Grace Bible Chapel
Bible Seminar
Bridge Course
September 2010
James
Galatians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
James G. McCarthy
© 2010
Lesson 1
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
Introduction
The Bible Seminar curriculum is currently under development. When completed, there will be twelve courses in the series. Each course will have fourteen classes. Students will be able to study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one book at a time, in approximately chronological order. Materials for each book will include an introduction, an outline, a key verse to memorize, a series of study questions, and instruction in Bible study techniques. In the Old Testament, students will read approximately eleven chapters each week and answer ten to twelve questions. Psalms will be studied in five sections, corresponding to its five books. In the New Testament, students will read four chapters each week and answer sixteen to twenty questions. Homework assignments will require a minimum of three hours.
Recent changes in the structure of the material require that we offer a course to bridge students from old curriculum to new curriculum. In this bridge course, students will study six books of the New Testament.
1. James—Probably the first book of the New Testament to have been written, the purpose of this book was to exhort Jewish Christians living outside Israel to demonstrate their faith through good works and righteous living.
2. Galatians—Paul’s sternest letter, he wrote this book to rebuke the Christians in Galatia for embracing a false gospel of justification by faith plus works.
3. 1 Thessalonians—Paul wrote this letter to the fledgling church in Thessalonica to exhort them to live godly lives and to explain events associated with the Lord’s return for His church and the judgments on earth to follow.
4. 2 Thessalonians—Paul wrote this letter to correct confusion about the timing of the Day of the Lord.
5. 1 Corinthians—In this letter, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for bad behavior in four areas and answers six questions with which they had been struggling.
6. 2 Corinthians—In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul defends himself against a growing number of critics.
Students who successfully complete this bridge course and who have completed the two courses offered at Grace Bible Chapel in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010 will be given credit for Bible Seminar courses VIII, IX, and X.
Bible Seminar
Course Overview
|Course |Bible Seminar Course Curriculum |
|Number | |
|I |Genesis 1-11; Job; Genesis 12-50; Exodus |
|II |Leviticus; Numbers; Deuteronomy; Joshua |
|III |Judges; Ruth; 1 Samuel; 2 Samuel; Psalms I |
|IV |1 Chronicles; Psalms II; 1 Kings 1-11; Ecclesiastes; 2 Chronicles 1-9; Proverbs; Psalms III |
|V |Psalms IV; Song of Solomon; 1 Kings 12-22; Joel; 2 Kings; Jonah; 2 Chronicles 10-36; Psalms V |
|VI |Amos; Micah; Hosea; Isaiah; Nahum; Zephaniah; Habakkuk; Jeremiah 1-33 |
|VII |Jeremiah 34-52; Lamentations; Obadiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; Ezra; Haggai; Zechariah; Esther; Nehemiah; Malachi |
|VIII |Gospel of Luke; Acts 1:1-14:28; James; Galatians; Acts 15:1-35 |
|IX |Acts 15:36-18:22; 1 Thessalonians; 2 Thessalonians; Acts 18:23-20:3; 1 Corinthians; 2 Corinthians; Romans |
|X |Matthew; Acts 20:3-28:31; Ephesians; Colossians; Philippians; Philemon |
|XI |Mark; First Timothy; First Peter; Titus; Second Timothy; Second Peter; Hebrews; Jude |
|XII |John; 1 John; 2 John; 3 John; Revelation |
Course Requirements
When completed, each Bible Seminar course will be fourteen weeks long. This bridge course, however, will meet for only thirteen weeks. A table listing the classes and dates is below. In preparation for each lesson, students should read the assigned chapters and answer the assigned questions. A Microsoft Word file of the course is available for students who would prefer to complete homework assignments on a computer. There is no written homework for Lesson 1.
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
Schedule
|Lesson |Date |Topic |
|1 |September 8 |Introduction—No Homework Due |
|2 |September 15 |James 1-5 |
|3 |September 22 |Galatians 1-3 |
|4 |September 29 |Galatians 4-6 |
|5 |October 6 |1 Thessalonians 1-5 |
|6 |October 13 |2 Thessalonians 1-3 |
|7 |October 20 |1 Corinthians 1-4—Midterm Review |
|8 |October 27 |1 Corinthians 5-10 |
|9 |November 3 |1 Corinthians 11-13 |
|10 |November 10 |1 Corinthians 14-16 |
|11 |November 17 |2 Corinthians 1-7 |
|12 |December 1 |2 Corinthians 8-13 |
|13 |December 8 |Course Review—No Homework Due |
Class Formats
The class will meet weekly for ninety minutes each week. This time will be divided between lecture and discussion. Instructors usually choose one of the following two formats.
|Typical Class Formats |
| Format A | Format B |
| | |
|7:00 p.m. Lecture 1 |7:00 p.m. Lecture 1 |
|7:25 p.m. Discussion Groups |7:30 p.m. Discussion Groups & Refreshments |
|7:50 p.m. Break & Refreshments |8:00 p.m. Lecture 2 |
|8:10 p.m. Lecture 2 |8:30 p.m. End |
|8:30 p.m. End | |
Lesson Seven will include a review. The format for that class will be slightly different.
| Review Class Format |
| |
|7:00 p.m. Lecture |
|7:30 p.m. Class Discussion |
|7:50 p.m. Midcourse Review |
|8:30 p.m. End |
It is important that students arrive early for class, so that instruction can begin on time.
Graduation Requirements
To successfully complete this course, a student must:
• complete all reading assignments
• complete and turn in all homework assignments, performing them at the students personal ability level
• attend class each week, not missing more than three classes
Lesson 2
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
James 1-5
James is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jacob. It was a popular name among the Jews, because of its association with Jacob of the book of Genesis, also known as Israel, the father of the Jewish nation. As such, it is not surprising to find several men named James in the New Testament. It mentions four.
• “James the son of Zebedee” (Matthew 4:21), one of the twelve apostles and brother of the apostle John. He was the first apostle to die. Herod put him to death by the sword in about 44 ad (Acts 12:1-2).
• “James the son of Alphaeus” (Matthew 10:3), also one of the Twelve, known as “James the Less” (Mark 15:40).
• The father of “Judas the son of James” (Luke 6:16). James’ son was one of the twelve apostles, not Judas Iscariot, but the other Judas.
• “James, the Lord’s brother” (Matthew 13:55; Galatians 1:19), or more precisely, His half-brother
Acts 1:13-14 refers to all four of these men named James.
The author of the Letter of James is most likely the Lord’s half-brother. Though initially skeptical about Jesus’ claims to be the Christ (Mark 3:21; John 7:5), James later came to faith in Him, possibly as a result of the Lord’s appearance to him soon after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7, assuming that the “James” referred to in this verse is the Lord’s brother). Following the Lord’s ascension, we find James in the upper room in prayer with the apostles (Acts 1:13-14). He later became a leader in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13; Galatians 1:19; 2:9; 2:12).
James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians living in regions outside Israel, mainly the result of earlier conquests, some by the Assyrians (722 bc), more by the Babylonians (586 bc), others during the Greek period (332-134 bc), yet others following Roman conquest (63 bc). Jews living outside the Jewish homeland are sometimes referred to as the Diaspora, from the Greek word for scattering or sowing. James begins his letter, writing, “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings” (James 1:1). The phrase translated here “who are dispersed abroad,” reads in the Greek, “in the diaspora.” This word occurs in two other places in the New Testament. The first is in the Gospel of John: “The Jews therefore said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we shall not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?’” (John 7:35). The second is in the opening verse of Peter’s first letter: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, . . .” (1 Peter 1:1).
James was aware that his Jewish readers were experiencing “various trials” (James 1:2), the “testing” (James 1:3) of their faith. This probably involved ostracism from the Jewish community. James exhorts his readers to demonstrate their faith through godly conduct and good works. He states this in what is generally considered to be the key verse of the book: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).
It is generally held that James wrote his letter sometime before 49 ad. Several reasons support the view that his letter may be the earliest New Testament book to be written, possibly before 40 ad.
• James’ Use of the Word “Synagogue”—When James refers to the Christian “assembly” (James 2:2), he uses the Greek word synagogue, a word found elsewhere in the New Testament with reference only to Jewish assemblies or gathering places. The other New Testament writers use the word ekkleesia, usually translated church, to refer to the assembly of Christian believers. James does this also later in his letter, writing, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church (ekkleesia). . . .” (James 5:14).
• No Mention of the Gentile Question—James makes no reference to Gentile Christians, indicating that the church at that time was all or mainly Jewish. Neither does he make reference to the tension that resulted when Gentiles began professing faith in Christ in significant numbers and entering the church. He does, however, exhort his Jewish readers not to show “personal favoritism” (James 2:1) toward rich Christians, thus making “distinctions among yourselves” (James 2:4). This may prophetically anticipate the challenge his Jewish readers would face in accepting Gentile believers into the church a short time later. James initially learned of God’s work among the Gentiles when Peter returned from Caesarea and told the leaders of the church in Jerusalem about the conversion of Cornelius and his household (Acts 11:1-18). This occurred in about 40 ad. Soon after a great number of Gentiles came to faith in Christ in Antioch (Acts 11:20-21). When the leaders of the church in Jerusalem learned about it, they sent Barnabas there to minister to them (Acts 11:22-24). Since James’ letter appears to predate any knowledge on his part of Gentiles coming into the church, his letter was probably written between Pentecost in 30 ad—when in Jerusalem three thousand Jews, many of whom were pilgrims from far away places confessed faith in Jesus(Acts 2:8-11; 41)—and Cornelius’ conversion in 40 ad. After 40 ad, James would have been aware of the Gentile question and its importance to Jewish Christians. The conversion of Cornelius and his household created significant controversy (Acts 11:1-3). Paul visited Jerusalem and spoke to James and others about the Gentile question in 46 ad (Galatians 2:1-10). By 49 ad the Gentile question had become the most important issue in the church in Judea. At the council in Jerusalem that year, James was among the first to grasp the proper relationship of Gentiles to the law of Moses. After much discussion among the elders and apostles, James said, “It is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles” (Acts 15:19). By this he meant that they should not ask Gentile Christians to obey Jewish law.
• James’ Lack of References to the Revelation Received by Paul—James writes with a prophetic voice, exhorting his readers to act on their faith, but he makes no reference to truths revealed to the apostle Paul, such as the mystery of the church, the rapture of the church, or other details of Christ’s second coming.
• The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 ad—The Romans razed Jerusalem in 70 ad. In that James makes no reference to this event, it is unlikely that he wrote his letter after that date.
• The Death of James in 62 ad—Josephus states that James was martyred in 62 ad., so if James the Lord’s brother is indeed the author of the book, it would have had to have been written by that date.
1. Review the table on the next page and answer the following questions.
A. Which two books were written before the Council of Jerusalem in 49 ad?
B. Which books were written after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem?
C. Over what span of years did Paul write?
D. Over what span of years did John write?
2. Though one of the shorter New Testament books, James is a difficult letter to outline because the topic changes many times. One indication of the divisions that the author may have had in his mind are his use of direct address. James uses direct address seventeen times in his one hundred and eight verse letter (James 1:2; 1:16; 1:19; 2:1; 2:5; 2:14; 2:20; 3:1: 3:10; 3:12; 4:4; 4:11; 5:7; 5:9; 5:10; 5:12; 5:19). Usually he addresses his reader as “brethren” (fifteen times), sometimes as “my brethren” (eleven times), and sometimes as “my beloved brethren” (three times). Twice he addresses them in harsher tones: “you foolish fellow” (James 2:20); “you adulteresses” (James 4:4). He introduces one section with, “Come now, you who say. . . .” (James 4:13), and another, “Come now, you rich. . . .” (James 5:1). He starts one section with two rhetorical questions: “Is anyone among you suffering? . . . Is anyone among you sick?” (James 5:13-14).
The thirteen-point outline of James on the next page relies heavily the author’s use of direct address. Examine it carefully. Can any of the sections immediately next to each be combined so that the number of main points can be reduced? Explain your conclusions.
