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Q1. (1 Corinthians 16:2) What does this teach us about regular giving? About proportional giving? About planned giving, rather than last minute giving? Paul suggests regular weekly planned giving. It should not be done spasmodically, just when we feel generous or when we give a token gift at the last minute. Rather, giving should be part of our worship – giving out of gratitude to the Lord. When we think about it, we are just stewards over what the Lord has provided – it is all His anyway. I don’t think any amount or percentage is required, but rather that we are to give from the heart.

Q5. (1 Corinthians 15:58) Why do we sometimes get discouraged serving the Lord? What does this exhortation contain to encourage and motivate us? It is sometimes difficult to stay focused in this fallen world we live in. With all the evil that is happening and which seems to be getting worse all the time, one can become disheartened. Then we remember Christ will have the victory and it all will be worth it in the end. Our life and work, again becomes full of purpose and hope. We know in the end our labour will not be in vain.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) What does this passage teach us about Christ's coming? In what ways does it encourage us? All believers who have passed away will be raised and receive their resurrection bodies. On the other hand, those believers who are still alive when our Lord returns will not experience death but will be changed into their resurrection bodies in an instant. That is in the smallest possible amount of time – in the twinkling of an eye. A trumpet blast will usher in the new heaven and new earth. To think we will all be given new bodies - bodies that are imperishable and immortal. No more pain or suffering. No disabilities. Only eternity with Jesus!

Q3. (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) What does this passage teach us about the subordination of the Son to the Father? How can that be consistent with the doctrine of the Trinity? God has established one person’s subordination to another for there to be order and for different supportive roles to be done. So we have Christ as the head of every man, and the man as the head of a woman, and God as the head of Christ. This is all done in love and not one person being superior to the other. Man and woman are equal in all respects and only have different roles to perform. In the same way, each person of the Godhead are co-equal and co-eternal but have different functions. For example, all 3 persons were involved in creation. The same applies to salvation. Here we have God the Father planned salvation; God the Son executed salvation on the Cross; God the Holy Spirit reveals the message of salvation. So the 3 persons of the Trinity are equal but again have different roles to perform. Each is fully God and have the same attributes – infinitely wise, infinitely loving, infinitely holy, and so forth. If women do not submit to men, we will find family and society falling apart. Without Christ having submitted to the Father’s will there would not have been the redemption of mankind, and equally so without our submitting to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we would not be spending eternity with Him.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 15:3-7) What is the core of the gospel according to this verse? Paraphrase it in your own words based on this passage. The core of the gospel is the resurrection of Christ – without this fact our religion is meaningless. Our Lord Jesus died for our sins, as was prophesied in the Scriptures; was buried but rose on the third day, and appeared to more than 500.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2) In what sense is our salvation dependent upon us continuing in faith? Why is the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints important for us to understand? Without our faith and belief in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, salvation cannot be received. We read in Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” You will be saved! Therefore, it is not possible to be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We need to understand that those who are truly born again will spend eternity with Jesus. We will know we are truly born again when we see the Fruit of the Spirit develop in our lives, and we can also see a long-term growth in our Christian walk. At the same time we must have put our complete trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for our salvation, and are obedient to His commands. Jesus has said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). If we listen to Jesus’s voice and follow Him, we will be given eternal life and no one can snatch us of Jesus’s hand. We read this in John 10:27-29), “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand”. This is the great assurance we have!

Q4. (1 Corinthians 14:39-40) In your particular congregation, which parts of verses 39-40 are most needed in order to bring your congregation into a biblical balance? All I can say is that our Lord is not a God of confusion or disorder. Therefore our meetings must be held in an orderly fashion in reverence to Him. “Be still, and know that I am God.” Because of the abuses that sometimes occur in connection with the speaking of tongues, strict control is required. And just because a thing is sensational or spectacular does not mean that it has any place in the church. In order to be acceptable a ministry must result in spiritual growth – a building up the people of God. Chaos and discord in a church meeting is certain proof that the Spirit of God is not in control. Where His Spirit rules there is always peace.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 14:26-33) How are Paul's instructions to those who speak in tongues in verses 27-28 similar to his instructions to those who prophecy in verses 29-32? How do they differ? How might we hold meetings today that allow for the Spirit to inspire spontaneous contributions to the gathered people? Similar are the controls that in any one meeting no more than three may speak and others were to interpret or judge. To avoid chaos people were not to speak at the same time but one after the other. In our meetings there must not only be edification, but there must be order. We have to be careful that we may think that a person who is less in control of himself, is perhaps more possessed by the Spirit. All prophetic messages were to be collectively evaluated against the Word of God. This was done to determine if the message was from God. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1”

