Corinthians Verses Quotes

The horizon changes but the sun does not.

1. Corinthians verse 13:13 and Now these three remain Faith Hope & Love But the Greatest of These Is Love

First Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Years ago a friend gave me what he called his 'Formula: How to Know Right from Wrong.' The formula asks four questions based on three verses in 1 Corinthians: 1. '"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial' (1 Corinthians 6:12). Question 1: Is it helpful--physically, spiritually, and mentally? 2. '"Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything' (1 Corinthians 6:12). Question 2: Does it bring me under its power? 3. 'Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall' (1 Corinthians 8:13). Question 3: Does it hurt others? 4. 'So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God' (1 Corinthians 10:31). Question 4: Does it glorify God?

Bonaventure was the first Superior of the Franciscan Order after the death of its founder. Thomas Aquinas once asked him where he got his extensive knowledge. Bonaventure pointed to the crucifix on his desk. “That is the source of all my knowledge,” he said. “I study only Jesus Christ, and Him crucifi ed.” Bonaventure had received the holy kiss of the divine nature of Jesus. * * * Set aside a portion of time today to read Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2. As a follower of Christ, what are you “determined to know” or be or do (verse 2)? Is it what Christ wants for you? Then spend time thinking about the words, “We have the mind of Christ” (verse 16). How would your life change if you embraced this truth?

ACT18.8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

if you took 1 Corinthians, chapter thirteen, and in every verse wrote 'money' instead of 'charity', the chapter had ten times as much meaning as before.

he told me I wasn't crazy and gave me a Bible verse." I smile at her. "You'll always be my Crazy Girl. What Bible verse?" "Second Corinthians chapter four, verses sixteen to twenty. Do you know it?

The Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit of God lives in you. Verse 17 says that “the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

Self-centeredness is a havoc-wreaking problem in many marriages, and it is the ever-present enemy of every marriage. It is the cancer in the center of a marriage when it begins, and it has to be dealt with. In Paul’s classic description of love, in 1 Corinthians 13, he says,   Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (verses 4–5) Repeatedly Paul shows that love is the very opposite of “self-seeking,” which is literally pursuing one’s own welfare before those of others. Self-centeredness is easily seen in the signs Paul lists: impatience, irritability, a lack of graciousness and kindness in speech, envious brooding on the better situations of others, and holding past injuries and hurts against others.

I came away from that time in my life with a special sense of a couple of verses in second Corinthians: "'For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.' " . . . . I try to look for the things which aren't seen.

In 1 Corinthians 14:13–17, Paul mentioned that the gift of tongues was used in public prayer for the purpose of edification. Charismatics, however, have tried to redefine the gift of tongues as a special mode of supernatural expression for their personal devotions and private prayers. But notice how different Paul’s description is from that of modern tongues-speakers. First, Paul was not commending any form of gibberish, since he had already established that the real gift consisted of speaking in translatable foreign languages (vv. 10–11). Second, Paul would never extol prayers that bypass the mind, as many charismatics do. That was—and still is today—a pagan practice. In the Greco-Roman mystery religions, ecstatic utterances were commonly employed as a way to circumvent the mind in order to commune with demonic entities. So it is likely that Paul’s words in these verses include a sarcastic tone, as he rebuked the Corinthian Christians for their attempt to imitate the mindless practices of their pagan neighbors.

DAY 6 Thinking about My Purpose POINT TO PONDER: This world is not my home. VERSE TO REMEMBER: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 (NIV) QUESTION TO CONSIDER: How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now?

The apocalyptic scope of 2 Corinthians 5 was obscured by older translations that rendered the crucial phrase in verse 17 as “he is a new creation” (RSV) or—worse yet—“he is a new creature” (KJV). Such translations seriously distort Paul’s meaning by making it appear that he is describing only the personal transformation of the individual through conversion experience. The sentence in Greek, however, lacks both subject and verb; a very literal translation might treat the words “new creation” as an exclamatory interjection: “If anyone is in Christ—new creation!” The NRSV has rectified matters by rendering the passage, “If anyone is in Christ there is a new creation.” Paul is not merely talking about an individual’s subjective experience of renewal through conversion; rather, for Paul, ktisis (“creation”) refers to the whole created order (cf. Rom. 8:18–25). He is proclaiming the apocalyptic message that through the cross God has nullified the kosmos of sin and death and brought a new kosmos into being. That is why Paul can describe himself and his readers as those “on whom the ends of the ages have met” (1 Cor. 10:11).14 The old age is passing away (cf. 1 Cor. 7:31b), the new age has appeared in Christ, and the church stands at the juncture between them.

