BBB Bible Series: The 1st Letter To Corinth Quiz

Answer: False

No, this was not the first occasion that Paul used to speak with the members of the church of Corinth. According to his own words in 1st Corinthians 5:9, we read the following statement:

"I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:"

This was a remonstrance concerning a man WITHIN the church who had apparently engaged in a most disturbing type of sexual sin. The entire chapter is devoted to how the church SHOULD have dealt with the situation, rather than compromising its position. Without getting too grossly explicit, the man had been having a relationship with his father's wife (probably his step-mother).

Paul said in essence:
Stop.
Deal with him.
Do NOT allow God's church to suffer embarrassment.
Remove him from your midst.
He should repent; if not, quit associating with him.

Answer: consecrated prostitutes

Yes, at one time there had been 1,000 prostitutes called Hieroduli that were dedicated to "service" in the Temple of Aphrodite. The city had long thrived on commerce, vice and corruption. Hedonists (pleasure-seekers) came from all over the region to spend a holiday from morality, and while there they engaged in such evil acts that to be called a "Korinthiazomai" (meaning to act like a Corinthian) became synonymous with debauchery and prostitution.

While the practice of visiting the "girls" in the temple may have abated a few centuries before Paul's address to the church at Corinth, the mind-set and the methods were still well known to the people of the city.

Paul had to spend a good deal of his address to the church in dealing with the lack of morality of the city, which was rapidly rubbing off onto the church that stood in its midst.

Answer: "I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ"

Paul tells the people of Corinth that he thanks God for them for the grace that God has extended to them. He seems to be trying to prepare them for the not-so-flattering things that he knows he must tell them shortly in the letter, and is using this opportunity to tell them the "good" things that will enable them to hear the "bad" things without being totally offended.

In verses 4-9, we see his prayer of thanksgiving that is directed to them, preparatory to the first problem that he feels forced to address.

Answer: Apollos and Cephas

Apollos, a Greek convert to Christianity, and Cephas (Kee-phas), also known as Peter, who had been a Jewish disciple of Christ, were also busy working in the early church. Divisions had sprung up among the members at Corinth as to which one was the greatest to follow, and Paul simply had to tell them that it was Christ that they should be following and NOT personalities of their "favorite" evangelists.

Perhaps some folks today might be wise to recall this concept, as they view only their "favorite" televangelist, or abruptly change the church they attend, just to follow along with their "favorite" pastor.

Answer: all power of wisdom is of God through Christ, not of man's efforts

Rather than rewriting all the verses involved, as I believe that you are quite capable of reading them on your own, I would like to emphasize a couple of things found in verses 24 and 27.

"But unto them which are CALLED, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

And,

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise..."

God must CALL any man to repentance before man can respond. If I don't call you on the phone, you cannot answer, now can you? That seems to be the concept used in verse 24. Since God calls ALL men everywhere to repent, then it falls upon us to respond either negatively or positively TO that call.

Man's 'wisdom' is profoundly un-wise; but Paul says God's perfect wisdom can guide a person through any circumstance if that person's spirit aligns itself up with HIS spirit.

Paul chooses to end this chapter with a praise to God. "...He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

Answer: they would not have crucified the Lord of glory

Verse 8 states: "Which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." These "princes" referred to in this text are probably not human princes as we might think, but may actually be "princes of darkness", embued with a certain amount of demonic powers.

In the prophetic book of Daniel, chapter 10:12-13, we see a "prince" who interfered with an answer to Daniel's prayer that had been answered by God, and it took the archangel Michael and another angelic "prince" to get the answer delivered to Daniel.
"Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia."

Principalities, as spoken of in Romans 8:38-39, are angelic beings. Some are fallen angels that were cast out with Lucifer from heaven, while others are those who remained loyal to God during the war in heaven that Lucifer started before the world began. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Lucifer or Satan is called the prince of the power of the air as in Ephesians 2:2:
"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

And in Daniel he is referred to as the prince of princes in 8:25.