The Letter of James
Theme: “Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers” (James 1:22)
Purpose: To exhort Jewish Christians to demonstrate their faith through godly conduct and good works.
I. Salutation 1:1
II. Brethren, Consider Your Trials to be Joy 1:2-27
A. Stated 1:2
B. Trials produce endurance 1:3-4
C. Ask God for wisdom to understand your trials 1:5-8
D. Poor or rich, glory in your circumstances 1:9-11
E. He who perseveres under trial will receive the crown of life 1:12
F. Evil temptations are not from God 1:13-15
G. Every good gift is from the Father 1:16-19a
H. Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger 1:19b-21
I. Prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers 1:22-27
III. Brethren, Do not Practice Your Faith with Personal Favoritism 2:1-13
IV. Brethren, Faith Devoid of Works is Dead and Cannot Save 2:14-26
A. Question: Can faith without works save? 2:14
B. Answer 2:15-26
1. faith without works is dead 2:15-17
2. faith without works cannot be shown 2:18
3. even demons believe that God is one 2:19
4. faith without works is useless 2:20
5. Abraham was justified by works 2:21-24
6. Rahab was justified by works 2:25
7. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead 2:26
V. Brethren, Let Not Many Become Teachers 3:1-18
A. Stated 3:1a
B. We shall incur a stricter judgment 3:1b
C. We all stumble in what we say 3:2-12
1. only a perfect man does not stumble in what he says 3:2
2. the tongue is small but has great power 3:3-5
3. the tongue is a wild member inciting evil 3:6-8
4. the tongue produces good and evil 3:9-12
D. Who is wise and understanding? 3:13-18
VI. You Adulteresses, Evil Passions are the Source of Your Quarrels and Conflicts 4:1-10
VII. Brethren, Do not Speak against One Another 4:11-12
VIII. You Boastful, Do not be Arrogant 4:13-17
IX. You Rich, Weep and Howl 5:1-6
X. Brethren, Be Patient until the Coming of the Lord 5:7-11
XI. Brethren, Do Not Make Oaths 5:12
XII. You Suffering and Sick, Pray and Confess Your Sins 5:13-18
XIII. Brethren, Turn Back the Sinner from the Error of His Way 5:19-20
|Approximate Dates |81-95 |
|of the Writing of | |
|the New Testament | |
|Books (ad) | |
|4 bc |Jesus’ Birth (Luke 2:1-7) |
|2 bc |Paul’s Birth—Paul is born a Roman citizen in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, and possibly learns as a child to make tents (Acts 18:3; |
| |22:1; 22:26-29). |
|12 ad |Paul’s Education—At about age fourteen, Paul’s parents send him to Jerusalem to be educated under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). |
|27 |Jesus’ Begins His Public Ministry (Luke 3:21-4:16) |
|30 |Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascension (Luke 22:1-24:53; Acts 1:1-11) |
|30-31 |Paul Persecutes the Church—A zealous Jew and member of the sect of the Pharisees, Paul persecutes Christians in Israel and Syria |
| |(Acts 22:4-5; Galatians 1:13-14). |
| |Paul’s Salvation and Early Ministry |
|32 |Paul Professes Faith in Jesus—Paul is present at Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 22:20). Later that year, Christ appears to Paul on his way|
| |to Damascus, and Paul comes to faith in Jesus (Acts 9:1-19; 22:6-16; Galatians 1:15-16). |
|32-34 |Paul’s Ministry in Syria, Arabia, and Cilicia—Paul grows as a Christian and begins to minister in Damascus (Acts 9:19-22); spends |
| |time in Arabia (Galatians 1:17), returns to Damascus (Galatians 1:17); escapes a Jewish plot to kill him (Acts 9:23-25; 2 Corinthians|
| |11:32-33); proclaims Christ in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26-29); escapes another Jewish plot to kill him (Acts 9:30); and travels to Tarsus, |
| |Cilicia, where he had grown up (Acts 9:30). |
|35 |Paul’s First Meeting in Jerusalem with Peter and James—Three years after trusting Christ, Paul visits Jerusalem for fifteen days. He |
| |becomes acquainted with Peter and James, the Lord’s half-brother (Acts 11:28-30; Galatians 1:18-20). Paul returns the regions of |
| |Syria and Cilicia (Galatians 1:21). |
|40 |First Gentiles Trust Christ—Cornelius and his household hear the gospel from Peter, believe, and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts |
| |10:1-48). |
|44 |James the Apostle Executed—Herod kills James, the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:2). |
|46 |Paul’s Second Meeting in Jerusalem with Peter and James (the Lord’s brother), John also present, to Discusses the Gentile |
| |Question—Fourteen years after trusting Christ, Paul goes with Barnabas and Titus to Jerusalem to discuss the relationship of Gentiles|
| |to the law of Moses (Galatians 2:1-10). |
| |Paul’s Missionary Journeys |
|48-49 |First Missionary Journey—Paul and Barnabas travel from Antioch to Cyprus, the southern cities of Galatia (Perga, Pisidian Antioch, |
| |Iconium, Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe), and then back to Antioch (Acts 13:2-14:28). Peter visits Antioch. When Jewish men associated with |
| |James arrive in Jerusalem, Peter separates himself from the Gentiles. Paul rebukes him in front of everyone present (Galatians |
| |2:11-21). |
|late 49 |Paul Attends the Council in Jerusalem—Having returned home to Antioch, Paul learns that Judaizers have confused the churches of |
| |Galatia. Paul addresses the problem by writing his Letter to the Galatians. Soon after, Paul travels with Barnabas to Jerusalem to |
| |meet with the elders and apostles there to clarify the relationship of Gentiles to the Jewish law (Acts 15:1-35). Paul and Barnabas |
| |return to Antioch with a letter stating the outcome of the council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:30-34). |
|50-54 |Paul’s Second Missionary Journey—Paul and Silas set out on the second missionary journey, visiting Syria, Cilicia, Derbe, and Lystra, |
| |where Paul invites Timothy to travel with them (Acts 15:36-16:5). They travel through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, Mysia, |
| |Troas. Paul has a night vision in which a man appeals to him to come to Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). Paul sails from Troas to Samothrace,|
| |Neapolis, and from there travels to Philippi (Acts 16:11-40). He travels through Amphipolis and Appolonia, coming to Thessalonica |
| |(Acts 17:1-14). Paul journeys to Athens (Acts 17:15-34) and Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), where he spends eighteen months. From there he |
| |writes First Thessalonians and Second Thessalonians. Continuing his journey, Paul cuts his hair in Cenchrea, the eastern port of |
| |Corinth, and travels to Ephesus (Acts 18:18-21). From there he sails to Caesarea and goes by land north to Antioch (Acts 18:22). |
|55-57 |Paul’s Third Missionary Journey—Paul begins his third missionary journey by traveling through the Galatian region and Phrygia. In |
| |Ephesus he meets Apollos. Paul travels through the upper country and returns to Ephesus, where he remains for two years and three |
| |months (Acts 19:1-41). During this period, he writes First Corinthians. Paul travels next to Macedonia, from where he writes Second |
| |Corinthians (Acts 20:1; 2 Corinthians 8:1-8). He travels to Greece and spends three months in Corinth (Acts 20:2-5; 2 Corinthians |
| |13:1-2). From there he writes his letter to the Romans. Learning of another plot of the Jews against him, Paul travels through |
| |Macedonia to Philippi and then by ship to Troas (Acts 20:2-11). Paul goes to Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Samos, and Miletus, from where he|
| |says goodbye to the elders from Ephesus (Acts 20:12-38). From there Paul sails to Caesarea and on to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-26). There |
| |zealous Jews attack him and try to kill him (Acts 21:27-30). A Roman commander rescues Paul, placing him under arrest (Acts |
| |21:31-23:10). |
| |Paul’s Imprisonments and Martyrdom |
|57-59 |Paul’s Caesarean Imprisonment—Learning of a Jewish plot to kill Paul, the Roman commander moves Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea (Acts |
| |23:11-35). There Paul remains imprisoned for over two years under the authority of Felix, the Roman governor of Judea, and Festus, |
| |Felix’s successor (Acts 24:1-26:32). When and the Jewish king Agrippa, son of Herod Agrippa II, visits Festus in Caesarea, Festus |
| |brings Paul’s case before him (Acts 25:13-32). Paul testifies of Christ before both men. Festus decides to send Paul to be tried |
| |before Caesar as Paul requested in an earlier hearing before Festus (Acts 25:10-11; 26:32). |
|59-60 |Paul’s Voyage to Rome—Under Roman guard, Paul sails on a seven month journey to Rome. Departing from Caesarea, they sail to Sidon, |
| |pass north of Cyprus along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, and land in Lycia (Acts 27:1-5). From there they sail to Crete, finding|
| |harbor at Fair Havens (Acts 27:6-8). Seeking a better place to spend the winter, they set sail for a nearby harbor, but, driven by a |
| |strong wind, are carried westward toward Sicily, finally shipwrecking off the island of Malta (Acts 27:9-28:10). From there they sail |
| |up the west coast of Italy and then travel by land to Rome (Acts 28:11-16). |
|60-62 |Paul’s First Imprisonment in Rome—Under Roman guard, Paul lives two years in Rome in rented quarters (Acts 28:17-31). He continues his|
| |ministry under house-arrest, welcoming visitors, preaching the gospel, and teaching about the Lord. During this time he wrote the |
| |“Prison Epistles”: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Luke, who accompanied Paul during the latter part of the third |
| |missionary journey, writes the Acts of the Apostles at this time. |
|63-65 |Paul’s Release from Prison and Temporary Freedom—We do not know the details, but the Roman authorities release Paul from prison. For a|
| |period of about three years Paul continues his ministry. He visits the churches that he had planted and leaves Timothy to minster in |
| |Ephesus and Titus to minister in Crete. During this time, Paul writes First Timothy, probably from Macedonia (1 Timothy 1:3), and |
| |Titus, probably from Macedonia or on the way to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). |
|66-67 |Paul’s Second Imprisonment in Rome and Martyrdom—The Roman authorities re-arrest Paul, possibly in Troas (2 Timothy 4:13) and later |
| |beheaded him. Shortly before his death, Paul writes Second Timothy. |
Justification
As we saw when studying the book of Romans, there is an important group of words in the New Testament based on the Greek root dike, pronounced in modern Greek theé-kee, meaning right, justice, penalty, or punishment. When studying the book of Galatians, it is helpful to keep a precise definition of this word and the words derived from it in mind.
|Definitions |
|Right/Righteous/Righteousness/Justify/Justification |
|Greek |Meaning (occurrences) |Example |
|dike |right (3) |“Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, |
| |justice, penalty, punishment |justice has not allowed him to live” (Acts 28:4). |
|dikaios |righteous (79) |“There is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). |
| |morally upright, just, law-abiding, honest, good, | |
| |rightly related to God, fair, innocent, correct | |
|dikaiosune |righteousness (92) |“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being |
| |the characteristics of uprightness and justice |witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through |
| | |faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe” (Romans 3:21-22). |
|dikaioo |justify (39) |“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” |
| |to show to be righteous, to declare righteous |(Romans 3:28). |
|dikaiosis |justification (2) |“He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because |
| |the act of declaring someone righteous |of our justification” (Romans 4:25). |
6. For the sake of emphasis, Paul states his position on justification three times in Galatians 2:15-16. In the text below, underline each occurrence and number it.
We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:15-16
7. Paul writes, “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!” (Galatians 2:17). This is a difficult verse to understand. Can you explain it? (Remember: Context is the key to a correct interpretation.)
8. Galatians 2:18 is also a difficult verse. It states, “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.” Can you explain this verse? Again, look to the context for help.
9. Galatians 2:20 is one of the most important verses in the Bible. It summarizes the Christian doctrine of sanctification—the way by which we can live holy lives to the glory of God. It states, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” As if writing a commentary, explain this verse. Do so clause-by-clause, bringing out the meaning of each part.