Turn to Second Corinthians, chapter one, and read with me starting at verse three.” He waited a few moments. “Paul’s speakin’ here when he writes, ‘God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

Yes, Scripture does clearly and unequivocally condemn homosexuality as sin, despite baseless claims to the contrary. Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10, and Romans 1:26–27 all prohibit homosexual relations and condemn them as inherently disordered. But even if these negative verses didn’t exist, the Bible’s positive definition of holy marriage and sexuality would be sufficient in telling us what Christians should believe and how we must live.

spells out what this looks like in the life of a Christian in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. He explains what love is and what it isn’t. Love is patient and kind. It doesn’t envy or boast. It isn’t irritable or resentful. Then things get interesting. The passage goes on to explain that love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (verse 6). According to the Word of God, it’s not loving to affirm or celebrate something that is sinful, harmful, or untrue. This is the opposite of our culture’s definition of love, which is more along the lines of accepting, affirming, and celebrating whatever someone deems as “their truth.

Through His humanity, Jesus Christ is able to mediate, that is, to go between humanity and God and represent humanity to God. As a mediator, Jesus reconciles us to God; He brings us back into fellowship with God (II Corinthians 5:18-19). The gap between a holy God and sinful humans was bridged by the sinless man Jesus Christ: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). We should notice how carefully Paul maintained the oneness of God in this verse. There is no distinction in God, but a distinction between God and the man Christ Jesus. There are not two personalities in God; the duality is in Jesus as God and Jesus as man. It is not God who mediates between God and humans, nor is it “God the Son” who does so. Rather it is the man Jesus who mediates; only a sinless man could approach a holy God on behalf of humanity.

Think for a moment of the things you try hardest to conceal. For me, it was my family history—my experience of being unwanted, abused, abandoned, not chosen. Your laments are never wasted. As we lament and receive comfort within safe community, we cannot help but extend to others the comfort we have received. Paul writes, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4, emphasis mine). There is not a single trial you will face that God—the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort—does not want to comfort you in. No matter your heartache, no matter your struggle or sin, the Father’s nature and desperate desire is to comfort you! This verse holds such a beautiful promise! And it doesn’t stop there. God offers you comfort in all your troubles so you can offer that same comfort to others in any of their troubles. I take this to mean that, regardless of our experience with suffering, we are always qualified to love and comfort others in whatever struggle they are facing. “The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” equips us to minister to one another, regardless of our experience of the same sufferings. This means you don’t have to have lost a child to offer comfort to a grieving parent. You don’t have to have struggled with infertility to offer comfort to another family. I didn’t need to have experienced the loss of a spouse to offer comfort, care, and concern to my friend Bemni. You are qualified to comfort because God has comforted you Himself. It is He who works through us.

The third group called to silence is women. This group is not composed of all women all the time but rather of specific women who were asking questions and speaking in the service. The larger context of these verses demands that we understand these questioning women to be a disruption of the peace and order of the service. This is the reason Paul wrote that 'women should keep silent in the churches' (v. 34). Paul's concern is not just with women (for men too are called to be silent in church); his broader concern is with silence, peace, and order in the worship assembly. This perspective allows us rightly to understand the rest of this chapter, 14:34-40. Paul next tells these specific women to 'be in submission.' We tend to think of this as submission to MEN, but the larger context makes this improbable. Our patriarchal and man-centered culture over the millennia has distorted the meaning of this command to submit. Rather than commanding submission to men, the apostle is commanding SUBMISSION TO THE ORDER OF THE WORSHIP SERVICE, that is, submission to the Holy Spirit. This reading helps us understand the next phrase: 'even as the law says.' Normally LAW in Paul refers to the Old Testament, but it can also have a wider meaning. Nowhere in the Old Testament are women called to be silent, nor are they called to submit to their husbands. Yet there is excellent evidence for biblical and broadly Jewish concern for SILENCE IN WORSHIP before God or the Word of God or while learning from the rabbis (e.g., Deut. 27:9-10; Job 33:31-33; Isa. 66:2; Hab. 2:20). It may well be that this is the 'law' Paul has in mind: not about the silence or submission of women, but about silence in the worship service in general (but applying to women in this case).

