Exploring Christian Unity on Waikato University Campus through the lens of 1 Corinthians 1-4

This study has been the work of two students over two years. In 2012, Danyell had a vision to see Christian groups on campus working in unity.  In 2013, Nick helped to work through key ideas in these passages from Corinthians. In 2015, our Hamilton TSCF staff team tested the material and now it is ready for students to have a go at leading it. Some topics are so complex that they take a collaborative effort and time to unpack. Thank you, Danyell for your ideas and heart for the campus.

Aim:

Learning what the bible says about the topic: Christian unity.

Applying what we learnt to our campus.

Learning how to apply bible passages as solutions to real-life situations.

How to write a topical bible study?

* Research and select the passages that are relevant to the topic.

I recommended 1 Corinthian 1-4 because it is a well-known passage on Christian Unity and it deals with thought, knowledge and wisdom, which reside in the domain of Tertiary Education.

* Examine the bible passage in its context. Corinthians is written by the Apostle Paul and we need to examine the city and background of the book. One of the challenges of writing and doing a topical bible study is that we may not be able to unpack the text deeply enough. Why is this even an issue? By the end of the 3rd century A.D., most of the canon of the bible was already collected. This means that, while all of the Bible is truth we can apply to our lives, most, if not all, of the Bible was not originally written to us. The authors had in mind the hearers of that day. That should cause us to be very careful when interpreting the Bible for today’s Christians. Taken from.

* Before we work out how the Bible applies to us, we must first come to the best possible understanding of what the Bible meant to its original audience. If we come up with an application that would have been foreign to the original audience, there is a very strong possibility that we did not interpret the passage correctly. In other words, what are the differences in language, time, culture, geography, setting and situation? One person who has studied the cultural environment during Paul’s time is Kenneth Bailey. Here is the outline that goes with the talk. 

* Now we can apply the text to our situation. Examine the situation you are facing on campus from as many perspectives as possible. Draw out relevant principles from the biblical passages you have selected. Pray and ask God to show your group how to apply what you have learnt about God to this situation.

EXPLORING CHRISTIAN UNITY ON CAMPUS

Aim

·      Thinking about a real-life situations deeply.

·      Unpacking scripture and identifying the main thrust of the text.

·      Re-examining scripture and the topic and drawing biblically informed conclusions.

Exploring the issue of Christian unity on campus carefully

1. There are a number of Christian clubs on campus that come under the category Christian, there also a number of clubs that come under the category Culture or Sports. Does this wide variety point to disunity?

Examine 1 Corinthians 1, what does Paul suggest is the cause of disunity in Corinth?

2. In the March16 Issue of Nexus, Jules Crafts, talks about the need for a Waikato Student Culture. She talks about strength in unity as students, the need for traditions and the building the right vibe through pride in being a tertiary student and participation on campus.

. Look in the bible passage and see if these are qualities Christian want as well?

3. Personality cults exist in the media, in theoretical trends and in the Christian world. Why would people believe and accept a charismatic leader instead of thinking for themselves? Why would these cause disunity or be disruptive to learning? What does the passage say about people gathering a following?

Exploring the bible text carefully.

Read through 1 Corinthians

1. Discuss what stands out for you.

2. What questions do you have about the text?

Here are some to start you out...

1) How does Paul’s use of the pronoun “you” and his use of language reflect God’s heart for the Corinthians?

2) “¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” In v 10, how does Paul address them and how are they to be unified?
2)  The symmetrical structure of Hebrew poetry means ideas tend to lead up to the climax found in the centre of the passage. Does knowing this help you figure out the key idea of the passage?
3) In verse 17 ...what does “the cross of Christ emptied of power mean to you”?
4) Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks demands intellect. Does Paul cater to their demands and why not?
What do people demand today? Is Christ still the stumbling block today?

5) Is there value in fostering activities that involve all Christian groups working together to serve the campus?

Re-examine the real-life issue of Christian Unity and draw biblically informed conclusions to the issue.

THE WISDOM OF THE SPIRIT AND THE MIND OF CHRIST BRINGS US TOGETHER IN UNITY

Aim:

·      Exploring God’s wisdom revealed by the Holy Spirit in relation to our studies.

·      Examining how and why Paul describes the wisdom of God this way.

·      Developing and encouraging "the mind of Christ" together in our lives as students.

Looking at the bible 1 Corinthians 2

1) Paul is actually a learned Pharisee....

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power”.

