Welcome back to our small group study! John Barnett here. I want you to imagine we are sitting right across the table from each other, maybe at Panera or Starbucks, with our Bibles open and a fresh cup of coffee.
Today, I am incredibly excited to introduce a class that takes us directly into the physical streets and ancient ruins of Corinth to see exactly what true, humble servanthood looks like in the Christian life. If you want to understand how to build a life that survives the fire of God’s judgment and deeply pleases the Lord, you absolutely must join us for this lesson. Let me walk you through three memorable, life-changing truths we will unpack together:
1. The Unseen Under-Rower: Chained to the Captain’s Beat
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4:1; Romans 12:1-2.
Summary of What’s Covered: We kick off the class by looking at Paul’s own profound testimony of servanthood in 1 Corinthians 4:1. Paul uses a specific Greek word, huperetes, which describes a disposable galley slave chained to the bottom of a Roman warship. We will take a look at the Diolkos, the ancient tramway in Corinth where these galley slaves dragged their ships across the land. Just like those unseen rowers, we will learn how we must live our Christian lives: we must actively row to our Captain’s beat, row in unity so our paddles don’t clash, completely trust the Captain since we can’t see where we are going, remain chained to Him for life, and serve humbly without demanding to be seen on the stage.
2. Faith in the Pavement: The Politician and the Tentmaker
Scripture References: Romans 16:23; 2 Timothy 4:20; Acts 18:3; 1 Corinthians 1.
Summary of What’s Covered: Next, we will see breathtaking archaeological proof of the Bible. Right at the entryway to the ancient theater in Corinth, there is a stone stamped with the name Erastus. Erastus was the city treasurer in charge of public funds—a wealthy and powerful political figure—yet he was a faithful witness for Christ in the public square. We will also walk through the ancient marketplace where Paul worked as a tentmaker and leatherworker, proving that our daily, hard labor profoundly pleases the Lord.
3. The Dark Shadows and the Ultimate Judgment Seat
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 6:18; Acts 18:12.
Summary of What’s Covered: Finally, we look at the sobering reality of the culture the Corinthians had to survive. Looming high over the city was the Acrocorinth and the Temple of Aphrodite, an epicenter of extreme immorality. Every single evening, a thousand temple prostitutes would flood down the road into the city streets, looking like the devil to devour whoever they could. Right in the shadow of that incredibly dark temptation, God had Paul issue the urgent command to "flee sexual immorality". We will close our tour by standing directly at the ancient Bema—the raised judgment seat where Gallio sat in Acts 18:12. This ancient stone platform serves as a powerful physical reminder that we will all one day stand before the ultimate judgment seat of Christ to answer for exactly what we did with our lives.
If you want to learn how to humbly paddle to the Captain’s beat and build a life that will last for eternity, you need to grab your Bible, get your journal ready, and let’s master the Scriptures together!
From FTGC-36h – https://youtu.be/C6-Z4SUdR78
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