Expository Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 14 Paul exhorted the church in Corinth to further consider how tongues were unprofitable apart from interpretation. First, he continued to establish the context of tongues as known languages in verses 10 and 11. “10 There are,” He stated, “perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. 11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language,…
Call to Worship November 22 2020
Expository Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 14 The Corinthian church had many growing pains and the exercise of spiritual gifts contributed to their many difficulties. Paul previously focused on the foundation of the church and the gifts that were in Christ by the one Holy Spirit. He cautioned them not to be so individually minded and to remember they were a part of a local body of Christ….
Cll to Worship November 15 2020
Expository Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 13 Previously, Paul named and listed particular gifts in Chapter 12. He also taught that every believer in the church was not gifted in exactly the same way and that we all needed one another. He called us to honor and respect one another even though our gifts may not be equal or the same. In Chapter 13 Paul continued to consider…
Call to Worship November 8 2020
Expository Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 12:13-31 After Paul set the foundation and primary purpose of spiritual gifts, by the Triune God, he set the context of the gifts in the body of Christ. Paul developed this context by way of an illustration of the physical body. Our physical bodies are one body with many members of that body. We have hands, eyes, ears, and noses. Those parts…
Call to Worship November 1 2020
Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 As previously noted there was contention regarding authority issues and with the Lord’s Supper at the church in Corinth. Then Paul turned his focus in the letter to another pressing matter, which concerned spiritual gifts. Paul laid a foundation for thinking through the subject of spiritual gifts before he gave any explanation of the gifts. His thought regarded their foundation in the…
Call to Worship October 25 2020
Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 11:17-33 Paul, earlier in verse 2 of this chapter, encouraged the believers in the church at Corinth. “Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.” (1 Cor. 11:2 NAU) Then in verses 3-33 he proceeded to establish some points of concern, accountability and further teaching. Along with the…
Call To Worship October 18 2020
Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 In the short space given here it is not possible to fully comment, exposit, or exegete this section of scripture. Although these passages are somewhat difficult, the overall meaning of this section is fairly plain. The verses concern an overarching issue of authority, order, distinctive genders and roles in God’s plan. “But I want you to understand,” Paul wrote, “that Christ is…
Call to Worship October 11 2020
Thoughts on Corinthians 10:14-33 These verses are somewhat difficult to understand in detached form, but are part of an ongoing argument against idolatry. Paul has warned of the great condemnation of idolatry. He carefully parsed the importance between liberties regarding those secondary elements used in idol worship – like meat – with actual worship of false gods. He presented God’s grace in striving against sin, particularly idolatry,…
Call to Worship October 4 2020
Thoughts on 2 Corinthians 10:12-14 Paul continued to weave together the importance of Christian Liberty and Perseverance of the Saints. While he continued this thought he provided an important context to perseverance and striving against sin in verse 13. Paul assured believers that temptation is real and it will frequently occur. As he stated, it is “common to man.” Yet he immediately reminded the readers of the…
Call to Worship September 6 2020
All types of idol use and uses for meat were a prevalent part of the Gentile culture. The list of idols was long in the Greco-Roman culture of Paul’s day, but that is no different from the O.T. idol worshippers that surrounded the Israelites. Meat had always played a role in the sacrificial system of the Gentiles and Jews, but the Jews choice and use of that…