Principalities, powers, thrones, dominions, as seen in Colossians 1:16, may be interpreted as angelic beings as well. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"

One third of heaven's angels were cast out during Lucifer's rebellion in heaven, and today we call them demons. The remaining two thirds we call angels.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:7-9)

While Jesus was in heaven He had observed Satan's fall to earth and later described it to 70 of His disciples in Luke 10:17-18. "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

Answer: he was pointing out the difference between earthly thoughts and heavenly thoughts

Paul is addressing the people of the church as "little babies"; not in an effort to belittle or demean them, but to cause them to want to grow in God's grace. In chapter 3, he repeatedly points out to them that they are immature in their thinking, at least from a spiritual perspective, and encourages them to put their "spiritual eyes" into action.

In verse 3 he pointedly tells them that they are walking "carnally", meaning after fleshly desires. They are engaged in envious behaviours, in-fighting, divisions of opinions; they are attempting to follow men rather than Christ.

He continues throughout the chapter by encouraging them to lay aside their differences and work together for the sake of Christ, and not for their own selfish purposes. He brings Jesus to the forefront of the entire discussion and lets them know that HE is preeminent in all things, and that they, along with Apollos, Peter and himself are all to be in subjection to the will of God and not engaging in their childish behaviors.

Answer: about 2/3

About 2/3 of the population lived in slavery. There were no "great thinkers" in the area, but Greek philosophy influenced any creative thinking that there was in the region. These factors, along with sensual and immoral attitudes of the city, greatly impeded the gospel at times, but through Paul's oversight and that of others, the church was able to continue functioning, if not thriving.

Answer: "For who maketh thee to differ from another?"

In this segment of Paul's letter, he is continuing to address the issue that some elevate him above Apollos, and that some elevate themselves above other members, and he concludes this passage by telling them that those who are ministering to them are in a state of suffering, despised, hungry, thirsty, and weak. He further tells them that THEY are the strong ones in Christ, that they have places to live and that they are much better off than he or Apollos. He begins his conclusion by telling them this, in verse 14-15: "I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel."

Later he speaks directly to those who are acting as if he doesn't care about them, and he is only out to "make a name" for himself. In verse 18-19, he tells them - "Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you, But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them that are puffed up, but the power."

Answer: 6th

In the first part of the 6th chapter we see Paul essentially telling the church members to cease and desist with such behavior. He points out to them that they are wrong to take each other as believers in Christ to those who are non-believers outside the church in the secular courts. One reason for this is the obvious spiritual brother-against-brother mentality that creates a divisive atmosphere within the church body itself, but perhaps another equally disturbing concern of Paul may have been that the church was giving itself a bad name in the public eye by engaging in such actions.

After he finishes scolding them roundly for this unbecoming behavior, he then reminds them of their roots. In verses 9-11, he tells them the following:

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God?
And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

Answer: as a temple it belongs to God

In the last verse of 1 Corinthians 6, Paul has this to say to the believers in Corinth: "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

The purchaser? Christ, as far as Christians are concerned.
The price? His blood sacrifice for mankind.
The benefit? Eternal life.

Answer: He plainly stated that there was no sin in getting married

The 28th verse begins this way: "But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned..."

Paul had to repeatedly address some of the teachings that ran contrary to what he felt was revealed to him by God, not the least of which concerned those of human-to-human relationships of all sorts. He constantly had to reiterate his beliefs that God was not pleased with those who treated their fellow man in a shabby fashion, because Paul felt that to do so was in essence treating God in the same manner.

Not being married and having an intimate relationship with a person was considered by Paul to be much more damaging than to have a marital relationship with someone, and marriage was much more preferable from his point of view. As he stated in the aforementioned verse: "...if thou marry, thou hast NOT sinned..."

Answer: it's not a big deal, unless you know it to have been offered to idols first, and unless someone else is hurt by the action

Paul's rationale went something like this: Since an idol is a non-living entity, it really doesn't matter if a person UNKNOWINGLY eats something that had first been offered as a "sacrifice" to an idol god. In verse 4 he states, "...we know that an idol is nothing..." He goes further to advise those who don't have a problem with doing so, however, that they should not be offensive to others who might be weaker in the faith than them; tempting them, so to speak. If a person KNEW that the food had been offered to idols first, though, that became a completely different matter, and he advised against such. In verses 8 and 9, he makes this point rather clearly. "But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better: neither if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak."
He takes this concept a step further in verse 12. "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ."

