1 Corinthians - Lesson 10

By Stafford North

BE PURE

Background Information for the Teacher

Objectives:

1. The student can explain Paul’s instructions about what the Corinthians should do about an immoral man in the Corinthian church.

2. The student can list three reasons why it is necessary to “put away” unrepentant sinners from the church.

3. The student can explain what Paul meant when he said “the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

4. The student can list four types of sins which Paul condemns in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.22. The student can explain the meaning of Paul’s statement “Everything is permissible for me-but not everything is beneficial.”

Preparation:

1. Each student should have a Bible

2. Have ready a board on which to write key words and ideas.

3. Have verses to read ready to hand out before class.

4 Have Review Quiz over Lesson 9 ready to distribute at the first of class or as people enter.

Theme:

One of Paul’s recurring themes in Corinthians is the need for Christian to live a life of purity, clearly different both from the community around them and from how they lived before they became a Christian. We have many of the same temptations and need to work hard to live a life of purity.

Lesson Plan for Conducting the Class

Introduction: (about 10 minutes)

  1. Call the roll and introduce visitors.
  2. Make necessary announcements.
  3. Sing some songs if you wish and have a prayer. Songs related to the lesson would be: “I Will Serve You,” “More Holiness Give Me,” “Purer in Heart, O God,” “IHave Decided to Follow Jesus.”
  4. Give the answers to the Review Quiz as a way of reviewing the previous lesson.Encourage students to complete the worksheet on the lesson today so they can prepare for the Review Quiz next week.

Learning Experiences: (about 25 minutes)

  1. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Q: What does Paul say the wicked will not inherit? A: The kingdom of God. Q: Were those to whom Paul addresses this statement already in the “kingdom of God?” A: Yes. Q: Then what does he mean that they would not inherit it? A: The kingdom in heaven. Read Galatians 5:21 and 2Timothy 4:18. So, Paul says to Christians, citizens of the kingdom of God in this age, His church, that they will miss the next stage of the kingdom, the heavenly kingdom, if they live immoral lives.
  2. (Teacher-use the board to highlight answers to the questions that follow.) Q:What is the first type of sins Paul mentions in verse 9? A: Sexual sins such as sexual immorality, adultery, male prostitutes, and homosexual offenders. Q:Why would these sins have been a temptation for the Corinthians? A: Their city was known especially for such sins. The temple on their acropolis was to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sexual sin was associated with her worship. Q: What does the Bible teach about the proper and improper place of sex in the life of a Christian? A: God made us sexual beings and planned for us to fulfill sexual desires within marriage. Read 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. Q: What guidelines would you suggest to help us avoid sexual sin? A: (1) To commit to following God’s instructions about fulfilling sexual desires because we believe His way is best and that failing to follow His plan will be harmful to us. Thus, we will honor God with our bodies. (2) To avoid as much as possible watching and listening to those things that will entice us into such sin. (3) To avoid being in those places and situations that will entice us into such sin. This is what Jesus meant by “cut off your hand and pluck out your eye” in Matthew 5:29-30. (4) To exalt marriage as the union of two people into one and to see the sexual union as an important part of their becoming one. (5) To have clear teaching from the pulpit and Bible classes about what God reveals to us and expects of us in regard to sexual matters. (5) To note the harm that comes to so many lives from the misuse of sex. (6) To love as Paul suggests, which means I will not lead a person I love into sexual sin. Purity must be our goal.
  3. Q: What is another type of sin Paul lists? A: Idolatry. Following false gods. Q:How might we sin in this way? A: Idols can come in various types-making idols of wood and stone, making idols of famous people, making idols of possessions or work, making an idol of some type of recreation. We must not fall into any of these traps. God must come first in our lives.
  4. Q: What is another type of sin Paul lists? A: Sins about possessions: stealing, being greedy, and swindling someone from his possessions. Q: How do we avoid such sins? A: (1) By having the right attitude about possessions-placing our priorities in spiritual riches. (2) By being content with what we have, even though we can be working to improve our financial situation. (3) By using Paul’s definition of love which includes not being envious of what others have and not feeling pride above others for what we have.
  5. Q: What is the final type of sin Paul lists? A: Slander-a sin of the tongue. Q:How would love help us avoid such sin? A: If I love a person, I will not want to hurt them by slander or lies. Q: In what type of situation are we most likely to try to say hurtful things about someone else? A: When we want to retaliate against them for what we consider an injury to ourselves. Q: What does Jesus say about such behavior? A: To turn the other cheek, to return good for evil. If we can do this we will turn the relationship back in a positive direction instead of pushing it further in a negative direction. Avoiding the downward spiral in a relationship is very important and it is up to us to reverse the harmful direction.
  6. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-13. Q: After telling the Corinthians certain sins to avoid, why does Paul say, “Everything is permissible for me?” A: This may be a“saying” that the Corinthian church has used in expressing the freedom Paul has taught them. They are not bound by the “legal code” of “touch not, taste not” which Paul mentions is Colossians 2:21. Q: Does Paul tell them it is wrong to say “Everything is permissible?” A: No. Q: What does he do? A: He qualifies it. Q: What qualifications does Paul give? A: What is permissible must also be beneficial. What is permissible must be non-addictive. What is permissible must be for the Lord-that is, good for the church both individually and collectively. What is permissible must be for the higher spiritual purpose and not just for the body. So there is freedom in Christ but it is not an unlimited freedom.
  7. Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-7. Q: What has the person done to which Paul refers? A: It would seem that he is sleeping with his step-mother, a relationship that not evenPagans would approve. Q: What has been the attitude of the church toward this? A: They have been proud of their tolerance rather than grieving for the sinful situation. We must also be careful of being tolerant of sinful actions in our efforts not to be “too narrow.” Q: What does Paul insist that they do? A: Put this man out of your fellowship, hand him over to Satan so he will repent and change his life.
  8. Q: From this passage, what purposes does Paul suggest that can be achieved by this disfellowship? A: (1) That the person will be saved. (2) That the sinful action will not be leaven to spread and thus cause others to follow in such sin. (3) That the reputation of the church will not be hurt by their allowing such behavior as even the Pagans do not approve.
  9. Read Matthew 18:15-17. Q: What does Jesus teach about the procedure from these out an action of disfellowship? A: First, a brother should go to him to seek his repentance, then, if that does not work, two or three should go to him. If he still does not change, the church at large should seek to bring him back. If he still is not willing to change, then he should be excluded from the fellowship. All this is done to help the person and to help the church not to be led astray or to be shamed by those outside.

Application:

  1. Q: What practical lesson will you take from our study today?
  2. Q: What can we do in our congregation to promote moral living and discourage immoral living?

Assignment:

  1. Get ready for the Review Quiz next week by reviewing your worksheet.
  2. Read 1 Corinthians 4:7, 14-17; 1:4; 10:30; 11:24; and 14:17. What is the theme that binds these together?

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