1 Corinthians: Temptation

I CORINTHIANS 10:13

 

Scripture verse: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

 

Objectives:

  1. Memorize the verse and understand its content and context.
  2. Students should apply the verse to one area of temptation in their lives in the next week.

 

Possible Lesson Plan:

1.      Open with prayer: the Lord’s Prayer would be appropriate here. What does it say about temptation?

 

2.      Review the background of the book from last week’s lesson.

 

3.      Again assign students to read a chapter and summarize for the group. Skip chapters if there are too few students and have the teacher briefly summarize. Be sure to use a couple of questions to be sure the students have read and understood. If you need to drop chapters, chapters 10, 14, and 16 would be easily done by the teacher.

·         Chapter 9: Spiritual discipline – What is the goal of someone who runs a race? What is our goal? How do athletes prepare for a race? Students probably do athletics and can answer this from their own experience. How then should WE prepare, physically and spiritually in our lives? Concrete ways – list them!

·         Chapter 10: The failures of the people of Israel – review the story of Moses and the 40 years in the desert. How can their many failures, complaints, and temptations benefit us as examples?

·         Chapter 11: Correct behavior in church – What does Paul say here? Head coverings for women? Is this done in your parish by many, most, all? Proper preparation for the Eucharist – what were the problems in Corinth? In our parish? How do we prepare for Communion?

·         Chapter 12: Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ – Who brings the gifts? What are they? Who is the body of Christ? What are we? Does the body have need of each part? Does the church have need of each of us? Any ideas what part of the body you may be growing to become? Your own spiritual gifts

·         Chapter 13: Read this chapter in unison out loud. The LOVE chapter.

·         Chapter 14: Orderly worship – WE have a Liturgy for order, but the 1st century church was just developing an order of worship. What is speaking in tongues? Do we also have prophecy?

·         Chapter 15: The Resurrection is central to our faith – the central belief of Christianity – that Christ died for our sins and rose again. Recite the creed. What is Christianity without the Resurrection? Was Jesus just a teacher with nice sayings? In whom do all die? (Adam) In Whom are we all made alive? Sing together the Paschal Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!)

·         Chapter 16: Skip this chapter if time or number of students do not allow. See if you recognize the places and people Paul mentions. After all this is a LETTER, so he’s greeting his friends.

 

4.      Scripture verse: I Corinthians 10:13 – read it together

 

5.      What are some stories of Old Testament people who faced temptation or tribulation? How did they fare? Did it matter whether they turned to God or to their own strength? (Adam, Moses, Daniel, the 3 youths, Jonah, David with Goliath, how about David with Bathsheba?) What was the temptation they faced? (denying God, sexual, running away in fear…) Do we have similar temptations? What about New Testament people or figures from Church history? (Peter and his denial, Judas and his betrayal, Stephen and martyrs in general, St. Daniel the Stylite sitting on the pillar, find some more) Of what were they tempted? Did they turn to God or not? Outcome?

 

6.      Discussion questions:

       What is temptation? What are tribulations? Are they different? Have

students brainstorm some temptations and tribulations that they themselves face. Are there examples in the Bible or in the history of the Church of people who faced similar temptations and tribulations? What happened?

When we face problems in our lives, should we ask God what should be done or should we “stand on our own 2 feet”? Should our Christian beliefs make a difference in the choice we make? Doesn’t God know what our problems are anyway; do we need to ask His help or will He work them out for us without our even lifting a finger? Does God promise that He will miraculously make all problems go away? Do we need to work hard to solve our problems? Does He promise to help us?

 

7.       Close with prayer.