10. In Galatians 2:11-21, Paul describes a public confrontation he had with the apostle Peter in Antioch. Other Christians were present, both local members of the church in Antioch and visitors from Jerusalem. Consider carefully the details of this event. Did Paul conduct himself in the manner in which the Lord would have us deal with problems in the church? Before answering this question, consider the Lord’s instruction to His disciples shortly before His death. Jesus said, “If your brothers sins, go and reprove him in private” (Matthew 18:15). In view of this and the context of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, was Paul right in confronting Peter in front of others or was he acting in a fleshly manner and in need of correction himself?
11. What do we learn about the authority structure in the early church from Galatians 1:11-2:21? To answer this question, step way back and consider what Paul is implying in this section of Scripture about who was in charge in the early church and what was the foundation of its authority.
12. In Galatians 2:1-10, Paul describes his second visit to Jerusalem to speak to James, Peter, and John. This occurred in 46 ad, about three years before the council in Jerusalem in 49 ad. Paul writes, “And it was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised” (Galatians 2:2-3). Here Paul emphasizes his belief that a Christian is not under the Law of Moses, pointing out that the leading Christians in Jerusalem did not require Titus, a Gentile Christian, to be circumcised. Several months later, following the council in Jerusalem, Paul and Silas traveled to Lystra, where they met a young Christian named Timothy. Luke describes him as “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek” (Acts 16:1). Luke writes, “Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek” (Acts 16:3). What’s going on here? How can Paul support Titus not being required to be circumcised—using this as evidence that Gentile Christians are not under the law in Galatians 2:3—but then later support Timothy—who, as the son of Gentile, had been raised as a Gentile—being circumcised? Is Paul being inconsistent?
13. Why did Paul address his readers as, “You foolish Galatians,” and ask them, “Who has bewitched you?” (Galatians 3:1)?
14. In Galatians 3:6-9, what point does Paul make using Abraham’s example?
15. According to Paul, what is true of all who approach God on the basis of their obedience to the law of Moses (Galatians 3:10-14)? Why would Paul treat this in such a severe manner?
16. According to Paul, what was the purpose of the law of Moses (Galatians 3:19-24)?
17. In Galatians, Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Yet elsewhere Paul recognizes these groups as distinct. He distinguishes between Jews and Greeks, writing, “Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32). Paul tells Christian slaves, “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh” (Ephesians 6:5). He instructs Christian women, “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). How then can Paul write, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28)? Or, to ask the question another way: In what context is Galatians 3:28 true?
18. Optional Question for the Advanced Student—In the New American Standard Bible, Galatians 2:2 reads, “And it was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.” In this verse, the translators of the NAS Bible rendered the Greek word anethemen as “submitted.” This word occurs twice in the New Testament: Acts 25:14 and Galatians 2:2. Checking two Greek-English lexicons, we find the following definitions for anethemen:
o Lexicon 1[1]—lay before, present
o Lexicon 2[2]—(1) as setting forth one’s cause declare, refer to (for counsel) (AC 25.14); (2) as giving additional information with a request for consideration explain, communicate, put before (GA 2.2)
In Galatians 2:2, the King James Bible translates the word: “communicated”; the New International Version: “set before”; and the Revised Standard Version: “laid before.”
With the context of Galatians 2:2 in mind, why might the translation of the word anethemen as “submitted” (NAS) possibly give the English reader the wrong impression about what Paul is saying in Galatians 2:2?
Lesson 4
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
Galatians 4-6
In the first years of the church, virtually all Christians were of Jewish descent. A very small number were Gentiles, who earlier had embraced the Jewish faith. These, known as “proselytes of righteousness,” had been instructed in Judaism and had been formally received into the Jewish community through circumcision, immersion in water, and the offering of sacrifice. Luke records that among the pilgrims who heard Peter’s sermon on Pentecost were “both Jews and proselytes” (Acts 2:10). Perhaps some proselytes were among the three thousand who professed faith in Jesus that day (Acts 2:41). We know of at least one Gentile Christian in the Jerusalem church. Luke lists him among the seven men selected to assist the apostles, identifying him as “Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch” (Acts 6:5).[3]
The entrance of Cornelius into the church through the baptism of the Holy Spirit broke new ground. Though Cornelius was a seeker of God and sympathetic toward the Jewish people (Acts 10:1-4), he was uncircumcised (Acts 11:1-3). When he received the Holy Spirit and was baptized as a Christian, it sent a shockwave through church. Now Jewish Christians would need to learn how to accept Gentiles as their brothers and sisters in Christ. Soon other Gentiles became Christians as the gospel spread to Syria, Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia. Within twenty years of Christ’s resurrection, there were probably more Gentile Christians than Jewish Christians, though the total number of Christians would have still been relatively moderate, probably less than 10,000.[4]
The greatest theological question in the early years of the church was: In what sense are Gentile Christians subject to the law of Moses? Did Gentiles need to be circumcised? Did they need to keep the Sabbath? What about the rest of the Jewish rules and regulations?
Some insisted that Gentile believers be circumcised and be required to keep the Jewish law. At the council held in Jerusalem in 49 ad, Luke writes, “But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, stood up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses’” (Acts 15:5). Others opposed the subjection of Gentile Christians to the Jewish law. Among them was Paul, who worked tirelessly to keep misinformed zealous Jewish Christians, called Judaizers, from adding Jewish law-keeping to faith in Jesus for justification. At the same time, however, Paul never lost sight of the special relationship that the Jewish people had with God, their privileges as heirs of the covenants that God has made with their forefathers, and God’s future plans for the nation of Israel.
In his writings, Paul sometimes distinguishes between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. He often does this through the careful use of personal pronouns. There are three categories of personal pronouns.
• First Person (used to refer to the speaker or to include others with the speaker)—I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our, ours, ourselves
• Second Person (used to refer to the person being addressed) )—you, your, yours, yourself
• Third Person (used to refer to other persons) )—he, she, him, her, his, hers, himself, herself, they, them, their, theirs, themselves
An example of Paul’s use of pronouns to distinguish Jewish Christians from Gentile Christians can be seen in the following passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. The personal pronouns are underlined.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Ephesians 2:1-3
From the context, it is clear that the first three personal pronouns—“you,” “your,” “you”—refer to Paul’s mostly Gentile readership in the Ephesian church. The fourth personal pronoun—“we”—refers to Paul and his fellow Jewish Christians.
1. In the following passage, underline all personal pronouns. Then go through the passage a second time and determine from the context whether Paul is referring to Jews, Gentiles, or both groups. Place a “J” above pronouns referring to Jews. Place a “G” above pronouns referring to Gentiles. If Paul is referring to both groups, place a “J/G” above the pronoun. Keep in mind that the Christians in the churches of Galatia were mostly Gentiles.
Galatians 3:23 - 4:11
Mark the Personal Pronouns
Identify whether they refer to Jews (“J”), Gentiles (“G”), or Jews and Gentiles (“J/G”)
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
2. What is the main point that Paul is making in Galatians 3:25-4:7 about slaves and sons?
3. In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul reinforces his teaching on the Christian’s relationship to the law by use of an allegory based on the lives of Hagar and Sarah. If you are unfamiliar with their stories, read Genesis 16:1-17:27 and 21:1-21. Then in the space below, sketch Paul’s allegory and label each part. Be sure to include elements to represent Hagar, Sarah, Ishmael, and Isaac. Stick figures are sufficient. Use arrows and other symbols and words to represent the relationships that Paul emphasizes.
4. What is Paul saying when he tells the Galatians, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4)? Does this mean that a Christian can lose his salvation? Explain.
5. Understanding Paul’s letter to the Galatians would have been much easier for the Galatian Christians reading it in the first century than it is for us reading it today. Paul and his original readers shared the same language and much of the same cultural background. He had grownup in Tarsus in Cilicia, the Roman province immediately east of Galatia. When he wrote his letter to the Galatians, Paul was living in Antioch, Syria, about three hundred miles east of Galatia. He had recently visited the cities of Galatia knew the Christians there. Having been a strict Jew and a member of the sect of the Pharisees, Paul also fully understood the pressure the Gentile Christians were facing from over-zealous and misguided Jewish Christian teachers. All this would have contributed to good communication between Paul and his Galatian readers. We, on the other hand, must work hard to understand the context of the letter, the false teaching that Paul was combating, and what it must have been like to be a Gentile Christian under pressure from Jewish Christians from Jerusalem to obey the law of Moses.
Read Galatians 3:1-5:12. Take note of everything that Paul states directly as error or corrects indirectly through counter-emphasis. Then state what the misguided Jewish teachers must have been telling the Galatian Christians to do with respect to the law. State their errors as if asserting them to be true, that is, as if speaking on behalf of the Judaizers. For example, in an earlier section, Paul writes, “I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Galatians 2:21). From this we can infer that false teachers must have been teaching: “Righteousness comes through the Law” (Galatians 2:21). Do the same based on the information in Galatians 3:1-5:12.
Beliefs of the False Teachers Troubling the Galatian Churches
Reconstructed from Paul’s Correction of it in Galatians 3:1-5:12
6. What is Paul concerned about when he writes, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh. . .’” (Galatians 5:13)?
7. List the deeds of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).
8. List the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
9. According to Galatians 5:18-26, how can you exhibit the fruit of the Spirit rather than the deeds of the flesh?
10. Explain what Paul means when he writes, “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). Is this true of you?
11. What do you think Paul means when he writes, “From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17)?
12. Review the outline to Paul’s letter to the Galatians on the next page. In the fifth section, “Judaizers and Their Ways Exposed—5:26-6:3,” Paul corrects bad behavior that has resulted from the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers. List three such examples from this section.
13. Commit the following verse to memory.
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians
Theme: Justification by Faith
Purpose: To rebuke the Galatians for tolerating a false gospel of justification through faith plus works
I. Salutation 1:1-5
II. Galatians Rebuked for Gospel Defection 1:6-9
III. Paul’s Gospel is from Jesus Christ not Men 1:10-2:21
A. stated 1:10-12
B. proved from Paul’s personal history 1:13-2:21
1. prior to conversion: a zealous Jew and persecutor of the church 1:13-14
2. conversion to year 3: no contact with the apostles in Jerusalem 1:15-17
3. years 3 to 14: brief contact with Cephas and James 1:18-24
4. year 14: consulted with James, Cephas, and John 2:1-10
5. Cephas rebuked for Judaistic behavior 2:11-21
IV. Justification by Faith not Law 3:1-5:25
A. Galatians rebuked 3:1-5
1. who bewitched you? 3:1
2. remember your start 3:2-5
B. the blessings of Abraham are by faith 3:6-18
1. those of faith are blessed with Abraham 3:6-9
2. those of the Law are cursed 3:10-14
3. Abraham’s inheritance is based on promise not law 3:15-18
C. the purpose of the Law: to keep in custody 3:19-24
1. added temporarily because of transgressions 3:19-20
2. not contrary to the promises 3:21-22
3. to keep in custody as a tutor 3:23-24
D. the result of the redemption: set free from the Law 3:25-5:25
1. set free as sons and heirs 3:25-4:7
2. Galatians admonished 4:8-20
3. reasoned by allegory: Hagar and Sarah 4:21-31
4. do not go back to slavery 5:1-6
5. who hindered you? 5:7-12
6. free to serve not sin 5:13-15
7. those led by the Spirit are free from the Law 5:16-25
V. Judaizers and Their Ways Exposed 5:26-6:17
A. avoid pride 5:26-6:3
B. boast in your own work 6:4-10
C. the letter validated by Paul 6:11
D. motives of the Judaizers exposed 6:12-16
E. final warning 6:17
VI. Farewell Blessing 6:18
Lesson 5
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
1 Thessalonians
Cassander of Macedon founded Thessalonica (also known as Thessaloniki or Salonika) in 315 bc, during the reign of Alexander IV, son of Alexander III (better known as Alexander the Great). Cassander named the city after his wife, Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great. The Romans conquered Macedon in 168 bc and made the city the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia. With a good port located at the north-western corner of the Aegean Sea, Thessalonica was a hub of commerce. It was also located near the midpoint of the seven hundred and fifty mile long, twenty-foot wide, road called the Via Egnatia[5]. Constructed by the Romans in the second century bc, it connected the city of Byzantium (later called Constantinople and now called Istanbul) in the east to the port city of Dyrrachium (now called Durres) on the Adriatic Sea, where a traveler could sail across a hundred mile stretch of the Adriatic Sea to Brindisi, Italy, and then journey by land on the Appian Way six hundred miles to Rome.
