A Bible teaching titled “Communion” from 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 by Brett Meador.

Paul continues to help the Corinthian church understand the lines between legalism, liberty, and love in 1 Corinthians 10 by drawing upon examples from the Old Testament. As we look at the ways the Israelites erred while fleeing Egypt and journeying toward the Promised Land, we are warned to turn from immorality, idolatry, and ingratitude and instead pursue God’s glory and love others in all that we do.

In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul charges us to do everything for the glory of God. As we examine the reasons to heed his words, we see the benefits we are blessed with and the protection we receive when we honor Him instead of boasting in ourselves.

Paul tackles another controversy in the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 9 – and this time, he’s directly affected by their debate. As Paul explains why those in ministry should have the right to be financially supported, why he is willing to forgo wages from them, and what ultimately mattered most to him, we see a model for the modern-day church when it comes to compensating those serving in ministry.

The Corinthian church faced a major controversy about whether it was acceptable to eat meat sacrificed to idols, and Paul provides guidance on how they should handle it in 1 Corinthians 8. So why should we study an issue that was so specific to their situation, time, and culture? Because the principle behind it still applies, and Paul’s answer helps us navigate the many gray areas in our own society and discern what we should and shouldn’t do as Christians.

The Corinthian church had many questions about singleness, marriage, divorce, and remarriage, which Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 7:10-40. As we listen to his answers, we step back to gain a comprehensive biblical understanding of God’s design for marital relationships and learn how to properly apply Scripture as we address these issues in our own day.

In 1 Corinthians 6:1-7:9, Paul continues to address the problems within the Corinthian church – many of which remain all too familiar among modern Christians. As he confronts matters such as lawsuits, sexual immorality, marriage and singleness, we see God’s design for how these should be handled and the consequences when we insist on doing things our own way.

Does Paul’s statement that “all things are lawful” in 1 Corinthians 6:12 mean we have the freedom to do whatever we want? While it might sound that way at first, as we unpack Paul’s argument, we discover what boundaries guard this statement, how this topic develops throughout Scripture, and how our liberty should be used to glorify God.

Paul begins to address the central issue of his letter in 1 Corinthians 5 as he directly confronts the serious problems within the Corinthian church. As he calls out a man willfully living in shocking sexual sin, Paul provides a blueprint for how the church should confront sin, when discipline is necessary, and how believers should respond to those living in blatant, unrepentant sin.

The Corinthian church had a serious problem with sexual immorality to the point that they were no longer even ashamed, but proud of it. Sadly, not much has changed since Paul had to confront them with the urgent command to “flee fornication” in 1 Corinthians 6:18. As we see why sexual immorality is so destructive, we discover how we can put Paul’s charge into action ourselves and how mercy and forgiveness can be found in the midst of sin.