Why verse 1-5 interesting in the light of Paul’s past?

2) “ However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—

10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.”

This passage is from Is 64:4 What does it mean? How is it used here? This verse ties the Old Testament and New Testament together. How is the past, present and future tied together in this?

3) “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for, so as to instruct him?”

“Who has known the mind of the Lord

But we have the mind of Christ.”

Colour the repeated words. Underline the reversals. What does v 10-16 tell you about the Holy Spirit?

4) What does having a mind of Christ mean to you? How does the personality of the Holy Spirit make you think, feel, do and become? What is the connection between these two and how do they lead to Christian unity?

What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?

Here are some tensions to discuss as you unpack this theme.

Having both a disciplined, well-regulated study of scripture and a disciplined, and well-regulated study of our academic field is our vocation as a Christian student who has an undivided life.

A Christian Tertiary Student affirms that faith does not mean feelings/ heart alone. The Holy Spirit transforms how we think about things and sometimes that means questioning what is culturally acceptable or uncovering what is previously unknown.

Ideally, Christian fellowships focus on helping Christian students from a variety of church backgrounds to unite on campus enough to discover ways to speak the mysteries of God in academic terms with rigorous scholarship in the marketplace of ideas, we call the university.

Going deeper

1. The difference between a pastor and a Christian academic

Christ and the Life of the Mind: Q & A with John Piper (Pastor) and Mark Nol (Christian Academic). Does your studies distract you from God’s presence? Does your academic study/ discourse embed the notion that any religious belief invalids serious research?

http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/jesus-christ-and-the-life-of-the-mind-q-a-with-john-piper-and-mark-noll

2. How to develop a Christian mind by Nicholas Wolterstorff

He is from the Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology Emeritus at Yale University, was asked to unpack for students at Tertiary Institutions how to develop a Christian mind and a Christian voice. This is an extract.

So how do you arrive at the point where you can think with a Christian mind and speak with a Christian voice?

First, be patient. The Christian scholar may feel in his bones that some part of his discipline rubs against the grain of his Christian conviction, but for years, and even decades, he may not be able to identify precisely the point of conflict; or, if he has identified it, he may not know for years or decades how to work out an alternative. Once he does spy the outlines of an alternative, the Christian scholar has to look for the points on which, as it were, he can pry, those points where he can get his partners in the discipline to say, “Hmm, you have a point there; I’m going to have to go home and think about that.” He doesn’t just preach. He engages in a dialogue – or tries to do so. And that presupposes, once again, that he has found a voice.

Second, to arrive at this point, the Christian scholar will have to be immersed in the discipline and be really good at it. Grenades lobbed by those who don’t know what they are talking about will have no effect. Only those who are learned in the discipline can see the fundamental issues.

Third, to be able to think with a Christian mind about the issues in your discipline, you have to have a Christian mind. 

As I see it, three things are necessary for the acquisition of such a mind.

First, you have to be well acquainted with Scripture – not little tidbits, not golden nuggets, but the pattern of biblical thought. Let me add here: beware of the currently popular fad of reducing acquaintance with scripture to worldview summaries.

Second, you need some knowledge of the Christian theological tradition.

And third, you have to become acquainted with the riches of the Christian intellectual tradition generally, especially those parts of it that pertain to your own field. You and I are the inheritors of an enormously rich tradition of Christian reflection on politics, on economics, on psychology, an enormously rich tradition of art, of music, of poetry, of architecture – on and on it goes. We impoverish ourselves if we ignore this. Part of our responsibility as Christian scholars is to keep those traditions alive.

Fourth, Christian learning needs the nourishment of communal worship.  Otherwise it becomes dry and brittle, easily susceptible to skepticism.

For his whole article click here. 

3. Who can I turn to for help to I develop a mind of Christ?

The Art of Learning Wisdom from Mentors by Hannah Eagleson

“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.” – Proverbs 20:5, KJV

Even if you have good mentors, learning wisdom from them is a skill. It’s an art that takes a lifetime, and I certainly haven’t mastered it. But the wisest people I know do several things. They ask good questions, they observe carefully, and they follow up with those from whom they’ve learned.

Here are some thoughts on developing a Christian mind with help from those who are ahead in the journey you are on:

Finding and asking good questions. What kinds of questions have you found it helpful to ask?

1.     Finding good questions.

Over time I found that it was helpful to ask questions raised by a specific project, questions raised by my own life, and questions raised by things a mentor does particularly well. I also found it helpful to have a general question or two that I asked a wide variety of people.

