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QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. Read verse 5. What role do ministers of the gospel play in the conversion and growth of saints? Who is the one who “assigns” or “gives opportunity” to each? What does this mean?

2. Read verse 6. Who planted? Who watered? Who actually caused the growth? What does this teach you concerning how God saves and sanctifies His people?

3. Read verse 7. What does Paul say “he who plants” and “he who waters” is? Who gets the glory in salvation?

4. Read verse 8. What does Paul mean by “He who plants and he who waters are one”? According to the second part of verse 8, what will those who plant and water receive?

5. According to verse 9, what are Paul and Apollos, and what does he mean? What are the Corinthian saints, and what does he mean?

Big idea: The shame, cause, signs, and cure of Christians who are perpetual infants in Christ.

I. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR LIVING SAINTS TO ACT, FOR A TIME, LIKE DEAD SINNERS (v. 1a)
I) The true Christian, when he is backslidden, will be miserable at best (Proverbs 14:14)
II) If a backslider does not repent and turn again to faithfulness to Christ, he is simply revealing that He never did belong to Christ (1 John 2:19)
III) The hope for the backslider is not in his repentance but in the Lord’s mercy which will cause the backslider to repent (Jeremiah 14:7)
IV) The true Christian, though he may backslide, will renew his repentance in time because God will preserve him (1 Peter 1:5; Luke 22:32; Ephesians 1:13-14)
(I) The true Christian will renew his repentance in time because God the Father is guarding him (1 Peter 1:5)
(II) The true Christian will renew his repentance in time because Christ prays for him (Luke 22:31-32)
(III) The true Christian will renew his repentance in time because the Holy Spirit has sealed him (Ephesians 1:14)

II. IT IS SHAMEFUL FOR SAINTS TO BE PERPETUAL INFANTS (v. 1b)
I) It is shameful for saints to be perpetual infants because they ought to grow up to maturity and then be able to teach others (Hebrews 5:12a)
II) It is shameful for saints to be perpetual infants because they should not have to be repeatedly taught the basic principles of the Word of God (Hebrews 5:12b)
III) It is shameful for saints to be perpetual infants because adults are skilled in righteousness and children are skilled in sin (Hebrews 5:13)
IV) It is shameful for saints to be perpetual infants because adults are trained to discern good from evil and children cannot (Hebrews 5:14)

III. FLESHLINESS IS ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF PERPETUAL INFANCY (vv. 2-3a)
I) Beloved, If you want to grow up to maturity in Christ, you must wage war against your flesh
II) If you would wage war on your sin, see the evil of it by looking at the price paid for it

IV. JEALOUSY AND STRIFE ARE SURE SIGNS OF FLESHLINESS AND INFANCY (vv. 3b-4)

V. APPLICATION AND EXHORTATION (Jude 20-21)
I) If you would grow up to maturity in Christ, you must build yourself up in the faith (Jude 20a)
II) If you would grow up to maturity in Christ, you must pray (Jude 20b)
III) If you would grow up to maturity in Christ, you must stand firm in the love of God by obeying Christ’s commandments (Jude 21a)
IV) If you would grow up to maturity in Christ, eagerly and confidently wait for Christ’s merciful second coming (Jude 21b)

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. Read verse 3. What could Paul not address these Corinthians as, and what does he mean? What could he, in fact, address them as, and what does he mean?

2. What did Paul feed the Corinthians with, according to verse 2? What did he not feed them with, and what does he mean? Why did he not feed them with solid food, according to the end of verse 2?

3. Read verse 3. What does Paul mean by “you are still of the flesh”?
According to the second half of verse 3, what does Paul specifically have in mind when he says the Corinthians are “behaving only in a human way”? How does verse 4 help clarify what Paul has in mind in verse 1-4?

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. Read verse 14. What does Paul mean by “natural person”? What does the “natural person…not accept”? What are “the things of the Spirit of God,” that Paul refers to? Why does the natural man not accept them, according to verse 14? How does this verse highlight the radical depravity of man? Do you praise God, believer, that you now freely accept God’s Law and Gospel?