When a Christian is delivered from demons or curses, it does not mean that those spirits had been living in his spirit. The Holy Spirit occupies the spirit of the believer, but demons can harass, torment, and oppress the soul of the believer. The Holy Spirit possesses the believer, meaning He owns him. Demonic spirits seek to oppress the Christian by controlling a part of his life. Being tormented by demons does not mean that you are not saved. It does not mean that those spirits own you. Derek Prince, who is a powerful influence on my life in the area of deliverance, shared in one of his talks that the Greek word New Testament writers used for demonic possession is “demonized.” He would explain that being demonized does not mean ownership, but partial control. It means that demons seek to control one area of your life. They cannot have possession or ownership of your spirit. How do you know which area demons control? Usually, it is in the areas where you are not in control because some demon is dominating that area of your soul. When you get delivered, you get the control back. During deliverance, that part of your soul gets released. Maybe you are thinking, darkness and light cannot abide together. It does not say that in the Bible. Some think that the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit cannot dwell in the same vessel. Really? Says who? The Scripture that we get this from says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). This verse does not say light and darkness cannot coexist. It says they should not exist together. Paul is telling us the way things should be, not what they cannot be. If you think Christians cannot be demonized, let me tell you, I have heard stories of when both light and darkness operated in the same person. For some examples, there was a fallen pastor who once preached holiness while frequently visiting prostitutes; a newly saved believer who habitually returned to drug abuse and suicidal attempts of self-destruction; a Christian leader who influenced many for the Gospel’s sake but ended up in jail for fraud and thievery.  Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers,” and then went on talking about how darkness and light should not have any fellowship together. If darkness and light cannot coexist, then Christians cannot date unbelievers. We know that this happens all of the time. It should not, but it does. The same thing happens with demonized Christians. They should not be under this demonic influence, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that this is not possible.

Everyone wants to be successful rather than forgotten, and everyone wants to make a difference in life. But that is beyond the control of any of us. If this life is all there is, then everything will eventually burn up in the death of the sun and no one will even be around to remember anything that has ever happened. Everyone will be forgotten, nothing we do will make any difference, and all good endeavors, even the best, will come to naught. Unless there is God. If the God of the Bible exists, and there is a True Reality beneath and behind this one, and this life is not the only life, then every good endeavor, even the simplest ones, pursued in response to God’s calling, can matter forever. That is what the Christian faith promises. “In the Lord, your labor is not in vain,” writes Paul in the first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 58. He was speaking of Christian ministry, but Tolkien’s story shows how this can ultimately be true of all work. Tolkien had readied himself, through Christian truth, for very modest accomplishment in the eyes of this world. (The irony is that he produced something so many people consider a work of genius that it is one of the bestselling books in the history of the world.) What about you? Let’s say that you go into city planning as a young person. Why? You are excited about cities, and you have a vision about how a real city ought to be. You are likely to be discouraged because throughout your life you probably will not get more than a leaf or a branch done. But there really is a New Jerusalem, a heavenly city, which will come down to earth like a bride dressed for her husband (Revelation 21–22). Or let’s say you are a lawyer, and you go into law because you have a vision for justice and a vision for a flourishing society ruled by equity and peace. In ten years you will be deeply disillusioned because you will find that as much as you are trying to work on important things, so much of what you do is minutiae. Once or twice in your life you may feel like you have finally “gotten a leaf out.” Whatever your work, you need to know this: There really is a tree. Whatever you are seeking in your work—the city of justice and peace, the world of brilliance and beauty, the story, the order, the healing—it is there. There is a God, there is a future healed world that he will bring about, and your work is showing it (in part) to others. Your work will be only partially successful, on your best days, in bringing that world about. But inevitably the whole tree that you seek—the beauty, harmony, justice, comfort, joy, and community—will come to fruition. If you know all this, you won’t be despondent because you can get only a leaf or two out in this life. You will work with satisfaction and joy. You will not be puffed up by success or devastated by setbacks. I just said, “If you know all this.” In order to work in this way—to get the consolation and freedom that Tolkien received from his Christian faith for his work—you need to know the Bible’s answers to three questions: Why do you want to work? (That is, why do we need to work in order to lead a fulfilled life?) Why is it so hard to work? (That is, why is it so often fruitless, pointless, and difficult?) How can we overcome the difficulties and find satisfaction in our work through the gospel? The rest of this book will seek to answer those three questions in its three sections, respectively.