Paul, Silvanus (referred to in Acts as Silas), and Timothy first visited Thessalonica during Paul’s second missionary journey. They arrived from Philippi, having traveled the Via Egnatia through Amphipolis and Apollonian (Acts 17:1-15). This would have been sometime between late 50 ad and early 51 ad. As was his custom, Paul took the message of salvation first to the Jews of Thessalonica. For three Sabbaths, he attended the Jewish synagogue and “reasoned with them from the Scriptures” (Acts 17:2), giving “evidence that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead” (Acts 17:3). Luke writes, “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women” (Acts 17:4). The result was the establishment of the first church in Thessalonica.
After a short time in Thessalonica, somewhere between three weeks and three months, Paul and Silvanus traveled to Berea(known today as Veria or Veroia), a short distance to the east. There they found Jews who were “more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Many believed along with “a number of Greek women and men” (Acts 17:12).
Accompanied by believers from Berea, Paul traveled by sea to Athens, leaving Silvanus and Timothy in Macedonia. Paul sent word back to Timothy with the Bereans that he should go to Thessalonica “to strengthen and encourage” (1 Thessalonians 3:2) the Christians there and then “to come to him as soon as possible” (Acts 17:15). Paul continued his travels south through Greece, where he was later reunited with Silvanus and Timothy.
Today Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. Its metropolitan area has a population of about one million people. It is the capital of Macedonia, a northern region of Greece. This geographical area should not be confused with the Republic of Macedonia directly to the north, a former Yugoslavian state and now a sovereign nation of 2.1 million people with Skopje as its capital. Many Greeks object to the country to their north calling itself Macedonia, saying that they too are Macedonians.
1. Though Paul was only a short time in Thessalonica, a strong bond formed between him and the Christians there. List eight examples of Paul’s affection for the Thessalonians or theirs for him from the following chapters.
1 Thessalonians, Chapter One
1.
2.
1 Thessalonians, Chapter Two
3.
4.
5.
1 Thessalonians, Chapter Three
6.
7.
8.
2. Evaluate your relationship with the Christians in your church.
A. In what ways does your love and affection for the members of your church compare with Paul’s love and affection for the Thessalonian Christians?
B. List one specific thing that you could do to improve your relationship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. Paul describes the Thessalonians’ response to the preaching of the saving message of Jesus Christ, writing: “Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). How does this compare with your salvation? Did the gospel come to you “in word only” or also “in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction”? Give one or two examples that demonstrate what happened.
4. In what specific way did the Thessalonians become imitators of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, and of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:6)?
5. In what specific way did the Thessalonians become imitators of “the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea” (1 Thessalonians 2:14)?
6. The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to tell the good news of salvation to the people of the world, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Considering Paul’s account of what happened in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10), how might the church in that city serve as a model for us today in fulfilling the Lord’s command to make disciples of all nations?
7. In 1 Thessalonians 1:6 and 2:13-16, Paul refers to the persecution the Thessalonian believers experienced when they professed faith in Christ, especially at the hand of the Jews. Paul writes of his Jewish brethren, “They always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost” (1 Thessalonians 2:16). What exactly happened in Thessalonica that would cause Paul to speak of his people in this way? Refer to Acts 17:1-14.
Paul’s First Letter to the
Thessalonians
Theme: godly living in light of the Lord’s second coming
Purpose: To encourage the newly saved Christians of Thessalonica to live for God
I. Salutation 1:1
II. Encouragement 1:2-3:13
A. the past reviewed 1:2 -16
1. you heartily received the gospel 1:2-5
2. you became imitators of us and the Lord 1:6-10
3. you believed the gospel that we preached 2:1-13
4. you became imitators of the churches in Judea 2:14-16
B. the present reported 2:17-3:10
1. we were eager to see you 2:17-20
2. we sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage you 3:1-5
3. we were comforted by Timothy’s report 3:6-10
C. the future prayed for 3:11-13
III. Exhortation to Godly Living 4:1-5:22
A. In Sanctification in Sexual Purity 4:1-8
B. In Love 4:9-12
C. In Future Events 4:13-5:11
D. In Relations with One Another 5:12-15
E. In Activities of the Spirit 5:16-22
IV. Farewell Blessing 5:23-28
8. What news did Timothy bring Paul about the spiritual condition of the church in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:1-8)?
9. As stated in the introduction to this lesson, Paul traveled by sea from Berea in Macedonia to Athens, leaving Silvanus and Timothy behind. Paul later directed Timothy to return to Thessalonica “to strengthen and encourage” (1 Thessalonians 3:2) the Christians there. Paul continued his travels south through Greece. It appears from 1 Thessalonians 3:1-8 that Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians shortly after Timothy had been reunited with him. Where was Paul probably residing when he wrote his letter to the Thessalonians? What verse does this most likely correspond to Acts? You’ll find answers to these questions by lining up the information in 1 Thessalonians 3:1-8 with Luke’s account of Paul’s ministry after he left Thessalonica in Acts 17:10-18:11.
10. Consider Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians recorded in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13.
A. What does Paul pray for with respect to the Thessalonians?
B. What goal does Paul state for praying for this?
11. To what event is Paul referring when he concludes his prayer, saying, “. . . so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13)? Is this a reference to the rapture, Christ coming to receive the church from the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)? Is it a reference to Christ’s glorious return to the earth with His angels to do battle against His enemies (Revelation 19:11-21)? Or, does it refer to something else? Pay careful attention to the details of this verse. You may also want to consider if it is referring to the event described in Colossians 1:22.
12. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, Paul exhorts his readers to live lives pleasing to the Lord by keeping His commandments with respect to sexual purity. List the three things that Paul specifically tells his readers to do, or not to do, in this passage.
A.
B.
C.
13. Though Scripture sometimes refers to deceased believers to as “dead” (Luke 20:37; John 11:14; 1 Corinthians 15:35; 15:42; Revelation 14:3), more often they are referred to as “asleep” (John 11:11; Acts 13:36; 1 Corinthians 15:6; 15:18; 15:20). Paul refers to deceased Christians four times in his first letter to the Thessalonians in this manner (1 Thessalonians 4:13; 4:14; 4:15; 5:10). Even today, a common Christian epitaph, an inscription on a tombstone, is “Asleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Why is sleep a fitting way to refer to a deceased Christian?
14. Apparently, Paul had learned from Timothy that the Thessalonian Christians were grieving about fellow Christians who were deceased. What comfort does Paul give them in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15?
15. Paul gives additional information about what will happen when Jesus returns to the earth in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. List the four events that Paul describes in these verses.
A. 1 Thessalonians 4:16a
B. 1 Thessalonians 4:16b
C. 1 Thessalonians 4:17:a
D. 1 Thessalonians 4:17b
Note: The first three events in this list are often referred to collectively as the rapture. This term comes from the Vulgate Bible, a Latin translation of the Scriptures made in the fourth century by Jerome. The words “shall be caught up” (1 Thessalonians 4:17, Greek: apageesometha) in Latin are rapiemur, from the Latin word rapere, meaning, to snatch, to seize, or to carry off. The English word rapture is derived from this Latin word.
16. In the next verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:1, Paul describes what will take place on earth after Christ receives the church into heaven. Paul signals the shift in topic from the rapture to “the day of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) with the words “now as to” (NAS) or “but of the” (KJV) or “but concerning” (NKJV), a two word transition that he often uses in his letters to introduce new topics (Greek: peri de, also used by Paul to introduce new topics in 1 Corinthians 7:1; 7:25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1; 16:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). What do we learn about this difficult period of time on earth following the rapture from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3?
17. In view of the teaching of the day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, how does Paul tell the Thessalonian Christians they should behave (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11)?
18. In a final section of his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul gives seventeen commands. See if you can list all seventeen. Just state the main part of the command, omitting reasons and other descriptive phrases. Circle the three commands that you think you need to work on most.
A. 1 Thessalonians 5:12
B. 1 Thessalonians 5:13a
C. 1 Thessalonians 5:13b
D. 1 Thessalonians 5:14a
E. 1 Thessalonians 5:14b
F. 1 Thessalonians 5:14c
G. 1 Thessalonians 5:14d
H. 1 Thessalonians 5:15a
I. 1 Thessalonians 5:15b
J. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
K. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
L. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
M. 1 Thessalonians 5:19
N. 1 Thessalonians 5:20
O. 1 Thessalonians 5:21a
P. 1 Thessalonians 5:21b
Q. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
19. Commit the following two verses to memory.
Lesson 6
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
2 Thessalonians
Shortly after Paul sent his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, he learned that the church there had been disturbed by some form of communication, allegedly from him, contradicting his earlier teaching about the judgment of God upon the earth during the day of the Lord. To set the record straight, Paul wrote a second letter. He made use of the opportunity to encourage the Thessalonian believers and to exhort them to godly living.
1. For what two things does Paul give thanks to God for the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1:3)?
2. About what two things was Paul boasting to other churches about the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 1:4)?
The Second Letter of Paul to the
Thessalonians
Theme: Godly living while awaiting the return of Christ
Purpose: To clear up confusion about the timing of the Lord’s return
I. Salutation 1:1-2
II. Encouragement for a Persecuted Church 1:3-12
A. We give thanks to God for you 1:3
B. We boast to other churches about you 1:4
C. God will judge those who are afflicting you 1:5-10
D. We pray for you always 1:11-12
III. Clarification for a Church Confused about the Coming of Christ and Their Gathering to Him 2:1-17
A. Don’t be disturbed by claims that the day of the Lord has come 2:1-2
B. The apostasy and the revelation of the Man of Lawlessness must come first 2:3-12
C. God has chosen you for salvation from evil 2:13-15
D. May God comfort and strengthen you 2:16-17
IV. Prayer and Exhortation 3:1-5
A. Pray for us 3:1-2
B. The Lord will strengthen and protect you 3:3-5
V. Instruction Concerning the Lazy and Disobedient 3:6-15
A. Keep aloof from Christians living an undisciplined life 3:6-11
B. Idle Christians should work 3:12
C. Do not grow weary in doing good 3:13
D. Don’t associate with the disobedient 3:14-15
VI. Valediction 3:16-18
A. May God grant you peace 3:16
B. I write this greeting with my own hand 3:17
C. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you 3:18
3. Contrast the destiny of the believer and the unbeliever based on the information in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12.
|The Believer’s Destiny |The Unbeliever’s Destiny |
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4. Paul refers to “day of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 and in 2 Thessalonians 2:2. Peter refers to the same event as “the great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20) in his Pentecost sermon, saying that “the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood” (Acts 2:20). In his second letter, Peter writes, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). The Old Testament prophets also had much to say about the day of the Lord. What do we learn about it from the following prophets?
A. Isaiah 13:6-11
B. Ezekiel 30:1-3
C. Amos 5:18-20
D. Zephaniah 1:14-17
E. Malachi 4:5-6
5. In 2 Thessalonian 2:1, how does Paul describe what will happen when Christ returns for us?
6. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, Paul states what is probably the main purpose of his letter. According to these verses, what misconception does he want to correct?
7. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5, Paul corrects the error identified in the previous question. Explain how he does this.
8. Scripture often speaks of an evil world leader who will be empowered by Satan to do his bidding in the last days. Daniel refers to him as “the prince who is to come” (Daniel 9:26). John calls him the “antichrist” (1 John 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7) and the “beast” (Revelation 13:1-18). What does Paul tell us about this evil person in the following verses?