2. Read verse 15. What does Paul mean by “the spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one”? How does the end of verse 16 help clarify?

3. Read verse 16. What passage of Scripture does Paul quote? Does “we have the mind of Christ” mean that saints already understand everything? Does it mean we do not need teachers? Does it mean Bible study is easy? How do Deuteronomy 29:29, Ephesians 4:11-12, and 2 Timothy 2:15 help clarify? How is Luke 24:45 an illustration of what Paul is really getting at in this verse?

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. Read verse 9. What passage of Scripture does Paul quote and why? How does verse 10 help clarify? How does God reveal the truth of the gospel to eyes, ears, and hearts?

2. Read verse 11. Who knows a person’s thoughts? Who knows God’s thoughts? How can a mere human being, then, come to understand God’s thoughts?

3. Read verse 12. What spirit have saints not received? What Spirit have saints received? Why have believers received “the Spirit that is from God,” according to the last part of verse 12? Do you praise God that you can understand the Bible?

4. Read verse 13 in the ESV, NASB, and KJV translations to compare. What do you think Paul is getting at here?

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. Read verse 6. Who does Paul say he imparts wisdom to? What does it mean to be “mature”? Is this worldly wisdom or God’s wisdom that he is speaking of? What and who are doomed to pass away, according to verse 6?
2. Read verse 7. What is this “secret and hidden wisdom of God”? What does Paul mean by “which God decreed before the ages for our glory”? How does Ephesians 3:3-6 help shine light on what Paul is getting at in verse 7?
3. Read verse 8. How many “rulers of this age understood this”? What did they not understand—what is the “this”? What would they not have done if they would have understood the gospel? How is the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners highlighted here in verse 8?

Big idea: God saves sinners by single-handedly uniting them to His Son. God gives them Christ’s priceless benefits, so that all the redeemed would boast alone in God alone.

I. HOW DOES GOD SAVE SINNERS? (v. 30a)
I) God saves sinners by single-handedly uniting them to His Son.

II. WHAT BENEFITS DOES GOD GIVE TO THOSE THAT HE UNITES TO HIS SON? (v. 30b)
I) God made Christ our wisdom (v. 30b)
II) God made Christ our righteousness (v. 30c)
III) God made Christ our sanctification (v. 30d)
IV) God made Christ our redemption (v. 30e)

III. WHY DOES GOD SAVE SINNERS BY SINGLE-HANDEDLY UNITING THEM TO HIS SON? (v. 31)
I) God saves sinners singlehandedly by uniting them to His Son so that we who are saved would boast only in the Lord.

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

I. According to verse 30, why are saints “in Christ Jesus”? What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus”? What does Paul say Jesus “became to us”? What do each of these nouns mean that follow “who became to us” in verse 30?

II. According to verse 31, why does God sovereignly save sinners?

I. WHY DOES GOD SAVE SINNERS? (vv. 26-27a)

I) God does not save sinners because they are wise (v. 26a)
II) God does not save sinners because they are powerful (v. 26b)
III) God does not save sinners because of their lineage or family (v. 26c)
IV) God saves sinners according to His own sovereign choice (v. 27a)

Believer, God chose to save you even though you were part of the worst family—Adam’s family (1 Corinthians 15:22); He chose to save you even though you were weak and helpless (Romans 5:6); He chose to send His only Son in order to trade places with you on the cross (Isaiah 53:10); and God chose to regenerate your dead spiritually self by His Spirit despite the fact that you were foolish (Titus 3:3-7).

II. WHY DOES GOD SAVE SINNERS ACCORDING TO HIS OWN SOVEREIGN CHOICE? (vv. 27-29)

I) God saves sinners according to His own sovereign choice in order to shame the wise, strong, and noble (vv. 27-28)
II) God saves sinners according to His own sovereign choice so that not even one person would boast in His presence (v. 29)

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. What does Paul mean by “calling” in verse 26? How does verse 24 help clarify? What does Paul say the Corinthians were not? Why should your “calling,” Christian, cause you to rejoice and praise God?

2. According to verses 27 and 28, what did God choose and why? What exactly is Paul getting at here?

3. According to verse 29, why did God do what Paul describes in verses 27-28? Is boasting in the presence of God a good thing or a bad thing for a human being to do? Rephrase the meaning of verse 29 in your own words. Do you “boast in the presence of God”?

OUTLINE

I. SINNERS WANT EITHER A SHOW OR SOMETHING NEW (v. 22)

II. FAITHFUL PREACHERS PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED (v. 23a)

III. FAITHFUL PREACHERS PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED BECAUSE IT GIVES PEOPLE WHAT THEY TRULY NEED (vv. 23b-24)

I) Faithful preachers preach Christ crucified because this is how God gives sinners the gifts of repentance and faith.
II) Faithful preachers preach Christ crucified because this is how God reminds His people that the sins they still battle are truly forgiven for Christ’s sake.
III) Faithful preachers preach Christ crucified because this is how God continually works a hatred for sin and desire for holiness in believers.
IV) Faithful preachers preach Christ crucified because this is how God assures His saints of His big-hearted love for them!
V) Faithful preachers preach Christ crucified because in this message God strengthens believers in the fact that He has paid far too high a price for them to ever kick them out of His family.
VI) Faithful preachers preach Christ crucified because this is how God comforts His people by reminding them that just as He forgave them by Christ’s death, He will also raise them to eternal life in glory though His resurrection.

IV. FAITHFUL SAINTS NOW SEE CHRIST CRUCIFIED AS THE WISDOM OF GOD AND THE POWER OF GOD (v. 24b-25)

EXHORTATION (sinners)

You who still reject Christ: you need something to happen to you that you cannot control. Cry out to God and ask Him to call you to Himself. Then trust in Christ crucified and you will be saved.

EXHORTATION (saints)

You who are “the called”—who embrace Christ crucified through faith,
I) Worship God as you consider His wisdom and power in saving you.
II) Fill your thoughts with Christ Jesus and Him crucified and you will be assured of His tender love and affection for you.
III) Thank the Holy Spirit who caused even you to be born again to a living hope.
IV) Depend on the same Spirit that brought you to life to strengthen your life to serve and obey the Lord.
V) Make it your aim in all of your life to say with Paul, “We preach Christ crucified.”

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. What do Jews demand according to verse 22? How does Matthew 16:1-4 help clarify what Paul means here? How does Jesus rebuke those who demand signs? What do Greeks demand according to verse 22? How does Acts 17:21 help clarify what Paul was getting at?

2. Read verse 23. Rather than giving signs to the Jews or worldly wisdom to the Greeks, what do Paul and other faithful ministers of Christ do? How should this direct the way you engage in evangelism and apologetics? Why do you think the preaching of “Christ crucified” was a stumbling block to the Jew? Why do you think the preaching of “Christ crucified” was folly to Gentiles?

3. According to verse 24, how does the preaching of “Christ crucified” become the power of God and the wisdom of God to those who once stumbled over it and called it folly? What does Paul mean by “called”? What is God saying about the way He saves sinners? How does 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 help clarify?

4. What is Paul getting at in verse 25?

OUTLINE

I. GOD HAS MADE FOOLISH THE WORDLY WISE BECAUSE SALVATION DOES NOT COME THROUGH THEIR WISDOM (vv. 20-21a)

II. GOD HAS MADE FOOLISH THE SCRIBE BECAUSE SALVATION DOES NOT COME THROUGH THE LAW (vv. 20-21a)

II. GOD HAS MADE FOOLISH THE SCRIBE BECAUSE SALVATION DOES NOT COME THROUGH THE LAW (vv. 20-21a)

VI. IT PLEASED GOD TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL (v. 21)

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. Read verse 20. Who all does Paul summon, as it were? What is Paul’s concluding question at the end of verse 20, and what does he mean?

