1. PAUL WROTE TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH ABOUT
Cards 84-87
PAUL WROTE TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH ABOUT
- Church Faction
- Improper Conduct in Worship
- Resurrection and Other Things
Why was food offered to idols a problem for the Corinthians?
Almost everyone living in Corinth worshipped pagan gods. Farmers and shepherds brought their animals to the pagan temples to be blessed. That meant all the meat for sale in the markets had been offered to false idols. This worried the Corinthian Christians. If they ate this meat, were they worshipping the idols? Paul said no. He reminded them that there is only one God, that the blessings of the pagan priests meant nothing. But Paul also said if eating the meat upset other Christians, they should not eat it. He wrote, “If the food I eat makes my brother sin, I will stop eating meat.”
Why did Paul say we are the body of Christ?
Some of the Corinthian Christians boasted about their spiritual gifts. They thought the gifts God had given them were better than the gifts He gave other people. Paul told them that all spiritual gifts are important to God.
The church is just like the human body, Paul wrote. The eye can’t say to the hand, “I have don’t need you!” A foot cannot say, “I’m not as good as the hand. I’m not part of this body.” God put all the parts together to make one working body. That’s how it is with the church, one body – the body of Christ.
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2. CHRIST GAVE CHRISTIANS THE
MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
What are Paul’s famous words about love?
The book of 1st Corinthians contains one of the best-known passages in the New Testament. It is Paul’s beautiful poem about love. Paul was sad to hear that the Corinthians were boasting about their spiritual gifts. They could have great abilities, Paul wrote, but without love, they had nothing. They could have enough faith to move mountains, and give all they owned to the poor. They could even offer their bodies as burnt sacrifices, but it would mean nothing unless they loved each other.
Love is patient, love is kind.
Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.
Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not become angry easily.
Love does not remember wrongs done against it.
Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things
Love never fails.
Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
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3. CHURCHES THAT GAVE BEYOND THEIR POWER
MACEDONIA
Which is Paul’s letter of Joy?
Paul talks about joy sixteen times in his short letter to the Philippians. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!”
Philippi was a large city in Macedonia. Most of the Christians there were poor, but they sent Paul a gift of money and clothing. The book of Philippians is Paul’s thank-you letter, and it overflows with happiness.
Paul told his friends that the secret to happiness was knowing Jesus. He said, “I have learned to be happy when I have plenty to eat and when I am hungry. I have learned to be happy when I have all that I need and when I don’t have what I need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

4. CHURCHES THAT GAVE BEYOND THEIR POWER
A. Macedonia
B. Jerusalem
C. Babylon
Philipp was a large city in Macedonia? True or False
Most of the Christians there were poor? True of False
3. Even though they were poor did they send Paul gifts of money and clothing?
4. Paul told his friends that the secret to happiness was knowing Jesus? True or False
5. Paul had learned to be happy when he had plenty to eat and when he was hungry? True or False
6. Should we be happy with what we have and always trust Jesus?

5. EACH CHRISTIAN IS TO GIVE
- AS HE PURPOSED IN HIS HEART ( I will put some aside first thing to give)
- NOT GRUDGINGLY (Had rather kept it for ourselves)
- NOT OF NECESSITY (God said I had to do it, so I have to)
- CHEERFULLY ( I am so happy to help others)
- AS HE PROSPERED (I will give of what I have as much as I can)
Church-friends were listening to one of Jesus’ helpers. “In a far-away city,” said the helper, “there are people who love Jesus just as you do. Right now, these people are very poor. They do not have enough money for food to eat or clothes to wear. They need your help.”
“We want to help them!” the people said. “We don’t have very much money, but we will give all the money we can.”
So the people brought their offerings. Perhaps they laid the money on a table. Clink, clink, clink. Some coins were big. CLINK. Some coins were small. Clink. Some people brought lots of money. Some brought only a little. But each person brought all that he could give.
These church-friends were glad to help. They knew that God wants us to “love one another.” They were happy to give all the money they could.
A helper named Paul took the money to the people who needed it. How happy those people were! They were thankful for the church-friends who had helped them.
AIM: To help the children know that God wants us to help others by giving.
Ask the children to tell you some ways they have helped others.