A. 2 Thessalonians 2:3
B. 2 Thessalonians 2:4-5
C. 2 Thessalonians 2:6
D. 2 Thessalonians 2:8
E. 2 Thessalonians 2:9
9. Referring to the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3), Paul writes, “And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed . . .” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).
A. The identity of the restrainer referred to in these verses is a matter of some debate. To whom or to what do you think Paul is referring when he writes of “what restrains” the man of lawlessness? Note that in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul refers to the restrainer using the masculine personal pronoun “he,” Paul writing, “. . . he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
B. According to Paul, following what event will this evil person be revealed?
10. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, at the time of the revelation of the Antichrist, what will happen to those on earth who “did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10)?
11. In contrast to the plight of unbelievers during the time of the evil reign of the man of lawlessness, what does God have in store for believers (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)?
12. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, the Greek word translated “salvation” (Greek soteria) is from a root meaning safe or well. It can be translated by the English words salvation, deliverance, perseverance, and rescue. New Testament writers use the word with reference to deliverance from the eternal punishment of sin (Acts 4:12), enemies (Luke 1:71), prison (Philippians 1:19), the flood of Noah’s day (Hebrews 11:7), a storm at sea (Acts 27:34), and other forms of danger and peril.
A. Considering the context of 2 Thessalonians 2:13, when Paul writes, “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation” to what kind of salvation is he referring? In other words, salvation from what?
B. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, how will God save or deliver believers from this person or thing?
13. Paul writes, “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). The Greek word translated here “traditions” (paradosis), refers to something handed down or handed over.
A. In the gospels, the Lord Jesus criticizes the ruling Jews for their reliance on tradition, saying, “‘Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.’ He was also saying to them, ‘You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition’” (Mark 7:8-9). Why then would Paul tell Christians to “hold to the traditions” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)?
B. Where today can we find the “traditions” or things handed down that Paul refers to in 2 Thessalonians 2:15?
14. What kind of person should we “keep aloof from” (NAS), “withdraw yourselves from” (KJV), or “keep away from” (NIV) according to 2 Thessalonians 3:6? Is this person a Christian?
15. According to 2 Thessalonians 3:14, what kind of person should we “take special note of” and “not associate with”?
16. Commit the following verse to memory.
Lesson 7
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
1 Corinthians 1-4 and Midterm Contest
Corinth is an ancient city with roots going back to the Greek Bronze Age (1600-1100 bc). By the seventh century before Christ, it was an established city. Strategically located on the southern end of the isthmus connecting the northern portion of modern Greece (known since ancient times as Thessaly) and its southern portion (known as Peloponnese), Corinth was a hub of commerce and travel north and south. With good harbors on the Gulf of Corinth, to the west of the isthmus, and the Saronic Gulf, to the east, Corinth was also an important stop and center of commerce for ships traveling between Western Europe and Asia.
During the Greek Classical Age (500-323 bc), Corinth was a powerful self-governing city-state on par with Athens and Thebes. It hosted the Isthmian Games the year before and the year after the games in Olympia, located about seventy miles to the west. Competition included many of the events still held in the modern Olympics, such as running, wrestling, javelin throw, discus throw, and the long jump. It also involved competitions not found today, such as running in armor, chariot racing, pankration (a violent mixture of boxing and wrestling), music, and poetry. City officials crowned winners with a wreath of celery or pine leaves. This was the age of the great Greek philosophers: Socrates (469-399 bc), Plato (428-347 bc), and Aristotle (384-322 bc), and of the great Macedonian warrior-king Alexander the Great (356-323 bc), who as a young man had been Aristotle’s pupil. At times Corinth allied itself with Sparta to the south against Athens, such as during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 bc). At other times, Corinth allied itself with Athens to the north against Sparta, such as during the Corinthian War (395-386 bc). After Alexander’s death in 323, Antigonus I, one of Alexander’s generals and then King of Macedonia, ruled Corinth and the other dependent Greek cities. Macedonia allowed the Greek city-states a large measure of self-rule, nevertheless, when in the third century Macedonia weakened after much warring, the Greek cities of the Peloponnesian Peninsula, banned together in the Achaean League, rebelled. They did so with support from Rome, a growing power in the region. In 197 bc, Rome defeated Macedonia in a decisive battle, and power in the region shifted westward. When Rome exerted increased control over the Greek city-states, war broke out between them. In 146 bc, Roman consul Lucius Mummius led a force of 23,000 infantrymen and 3,500 cavalrymen against a much smaller Greek force of 14,000 infantry and 600 cavalry. The Greeks made a successful night raid on the Roman camp, but the next day the Greek cavalry fled at the sight of a Roman force six times its size. The Romans destroyed the city and plundered its wealth. The site remained largely uninhabited for a hundred years. Julius Caesar (49-44 bc) rebuilt Corinth shortly before his assassination in 44 bc, and Corinth became the capital of the Roman province of Achaia.
Paul first came to Corinth during his second missionary journey. In early 51 ad, he traveled from Thessalonica to Berea, Athens, and then Corinth. What he found was a bustling and prosperous center of commerce and Roman government with a marketplace as large as any in Rome. The population of the city is unknown[6]. Corinth was the most important city in Achaia, having excelled above Athens, Sparta, and Argos. Among Paul’s first new acquaintances there was a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who had been ordered out of Rome when Claudius, Roman emperor from 41 to 54 ad, expelled all Jews from his capital in 49 or 50 ad. Paul began his ministry in Corinth “reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4). Silas and Timothy soon joined him, traveling from Macedonia. When the Jews rejected Paul’s message, he moved his base of ministry to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a Gentile convert to Judaism (Acts 18:7). Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, also received the gospel of Jesus Christ, along with many other Corinthians (Acts 18:8).
Paul settled in Corinth “a year and six months, teaching the word of God” (Acts 18:11). It was probably during this period that he wrote his two letters to the Thessalonians. Near the end of that time, the Jews rose up against Paul and brought him before Gallio, the Roman proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18:12). Gallio dismissed the charges, saying that he was unwilling to judge disputes over Jewish theology. Paul remained additional time in Corinth; then traveled to Ephesus, Caesarea, and back to Antioch, the church from which he had been sent out (Acts 18:18-22).
In 56 ad, at the start of his third missionary journey, Paul spent two years and three months in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10). From there Paul composed his first letter to the Corinthians, writing “But I shall remain in Ephesus until Pentecost” (1 Corinthians 16:8), and sending the Corinthians greetings from “the churches in Asia” (Acts 16:19). A short time later, he traveled to Macedonia. From there he probably wrote his second letter to the Corinthians (Acts 20:1). Soon after, he visited Corinth (Acts 20:2).
1. In ancient times, sailors used mules and oxen to drag smaller ships on rollers over a wooden tramway that traversed the Isthmus of Corinth, a distance of slightly less than four miles. This saved them about 225 miles travel by sea when journeying between Western Europe and Asia. It also spared them the sometimes treacherous trip around Cape Maleas at the southeastern tip of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Emperor Nero (54-68 ad) attempted to dig a canal across the isthmus. He even removed the first bucket of soil himself, but ultimately the project proved to be too difficult for ancient technology. Not until the nineteenth century was the feat accomplished.
A. Look up “Corinth Canal” on the Internet and learn more about its construction. is one good source of information. When was the canal finally dug? What additional information did you learn about the canal?
B. Locate the city of Corinth on Google Earth (). Zoom out and note Corinth’s location in the region. Zoom in and consider the position of the city in relationship to the gulfs to the east and west. Zoom closer and see if you can find the canal. Turn on the “Panoramio Photos” feature. Click on some of the pictures along the canal and get an up-close view of it and the region. Go to YouTube (), and search on “Corinth Canal.” Sail the canal through video. What strikes you most about the geographic location of Corinth?
C. Look up “Acrocorinth” on the Internet and learn about its geographic features and use in ancient times. See if you can find it on Google Earth, using the coordinates provided on Wikipedia. What did you learn about Acrocorinth?
2. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul rebukes the Christians in Corinth for their bad behavior in four areas. He then clarifies six doctrinal areas about which they were confused. Surprisingly, some of the same problems and questions that Paul addresses are the problems and questions troubling the church today. This makes the Corinthian church a useful case-study for those preparing to serve Christ. It also makes the book a valuable a resource for addressing similar problems in the modern church. Consider the brief outline of First Corinthians below. Underline sections that address issues that are as relevant for the church today as they were for the church in the first century.
Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians
I. Introduction 1:1-9
II. Reproof and Correction of Sins Being Practiced by the Corinthians 1:10-6:20
A. Division in the Church Resulting in Disunity 1:10-4:21
B. Sexual Sin between Family Members 5:1-13
C. Christians Taking Christians to Court over Financial Disputes 6:1-11
D. Christians Practicing Sexual Immorality 6:12-20
III. Clarification of Questions Troubling the Church 7:1-15:58
A. Is Celibacy a Good Option? Should a Christian end an Unhappy Marriage? 7:1-40
B. Can a Christian Eat Food that has been Sacrificed to a False God? 8:1-11:1
C. Should a Christian Cover His or Her Head While Praying or Prophesying? 11:2-16
D. What is Proper Behavior at the Lord’s Supper? 11:17-34
E. What is the Correct Use of Spiritual Gifts, Especially the Sign Gifts? 12:1-14:40
F. In What Manner is a Christian Resurrected? 15:1-58
IV. Closing Remarks 16:1-2
3. The purpose of a book is a statement of the author’s intended goal for writing it. It answers the question: What did the writer hope to accomplish? The purpose can usually be deduced from the major points of the outline. Considering the outline in the previous question, state the purpose of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Make your answer broad enough to encompass as much of the outline as possible.
4. In view of the many serious problems in the church in Corinth, why is Paul’s introduction to his first letter to the Corinthians remarkable (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)?
5. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-4:21, Paul delivers a four-chapter rebuke and correction of the division in the Corinthian church. He begins by exhorting the Christians to strive for unity. List the three parts of this exhortation (1 Corinthians 1:10).
A.
B.
C.
6. What do we learn about the source of the disunity in the Corinthian church from 1 Corinthians 1:11-17?
7. What is Paul’s main point in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25? What does his point have to do with division in the church in Corinth?
8. Paul continues his correction of disunity among the Corinthians, writing, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:26). What point is Paul making in this verse and the verses that follow (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)? How does it relate to the problem of disunity in the church?
9. What do we learn about biblical evangelism from the example of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5?
10. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, why does Paul remind the Corinthians about how he initially brought the gospel to them? In other words, what does it have to do with division in the church?
11. What additional information do we learn about the nature of division in the Corinthian church from 1 Corinthians 3:1-9?
12. Paul issues a warning to the Christians in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. What is his warning, and how does it relate to division in the church?
13. Based on the information in the analogy that Paul presents in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, sketch two houses in the boxes below. Sketch one house to represent the work of the person who promotes unity in the church. Sketch the other house to represent the work of the person who is causing division. Label the important parts of each drawing to show what they represent. Show also the flames that will test each house.
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|The House of the Person Who Promotes Unity |The House of the Person Who Causes Division |
14. It would seem based on Paul’s analogy in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 that a Christian can lose his salvation. Is that what Paul is teaching? Try to answer this question directly from the text. Use other Scriptures if needed.
15. Explain Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. What is he saying?
16. Considering 1 Corinthians 3:18-4:21, list three adjectives that describe the Corinthians and that explain why they were divided.