Q2. (1 Corinthians 14:5-25) Paul does value speaking in tongues. What does its value seem to be according to verses 2, 4, 17, and (perhaps) Romans 8:26-27? How are the Corinthians abusing speaking in tongues? Verse 2: Without interpretation, God understands what is being said, but the congregation will not. Verse 4: If used without love it is used only for self-edification. Verse 17: If everyone is speaking gibberish it does not benefit anyone or the local church. Romans 8:26-27: I am not sure Paul is referring to the gift of tongues. Their services must have been chaotic, everyone selfishly trying to get attention and speaking gibberish with no concern for the edification of the church.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 14:1-4) What is the value of prophecy over tongues, according to verse 4? What does prophecy typically do to benefit the church, according to verse 3? The value of the gift of prophecy is that it is intended for the edification of the whole church and not so much for individual believers. One has to be careful of any alleged prophecy which is nothing more than a way of manipulating or influencing others. This is why this gift must be encouraged to be used in the local church where other believers are gathered. Besides up-building, this spiritual gift also has the function of encouragement. The Holy Spirit inspires believers to speak words which give strength to the life of the local church. The gift of prophecy can also help console and comfort believers in the local church, giving them the peace of God, away from the hectic bustle of daily life.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 13:8b-13) Why is it important to Paul's argument to contend that even the greatest spiritual gifts will become obsolete? Why does he stress the permanence of love? When we enter into the Lord’s presence, when we see Him face to face, all gifts will cease to exist because they will cease to have purpose or meaning – we all will be perfect. However, love will endure forever as those in the new heaven and new earth continue to love God and His people.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 13:10) When do you think the "perfect" comes? (See my "Excursus" before answering.) How do you support your interpretation? When perfection comes, the imperfect disappears (v. 10). Here the imperfect refers to the gifts of prophesy, knowledge and tongues (vs. 8-9), and Paul is saying that these gifts will cease because something perfect will replace them. To me perfection exists only in God, and I therefore support the view that the coming “perfect” is our Lord and Saviour Jesus. These gifts will no longer be needed in the new heaven and the new earth.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6) Which one or two of these tests of agape love do you have the most trouble with? How might prayer help you grow? How will walking with the Spirit help you deal with these flaws? My main problem has been with fellow believers. I place them on a pedestal expecting perfection from them, not realising that I am very far from perfect myself. So I become disappointed when I see Christian believers acting in certain ways. I must pray for help in overlooking some of the things believers do, acknowledging that we are all at different stages of maturity, and that perfection exists only in God. Walking in the Spirit will allow me to make allowances for the faults and behaviour of others. I need to love my fellow Christians more and neglect any imperfections, just as they neglect all my imperfections.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) What is the result of the greatest imaginable manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit done without love? Is it possible to operate a gift of the Spirit from a selfish or wrong motivation? Which make us more spiritual - Gifts of the Spirit or Fruit of the Spirit? Without our love for God and the resulting love for one another, our spiritual gifts are meaningless. Yes, it is possible to operate a gift with a selfish or wrong motive, but I doubt whether it will be effective or even spiritual. Take knowledge and understanding as examples. Alone it is not enough, love must be added to both knowledge and understanding. If not, we get the situation where, in the church, there is a knowledge of the Word and an understanding of it as well; yet this same church is filled with gossip, bitterness, and even hatred. Without the Fruit of the Spirit the Gifts of the Spirit cannot operate except in the flesh, and it is then that these gifts become shams and may even be harmful. The Gifts of the Spirit can only operate in a truly spiritual life, and this spiritual life reflects spiritual fruit - the first of which is love. So it is the Fruit of the Spirit which gives the motivation and power to minister the Gifts of the Spirit, and this Fruit of the Spirit comes only from walking in the Spirit. I love the way J. Vernon McGee put it: “Look at it this way: Write down a string of zero’s - eloquence alone is zero, prophecy alone is zero, knowledge alone is zero, faith alone is zero, sacrifice alone is zero, martyrdom alone is zero. Six zero’s still add up to nothing. But you put the numeral 1 to the left of that string of zero’s, and every zero amounts to something. And, friend, love is the thing that needs to be added to every gift of the Spirit. Without love your gift is worthless.”

