̳𝒐̳𝒎̳𝒆̳𝒐̳𝒏̳𝒆̳ ̳𝒊̳𝒏̳ ̳𝒕̳𝒉̳𝒆̳ ̳𝒄̳𝒉̳𝒖̳𝒓̳𝒄̳𝒉̳ ̳𝒘̳𝒉̳𝒐̳ is️̳"̳𝒔̳𝒊̳𝒏̳𝒏̳𝒊̳𝒏̳𝒈̳"️(1 Cor 5:13)? What if that person is someone close and dear to you and well known in the church?
  • Isn't bearing with the person "in love" better than expelling them from the church?  Wouldn't they be more likely to repent if they were allowed to stay in the church?
  • What good would it do to expel him (1 Cor 5:5)? Would doing so be imitating Paul (1 Cor 5:3; 4:16)?
  • What is required to exercise discipline in the church (1 Cor 5:4-5)?
  • What does it mean to "hand this man over to Satan" (1 Cor 5:5)? Do you believe and embody salvation that includes "the destruction of the flesh" (1 Cor 5:5; Rom 8:13; Gal 5:19-21)?
  • What is the consequence of doing nothing/not expelling him (1 Cor 5:6)?  
  • What is "the old yeast/old bread" (1 Cor 5:7, 8), which they are to get rid of? What does "as you really are" (an indicative) teach you about the command, "Get rid of the old yeast" (an imperative)? What does the sacrificed Passover lamb do for you? How do you keep the feast/Festival?
  • Can you judge and pronounce judgment as a Christian (1 Cor 5:12-13)?
  • How do you reconcile "Do not judge" (Mt 7:1), "...judge nothing before the appointed time" (1 Cor 4:5), and "...judge those inside" (1 Cor 5:12)?
  • What is Paul's primary concern? The incestrous man? Or the holiness, integrity and counter-cultural influence of the church (1 Cor 5:2; 3:9, 16)?
  • What would Paul say to the church today about sexual and moral issues (1 Cor 5:9, 11; 6:13b, 18, 20; Eph 5:3, 11; Col 3:5; Gal 5:19)? About church discipline and repentance (2 Cor 2:6; 7:10)?
  • What is Paul's primary emphasis throughout (1 Cor 1:17, 23; 2:2; 15:3-4; Ac 20:24; Phil 3:10; Gal 2:20)?

Saturday, September 12, 2020