Choosing Our Source
May 26, 2024
1 Corinthians 3:18-23
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
1. How are you personally prone to deceive yourself? Where have you convinced yourself of something about you that just is not true? (Take your time on this one; if it’s not at least a little bit painful, you’re not doing it right.)
2. What does ‘wise by the standard of this age’ look like in the world the we live in today? How do you imagine things were different in Paul’s day?
3. This passage suggests that God’s way of thinking and the world’s way of thinking will always be at odds with each other. In what ways do you see this playing out in our world?
4. Who are the thought-leaders that are most influential today? Who is most influential for seniors? For students? For millennials? For you personally? How are all generations influenced by leaders whose names we recognize and whose ideas we follow?
5. What does Paul seem to think about our tendency to identify with human leaders? Why do you imagine he thinks this way?
6. “You are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” How does this short thought from Paul form the antidote to the tendency he has been talking about?