Small Group Notes for 11th October 2026
N.B. Sermon can be heard via our website and YouTube channel and the Paper Service version is on our website:
https://parishofmedsteadandfourmarks.co.uk/online-church/paper-services/
Read and Reflect: 1 Corinthians 12:12–31; Mark 6:6b–13
Questions:
In the talk on Sunday I suggested that this passage shouldn’t be approached as a theoretical lesson – this is about what the Corinthians DID not what they thought.
I mentioned that Paul is writing to the church in Corinth – a massively diverse church … we know from elsewhere in Corinthians. Rulers and administrators of the city, freed slaves, artisans, diaspora jews, gentiles. And even in those groups a remarkable diversity of ranks or grades. People who previously would never have sat down to eat together now were doing just that. Status and position must have been fluid and uncertain.
Can you think of situations from your life where you have experienced people of uncertain or insecure positions dealing with it by bigging themselves up at the expense of others? Or seeking to lord it over others, or try to dominate them? This may been the behaviour Paul was addressing.
Paul speaks to 2 sets of people, read: V 15-20
Which set of people is Paul taking about?
And compare it with V 21-26, who is he talking about here.
Paul is saying to both sets of people : ‘You’re wrong’. ‘You are a part of this body, this community, this church’ it doesn’t matter what ‘body part’ you are you belong and you bring something of value.
And in the second section - it is written as spoken BY the important people with the seemingly ‘greater’ gifts, possibly those wanting to publicly secure some uncertain status. It is the voice of the gifted excluding and diminishing those with the seemingly ‘lesser’ gifts or position.
Being a church family means bringing all aspects of our diversity together. Not on the one hand underplaying ourselves because of the perceived humbleness of what we offer, and certainly not on the other hand belittling or excluding others because of the humbleness of their contribution.
So, we can ask ourselves as individuals, are we underplaying ourselves?
And/or are we granding ourselves up?
Are we going out of our way to make sure those less visible, less well positioned socially or economically or in age terms or gender terms are accorded special honour?
And a challenge as a church in what we do that might unintentionally embed structures that un-voice and belittle. Do we celebrate all contributions, or just the visible ones.
Now I’m not saying we are an evil bunch … but I’m pretty sure if we examine ourselves and our ways of running out churches, we could pretty soon find one thing we ought to do differently to better BE the body of Christ we already are!