1 Corinthians 1:1-3
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Based on Acts 18:1–17, what do we learn about the city of Corinth and Paul’s initial ministry there?
The Corinthian church was marked by division, sexual immorality, pride, idolatry, conflict, and serious relational dysfunction. Though they belonged to God, they looked more like they belonged to the world. Those problems were reported to Paul (1 Cor 1:11), and he heard them in their questions (1 Cor 7:1). Yet how does Paul describe and address them in 1 Corinthians 1:2, and why is that surprising?
How might you have responded knowing the sinfulness of the church at Corinth? How does God’s grace shape the way Paul views the Corinthians? How should Paul’s greeting challenge the way we view fellow believers who are still struggling, failing, and growing in their own sanctification?
When you think about the church, do you more naturally focus on the flaws that need correction or the evidence of God’s grace at work? Why do you think that’s your default perspective?
The Corinthians struggled to let the gospel shape their everyday lives and were allowing the surrounding culture to influence them more than the truth of Christ. In what ways is their struggle still relatable today? What voices, values, or cultural pressures most compete for influence in our lives today, and how can we combat them?
Writing to believers at Corinth, Paul mentions Jesus Christ nine times in the opening nine verses. What does this reveal about the importance of the gospel for believers and their practical problems?
Paul addresses the Corinthian believers as “the church of God” in Corinth…those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together….” What are the dangers of viewing the Christian life primarily as something private and individual? What are the advantages and blessings of belonging to Christ’s gathered people?
Paul says the Corinthians are “sanctified in Christ Jesus” and also “called to be saints.” Why is it important to remember both realities—that in Christ we are already made holy, yet we are still being transformed? What happens when we lose sight of either side of that truth? What does this also tell the Corinthians about their purpose in Corinth?
As you look honestly at your own life right now—if the gospel is meant to transform every area of life—what area of your life is most in danger of being shaped more by the surrounding culture than by the truth of the gospel?
