1 Corinthians

BIBLE EXPLORE / NEW TESTAMENT / 1 & 2 CORINTHIANS

1 Corinthians

Paul's letters to the church of Corinth are found in these two books of the New Testament. Paul wrote to the people of Corinth twice, because he was unable to visit them again, and out of deep love for them, wanted them to change the way they were living. Paul shows the new Christians in Corinth that all of life's most complex problems can be seen through the lens of the gospel.

We are God's field (1 Corinthians 3:1-9)

"For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building."

Following leaders or God?

It can be easy to spend our lives following people, other leaders. Perhaps we get in spired by the stories of other Christians, or we follow a particular church speaker or preacher.

When Paul was talking to the people in todays passage, he reminds them that they don't need to pick sides and follow Apollos or Paul, but we are all co-workers in God's field.

Quick Questions

Think of the biggest tree that you have seen

Who planted this tree? When did they plant it?
Who watered it? And how often?

No matter who planted it, God provides the sunshine, the rain and the seed.

Kids talk

Sermon notes

The Church of Scotland have some worship ideas and sermon notes for adults for this passage, about identity, status and knowledge.

Reflective Questions

Are we fields that flourish?
Are we flourishing in the ways of the world, or the ways in which God can have the glory?
Who gets the credit for the things in our life that flourish? Ourselves, or God?
Are we producing anything in particular that shows we are God's fields?

One body with many parts (1 Cor 12:12-31)

Potato Head Talk

You will need

Potato Head print outs, cut out and put in a separate envelope. You might want to print out enough for children to share or have one of their own.

Get the children to name some parts of their body – hands, arms, feet, head, etc etc. Which is the most important part of the body? Invite answers and then ask them if they would miss their ears, eyes or a hand. Get them to think about how each of their body parts have an important job to do and that even something small like an ear would be very much missed! Church is a group of people who are all different but are all important – like a body or like a puzzle! Jesus said that we are all just as important to Him as the other – he wants you, even if you are young, just as much as he wants our church leader/vicar or people in the choir. Jesus knows that what YOU have to offer is just as key.
When a part of the puzzle or a part of the body is missing, its not complete, it's not quite right!.
We're going to have some fun with Potato head to remind us that of all the parts of our church, none is more important.
Let the children play with the Potato head and talk about how the church is like a body.

Puzzle

You will need:

A simple puzzle -- you can make one by printing out an image and cutting it up.
A Bible for the 1 Corinthians reading

Give out the puzzle(s)to do first – this what we are thinking about today! We need all the pieces to make the whole picture...

Read the 1 Corinthians reading.

How many parts of the human body can you name?
What jobs do they do?
How are they different from each other?
Are there any we don't need?
Which parts of the body can't you see?
Do you know what they do?
Think about the different people in your family and the different personalities and gifts they bring even though they are one family unit.
What different things do Christians do to show they belong to Jesus and the Christian family?
In church? At home? At work/ school?
What could you do to show you are part of the Christian family?
What gifts do you think that God has given you?