Q5. (1 Corinthians 12:27) How are you hurt by the people who don't use their spiritual gifts for one reason or another? How much richer would your congregation be if you - and everyone else - were to use their spiritual gifts? What might happen in people's lives? What might be the community impact of your congregation? Since each believer and their spiritual gift are all members of Christ’s body; therefore if one believer and their gift is not functioning properly, it is to the detriment of the whole body. What affects one believer affects all. This analogy is seen in the human body. If a human body has a fever, it is not confined to one part of the body, but the whole system is negatively affected. The same with a church body. The congregation can only be fully functional if all its members are actively involved by using all their spiritual gifts. There must be a real sense of solidarity in the Body of Christ. If one of our fellow believers experience any hurt or any recognition we should feel sorrow or joy accordingly for that person. Regarding the consequences of functioning at full strength; there will be no limit as to what can be achieved and we would have an enormous impact on the community – a shining light for Jesus!

Q4. (1 Corinthians 12:11) What are several lessons that we learn from verse 11? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual gifts? All spiritual gifts are produced and controlled by the Holy Spirit. We learn that each believer receives at least one gift, tailor-made, as He wills. There is a wide spread of gifts so that each congregation will be a balanced and powerful church. We should remember that His choice of gifts is always perfect, so there should be no discontent on our part because of any gift we did not receive. We read in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.” We should also note that these spiritual gifts are not to be used for selfish gain but for His glory and for the good of others.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) Has God used you in one of these nine spiritual gifts - or someone you know? How has this gift help build up and strengthen your congregation or community? We have a women in our congregation who clearly has the gift of faith. She has the ability to trust God in all the difficulties she has faced in the time I have known her. She has been bombarded with all sorts of problems, one after the other. Health problems, family tragedies, and financial problems, they all seem to target her. Yet through all this she is always smiling and always trusting our Heavenly Father to come to her rescue. This is the type of faith that believes firmly in God’s promises, and it is this faith that rubs off onto the other believers in our congregation and I’m sure in the wider community. It is more than a type of optimism or a form of trust. It is the type of faith that God will move in apparently impossible situations. It makes any ordeals I might be going through seem very trivial in comparison, and makes me realise how blessed I am, and strengthens my faith.

Q2. Is it legitimate to use Jesus as our example in the use of spiritual gifts? Or was He so different than we are that we can't pattern our ministry after His example? I think Jesus expects us to follow His example. We are to use our spiritual gifts in imitating our Lord and by following His example as well as obeying His commands. To achieve this we must deny our own selfish desires and use our time and money in ways that will glorify our Heavenly Father. For example, we can use our gift of hospitality by imitating Christ in our relationships. Here we can love each other as Jesus loved us; remembering how He loved us enough to give His life for us. We too can practice this sacrificial love in many ways by listening, helping, encouraging, and giving to others. Following Christ might be costly now, but in the long run, it will be well worth the pain and effort. By living out His example we will be like a light in the fallen world. God wants us to become more and more like His Son, and we do this by growing in our knowledge of Christ and of course by modelling our ministry after His example. The deeper our knowledge of Christ, the deeper our understanding of Him, and the more like Him we become.