The New Testament reading for the day was 2 Corinthians 10:12-17 in which Paul talks about the danger of comparing ourselves to others and measuring ourselves against their accomplishments. His antidote for this all-too-human tendency was to learn to stay within the limits of his own life and calling. He says, “We, however, will not boast beyond limits, but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you. . . . We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our sphere of action among you may be greatly enlarged” (2 Corinthians 10:13-15). Until that very moment I had never realized that Paul used the word limits three times in just a few verses and that he seemed to be very clear about the limits and boundaries of his calling. He knew the field God had given him to work, and he knew better than to go outside it. He knew that there was a sphere of action and influence that had been given to him by God, and he would not go beyond it unless God enlarged his field. Paul seemed to grapple honestly with the reality of limitations in several different ways in his writings, and, in fact, this seemed to be part of his maturing as a leader who was both gifted and called. When he wrote about not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3), he was making a very general statement about limiting our grandiosity and pride by cultivating a realistic sense of our essential nature. He was talking about being willing to live within the limits and the possibilities of who we really are. As he matured, he revealed a very personal understanding that his deep struggle with a thorn in the flesh was a gift that was given to him to limit his own grandiosity and keep him in touch with his humanness. In 2 Corinthians 4 he talked about what it is like to carry the treasure of ministry in fragile, earthen vessels. He wrote poignantly from his experience of his own human limitations and his conviction that it is precisely in our willingness to carry God’s luminous presence in such fragile containers—without pretending to be anything more than what we are—that the power

Next: We walk by faith. Second Corinthians, chapter five, verse seven: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” The most faulty Christians I know are those who want to walk by sight. They

Jesus had four brothers (see Matthew 13:55) who couldn’t bring themselves to believe in Him throughout His ministry. It wasn’t until after His death and resurrection that they truly believed. What kind of transition would a person have to make in his mental framework to conclude that his older brother is the Creator of the universe? The transition was so huge that his brothers almost didn’t make it. Jesus, in His mercy, helped them by appearing personally after His resurrection to the half-brother who was closest in age to Him (see 1 Corinthians 15:7). Guess who wrote these words: “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” Jesus’ brother! James was Jesus’ younger brother (the verse above is from James 3:16). I can hear James saying, “Guys, envy almost ate me alive! Envy was such a huge issue in my heart, it almost cost me my salvation.” James was able to address the topic of envy from the authority of personal experience.

The second clue is in 1 Corinthians 14 itself. In verses 3-4 Paul says, “Those who prophesy speak to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. Those who speak in a tongue [which is not interpreted] edify themselves, but those who prophesy edify the church”. At the very least, we can say from this that “prophesying” is an intelligible form of speech in church that contributes to the strengthening, encouragement and comfort of the congregation. Broad, I know, but clarifying nonetheless, especially given the “heat” associated with discussion about prophecy.

Elliot, are you trying to stop yourself from loving Zach?” I asked. “Are you the one burning your body?” “Yes,” he said, ashamed. “I thought it would make my feelings go away. I said it was God because I didn’t want to get anyone into trouble. But you kept accusing everyone. And now – now Zach knows I’m bad.” I closed my eyes, pained by his pain. This wasn’t a case of molestation. It was a story of first love, internalized homophobia, and self-flagellation. “Bad?” I repeated gently. “Elliot, it’s wonderful to love your friend.” “No it’s not!” He raised his voice. “Leviticus 18:22, Timothy 1:8-10, Corinthians 6:9-10. They all say the same thing. It gets you thrown into Hell with murderers and liars and cheaters.” I shook my head angrily. He probably heard Father Michael recite verses like that every day. Who needs an abuser when you have a big book telling kids that an omniscient deity thinks they’re defective.

