A Do It Yourself Bible Study

“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the human heart conceived,

what God has prepared for those who love him’ --

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny.

"For who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?"

But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:1-16).”

1. The Apostle recalls in his letter when he first came to the Corinthian church. His reputation was not one of being an eloquent teacher schooled in rhetoric but as a persecutor of the early Christian community. It is no wonder that Paul’s initial approach to this Christian community had been filled with fear and trepidation because it may be that his own reputation had had preceded him and that the Corinthian church like so many others would not have trusted him and, therefore, his bearing of the Gospel would have been in vain. Have you met someone whom you did not initially like or trust but later changed your mind? What was it about them that allowed you to change your opinion of them or reevaluate your initial impression?

2. St. Paul relies on the power of God moving through his ministry to prove itself rather than depending upon his self reliance on his own abilities to debate and argue which in the Jewish tradition was considered a proper way to teach. Also, he would neither employ the Socratic Method which was a formal tool in rhetoric nor debate for the Greeks. He simply wants to tell the story of Jesus Christ. What makes the story of Jesus Christ so evocative, profound, or powerful? Why?

3. Yet, the Apostle Paul does hold thoughtful discussions with those who have been well-schooled and who themselves may be catechists involved in preparing men and women for baptism in what in the early church came to be three years of instruction in the faith. Why do many Christians not challenge themselves by studying the writings of the Early Church, contemporary theologians, or taking advantage of the Christian education or spiritual formation classes and forums offered in their own churches? What are some ways that Christians in the 21^st century from all walks of life begin to or continue to educate themselves in their faith?

4. St. Paul recognizes that much of what he proclaims and much of what others have accepted requires the presence of God’s Spirit because if one is left to their own human but meager resources then God’s wisdom would not be discerned in the events of Jesus’ life. The presence of God’s Holy Spirit is integral to accepting and understanding the importance of the life of Jesus Christ and how we are being saved through such. Not only is education an important part of our lives as Christians but of the utmost importance is a life that cultivates and nurtures a relationship with the Holy Spirit. What are some ways the Christians can nurture their relationship with God’s Holy Spirit? How does a person know that they are doing such? What are some concrete ways that you yourself can grow in grace intellectually and in relationship with the Holy Spirit?

5. Are there Christians that you know that are more mature in the faith than you are? Who are they and why do you think that they are mature in their faith? How can they specifically help you mature in your own faith?