17. Considering 1 Corinthians 3:18-4:21, list three adjectives that describe the apostle Paul and which, if the Corinthians were to become like him, would contribute significantly to unity in the church in Corinth.
|Special Assignment for Lesson 7 |
|Midcourse Review |
| | During class this week, students will compete in a contest similar to a |
| |television game show. Prepare by reviewing all course material up to this point. |
| |Review the Scriptures studied, homework assignments, and notes from class. |
| |Study hard but don’t become anxious about the contest. It is meant to be a |
| |stimulating review of the material and an enjoyable way to fix into memory the |
| |information you have been learning. |
Lesson 8
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
1 Corinthians 5-10
It is often said that though the Romans conquered the Greeks militarily—the decisive confrontation being the battle of Corinth in 146 bc—the Greeks conquered the Romans culturally, a process which spanned centuries. Greek philosophy, religion, art, literature, architecture, education, oratory, rhetoric, and technology had a profound effect upon Roman culture and changed it. Many Romans also learned to speak Greek. Through the campaigns of Alexander the Greek, Koine Greek (common Greek) had become the common language of the eastern Mediterranean region and the Near East. The Romans used it to administrate these areas. Romans also learned Greek through their many Greek household slaves. In a short time, Greek joined Latin as the spoken language of educated Romans, and they moved easily between the two. A surprising example of this can be seen in the final words of Julius Caesar, assassinated by a band of Roman senators in 44 bc. Shakespeare immortalizes Caesar as shocked to see Marcus Brutus, a close friend, among the conspirators armed with knives. “Et tu, Brute?”, Shakespeare has Caesar asking in Latin, meaning, “Even you, Brutus?” There is better historical support, however, for Caesar saying, “Kai su, teknon?”, which is Greek for, “Even you, child?”
As Christianity spread across the Roman Empire in the fourth century, Greek, the language of the church, spread with it. Not until the fifth century did the influence of Greek language begin to wane in the Roman Empire, and even then only in the West, where Latin became the primary language of the church. This was greatly advanced by a revised Latin translation of the Bible completed in 405 ad, largely through the work of Jerome. Known as the versio vulgata, the common translation of the people, it is referred to today as the Latin Vulgate. It continues to serve as the official biblical text of the Roman Catholic Church. In the eastern countries of what had been the Roman Empire, Greek continued as the common language until the spread of Islam in the seventh century and the Ottoman Empire in the fourteenth.
Though Corinth originally was an ancient Greek city-state with rich culture of its own, in Paul’s day the city was a Roman colony and seat of Roman government. As the capital of the Roman province of Achaia, Roman law prevailed, Roman magistrates ruled, and Latin inscriptions adorned official buildings. Temple priests were officials of the Roman state. Nevertheless, Corinth’s culture would have been a mixture of Greek and Roman, that is, Greco-Roman.
The first church in Corinth would have been made up almost completely of Gentiles, only a few being ethnic Jews. Paul writes to the church, saying, “You know that when you were pagans (Greek ethnos, “Gentiles”), you were led astray to the dumb idols, however you were led” (1 Corinthians 12:2). Some of the first Christians may have been ethnic Greeks, but based on the names of believers recorded in Scripture, most appear to have been Romans—Latin names for men typically ending in -us; Greek names ending in -os.[7] There was in the church in Corinth “Crispus,” (Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:14); “Gaius” (1 Corinthians 1:14); and “Fortunatus and Achaicus” (1 Corinthians 16:17). When Paul writes from Corinth to the church in Rome, he sends them greetings from several Corinthian believers: “Tertius” (Romans 16:22); “Gaius, host to me and to the whole church” (Romans 16:23); “Erastus, the city treasurer” (Romans 16:23); and “Quartus, the brother” (Romans 16:23).
Incest (1 Corinthians 5:1-13)
1. HAVING ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM OF DIVISION IN THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH IN THE FIRST FOUR CHAPTERS, PAUL TURNS IN CHAPTER FIVE TO ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM: INCEST. WHAT SPECIFICALLY WAS HAPPENING, AND HOW WERE THE CHRISTIANS’ RESPONDING TO IT (1 CORINTHIANS 5:1-13)?
2. Paul instructs the Corinthians to “remove the wicked man from among yourselves” (1 Corinthians 5:13). He also tells them “to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh” (1 Corinthians 5:5). Paul gives four reasons why they should do this. Summarize each.
A. 1 Corinthians 5:5
B. 1 Corinthians 5:6
C. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
D. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
3. If the elders of your church were to discipline one of your close friends, putting him or her out of the church and instructing the body not to associate with the person, not even to eat with him or her, would you cooperate or would you protest? Explain your answer.
Lawsuits (1 Corinthians 6:1-11)
4. IN 1 CORINTHIANS 6:1-11, PAUL ADDRESSES A THIRD PROBLEM IN THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH. CHRISTIANS HAD BECOME INVOLVED IN UNSPECIFIED DISPUTES WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WERE TAKING ONE ANOTHER TO COURT BEFORE ROMAN JUDGES. IT IS LIKELY THAT BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS THAT HAD GONE BAD WERE INVOLVED AND THAT CHRISTIANS WERE TRYING TO RESOLVE THEM BY SUING ONE ANOTHER IN COURT, ONE OF THEIR RIGHTS AS ROMAN CITIZENS. RATHER THAN TAKING THE MATTER BEFORE AN UNSAVED CIVIL JUDGE, WHAT TWO ALTERNATIVES DOES PAUL GIVE CHRISTIANS INVOLVED IN SUCH DISPUTES?
5. In the course of instructing Christians who had disputes between one another, Paul states that “the saints will judge the world” (1 Corinthians 6:2). He also says, “We shall judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:3). Paul does not provide specific details. From your knowledge of Scripture, when do you think this will take place? Provide references to support your answer if you can.
Sexual Immorality (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)
6. AFTER DEALING WITH DIVISION, INCEST, AND LAWSUITS, PAUL ADDRESSES A FOURTH PROBLEM IN THE CORINTHIANS CHURCH: SEXUAL IMMORALITY (1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20). PAUL PROVIDES TEN REASONS WHY IT IS WRONG FOR CHRISTIANS TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL IMMORALITY. SUMMARIZE THE REASON STATED IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES.
A. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
B. 1 Corinthians 6:11
C. 1 Corinthians 6:12a
D. 1 Corinthians 6:12b
E. 1 Corinthians 6:13
F. 1 Corinthians 6:14
G. 1 Corinthians 6:15-17
H. 1 Corinthians 6:18
I. 1 Corinthians 6:19a
J. 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20
7. In the course of addressing sexual immorality in the Corinthian church, Paul writes, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). What is Paul saying here? Is he saying that a person who has professed faith in Christ, who has been baptized, and who has been a Christian for many years will, should not think that he is going to heaven if his life is characterized by one of the sins on the list? Is that what Paul is saying? Explain your answer.
The Single Life and the Married Life (1 Corinthians 7:1-40)
8. IN CHAPTER SEVEN, PAUL MOVES FROM THE REPROOF AND CORRECTION OF DIVISIONS, INCEST, LAWSUITS, AND SEXUAL IMMORALITY IN THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH TO ADDRESSING ISSUES ABOUT WHICH THEY WERE CONFUSED: SINGLENESS AND MARRIAGE, FOOD SACRIFICED TO IDOLS, HEAD COVERING, PARTICIPATION IN THE LORD’S SUPPER, SPIRITUAL GIFTS, AND THE RESURRECTION. APPARENTLY, THE CORINTHIANS HAD SENT A LETTER TO PAUL INQUIRING ABOUT THESE TOPICS, AND SO PAUL BEGINS THIS NEXT SECTION OF HIS LETTER IN REPLY, WRITING, “NOW CONCERNING THE THINGS ABOUT WHICH YOU WROTE. . .” (1 CORINTHIANS 7:1). THE FIRST TOPIC ABOUT WHICH HE PROVIDES CLARIFICATION IS THE SINGLE LIFE AND THE MARRIED LIFE (1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-40).
The single life and the married life 7:1-40
1. counsel on marital status 7:1-2
2. counsel to the married 7:3-6
3. counsel to the unmarried 7:7-9
4. counsel to the unhappily married 7:10-16
5. counsel to maintain called status 7:17-24
6. counsel to virgins 7:25-38
7. counsel to widows 7:39-40
In this section of his letter, Paul discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the single life and the married life. Summarize what he says in the table below. Include references with your statements.
|Remain Single or Get Married? (1 Corinthians 7:1-40) |
|Advantages of Remaining Single |Advantages of Getting Married |
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|Disadvantages of Remaining Single |Disadvantages of Getting Married |
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9. In the course of discussing the advantages and disadvantages of remaining single or getting married, Paul recognizes that a person cannot merely weigh the pros and cons and then do what he thinks is best. Something else must be considered. What do we learn about the matter from these verses?
A. 1 Corinthians 7:7
B. 1 Corinthians 7:17
10. In 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, Paul gives guidance to Christians who find themselves in unhappy marriages. He discusses six situations. In the table below, for each situation state whether the spouses are believers or unbelievers. You can assume that in the first three scenarios Paul is speaking to Christians. Describe each situation and summarize the counsel Paul offers. It may be necessary to deduce what is happening in the marriage from the counsel Paul provides.
|Text of |Spiritual Status of the|What is happening in the marriage? |What is Paul’s counsel to the Christian |
|1 Corinthians 7:1-16 |Spouses | |spouse or spouses? |
|A. “But to the married I give |Husband | | |
|instructions, not I, but the Lord, |( Believer | | |
|that the wife should not leave her |( Unbeliever | | |
|husband. . . . ” (1 Corinthians 7:10)|Wife | | |
| |( Believer | | |
| |( Unbeliever | | |
|B. “(but if she does leave, let her |Husband | | |
|remain unmarried, or else be |( Believer | | |
|reconciled to her husband). . . .” |( Unbeliever | | |
|(1 Corinthians 7:11a) |Wife | | |
| |( Believer | | |
| |( Unbeliever | | |
|C. “. . . and that the husband should|Husband | | |
|not send his wife away” (1 |( Believer | | |
|Corinthians 7:11b). |( Unbeliever | | |
| |Wife | | |
| |( Believer | | |
| |( Unbeliever | | |
|Text of |Spiritual Status of the|What is happening in the marriage? |What is Paul’s counsel to the Christian |
|1 Corinthians 7:1-16 |Spouses | |spouse or spouses? |
|D. “But to the rest I say, not the |Husband | | |
|Lord, that if any brother has a wife |( Believer | | |
|who is an unbeliever, and she |( Unbeliever | | |
|consents to live with him, let him |Wife | | |
|not send her away” (1 Corinthians |( Believer | | |
|7:12). |( Unbeliever | | |
|E. “And a woman who has an |Husband | | |
|unbelieving husband, and he consents |( Believer | | |
|to live with her, let her not send |( Unbeliever | | |
|her husband away. For the unbelieving|Wife | | |
|husband is sanctified through his |( Believer | | |
|wife, and the unbelieving wife is |( Unbeliever | | |
|sanctified through her believing | | | |
|husband; for otherwise your children | | | |
|are unclean, but now they are holy” | | | |
|(1 Corinthians 7:13-14). | | | |
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|F. “Yet if the unbelieving one |Husband | | |
|leaves, let him leave; the brother or|( Believer | | |
|the sister is not under bondage in |( Unbeliever | | |
|such cases, but God has called us to |Wife | | |
|peace. For how do you know, O wife, |( Believer | | |
|whether you will save your husband? |( Unbeliever | | |
|Or how do you know, O husband, |or alternately | | |
|whether you will save your wife?” (1 |Husband | | |
|Corinthians 7:15-16). |( Believer | | |
| |( Unbeliever | | |
| |Wife | | |
| |( Believer | | |
| |( Unbeliever | | |
| | | | |
Food Sacrificed to Idols (1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1)
The second topic for which Paul provides clarification has to do with the practice of eating meat that has been sacrificed to a Roman or Greek god. Is a Christian free to eat such meat? To understand this question, it is necessary to know something about the religious practices of the people of Corinth.