Paul said God had put his ambassadors on display as a theater to the cosmos (Cf. Heb. 11:39–12:1). The word in 1 Corinthians 4:9, frequently translated “spectacle,” is actually the word for “theater” (theatron; θεατρον). While the designation might be applied to the church generally,8 it is my prayer that this verse moves the church to prepare some of her members to become missionaries to the people group of dramatic professionals who are not likely to be reached by outsiders. The dramatic arts are arguably today’s most influential mode of cultural communication. We are fools if we neglect proclaiming God’s kingdom in this vital marketplace.

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV Notice in this verse that God always leads us into triumph, and maintaining a thankful heart—an attitude of gratitude—is a vital part of trusting Him, especially while we’re waiting for our breakthrough to come. In fact, being thankful is so important that I want to

that Paul now expresses his hope that God will ultimately rescue him by raising him from the dead.[11] This second interpretation picks up on the theological truth raised in the previous verse, namely, that God brings the dead to life. In

term rendered “generosity” is haplotēs, which most fundamentally signifies “singleness of mind and heart” (see 1:12). Here it refers to the Macedonians’ unwavering commitment to follow the way of God, as the reference to “the will of God” in verse 5 makes clear.

The verb translated “administered” is diakoneō, the verbal form of diakonia (“ministry”). Recall from verse 4 that Paul refers to the collection itself as diakonia, thereby meaning that it is part of the †new covenant ministry of reconciliation (3:7–11; 5:18). The aid given by †Gentile Christians to their Jewish counterparts in Jerusalem serves as a symbol of God’s work of reconciling all peoples to himself and to one another (see Eph 2:14–16). For this reason, the collection is for the glory of the Lord.

As just mentioned in the treatment of verse 11, haplotēs refers to single-minded commitment to God’s will. The word for “contribution” here is koinōnia, which means, fundamentally, “fellowship” or “communion.”[16] Paul thereby indicates that God is glorified when we commit ourselves to promoting the koinōnia, or communion, of the larger Church. He explains that the Corinthians’ generosity in contributing will glorify God because it will “confess” in action the gospel and embody God’s gift of reconciliation.

statement in 2 Cor 2:15–16 is a reminder that the gospel does not permit a position of neutrality. In this case, indifference is tantamount to rejection. And note Paul’s use of present tense verbs in verse 15: “are being saved” and “are perishing.” These indicate an ongoing process. Deciding for the gospel is not just a once-and-for-all decision. It is one that needs to be ratified every day.

Third, whereas the Mosaic covenant was temporary (vv. 10–11; see Gal 3:23–25), the new covenant endures forever (v. 11). A key verb in this passage and the following verses is katargeō (vv. 7, 11, 13, 14—all in the passive voice). Although many translations, including the NAB, render katargeō as “fade” in verses 7, 11, and 13, this meaning does not correspond to Paul’s usage elsewhere. Rather, he uses this verb to explain that the old covenant ministry “has been set aside” or “rendered inoperative.”[14] Because God has now acted once for all through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and through the sending of the Spirit, the new covenant ministry is marked by permanence.

The second half of verse 7 presents the crucial insight that Paul has come to appreciate, namely, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. Reflecting on his divine call as well as his own fragility, Paul lives by the conviction that it is only through God’s empowerment that he can exercise the new covenant ministry.

Paul’s begging three times to be relieved of his affliction echoes Jesus’ threefold prayer in Gethsemane, on the night before he died, that the cup of suffering be taken from him (Mark 14:36). Jesus’ prayer in the garden concluded with the petition to God the Father: “not what I will but what you will.” Similarly, Paul has now committed himself to aligning his will with the divine will, as revealed to him in verse 9.

The key word in this verse is “rescue.” The Greek verb, which can also be translated “draw out of danger,” appears three times in this verse. First, Paul testifies that God has already rescued him from such great danger of death. This refers to how God delivered him from the affliction that befell him in Asia. Second, Paul confidently states that God will continue to rescue him—thereby expressing his renewed and deepened trust in God. Third, Paul continues, in him we have put our hope [that] he will also rescue us again. This can be taken in two ways. The NAB’s translation suggests that Paul is reiterating that God will continue to rescue him, while adding the nuance of hope.

