In first-century Greece, a fledgling church was struggling to live out their new faith in a corrupt culture. The congregation at Corinth was mired in contradiction, heralding the power of spiritual gifts and knowledge, yet foolishly engaging in sinful behavior. This troubled church inspired the apostle Paul to write one of his most extraordinary letters. The Wiersbe Bible Study Series explores timeless wisdom found in God's Word. Based on Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe's popular "BE" series of commentaries, each study provides topical, relevant insights from selected books of the Bible. Designed for small groups or individuals, this eight-week study explores Paul's call for wisdom in the life of the believer, a truth that remains as relevant as ever. Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe (1929–2019) was an internationally known Bible teacher, author, and conference speaker. He served as the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago from 1971 to 1978. For ten years he was associated with the  Back to the Bible  radio broadcast, first as Bible teacher and then as general director. In his lifetime, Dr. Wiersbe wrote more than 150 books—including the popular BE series—selling over five million copies. Dr. Wiersbe was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). His trusted writing will continue to impact generations. The Wiersbe BIBLE STUDY SERIES: 1 CORINTHIANS Discern the Difference between Man's Knowledge and God's Wisdom By Warren W. Wiersbe David C. Cook Copyright © 2012 Warren W. Wiersbe All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4347-0376-7 Contents Introduction to 1 Corinthians, How to Use This Study, Lesson 1 Calling and Message (1 Corinthians 1—2), Lesson 2 The Church (1 Corinthians 3—4), Lesson 3 Discipline (1 Corinthians 5—6), Lesson 4 Marriage (1 Corinthians 7), Lesson 5 Liberty (1 Corinthians 8—10), Lesson 6 The Church Body (1 Corinthians 11—13), Lesson 7 Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 14), Lesson 8 The Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15—16), Bonus Lesson Summary and Review, CHAPTER 1 Lesson 1 Calling and Message (1 CORINTHIANS 1—2) Before you begin ... • Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and wisdom as you go through this lesson. • Read 1 Corinthians 1—2. This lesson references chapters 1 and 2 in Be Wise. It will be helpful for you to have your Bible and a copy of the commentary available as you work through this lesson. Getting Started From the Commentary "Jesus, yes! The church, no!" This slogan was popular among young people in the '60s. They certainly could have used it with sincerity in Corinth back in AD 56, because the local church there was in serious trouble. Sad to say, the problems did not stay within the church family; they were known by the unbelievers outside the church. To begin with, the church at Corinth was a defiled church. Some of its members were guilty of sexual immorality; others got drunk; still others were using the grace of God to excuse worldly living. It was also a divided church, with at least four different groups competing for leadership (1 Cor. 1:12). This meant it was a disgraced church. Instead of glorifying God, it was hindering the progress of the gospel. — Be Wise , page 19 1. What caused the Corinthian church to fall into such disarray? What clues can we gather about this from the first part of Paul's letter? What are some of the typical root problems that cause a church to become "defiled"? More to Consider: Read Romans 1:18–32. Paul wrote the Roman epistle while in Corinth. What does this passage reveal about the Corinthian church? 2. Choose one verse or phrase from 1 Corinthians 1—2 that stands out to you. This could be something you're intrigued by, something that makes you uncomfortable, something that puzzles you, something that resonates with you, or just something you want to examine further. Write that here. Going Deeper From the Commentary Paul first attacked the serious problem of defilement in the church, yet he said nothing about the problem itself. Instead, he took the positive approach and reminded the believers of their high and holy position in Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:1–9, he described the church that God sees; in 1 Corinthians 1:10–31, he described the church that men see. What we are in Jesus Christ positionally ought to be what we practice in daily life, but often we fail. — Be Wise , page 20 3. Review 1 Corinthians 1:1–9. What characteristics did Paul use to describe the church in these verses? According to Paul, what is the church's holy calling? From the Commentary Having mentioned the problem of defilement in the church, now Paul turned to the matter of division in the church. Division has always been a problem among God's people, and almost every New Testament epistle deals with this topic or mentions it in one way or another. Even the twelve apostles did not always get along with each other. In 1 Corinthians 1:13, Paul asked his readers