How would you approach this question?

2. Observing

Some of the best things you can learn from a mentor may come not so much from what they say in conversation but from what they do. If a professor has a knack for making new students feel welcome, or a way of making course material profoundly engaging, or a talent for organizing a paper, it’s possible that he won’t even know he’s doing it. Even if he does, he may not feel it necessary to explain how he does it. But you may learn it from him just by watching.

3. Following up

I often look at mentoring through the lens of narrative: a mentor is listening to my stories and helping me to make sense of them. He or she is also helping to shape them by helping me understand the other characters involved and suggesting courses of action. I want my mentors to see the ways that their input has shaped my story, so I try to keep them posted.

For more detail: click here.

Application:

·      How can we learn from each other in order to foster “the mind of Christ.”

·      How can we invite “mentors” from our group who are Christian academics, in the workplace or parts of  other TSCF groups in NZ to help us grow in “the mind of Christ.”

·      Catalyst is the TSCF online bookstore and resources for faculty based material for use in your faculty groups.

Leader's Guide

Waikato University's Mission, as stated in its Charter, is ‘To combine the creation of knowledge through research, scholarship and creative works with the dissemination of knowledge through teaching, publication and performance’. The University’s motto, Ko Te Tangata, symbolises our commitment to our role under the Treaty of Waitangi. It also emphasises the role of collegiality and the importance that we place on people. We apply the following values in all our activities and operations:  

Partnership with Māori/Tū ngātahi me te Māori 

Acting with integrity/Mahi pono 

Celebrating diversity/Whakanui i ngā huarahi hou

Promoting creativity/Whakarewa i te hiringa i te mahara

How does what you learnt today contribute to the University?

PICTURES OF CHRISTIAN UNITY

Aim

·      Examining the metaphors Paul uses when he describes his work and the unified church.

·      Applying 1 Cor 3 to our place as a group on campus.

·      Clarifying the picture of unity with your group.

·      Considering strategies you can use to create unity.

1 Corinthians 3

1. What is the difference between the university’s understanding of maturity of thought and the acquisition of knowledge and Paul’s understanding of maturity?
2. What point is Paul trying to make when he talks about God’s field?
3. How do these 3 metaphors (field, building and temple) add to your understanding of being God’s follow- worker?
4. Contrasts the image of the building with the image of the temple?
5. Do you have any experiences where you have felt foolish for the sake of God? OR Do you have any experiences where you have deceived yourself?

Application within and amongst groups.

1. How would you apply the images of infant food, God’s field, building and temple to the current situation of Christian groups on campus or within your own group today.

2. TSCF groups are intentionally inter-denominational in character. What do you do with disagreements and arguments about God. List what they are. Read this article, evaluate the principles in the light of what you have learnt in 1 Corinthians 3 and consider how to apply what you have learnt to your group.

(Extracts from Deliver Us From Smugness by Cathleen Falsani)

Ah, the life of the church. So many arguments, so little time.

The list of subjects about which the saints disagree is seemingly endless, encompassing both the profound and the woefully mundane.

The ordination of women. The proper role of religion in politics. Climate change. Homosexuality and same-sex unions. Pre-, Post-, or A-millennialism. Biblical translation.  Gender pronouns for God. How best to aid the poorest of the poor. How best to support the sanctity of marriage. Hell. Heaven. Baptism. Which brand of fair-trade coffee to serve. It should come as no surprise to most Christians that the world outside the church looking in sees it rife with conflict, bickering, arguments and castigation — of the “unbeliever” and fellow believers alike. Frankly, it also should come as no surprise to the rest of the world that the church — by virtue of being a community of humans — naturally would have such disagreements and discord. We are imperfect. Our communities are imperfect. And our faith, too, is imperfect. But I would argue that it is not the imperfection or presence of conflict themselves within the Communion of the Saints that too many of those who would not call themselves Christians find repellent. It is how the church deals with them that repels so many.

Jesus said the world would know we are Christians by our love. Not our smug. To be smug is to be excessively proud of your achievements and successes. Conceited. Arrogant. Complacently self-satisfied.

“There is a cultural tendency in evangelical Christianity that does not leave room for ‘evolving’ positions, complexity, uncertainty, or doubt.  Rather the assumption seems to be that every Christian should have a clearly defined position on every social issue and even that for some issues there’s only one acceptable position to take.”