2. Read verse 21. What does man not know according to worldly wisdom? How can you truly come to know God and be saved from sin by Him? How does Romans 10:13-17 help clarify?

OUTLINE

I. WHAT IS THE WORD OF THE CROSS? (v. 18a)

“The word of the cross” is essentially this: We are so wicked that Jesus had to die, and so loved that He was willing to.

I) Though God made man upright and blessed us with holiness, righteousness, and knowledge, we used our free will to rebel against Him and, in Adam, we all sinned. (Genesis 1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Ephesians 4:24; Romans 5:12)

II) “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23; Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:20)

III) “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22; Leviticus 17:11; Leviticus 16)

IV) “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners” by willingly “laying down his life” for all who would come to faith in Him. (1 Timothy 1:15; John 10:18)

V) “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12)

II. WHY IS THE WORD OF THE CROSS FOLLY TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING? (v. 18a)

I) The word of the cross is folly to some because they are fools themselves, saying in their heart “there is no God” (Psalm 14:1)

II) The word of the cross is folly to some because they do not think God will judge them for their sin (Psalm 10:13)

III) The word of the cross is folly to some because they presume on the goodness and patience of God (Romans 2:4-5)

IV) The word of the cross is folly to some because they have their minds set not on the things of God, but only on the things of man (Matthew 16:22-23)

V) The word of the cross is folly to some because they think they are basically good, and therefore they have no need for a crucified Savior (Mark 2:16-17)

VI) The word of the cross is folly to some because if they cannot earn heaven by their works and receive some glory for their actions, they will not have it (Galatians 2:21)

VII) The word of the cross is folly to some because it beckons them to take up their own cross and follow the crucified King (Matthew 16:24)

VIII) The primary reason the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing is because they love their sin and do not want to give it up (John 3:19-20)

III. WHY IS THE WORD OF THE CROSS THE POWER OF GOD TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED? (v. 18b)

The word of the cross is the power of God to us who are being saved because God, in His great mercy, by His Spirit, transformed our dark hearts that once loved sin. God abolished all of the foolish reasons that led us to see the cross as folly, therefore we now see and trust in Christ and His cross as the power of God to save us.

I) The word of the cross is power because it announces that we who believe have been forgiven of our sins (Ephesians 1:7)

II) The word of the cross is power because it properly motivates we saints to keep killing our sin and therefore keep growing in holiness (Colossians 3:3-5)

III) The word of the cross is power because it reminds believers that because Christ was condemned in our place, there is now no condemnation for us (Romans 8:1)

IV) The word of the cross is power because it assures us that Christ paid far too high a price for us to ever leave us or forsake us—therefore we can kill our worries and anxieties (1 Peter 5:7; Romans 8:32)

V) The word of the cross is power because it declares that Christ suffered in His people’s place so that He would one day rid the entire universe of suffering, therefore comforting us in our afflictions (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

VI) The word of the cross is power because it assures we believers in Christ Jesus of God’s love for us (1 John 4:10)

IV. THE LORD’S SOVEREIGN PLAN IS TO DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THWART THEIR SUPPOSED CLEVERNESS, FOR HIS OWN GLORY (v. 19)

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION

1. What does Paul mean by “the word of the cross” in the first half of verse 18? What is it “to those who are perishing”? What does “folly” mean? What does “perishing” mean? Rephrase the first half of verse 18 in your own words.

2. What is “the word of the cross” “to us who are being saved” according to the second half of verse 18? What does Paul mean by “the power of God”? How does Romans 1:16 help clarify? What does Paul mean by “to us who are being saved”? Consider this verse. If you are in Christ, why is the word of the cross no longer folly to you?

3. Read verse 19. What Old Testament passage is Paul quoting? What does the Prophet mean, and why do you think Paul quotes this verse here?