Father God, thank you for this time that we have to read and study your word rightly divided. Please help us to learn how believers can "be of the same mind" and "speak the same thing" and that there be no divisions or CONTENTIONS among us by us rightly dividing the word of truth. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:11
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
Chloe may have been a woman who had a home church. Was her husband a believer? Was she even married? We have to keep in mind that this was ancient Greece and so Chloe, if this was a woman, would have grown up as a pagan and everyone around her growing up would have been pagan (like Ruth in the Old Testament before she married a Jewish man). In our modern times, even if you grow up around unbelievers, you are still somewhat influenced by a culture with some understanding of the Bible (although that is changing more and more, and our culture is starting to become more like ancient pagan cultures again!). People today try to romanticize ancient pagan cultures, especially in movies and TV shows, but the reality is that it was very dark and wicked. So, her and other Corinthians would not have grown up being familiar with biblical teachings except for the rare proselyte (a gentile that became a Jew). But, she had become a grace believer now and obviously had a passion for the gospel of the grace of God, as she had her own home church! She was doing the work of the ministry. However, she and her household (I'm assuming men were included) were concerned about things going on amongst the believers in Corinth and they also had many questions, which is what Paul is addressing here. It's GOOD that her and her household were asking these questions and wanting certain issues to be addressed! The main issue being the contentions among the believers. We need to also keep in mind that the Bible had not yet been complete. So believers had spiritual gifts to prophecy, speak in tongues etc in order to complete the Bible. They were all still learning about the doctrines of grace. We have the completed word of God now and so we don't need those spiritual gifts today.
It is good for us, as believers to ask questions. In fact, all throughout Paul's Epistles, questions are asked to cause us to really think over the verses and to help us to more clearly understand what God is saying to us through His word rightly divided.
If you are in a church or denomination that doesn't allow you to ask questions, or that looks down on you for asking questions, it's a big red flag! Of course we should seek the ANSWERS in the WORD itself and not merely from our preachers and Bible study teachers. We need to "be Bereans" (Acts 17:10-12), reading and studying the word of God for ourselves. And at the same time, we need to understand that Paul is our appointed Apostle, sent by the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ to be a pattern for us who believe. It's okay to also ask your pastor or a Bible teacher questions, since they are more well-learned, but search the scriptures for yourself as well (Women specifically are supposed to ask her husband Bible questions if he is knowledgeable in the scriptures. Go to the word itself first and then ask your husband about the verses to help you gain more clarity as well. If he's still needing some clarity, he can ask the local pastor. This helps to keep order in the church, which we will learn more about later on in further chapters).
Acts 17:11
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
1 Timothy 1:16
“Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
1 Cor 14:35a,b
"And if they [women] will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home:"
Thank you Father God for teaching us in your word about the importance of really thinking over the Bible verses for ourselves. In Christ's name we pray, amen.
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