Smugness is immovable. It is a conversation ender, an impasse, an act The Way of Jesus is not the Way of the Smug. When he walked among us in the flesh, teaching his followers about the Kingdom of God, Jesus was patient. He never assumed a posture of “I know and you don’t and you’re stupid for not knowing.” He didn’t roll his eyes, throw up his hands and storm off when his disciples didn’t get it. He didn’t call them names or ostracize them. Rather, Jesus kept talking, kept telling stories and having conversations with them. He found new ways to communicate with his brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.

“In order to cope with fear (and the desire for control), we gloss over the weak points or discrepancies in our own beliefs and focus on the flaws in other positions. Eventually, this can lead to an obsession with proving others wrong and us right. We mask our criticalness in virtue, and become protectors of the truth. We create systems of thought which we dedicate ourselves to defending. Our insecurity and doubt become clouded by overconfidence and defensiveness. The tendency of Christians to go to war with other Christians is such a vivid image of how terribly we can miss the point. This veritable dishonesty of the heart is the very thing that Jesus came to redeem. He saves us not only from the penalty of our sins, but also from ourselves.”

God is much bigger than anything we can imagine. God’s truth is more vast and complete than any knowledge our minds can hold. And yet, we climb what Thomas Merton called the Seven StoreyMountain. We seek to know God, who is the source of all that is true. And God promises to be found.

Give us this day hearts that are humble, minds that are open, and deliver us from all smugness.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

taken from http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/05/31/deliver-us-smugness

*Do you agree with this article why or why not? Is the argument in the article similar to Paul's in 1 Corinthians 1-4?

Re-application in greater detail As a group clarify your picture of unity. Shape some ways of dealing with areas of contention in your group or between groups of faith—avoidance, negotiation, mediation, taking turns, prayer, understanding, structured discussion, conversation, agree to disagree, forum, research …etc. Create your own picture language that would cue each other on how annoyed or frustrated you feel before conflict-arises.

 

 

LEADING THE WAY TOWARDS UNITY

Aim:

·      Examining how Paul leads and challenges the Corinthians.

·      Examining the images of leadership—spectacle, fool, scum, father

·      Applying this passage to issues that require steering your group towards new models of leadership.

1 Corinthians 4

1) How does Paul judge his own actions?

2) What part does gratitude play in the part of Paul’s letter?

3) Why is Paul being sarcastic? How is this expressed?

^“9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹ To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ¹² We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.¹⁴ I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children.”

4) Colour repeated words and underline reversals. Spot the images Paul uses of leadership: attracting negative attention, fool, unwanted/ thrown away and father. How does this square with your view of leadership?

5) Why does Paul compare himself with a spectacle, fool, scum and father? What will he do as a father?

6) “¹⁷ For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” Paul sends a letter and person to remind them of what he consistently teaches. What tone does Paul use here?

7) What is the difference between following Paul (instead of Apollos) in Chapter 1 and imitating him in Chapter 4?

Application

What does your group boast about? Are there things to be proud of in the light of Christ?

Is there a checklist of attitudes we can draw up from this passage that would be useful for us as a group?

How could we encourage these attitudes as a group?

Explore the idea of “imitate me” in every area of your group life-- as a leadership team, campus group, flat or online community.

Explore the idea of “imitate me” in the area of your own life—finances, friendships, flat, studies, job etc

Leaders guide

*This is an overview of the issues Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians. What issues do you face in your campus group? How do they compare?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veU6dB3996o

*For some ideas to deal with the problems you may have with your group. See this Do these solutions offered stem from the same model of leadership found in 1 Cor 4?

*Pray for your campus, all Christian groups, clubs, academics and all who work there. Pray for students who live in hostels, flats and those who run them, yes even unreasonable landlords. Pray for students who juggle jobs and relationships, and those who employ them and support them. Pray for true friendships to form and freedom from despair or ennui or anomie. Pray for research and new ideas to be incubated in Waikato Uni... world changing stuff that would make things better. 

Too big? Then pray Paul's prayer at the beginning of his letter for all believers on campus.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you all of his blessings, and great peace of heart and mind. I can never stop thanking God for all the wonderful gifts he has given you, now that you are Christ’s: 5 he has enriched your whole life. He has helped you speak out for him and has given you a full understanding of the truth; 6 what I told you Christ could do for you has happened! 7 Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing his will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.8 And he guarantees right up to the end that you will be counted free from all sin and guilt on that day when he returns. 9 God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord.