Lesson Plan for 1 Corinthians 8-13

1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

ICEBREAKER

Relate story of an inspiring Olympic athlete:

• US Men’s Hockey Team in 1980

• Dan Jansen in Speed Skating 1994

• Kerri Strug in Gymnastics in 1996

• Rulon Gardner in 2000

• Michael Phelps

• Usain Bolt

TRANSITION

Both Jesus and Paul were fond of using familiar objects, metaphors, and imagery to help people understand gospel principles. Paul used the imagery of Olympic athletes to help the people of Corinth understand something about spirituality. The Corinthians would have been very familiar with this idea since the Olympics were invented in their country and athletic competitions were often held in the city of Corinth itself.

Q: What two Olympic Sports do you think he is referring to in 1 Corinthians 9: 24 and 25

A: In vs 24, it’s running and n vs 25, striveth for the mastery, would be wrestling.

Q: What kind of a running race is most like life? A sprint or a marathon? Why?

A: A marathon?

Q: How are these two sports a good analogy for life and returning to God’s presence?

WHAT DOES PAUL MEAN?

Here you could play a game called: What does Paul mean? And just give them these verses phrase by phrase and see what they think Paul is saying. 

APPLY

Q: Which picture do you feel best represents your level of spiritual athleticism?

Q: What one exercise do you most need to add to your spiritual training program?

Prayer Pullups, Scripture Sprints, Kindness Curls, Sacrifice Squats?

CONCLUSION

Perhaps it’s time for all of us to approach our spirituality with a little more “Olympic Dedication”. Perhaps we can pick up our pace a little faster, push our spiritual muscles a little harder, and wrestle our foe with a little more grit.  If we do, the prize that we will receive will be greater, more valuable, and more rewarding than a measly hunk of gold dangling around our necks.

I CORINTHIANS 10-11

ICEBREAKER

Sacrament Pre-Test:  The sacrament is the one ordinance we should know best. It’s the only one we do every single week. So lets see if that’s true. How well do you know the sacrament?

1. What three promises do we make when we partake of the sacrament?

2. What is the promise God makes to us if we keep our sacramental promises?

3. Which covenant is the only one mentioned in both the blessing on the water and the bread?

4. What is the difference between God’s promise to us in the prayer on the bread and the prayer on the water? (One word)

5. True/False You can only use bread and water to perform the sacrament.

6. True/False The Sacrament is a saving ordinance

7. True/False Church members are required to partake of the sacrament with their right hand

8. Which of our five senses are utilized in participating in the ordinance of the sacrament?

Then you could go through the answers to those questions:

1. Take upon us the name of Christ, Always remember him Keep his commandments 

2. We will always have his Spirit to be with us

3. Always remember him

4. The word "always" is omitted. 

5. False, D&C 27:2. For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.

6. False, while the sacrament is an ordinance, it is not considered a saving ordinance. Saving ordinances are those that an individual must undertake in order to be saved in the Celestial kingdom. There are five, baptism, confirmation, receiving the Melchizedek priesthood for men, endowment, and marriage sealing. You can tell which ordinances are saving because they are the ones that we do in the temple for the dead. If we don’t do it for the dead in the temple then we know it is not a saving ordinance. Now that is not to minimize the importance of the sacrament. It is incredibly important.  It is absolutely vital for members of the church to access the power of the atonement in their lives through the sacrament each week and to renew their covenants, it just doesn’t hold that distinction as being an outright essential step to enter the kingdom of God like baptism is. 

7. False, It is suggested, but not required.  Here’s a quote from Russell M Nelson: "The hand used in partaking of the sacrament would logically be the same hand used in making any other sacred oath. For most of us, that would be the right hand. However, sacramental covenants—and other eternal covenants as well—can be and are made by those who have lost the use of the right hand, or who have no hands at all. Much more important than concern over which hand is used in partaking of the sacrament is that the sacrament be partaken with a deep realization of the atoning sacrifice that the sacrament represents" (President Russell M. Nelson, "Is it necessary to take the sacrament with one’s right hand? Does it really make any difference which hand is used?" Ensign, March 1983). So it seems by that statement that is preferable to take the sacrament with your right hand, but not essential. Your attitude is far more important. 

8. I really like this one because as a teacher, a rule of thumb is that the more senses you engage in a student, the more memorable it will be to them. So we have sight (seeing the emblems under the white sheet, and the priesthood blessing and passing the sacrament) (hearing, we hear the words of the sacramental prayers), (touch, we reach out and touch the bread and the cup of water), and (taste, we taste the bread and the water).  

TRANSITION

Paul is going to help us understand the significance of the sacrament on a deeper level. He shows us that the sacrament can serve  four different purposes for us in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11.

How many purposes can you identify in the following verses?

• 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

• 1 Corinthians 11:24

• 1 Corinthians 11:26

• 1 Corinthians 11:27-31

10:16-17  A UNIFIER

Part of the key to understanding this one is to examine the word “communion”. If you look at footnote 16c you’ll see that it suggests the words aid, fellowship, and partnership. The sacrament is something that brings us together as congregations in the church in fellowship, brotherhood, and sisterhood.  Verse 17 more clearly reiterates that idea telling us that even though we are many different members, we are all one body as we partake of the bread.  So one of the purposes of the sacrament is to unify us. It is a unifier. It’s a moment when all members of the ward are coming together in a common purpose and focus. 

11:24. A MEMORIAL

The keyword in this verse is remembrance. Another purpose of the sacrament is to serve as a memorial. We are to remember Christ’s sacrifice for us. And I like to ask the question, Why? Why does he want us to remember his sacrifice? Is it in the Spirit of “Hey, you had better remember me because I suffered an awful lot for you”, or is there a different purpose behind it? And just let them share their thoughts.

11:26 A TESTIMONIAL

The key word here. Shew. When I partake of the sacrament, I shew the Lord’s death till he come. What does that mean? Again, the footnotes help us. What does that word mean? Proclaim, or announce. We are making a type of statement when we partake of the sacrament. Sometimes, I like to ask “when was the last time you bore your testimony in sacrament meeting? And they will say things like, last month, or a year ago, or I never bear my testimony” And I counter that with, I’m willing to bet that you bore your testimony just last week. And they’ll say, how? It wasn’t even fast Sunday. Then I refer to this verse. Partaking of the sacrament is a type of testimony. When you take that little piece of bread to your lips or that tiny cup of water, in a sense you are testifying to God, his son, everybody around you and yourself, that I believe in Christ. 

11:28-31 A SELF-EXAMINATION

The fourth purpose of the sacrament is to serve as a self examination. We should be judging ourselves at that time. How? Reflecting on our actions that week. Where did we go wrong? Where can we improve? What areas do we need to ask for forgiveness in? The sacrament should be a time of remembering Christ, but it should also be a time of self reflection and spiritual development. In vs. 31, if we judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Could that mean that if we spend each week judging ourself and improving ourself, that when it comes to the final judgment, God may say to us, you know what, I don’t need to judge you, you’ve been judging yourself weekly your entire life and have prepared and developed yourself sufficient to enter my kingdom.

APPLY

Q: When have you been blessed by one of these purposes of the sacrament?

CONCLUSION

Perhaps the risk of observing the sacrament every week is that it can possibly become routine and hollow. Yet, if we remember Paul’s teachings on the various purposes of this sacred ordinance, perhaps it can become the most significant spiritual event of our week.   May the sacrament become a meaningful and satisfying experience for you on a weekly basis. That is my prayer for all of us.

1 CORINTHIANS 12-13

ICEBREAKER

Object Lesson  Find a large box and wrap it up like a present. Place the present at the front of the classroom and ask the following question:

Q: What's the best Christmas or Birthday gift you’ve ever received?

TRANSITION

Our Heavenly Father also loves to give gifts to his children. But rather than sending us electronics, or jewelry, or toys, He gives us spiritual gifts, or abilities to bless us and the church as a whole. They are called the Gifts of the Spirit because they all get their power from the same source. The Spirit or the Holy Ghost. Let’s say this gift represents the Holy Ghost, but within the gift of the Holy Ghost are other smaller gifts that God may give to us.  In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul will teach us some truths about spiritual gifts. 

SEARCH

Q: What do you learn about Gifts of the Spirt in 12:4?

A: There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit. In other words, there are many different kinds of gifts. 

Q: What are the names of some of these gifts? Paul lists a few of them for us as examples.

Then have somebody read vs. 8-10. 

At this point, start to pull smaller gifts that you have wrapped up from inside the large gift. You could even label some of them with the names of the gifts mentioned by Paul.

QUOTES

“Spiritual gifts are endless in number and infinite in variety.  Those listed in the revealed word are simply illustrations of the boundless outpouring of divine grace that a gracious God gives those who love and serve him.”

Bruce R. McConkie

A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.367-377

“Taken at Random, let me mention a few gifts that are not always evident or noteworthy but that are very important. . .

The gift of asking; the gift of listening the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous;  the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.

Marvin J. Ashton

CR October 1987

Truth #1: There are many different gifts.

Q: What do you learn about Gifts of the Spirt in 12:7 and 11? Who are they for?

A: Everybody gets a gift. There is nobody who is left out. There is not a single member of this church out there who has not been given a special gift from God that is uniquely theirs.

Q: Is there a way to know for certain what gift of gifts your Heavenly Father has given to you? 

A: Your patriarchal blessing will more often than not tell you what some of your gifts are.

Truth #2 Everyone is given a gift.

Q: What do you think these verses teach us about spiritual gifts? 12:5-6

A:There are differences of administrations, diversities of operations. 

Q: What does that mean?

A: I think it means that there are many different manifestations of the spiritual gifts. So, you may have the gift of tongues, but there are lots of different ways the gift of tongues can be manifest, different ways it is administered. 

Truth #3 There are different ways the gifts are manifested in people.

Well with that many possible gifts out there, there is a possible problem that might arise. And that is, some may feel that certain gifts are better than others. Perhaps somebody feels that the gift of healing is a more important gift to have than the gift of faith. Some may feel that the gift of performing miracles is better to have than the gift of not passing judgment. So Paul wants to make something very clear to the members of Corinth about the various gifts that each of them possess. 

Have some class members read vs. 12-25 with this question in mind.

Q: In your opinion, how do these verses help to solve that potential problem?

A:  Paul compares the church to a body, and each of the different body parts would be the members of the church  each with their specific gift they have to offer. And just like a body works together to live and move and accomplish things, every member has their place and unique contribution. 

Perhaps play the song “Glorious” written by Stephanie Maybe, sung by David Archuletta in the movie “Meet the Mormons”.

Truth #4, All gifts are important, all members are needed. 

Q:  Is it ok to ask for additional gifts you feel you need? 

Q:Lets see what Paul says. He answers that question for us in 12:31

A: Yes! It is ok to seek more gifts. Covet earnestly the best gifts. You don’t have to be satisfied with the ones that come naturally to you. 

Share a gift that you feel you have earnestly coveted and how you feel your Heavenly Father has helped you gain it.

Truth #5 is It’s ok to seek additional gifts.

There is one specific gift that we should all be seeking. It’s the nicest, most valuable, most fancily wrapped gift of all. And here you could pull out of the big box a really nicely wrapped, fancy package, with ribbon and bows.

Q: What is the greatest of all the gifts that we can seek after in Chapter 13?

A:  Charity

Q: What is charity? Best definition is in Moroni 7:41. The pure love of Christ.

• Love like Christ

• Love for Christ

• Love from Christ

Q: What is your favorite verse or phrase in 1 Corinthians 13 and why? 

Q:  Why do the other gifts mean nothing without charity (pure love)?

Q: Is this list focused more on feelings or actions?

Q: Who is the greatest example of each of these qualities?

A: If somebody asked: “Can you give me an example of what these qualities look like?” I would say, yes. The perfect example for each of these qualities is Jesus Christ himself. When Paul asks us to seek to have the greatest of all gifts, the gift of charity, he’s really asking us to seek to be like Christ. 

Q:What do you think Paul means by “seeing through a glass darkly” now, but one day seeing face to face.

LIKEN

Pick a question:

1. How have your God-given gifts blessed you and the people around you?

2. What gift of the Spirit would you most like to receive, and what are you willing to do to show you are ready for that gift?

3. Which of the qualities in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 do you most need to work on, and what could you do to improve in that area?

CONCLUSION

Isn’t our Heavenly Father amazing! He has endowed each of us with individualized gifts and abilities that only we can offer. Even though we may feel inadequate at times, there are certain matters and  people that we are the best equipped to help. If we but seek the Lord’s strength and always have the pure love of Christ as our motive, there is no end to the  good we can accomplish.