Q1. (1 Corinthians 12:7) What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? What happens when people don't employ spiritual gifts for their intended purpose? What happens when a whole church full of people start using their diverse spiritual gifts? The Holy Spirit reveals Himself in the life of each believer by imparting some gift. Since, in the church, there is a rich diversity of people, there will be a great variety of gifts. The purpose in giving each believer a gift is to profit the entire church community as each believer will, because of the gift, have a function to perform for the benefit of the entire church body, and even perhaps the wider community. The spiritual gifts are to be used for their intended purpose and are not given for self-display or even for self-gratification. Believers should never use their gifts for personal interests and satisfaction, for to do so is a blatant sin against our Lord. As soon as each member of the church start using their spiritual gifts, the church as His body, will demonstrate the supreme leadership of Jesus. This leadership will be shown in many ways; there will be changed lives, transformed relationships, increasing congregations, effective testimony, and many, many others. This occurs because believers have been energized by the Holy Spirit.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:28) What kind of self-examination at the Lord's Table is appropriate? How do confession and repentance fit with self-examination? How do confession and repentance serve to bring spiritual health and character change? The privilege we have of sharing in the Lord’s Supper demands the strictest form of self-examination. This is because, if we partake in a way that is unworthy of the Lord, we sin against His body and blood and make a mockery of His death on the Cross. In this examination we should not only examine our actions but also our words, thoughts and attitudes; even the things we did not do. We can ask ourselves the following questions. Can we truly call ourselves a Christian? Do we reflect the Fruit of the Spirit in our daily life with our family, in our business, among fellow believers or with the world? Can we truly say there is spiritual growth in our lives? All these questions and more are needed so that we can get a good idea of our standing in the sight of God. Now, that we have exposed all the things that are offensive to God, we can by confession and repentance come humbly before our Lord and ask for His forgiveness. This confession and repentance are absolutely necessary for spiritual growth in our lives. Holding grudges and allowing resentments to build up can affect both our spiritual and our physical health and character. Being spirit, soul, and body (1 Th 5:23); what affects one part of us affects all. So there is a vital link between the spiritual and the physical. More often than we are willing to admit, illnesses are caused by sin - such sins as gluttony, worry, anger, an unforgiving spirit, jealousy, selfishness, and pride. We should therefore confess and forsake sin as soon as we are aware it has come into our lives. The Lord’s Supper is a golden opportunity for this reflection.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme? It is a statement we make to the whole world that we are not ashamed of our Lord and Saviour or of His blood, and at the same time we announce that we belong to Him and are obedient to Him. It is important to us as it reminds us that we are sinners saved by grace and we look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper we come in humble gratitude remembering the Cross and join in the fellowship of believers united with Christ. There can be no other true central theme but the proclamation of Christ’s death and atonement for our sins. If not, it is a false doctrine and would be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of our Lord.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 11:25) What does the phrase mean: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood"? What is the old covenant? What are the provisions of the New Covenant? The cup represents the New Covenant that Jesus ratifies with his blood. It is a new covenant with God, because of Christ’s sacrifice. We become His new people who have been forgiven of our sins, accepted and set apart totally to our Lord. Similar to the old covenant when the people of Israel had been set apart as His holy people. However, the old covenant was ratified repeatedly by the blood of animals offered by men; but the New Covenant has been ratified once and for all by the blood of Jesus Christ which God Himself has offered. The old covenant was broken time and again; the Israelites never experiencing true peace. But under the New Covenant we have peace with God (Romans 5:1) and the peace of God (Philippians 4:7).

Q1. (1 Corinthians 11:23-25) Why is it so important that we continually remember Christ's broken body and shed blood? In what sense do you believe that the bread is his body? That the wine is his blood? “Do this in remembrance of me” is a command given by Jesus, who also said “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). It is a reminder that helps us look back to His death but at the same time look forward to His return. We therefore, continually remember the Lord’s work on the Cross and His return, in obedience to His Word and out of love for our Lord and Saviour. At the same time we rededicate ourselves to His obedient service. For me, I feel that the bread and blood are symbolic of His atoning death. The bread representing Jesus’ body and the blood representing Jesus’ blood - the precious blood shed for the cleansing of our sins.

Q5. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) What point is Paul trying to make by using athletic analogies? What place does self-discipline have in our effectiveness as Christian workers? What place does self-discipline have in keeping us from falling into gross sin, such as idolatry? How might lack of self-discipline disqualify us for all God has for us? The point Paul is trying to bring across is that we are to be disciplined and serve the Lord with our whole heart. The same discipline and all-out effort an athlete would use. Since our Christian walk is similar to a race it requires self-discipline, and calls for strenuous effort as well as definiteness of purpose. We might have to go through several trials and temptations, all requiring strong self-control but this is all done to strengthen our faith. The Holy Spirit will also help in getting us through these times. Any lack of self-discipline will never disqualify us from our salvation, for our salvation is the free gift of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is not dependent on the result of our faithfulness in running the race.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 9:15-22) Why did Paul "become all things to all men"? What was his purpose? Was he able to be authentic in doing so? What is the difference between Paul's chameleon ministry and mere role-playing? What are you willing to give up so that you can reach the people God has called you to minister to? Paul’s was committed to Jesus for spreading the gospel and he would not allow anything to interfere with this. To be able to do this he became all things to all men by not offending any Jews, Gentiles, or those weak in understanding. His sole purpose was to bring them to Christ, and in doing this he never once compromised the gospel by changing the truth in any way in order to satisfy anyone. So he was sincere and authentic in his actions. We read that he did not put up a front because some even thought of him as a weak leader. Paul followed in the footsteps of Jesus, adapting himself to the culture and circumstances of the people among whom he preached the gospel. Yet the gospel itself remained unchanged. In the same way I overlook any cultural differences in my country by rather bringing all to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.