I believe this to mean that Paul was saying in essence; 'Don't worry about what you eat, if you can do so with a clear conscience, BUT if it causes your fellow believers to have a problem, then by all means, refrain from being offensive to them.'

Answer: that he is a representative of gentiles and that he is weak

In the beginning of chapter 9, we see that Paul is justifying his role as a minister of the gospel, yet in the latter portion of the chapter, he illustrates the limitations of his office. In verse 19 he states that he is a free-born man, but has become a willing servant to others.

In verse 20 he states that he is attempting to reach his fellow Jews with the gospel of Christ, and in verse 21, he points out that the gentiles (those without the law of God) are also a part of his ministry. He concludes this train of thought in verse 22 by saying that he is made weak, so that the weak can relate to him as well.

He says that he is representative of all things to all men, if he can reach at least some of them with the good news of Christ's ultimate sacrifice for mankind.

Answer: everyone is tempted in much the same manner, but God provides an "escape route"

I am going to put the entire verse into capital letters, not something I usually do, but I LOVE this verse because it describes EVERYONE! Please read this excerpt from the King James Version carefully.

"THERE HATH NO TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN: BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE: BUT WILL WITH THE TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT."

We must look for the escape route; it IS provided, but we have to find it. We do NOT find it by looking at the thing that is tempting us, but rather by looking AWAY from it and focusing our attention on God and His will.

(Granted, that is MUCH easier said than done! I believe that it is possible, though, or it wouldn't be so plainly stated by Paul.)

Answer: do not have fellowship with devils; eat as you please, but not with knowledge of things that have been sacrificed to idols

That, admittedly, was a TOUGHIE! Portions of each possible answer were true; but the only one that was totally accurate was the one that stated, "Do not have fellowship with devils; eat as you please, but not with knowledge of things that have been sacrificed to idols."

Please allow me to explain.

I will reprint a few of the verses, or at least portions of them to clarify matters.

vs. 14 "flee from idolatry"
vs. 16 "the cup...the blood of Christ"
vs. 16 "the bread...the body of Christ"
vs. 19 "...that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything?"
vs. 20 "the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and I would not that
ye should have fellowship with devils."
vs. 21 "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils..."
vss.25 & 26
"Whatsoever is sold in the shambles (meat markets) that eat,
asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord's
and the fulness thereof."

vs. 31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the
glory of God."

In other words, Paul was telling them not to voluntarily or wittingly partake of things that they KNEW were evil, but at the same time, not to inquire too deeply into such things, so that they would have a clear conscience.

He concludes this object lesson by telling them in verse 32, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God."

Answer: they were getting drunk and allowing people to go hungry while others stuffed themselves

Beginning in verse 17 of the 11th chapter, Paul roundly scolds the people of the church at Corinth for their lack of respect for God and their fellow man.
He tells them that they are of divided opinions and operate in a heretical fashion in the way that they "observe" the Lord's supper. Gluttony and drunkenness are the two primary ways that they are in violation of the respect owed to each other and to God. He then proceeds to remind them of the observation of the Passover meal that Christ shared with His disciples, often called "The Last Supper."

He points out that the somber event has been made a mockery by them as they just do as they please, without regard to the origins of the observation of the meal.

In verses 29 and 30, he tells them what the results of such flippant behavior can cost them.

"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." Sleep in this context means "die." It is important to note that Paul does not say that they eat or drink damnation to their souls; only to their bodies.

Answer: the body is one entity with many members

Verses 12-14 read as follows:
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."

Answer: love is self-centered

There is absolutely no basis for love to be represented as a selfish emotion. Paul gives a very clear and concise definition of all the things that true love is, and of what it isn't. He concludes the chapter in much the same way as he introduces it: by stating that genuine love (or charity) is the greatest of all things, better even than faith or hope.

Answer: over 500

Beginning in verse 4 and reading through verse 8, Paul had this to say about the resurrected Jesus:
"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve (disciples): After that, he was seen of above FIVE HUNDRED brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain (are still alive) until this present, but some are fallen asleep (dead). After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time."