IBC Richmond

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: 1. Why is the body described as a ‘jar of clay’ in 2 Corinthians 4:7? How should a Christian care for their body? How are Christians taught to think about declining health? 2. What similarities exist between Christ and a Christian in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18? 3. Have you been afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down? Are you still alive? How has God sustained you as he d...

Application Questions: Why is there a danger of losing heart in Christian work? How does God’s mercy keep Christians from discouragement? What does it mean to be spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:4)? Who blinds? What are results of spiritual blindness? What cures blindness? What are practical works a Christian can do to “serve for Jesus’ sake”? Where did God say, “Let light shine out of darkness”...

Application Questions: Do you identify with Paul when he writes, “our sufficiency is from God”? How are you insufficient in your own strength and dependent on God’s? How does the Holy Spirit minister to a believer in 2 Corinthians 3? When a friend asks, “Why don’t Christians follow the Old Testament commands?”, what is a reasonable answer? How does 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 inform your answer? Explain...

Application Questions: Should Christians view themselves as victorious soldiers or captured enemies in Christ’s triumphal procession? What does the “aroma of Christ” metaphor represent in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16? How can the same message and messenger be a fragrance of life to some and death to others? Why is there no middle ground when it comes to Jesus Christ? What is the danger of “peddling God’s...

Application Questions: Why did Paul write a severe letter to the Corinthians rather than visiting? How does patience and the elapse of time help church discipline and restoration? Who practices church discipline in the local church? Where does authority reside? Why does Paul write, “this punishment by the majority is enough” in 2 Corinthians 2:6? How does Satan outwit Christians and churches? How...

Application Questions: Is all boasting pride? When (if ever) should Christians boast? How can you simplify your life to please the Lord and live with more godly sincerity? When will a Christian give an account of his/her life to the Lord? What steps should you take to read and understand Scripture correctly

Application Questions: What suffering has God allowed for your comfort? Describe the circumstances of suffering. Reflect on the who, what, when, where, and why of God’s comfort through the suffering. How does suffering identify a Christian with Christ? Have you experienced bonding with other believers through difficulty? What level of openness did suffering require or cause? Name a strategy to “pa...

Application Questions: Why did Paul write 2 Corinthians? What can be learned from Paul’s transparent emotions? What does it mean to be a saint? If you described yourself as ‘broken,' to what event, condition and limitation would you be referring? How has God used your brokenness as a ministry to others? What is apostolic authority? How is it present in the church today?

Application Questions: What principles of generosity can be learned from the Corinthian “collection for the saints”? When does God require flexibility in your life? Do you initially react in faith or in fear when plans changes? How should you apply “if the Lord permits” (vs. 7) to your calendar? In what way does God use friendship to bless your life? What can be learned from the examples of Timoth...

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: How does a seed planted in the ground illustrate the resurrection of the body from death? When will believers resurrect and receive glorified bodies? According to 1 Corinthians 15, what can be known about the resurrected body? What similarities will a resurrected body have to a natural body? Since the resurrection makes the Christian life worthwhile according to 1 Corinthian...

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: Are you afraid to die? What is the cause and remedy for the fear of death? How would you explain death to a child? How does the resurrection help you understand death and explain death from a Christian point of view? How will faith in the resurrection compel believers to live here-and-now? Discuss the incentives for service and sanctification listed in 1 Corinthians 15:30-34...

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: What must a person believe to be a Christian? Define the Gospel in as few words as possible. Why does “according to the Scriptures” make the resurrection believable? How does this type of logic inform how Christians read the Bible? What is grace? Does God’s grace impact your life as Paul described? What difference has it made? Do you ever feel unworthy? How does the Gospel a...

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: Can you define the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy? What were these gifts in the Corinthian church? Do the gifts of tongues or prophecy continue in the church today or have they ceased? What is the essential purpose of gathering as a church according to 1 Corinthians 14? How important is orderliness in public church meetings? In what practical ways can a church membe...

Application Questions: 1. Name an object or event that is good, beautiful, and true? What causes you to desire it? 2. How do you differentiate between good and bad? Is morality more than preference? 3. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Is beauty more than perception? 4. Is truth relative to culture and circumstance? Is truth more than opinion?

Application Questions: 1. In 1 Corinthians 13, is love a feeling or an action? What is the relationship between emotions and actions? Is acting in love without feeling love hypocritical? 2. For you, what is the most difficult outcome of love in 1 Corinthians 13? 3. Why is love better than gifts, as Paul describes it as a “more excellent way” (1 Cor 12:31)? 4. How is Christian love more than nicene...

Application Questions: 1. Do all Christians have spiritual gifts? What spiritual gifts would others identify in you? 2. What is the purpose of spiritual gifts according to 1 Corinthians 12:7? Give examples of how this principle is evident? 3. Does your local church suffer and rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:26)? How might you contribute to this mutuality among the members? 4. How will differenc...

Application Questions: Should women or men wear head coverings (hats) while worshiping? Why does Paul make it a matter of conscience (1 Cor 11:13) when he has written, “Let her cover her head” (1 Cor 11:6)? How does 1 Corinthians 11:2-17 influence the way you dress for public worship in church? Does dress even matter? What does the Lord’s Supper symbolize? Why is it an act of worship? Should the L...

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: 1. From where do the trials which Christians face come? What kind of attitude should a Christian have in the midst of a trial and why? 2. Which qualities of God help to establish your heart while going through a difficult time? Which promises of God bring you reassurance when facing a trial? Find supporting Scripture. 3. What is the relationship between the testing of your f...

Application Questions: Do Christians ever have a right to sue other Christians in civil court? Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 and support your answer why or why not. What does Paul mean “and such were some of you” (1 Cor 6:11)? How has the Gospel changed you by washing, sanctifying, and justifying? What is different about you since your conversion? Why is the physical body important to God? How does sin...

Application Questions: What is the circumstance in which Paul tells the Corinthian church, “Purge the evil person from among you”? What is church discipline? Should churches remove people from members and under what circumstances? Who is Paul more concerned about—the unrepentant man or the church? What are the sins in question? Have you been involved in church discipline? What was your role? How d...

Application Questions: How and why does pride cause division? Pick out specific references to pride in 1 Corinthians 3:18-4:21. What are servants and stewards according to 1 Corinthians 4:1? How should you treat your pastors as leaders? What regular practices can weed out pride from the heart? The Apostle Paul said, "I urge you, then, be imitators of me" (1 Cor 4:16). Should Christians imitate Chr...

Application Questions: 1 Corinthians 3 uses three analogies for the church—infants, a garden, and a building. What is the overall theme expressed by these analogies? How should Christians understand eternal rewards? Should being rewarded by God motivate you? What crowns are listed in the New Testament? Do you regularly think about God evaluating your actions? What is the difference between wood, h...

APPLICATION QUESTIONS: 1 Corinthians 1:25 says, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” Apply this to life. How does this truth influence your decisions and affect your independence? How does God demonstrate power in salvation? Define what it means to be ‘called’ in this text. What distinguishes the “wisdom of this age” from the “hidden wisdom...

Application Questions: Read again 1 Corinthians 1:10-11. What issues must Christians agree on in order to faithful obey Scripture’s call for church unity? Who is your favorite pastor, theologian, Bible teacher, or author? How do you guard against hero worship? Is baptism required for salvation? Why do Baptist churches require it for church membership? What is the appropriate use of personality in...