1 Corinthians Week 9

Day 1 

READ 

1 Corinthians 4:14-16 

¹⁴ I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. ¹⁵ For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. ¹⁶ So I urge you to imitate me. 

Sometimes younger people in the faith need to be warned of certain things. Paul did this as he wrote to them. He let them know of his special interest in them. He reminded them they may have other teachers telling them about Jesus, but he became their father in Christ when he preached the gospel to them. As a result, he urged them to mimic him.   

REFLECT 

Have you had a spiritual parent warn you about some things? Did you understand this was for your good? 

RESPOND 

Do you have a spiritual parent to imitate? Do you live in such a way you can ask others to mimic you? Talk with a friend about this. 

Day 2 

READ 

1 Corinthians 4:17 

¹⁷ That’s why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go. 

Paul had been like a spiritual father to Timothy. He wrote two letters to him that were inspired of God and retained in the Bible: 1 & 2 Timothy. Perhaps Timothy’s mother taught him about Jesus and led him to trust in Him (see Acts 16:1-5). As in 1 Corinthians 4:17, Paul considered Timothy his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord.” He had been a special mentor to Timothy. Timothy would remind the Corinthians how Paul followed the Lord Jesus everywhere. 

REFLECT 

Do you have someone who serves as a Paul in your life? Do you have someone who depends on you as a Timothy? Think about this. 

RESPOND  

Join with a believer and read verses that tell about being imitators of a Christian leader. See 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14; Hebrews 6:12. If you are imitating Jesus, it will not be difficult to ask others to imitate you. 

Day 3 

READ 

1 Corinthians 4:18-19 

¹⁸ Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again. ¹⁹ But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power. 

Paul corrected some for their attitude. They seemed to have a proud attitude toward what was going on in their church fellowship. It was easy to feel that way without Paul being present, but he warned them that he planned to visit them. Paul would then learn how arrogant they would act. 

REFLECT 

Have you noticed that people will sometimes talk critically about a leader if he is absent? How do they act when he is present? 

RESPOND 

Join with a friend in reading Ephesians 4:30-32. This passage tells of the need to forgive others as Christ has forgiven you. Talk about this and seek to practice it.  

Day 4 

READ 

1 Corinthians 4:20-21 

²⁰ For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. ²¹ Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit? 

Some can talk boldly, but Paul wanted them to know the Kingdom of God was not made up of just talk. They should be more concerned about “living by God’s power.” Paul indicated they could choose talk or God’s power. Paul also gave them the choice of how they would like to see him when he came to them again.  

REFLECT 

Have these verses helped you to focus more on living to please Jesus rather than being arrogant and critical of others?  

RESPOND 

Read Colossians 3:12-17 with a friend. Talk about practicing these principles that the apostle Paul presented. 

Day 5 

READ 

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 

¹ I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. ² You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. 

Paul came to a difficult portion in his letter to the Corinthian believers. Something was going on in their local fellowship that they needed to be confronted about. It is considered that his father’s wife is actually his stepmother. Rather than the group being ashamed of what was occurring in their midst, they seemed to be proud of their tolerance. Paul made the difficult statement, “You should remove this man from your fellowship.” 

REFLECT 

Have you had situations in your local assembly that someone needed to be expelled from it? 

RESPOND 

Church discipline is a controversial topic. Some churches seem to be quick to expel members; others seem not to expel anyone no matter how the person is living.