One of the greatest influences that the Greeks had on Roman culture was in the practice of religion. Greek mythology was much more developed than Roman mythology, so the Romans adopted much of it as their own, assigning Greek legends to Roman gods. Both Greeks and Romans recognized hundreds of gods. By one count, the Greeks had 370 specific gods. The number was limitless and ever increasing, for the Greeks regularly incorporated the worship of foreign gods into their religious system. Romans likewise honored many gods and goddesses, believing that they indwelt objects, places, and living things. Each family also had a household deity and a shrine to honor him or her.
At the center of Greek devotion were the twelve deities of Mount Olympus with Zeus as their head. At the center of Roman devotion were the Dii Consentes, the gods and goddesses consenting or cooperating with Jupiter, the supreme god. His abode was the sky.
The Greek Olympian Gods and Their Roman Equivalents
|Greek |Roman |Role | |Greek |Roman |Role |
|Zeus |Jupiter |supreme god | |Aphrodite |Venus |goddess of love and |
| | | | | | |beauty |
|Hera |Juno |queen of heaven | |Poseidon |Neptune |god of the sea and |
| | | | | | |earthquakes |
|Athena |Minerva |goddess of wisdom and| |Hermes |Mercury |the divine herald |
| | |warfare | | | | |
|Apollo |Apollo |god of healing, | |Demeter |Ceres |goddess of |
| | |music, poetry | | | |agriculture |
|Artemis |Diana |goddess of hunting | |Hephaestus |Vulcan |god of fire |
|Ares |Mars |god of war | |Dionysus |Bacchus |god of wine |
Also Noteworthy from the Greek and Roman Pantheons
|Greek |Roman |Role |
|Hestia |Vesta |goddess of family and home |
|Eros |Cupid |god of love |
|Kronos |Saturn |god of sowing |
|Kastor and |Castor and Pollux |The Twins, the twin Sons of Zeus, known as the Dioscuri (Greek) and |
|Polydeuces | |the Gemini (Latin), gods of sailors |
|Hades |Pluto |god of the underworld |
|Persephone |Proserpina |goddess of the underworld |
Animal sacrifice was central to Greek and Roman worship. They offered sacrifices to fulfill a vow to a deity, to show gratitude for a favor received, to gain favor, to appease a wrong, and to receive help with a task or problem. In preparation, the sacrificer washed himself and clothed himself in a clean toga. He would pull the edge of the toga up over his head (Latin: capite velato). The Greek sacrificial rite differed here, the head of the sacrificer remaining uncovered (capite aperto). The person would then present himself with his family at the temple before the pontifex (bridge builder or priest). The popae, the priest’s assistants, would lead the animal to be sacrificed—typically a ram, calf, sheep, or pig—to the altar with a slack rope to demonstrate that the animal was a willing victim. Any protest by the animal was considered a bad omen. The animal was adorned with colorful ribbons and strips of wool. The priest led the sacrificer in prayer. He then sprinkled a mixture of wine, incense, flour, and salt upon the head of the animal. An assistant would cut hair from between the horns of the animal and cast them into the fire of the altar. He would then strike the animal with a mallet to stun it and cut the animal’s throat. Popae would collect the blood in a basin and pour it upon the altar along with wine, incense, and sacred cakes. They then split the animal’s belly open and the priest examined its entrails. Any malformation was consider a bad omen, resulting in a rejection of the animal and the need to restart to the sacrifice with a second animal. If the organs were acceptable, the priest would pronounce the sacrifice worthy. He would sprinkle the choices portions with meal, wine, and incense, and cast them upon the flames of the altar, an offering to the deity to be honored. The pontifex would offer prayer and pour libations of wine upon the flames along with incense. Assistants then butchered the animal. If the sacrifice was a private ceremony, the sacrificer and his family returned home with the animal’s meat. If the ceremony was a public sacrifice, priests and worshippers feasted together.
Ceremonies varied somewhat based on the selection of the deity to be appeased or honored. When sacrificing to Jupiter or another of the gods of heaven, the ritual took place in the day, the sacrificer wore a white robe, and he raised his hands skyward in prayer. Popae held the animal’s head heavenward to expose the neck for slaughter and thrust the knife into the flesh from above. If the god to be honored was of the underworld—such as Pluto (Greek: Hades) or Persephone (Greek: Proserpina)—the priest conducted the ritual at night and the altar rested in a shallow trench. The sacrificer wore black and prayed with hands pointed downward. Popae pressed the animal’s head downward and thrust the knife into the neck from below. The animal’s blood poured into the trench.
The feast that followed the sacrifice had deep religious meaning.
“A study of the rituals known to us (mostly public ones), ritual vocabulary, and remarks found in ancient literature make it clear that Roman sacrifice was first and foremost a banquet, quite literally. In Roman ritual, as in the sacrifices in the Greek world, to sacrifice was to eat with the gods. But the meal offered to the gods was more than a banquet. To sacrifice was—in the course of a feast to which the gods were invited—to divide the food into two parts, one for the deities, the other for the human beings. Through this division of food between the gods and the humans, sacrifice established and represented the superiority and immortality of the former, and the mortal condition and pious submission of the latter.”[8]
This was the religious practice of the Corinthian Christians before Paul brought the gospel there in 51 ad. Upon coming to faith in Christ, these Christians would have had many difficult decisions to make. Should they no longer honor their family deity? Should they remove the shrine from their home? How would other family react? Could they attend feasts at the pagan temple? Could they eat meat that had been sacrificed to a Roman or Greek deity?
Paul dedicates seventy-four verses to answering the last question, an indication of how important it was in the first century church (1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1). An outline of the section shows the care with which the apostle discusses the topic.
Easting Meat Sacrificed to an Idol 8:1-11:1
1. Temper liberty with love 8:1-13
2. Paul’s example of voluntary restriction 9:1-27
a. Paul’s liberty as an apostle 9:1-14
b. Paul’s voluntary restriction for the sake of the gospel 9:15-27
3. Israel’s example of failure 10:1-14
4. Participation in the banquet is a sharing in the sacrifice 10:15-22
5. Guidelines for the exercise of liberty 10:23-11:1
11. The many New Testament references to Gentile gods gives some indication of the degree to which Greek and Roman religion intersected the lives of believers. Which gods are mentioned or alluded to in the following verses?
A. Acts 14:12-13
B. Acts 17:1
C. Acts 17:16
D. Acts 19:24-35
E. Acts 28:11
F. 1 Corinthians 1:12
G. Revelation 1:18
12. In 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Paul speaks at length about his apostleship and ministry for the Lord, especially the fact that he served without asking for financial support. What does this have to do with the topic of “Food Sacrificed to Idols” (1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1)?
13. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul recounts the experience of Israel in the wilderness under Moses’ leadership. What do these thirteen verses have to do with the topic of “Food Sacrificed to Idols” (1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1)?
14. Paul writes, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)? What important truths do we learn from these verses about the Breaking of Bread”?
15. What do these truths about the Breaking of Bread have to do with the topic of “Food Sacrificed to Idols”?
16. In 1 Corinthians 8:4, Paul writes, “We know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.” With respect to food sacrificed to idols, he writes, “Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (1 Corinthians 8:8). Yet later in this section, Paul condemns pagan sacrifice, writing, “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). How can we reconcile these apparently contradictory statements?
17. Does Paul finally conclude that a Christian can or cannot eat meat that has been sacrificed to an idol? Check one.
( It is always okay.
( It is always wrong.
( Sometimes it is okay, but sometimes it is wrong.
Explain your answer.
18. Paul writes, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
A. To which “games” is Paul referring?
B. What was the “perishable wreath” that winners received?
C. What is the “imperishable” wreath for which we should be competing?
D. List three things that you are presently doing that demonstrate that you are serious about winning this imperishable wreath.
1.
2.
3.
Lesson 9
Bible Seminar Bridge Course
1 Corinthians 11-13
Our goal in Bible study is to understand the intended meaning of the divine Author. To accomplish this, we must ask: What did the Lord want the original readers to do? For example, in the Hebrew Scriptures, God spoke through prophets to the Jewish people. When interpreting the Old Testament, therefore, we must keep in mind that the primary application belongs to Jews living under law. Only then are we ready to ask: How might I as a Christian living under grace benefit from this instruction? Here we are looking for secondary applications of the text.
Paul demonstrates this use of the Old Testament in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. He reviews Israel’s experience in the wilderness and applies it to the practice of Corinthian Christians, who had been eating meat sacrificed to idols. Speaking of Israel’s experience in the wilderness, Paul writes, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).
An early step in finding the intended meaning of a book is a study of its background. Researching the geographical, historical, and religious setting of the book, we prepare ourselves to interpret the text in its context. Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, commentaries, and atlases can all be of help. Every Bible student should have at least one such reference book at arm’s reach, for example, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary.[9] With 1,400 pages and 6,700 entries, including maps, photos, charts, and illustrations, it is more like a one volume encyclopedia than a dictionary. Another good resource is The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.[10] An earlier version of this four volume, 4,561 page, reference work is available on line at .
The best resource for understanding biblical times is the Bible itself. Every time we open it, we are learning about life in biblical times, little of which changed during fifteen hundred years between when Moses first penned the opening words of Genesis and John wrote the closing words of Revelation. As a result, if we are observant, every time we read the Scriptures we are deepening our understanding of life in biblical times.
Questions to Ask
When Studying the Background of a Book of the Bible
|Geographical |Historical |
|What is the physical setting of the book? |When was the book written? |
|From where was the book written? |What historical events occurred at that? |
|To where is the book addressed? |Is there independent evidence to confirm the historical accuracy of the |
|Does the location change within the book? |book? |
|What access do the people have to water and other natural resources? |What is the political setting of the book? |
|What are the major travel routes? |Who is the ruler? |
|What ethnic groups are involved? |What kind of person is he or she? |
|What are the population centers? |What is the form of government? |
|Who are their neighbors? |Who are allies and enemies in the region? |
|What are the surrounding cities and nations? |Who are the neighboring political powers? |
|Is the setting of the book rural or urban? |Who were the world powers at the time? |
|What kind of economy do the people have? |Literary |
|What is their culture? |Who wrote the book? |
|What is their level of technology? |What internal information confirms his authorship? |
|What kind of tools, weapons, and materials are available? |What do we know about the author? |
|Religious |Who were his contemporaries? |
|What is the religious setting? |When was the book written? |
|Who are the religious leaders? |What time span does the book cover? |
|Who are the current prophets? |What was the reason the author wrote it? |
|What is the place of worship? |To whom was the book written? |
|Is there evidence that the people of that day were knowledgeable of the |What are the major divisions of the book? |
|Scriptures? |What literary devices are used in the book? |
|How does the book fit into the chronology of the writing of the other books |Which passages employ figurative language? |
|of the Bible? | |
Head Covering (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)
PAUL’S INSTRUCTIONS ON HEAD COVERING ARE CLEAR. HE STATES PLAINLY WHAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE TO DO (1 CORINTHIANS 11:4-5). HIS REASONS FOR THE PRACTICE, HOWEVER, ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. IT HELPS TO KEEP IN MIND THAT PAUL INITIALLY INSTRUCTED THE CORINTHIANS ABOUT HEAD COVERING DURING HIS EIGHTEEN MONTH STAY WITH THEM DURING HIS SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (ACTS 18:1-17). ABOUT TWO AND HALF YEARS LATER, WHEN PAUL WAS LIVING IN EPHESUS DURING HIS THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY, THE CORINTHIANS SENT HIM SOME QUESTIONS (1 CORINTHIANS 7:1). WE DO NOT HAVE A RECORD OF PAUL’S INITIAL TEACHING ON HEAD COVERING. NEITHER DO WE HAVE THE QUESTIONS THAT THE CORINTHIANS SENT HIM. ALL WE HAVE IS PAUL’S REPLY, WHICH IS BRIEF AND BUILDS ON EARLIER TEACHING (1 CORINTHIANS 11:2-16). CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN STUDYING HIS REPLY WE NEED GO SLOW, GIVE CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND NOT DRAW PREMATURE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHAT HE IS SAYING OR HOW TO APPLY IT.
