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Weakness as Strength
READ
Acts 17:16–19:22; 1 Corinthians 1–4; 2 Corinthians 4; 12:1-10CONNECT
10minPaul spent a year and a half in the city of Corinth. His letters to the believers there contain some of his most personal writings. In them, he speaks more about himself, especially about his struggles, than in any of his other letters.Reflection
What is something you were good at and something you definitely were not good at growing up?WATCH
20minDISCUSS
10min- What is something you learned from the video?
- Why do you think God allowed two of the letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthians to disappear? What does this mean about the two letters we still have?
- Early in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he begged them to agree with each other, not to be divided but to “be united in the same mind and the same judgment”(1:10). Throughout this series we’ve seen that the unity among believers is central to Paul’s theology. How can the following passages address roots of disunity in your church today?
- 1 Cor. 3:5-8
- 1 Cor. 12:7, 11, 12
- In what ways does being aware of Christ as our Lord and Christ as our Savior strike a blow at our sinful pride?
Straight from the Heart
15minTrue Power In the Thirdmill video Paul and the Corinthians, Dr. Donald Cobb says:In the church in Corinth, when Paul writes, there are actually divisions in the church based on Paul and Apollos, and maybe others as well. Apollos, in particular, was a fine public speaker… And what Paul says is that we cannot look to those human qualities. Paul isn’t placing himself in the forefront. Paul is placing Jesus Christ in the forefront. That’s what's central. Along with that, Paul is actually turning on its head the perspective that is prevalent in the church as the church latches on to those capabilities, the oratory skills of Apollos and others. The Corinthians are looking to human gifts. They're looking to things that catch the eye, that are displays of power. But the cross is the opposite of that. And the cross is God’s way of bringing about salvation in such a way as to show that it is not man’s power that's important, it's his grace.
- In 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 Paul writes about the power of the cross. What does it mean that “to us who are being saved [the cross] is the power of God”?
- Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. Have you known anyone personally who showed the power of God in their lives despite their weakness? If so, describe what that looked like.
- Throughout 1 and 2 Corinthians Paul shared a wide variety of weaknesses. He wasn’t a polished orator. He anguished over the people he loved and his relationship with them. He talked openly about being afflicted, perplexed, struck down (2 Cor. 4:8-9), and even tormented by Satan (2 Cor. 12:7). What is an area of your life where you feel weak and would like to experience God’s power made perfect in that weakness?
APPLY
Take some time to consider the following questions:- In 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 Paul wrote, “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.”
- How does this verse comfort you?
- In what areas of your life does this verse invite you to rethink your confidence in your own abilities?
- Where has this study encouraged you in your faith?
- Where has it challenged you? What do you want to do as a result?
Session 10 Handout
Word PDF- In 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 Paul wrote, “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.”