Overview: This week’s readings deal with the interesting subject of peaking in tongues. The new Christians of that day, as well as many Christians today, wanted to speak in tongues to prove they were filled with the Spirit. This idea apparently came from the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when Peter and the other apostles spoke in tongues. That day was the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers. If you look back to Acts 2 though, you find that these “tongues” were given so that all the people in Jerusalem that day could hear the gospel message in their own language.
From these chapters in 1 Corinthians we learn that the early Christians were putting the wrong emphasis on speaking in tongues. This also happens today.
We notice that the early Christians had about as much trouble getting along with each other in the church as we do today. But nowhere in the New Testament does this difficulty suggest that we should abandon the idea of meeting together as believers. In face, all of our reading reinforces the importance of meeting as a local body of believers and encouraging each other.
Day 1 – 1 Corinthians 12
1. Which Christians were given spiritual gifts and why?
2. Why is Paul talking about parts of the body?
3. What is one spiritual gift you connect with?
Day 2 – 1 Corinthians 13
1. What quality does Paul say is most important?
2. What is the hardest thing for you to be in verses 4-7?
3. What do you think “seeing in a mirror dimly” means?
Day 3 – 1 Corinthians 14
1. What 2 things does Paul compare, and which one is greater?
2. What are 2 thing that Paul said are important about speaking in tongues or other languages?
3. Give at least 3 “rules” for speaking in tongues.
Day 4 – 1 Corinthians 15
1. What did Paul say was the most important part of the gospel?
2. Write one thing from verses 21-34 that you would like to remember?
3. Why did Paul call himself the least of the apostles?
Day 5 – 1 Corinthians 16
1. What is significant about the “first day of the week”?
2. What can we learn from the giving practices of the early church?
3. What is different about your Sunday compared to other days of the week?