1. In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul uses the word head in two ways. One is with reference to a person’s physical head, the upper part of the body. The other is with reference to a person’s metaphorical head, the person in a position of authority over him or her. In the text of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 below, underline each occurrence of “head.” Then mark it with either a “P,” if it is referring to a person’s physical head, or with an “M,” if it referring to a person’s metaphorical head.
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 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 one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.
2. Check the statement that most accurately reflects what the Bible says about head covering in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.
( The passage is mainly intended for women, instructing them what to do.
( The passages is mainly intended for men, instructing them what to do.
( The passage is intended for men and women, instructing them both what to do.
( The passage is not gender specific.
3. Explain 1 Corinthians 11:4-5. Be sure to answer: What does Paul say to do? To whom does he apply the teaching? When does he say they should do it?
|4a. The word “head” in its metaphorical sense refers to the person | |4b. Glory can be defined as honor and praise resulting from a high opinion |
|in charge with the authority to lead or direct. Based on the | |or from the manifestation of splendor, beauty, power, or excellence. Based |
|information in 1 Corinthians 11:3, list God’s order of headship. | |on the information in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, identify each of the following.|
|Order of Authority | |Glory |
|Highest | | | God’s glory | |
|Position | | | | |
|Second | | |man’s glory | |
|Position | | | | |
|Third | | |woman’s glory | |
|Position | | | | |
|Fourth | | |
|Position | | |
5. Paul writes that man is the “glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man” (1 Corinthians 11:7). How might these two facts result in opposite practices concerning head covering?
6. In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul speaks much about disgrace and dishonor. In the table below, sketch a picture of the four situations that he describes. Stick figures are sufficient. Include the person disgraced and an arrow to show the relationship between the action and the disgraced person.
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|that which disgraces Christ (11:4) |that which disgraces man (11:5) |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|that which disgraces woman (11:6) |that which dishonors man (11:14) |
7. In what sense are the two women of 1 Corinthians 11:5-6 “one and the same”? If necessary, sketch the two women to see the connection.
There is considerable disagreement among Christians as to the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, mainly with respect to the motivation behind the teaching and its application. Some understand there to be cultural factors particular to Corinth in the first century at the heart of the matter, such that the primary application of the instruction does not apply to us today. Others hold that the teaching is founded upon timeless truths independent of local customs or culture, such that the passages is as applicable to us today as it was to the Corinthians in Paul’s day.
Some Bible scholars hold that the cultural context in Corinth was the primary motivation behind Paul’s teaching. As such, we should adapt the application of Paul’s teaching to our culture, finding a meaningful equivalent. Speaking of first century Corinth, Bible commentator Leon Morris writes, “For a woman to appear in public bareheaded was to act in what we would call a ‘bare-faced’ manner. It was the mark of a woman of loose morals. It outraged the proprieties.”[11] He continues:
Behind all that Paul says in this section is the principle that the Christian should always act in a seemly manner (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order”). The application of this principle to the situation at Corinth yields the direction that women must have their heads covered when they worship. The principle is of permanent validity, but we may well feel that the application of it to the contemporary scene need not yield the same result. In other words, in the light of totally different social customs, we may well hold that the fullest acceptance of the principle underlying this chapter does not require that in Western lands in the twentieth century women must always wear hats when they pray. “We must remember that when Paul spoke about women as he did in the letters to the Corinthians, he was writing to the most licentious city in the ancient world, and that in such a place modesty had to be observed and more than observed; and that it is quite unfair to wrest a local ruling from the circumstances in which it was given, and to make it a universal principle.”[12]
Some scholars agree with Morris. Several write of the Temple of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, which stood atop Acrocorinth and was attended to by a thousand temple prostitutes. Fearing that the Christian women of Corinth might be mistaken for these prostitutes, Paul instructs them to cover their heads when involved in public worship.
Others, such as archaeologist Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, say that such assertions have little historical basis. He writes:
Like all the inhabitants, Paul would have been perpetually conscious of the craggy mass of Acrocorinth towering above the city. The 513-meter climb from the agora [market] would have brought him past a series of small temples, of which only that dedicated to Demeter and Kore has been excavated. It had been brought back into use early in the history of the colony and may have been one of the places where his converts participated in pagan cult-meals (1 Corinthians 10:14–21); the meals were apparently served in tents.
Both Strabo and Pausanias mention a small temple of Aphrodite on the summit, so it certainly existed for Paul to inspect. It is frequently represented on coins of the Imperial Age, but in contradictory styles. One block of stone discovered during the excavations suggests that it was in fact Doric prostyle. It contained a statue of Aphrodite armed; the coins consistently show her naked to the waist holding the shield of Ares as a mirror.
The positioning of this temple highlights the association of Corinth with the goddess of love. Already in the fifth century bc, Euripides called it “the sacred hill-city of Aphrodite.” Its reputation as sex city par excellence, however, was the result of Athenian propaganda and Strabo’s tale of a thousand temple prostitutes has been shown to be completely false. He was speaking of the pre-146 bc city and simply misunderstood his sources. There was never any temple of Aphrodite in Corinth capable of containing that number. From the point of view of sex, Corinth was no better or worse than any other Mediterranean port-city.[13]
8. Is Paul’s teaching on head covering based on the cultural context of first century Corinth or on timeless truths? Consider the six reasons that Paul provides for head covering in 1 Corinthians 11:3-15. In the table below, write a short summary or a brief title for each. Indicate in the right-hand columns whether the reason is culturally based and valid only for churches similar to first century Corinth or whether the reason is a timeless principle and still valid for churches today. Place an “X” in the appropriate box.
|Scripture |Summary of Reason |Cultural Reason |Timeless |
| | | |Reason |
|11:3-5 | | | |
|11:5-6 | | | |
|11:7-12 | | | |
|11:13 | | | |
|11:14-15 | | | |
|11:16 | | | |
9. In Lesson 8, we learned that the Roman rite of worship required the sacrificer to cover his or her head (Latin: capite velato). Typically the edge of the toga was used. The Greek sacrificial rite differed on this point. The head of the sacrificer was to remain uncovered (capite aperto). The Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible uses similar wording. It translates “with head covered” (1 Corinthians 11:4) as “velato capite.” It translates “with head uncovered” (1 Corinthians 11:5) as “non velato capite.” How might the Roman and Greek rite of sacrificial worship contribute to our understanding of Paul’s instruction on head covering and its relationship to the culture of the day?
10. Write a brief statement summarizing your position on head covering. Is 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 applicable to the church today? If so, when and where should a man uncover his head? When and where should a woman cover her head?
THE LORD SUPPER (1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34)
11. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE WAY THE CORINTHIANS WERE REMEMBERING CHRIST AT THE LORD’S SUPPER (1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-22)?
12. How had the Lord disciplined the Corinthians for their conduct at the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)?
13. What do we learn about the purpose and proper observance of the Lord’s Supper from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26?
14. What does Paul instruct the Corinthians to do to correct their behavior at the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:28-34)?
Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40)
15. WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS FROM 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-11
16. How are spiritual gifts like the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27?
17. Paul writes, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). From the information in this verse, list four things that are true about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
A.
B.
C.
D.
18. Paul states that each Christian has at least one spiritual gift, writing, “To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). Answer the following questions, which may give an indication of your spiritual gift.
A. What kind of ministry do you especially enjoy doing?
B. In what kind of ministry have you been effective?
C. What kind of ministry have you been asked to do by the leadership of you church?
D. What do you think your spiritual gift might be?
19. Paul’s purpose in 1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40 is to provide clarification on the proper use of spiritual gifts. He concludes the section, writing, “Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner” (1 Corinthians 14:40). The best-known portion of this section is 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, sometimes called The Love Chapter. What does this chapter have to do with the proper use of spiritual gifts?
20. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul begins his discussion of love with a hyperbole, a figure of speech in which the writer uses obvious exaggeration to make a point. An example of a hyperbole in Scripture can be found in Psalm 6. David writes, “I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears” (Psalm 6:6). Clearly, this could be true only in a figurative sense. David is communicating that his grief was extraordinary and he shed many tears. Likewise, Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees, saying, “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:24). This also is an obvious exaggeration. No one can swallow a camel. In context, Jesus is saying that the scribes and Pharisees, who were known for observing the finest points of the law, you fail to understand and obey its greatest commandments, which the Lord lists as “justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). Explain the three hyperbole’s at the start of 1 Corinthians 13, summarizing the point that Paul is making. Describe also how each might be connected to an abuse of spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church.
|Hyperbole |Explanation |Possible Connection to an |
| | |Abuse of Spiritual Gifts |
|“If I speak with the tongues of men | | |
|and of angels, but do not have love, I| | |
|have become a noisy gong or a clanging| | |
|cymbal,” (1 Corinthians 13:1). | | |
|“And if I have the gift of prophecy, | | |
|and know all mysteries and all | | |
|knowledge; and if I have all faith, so| | |
|as to remove mountains, but do not | | |
|have love, I am nothing” (1 | | |
|Corinthians 13:2). | | |
|“And if I give all my possessions to | | |
|feed the poor, and if I deliver my | | |
|body to be burned, but do not have | | |
|love, it profits me nothing” (1 | | |
|Corinthians 13:3). | | |
21. Based on the information in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, list what is love is and what is love not.
|Love Is |Love Is Not |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
22. Give an example from the life of the Lord Jesus that illustrates each of the following.
A. Love “bears all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
B. Love “believes all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
C. Love “hopes all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
D. Love “endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
-----------------------
[1] Barclay M. Newman, Jr., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (United Bible Societies, 1971, 1993).
[2] Timothy and Barbara Friberg, Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (1994, 2000).
[3] The English word “proselyte” refers to a person who is a new convert to a religion or movement. The word comes from the Greek word proseeleetos, which is used in the New Testament to refer to Gentiles who had come over to Judaism, a rough translation based upon the most likely derivation of the word.
[4] For a discussion of the number of Christians in the first centuries, see Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History (Princeton University Press, 1996), pp. 4-13.
[5] Adapted from Map of the Via Egnatia by Eric Gaba, 2006
[6] Jerome Murphy-O’Conner, St. Paul’s Corinth: Texts and Archaeology (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2002), p 31.
[7] Distinguishing Greeks from Romans is complicated by the fact that some Greek names were Latinized when they were translated into English. For example, Titus, who according to Paul was a “Greek” (Galatians 2:3), has a name that appears Roman, ending in –us. In the Greek text of the New Testament, however, his name ends in –os, Titos. Further complicating the matter, “Greek” in the New Testament doesn’t necessarily mean ethnically Greek. It can also refer to Greek speakers, to those living in Greco-Roman culture, or to Gentiles in general. Additionally, conquered people, including Jews, often took on Greek and Roman names to better fit into society. An example is the Jewish-born Yosef Ben Matiyahu, that is, Joseph son of Matthias. He became the well-known historian Titus Flavius Josephus—Titus Flavius, in honor of two Roman Emperors by that name, who were his benefactors; and Josephus, the Latin form of Yosef.
[8] John Scheid, translated by Janet Lloyd, An Introduction to Roman Religion (Bloomington: Indiana, Indiana University Press, 2003), pp. 93-94.
[9] Chicago, Moody Publishers, 1988.
[10] Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1988
[11] Leon Morris, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1958), pp. 151-156.
[12] Leon Morris, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, pp. 151-156, quoting William Barclay, Letters to the Seven Churches (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Know Press: 2001), p. 51.
[13] Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, "The Corinth that Saint Paul Saw," Biblical Archaeologist, September 1984, p. 152. To read the complete article online, go to: .
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But prove yourselves doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
James 1:22
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
2 Thessalonians 2:7
This first century marble sculpture of Augustus (12 bc-14 ad) presents him as Pontifex Maximus (greatest bridge-builder) or high priest. His toga is pulled up over his head. His right arm extends to pour a libation upon the altar.
The sixth century bc Greek Temple of Apollo, rebuilt later by the Romans. Acrocorinth is in the background.
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