That is, Paul recognizes that our true home, the place where we were created to belong, is actually in the presence of the Father and his risen Son (4:14). Therefore he now expresses his desire to leave the body and go home to the Lord. Nevertheless, because it is not up to him when he will pass on from this life, he sets forth in verse 9 his fundamental attitude in the here and now: we aspire to please him. The verb translated “aspire” is particularly strong; it denotes having much

what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. That is, our groan is actually a prayer (see Rom 8:26–27), for it is directed to God, who alone can bring the dead to life. Although God has not been explicitly named as the subject of any verbs in verses 1–4, he has been present throughout the passage. God is the one who brings into being what is “not made with hands” (v.

Paul then expresses the purpose of our groaning—that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. That is, our groan is actually a prayer (see Rom 8:26–27), for it is directed to God, who alone can bring the dead to life. Although God has not been explicitly named as the subject of any verbs in verses 1–4, he has been present throughout the passage. God is the one who brings into being what is “not made with hands” (v. 1). Moreover, God is the implied subject of the action of clothing further (vv. 2, 4). Now, at the end of our verse here, God is the one who makes what is mortal have eternal life. Indeed, throughout his extended explanation for his way of being an †apostle (beginning in 2:14), Paul has alluded to God’s action, through the Spirit’s empowerment, of transforming us into the divine image as revealed by Jesus (2:14–15; 3:3, 18; 4:4, 6, 14). The process of “Christification,” of causing us to take on Jesus’ character and way of living, will not be complete, however, until God fully “clothes” us with a glorious resurrection body. It is then that we will most closely resemble the risen and glorified Christ.[8]

is worth pausing a moment to make explicit something that lies implicit in 2 Cor 8, for Paul hints at an important feature of Christian †anthropology. In verses 1–3 he suggests that God’s †grace (charis) has borne fruit in the generosity freely offered by the Macedonians. In verses 16–17 he intimates that God’s gift of “concern” in Titus’s heart has moved the latter to freely return to Corinth. What Paul implies in these passages is the catalyzing role that grace plays in the empowerment of human freedom. Indeed, it is when we submit ourselves to the Spirit’s promptings to obey God’s will that we are most free. That is why he claimed earlier, in 3:17, that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

This traditional interpretation of verse 3, while correct, misses a subtle point. An alternate translation that, in my opinion, reflects the Greek more accurately is: “I am afraid that … your thoughts may be corrupted from the single-heartedness and the purity that is in Christ.” Elsewhere I have argued at length that Paul refers here to two attributes of Jesus, his single-hearted devotion (haplotēs) to God and his innocent purity.[

Finding God in all things. The spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola is founded on a simple principle, namely, that God can be found in all things. God is assuredly encountered in a special way in the liturgical proclamation of Scripture and in the celebration of the sacraments. But Ignatius insisted that human experience is also filled with religious significance. Through the practice of a daily examination of consciousness—a review of key moments in one’s day—a person can become adept at recognizing the presence of God in his or her daily encounters and activities. Paul’s bold statement in verse 6 reveals such adeptness. What might look to an outsider as simply the reunion of two friends was, for him, a manifestation of God’s gift of encouragement. The more we are aware of God’s presence in our lives, the more grateful we become—and the more we desire to praise and serve him at every moment and in every circumstance.

But in Paul’s mind, if we become one, it is because each of us is joined sacramentally and bodily to the risen body of Christ. This is clear from the following: (1) Paul’s realistic contrast between union with Christ and union with a prostitute in 6:12–20; (2) the parallelism of “body” here with “Spirit” at the end of the verse (13). If the Spirit is the Holy Spirit, then “body” would normally stand for the individual body of Christ, for it, not the Church, is the source of the Spirit. (3) The participation in the eucharistic body effects the unity of the Church (10:17). That unity far transcends a tribal or ethnic or class unity. Traditional walls have collapsed as all became one, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons.

it is important to pay close attention here for clues that foreshadow significant themes. He will insist throughout this letter that God brings encouragement in the midst of suffering and affliction (e.g., 4:8; 7:6). Another important theme is introduced in verse 5, where he refers to Christ’s sufferings. Paul will expound on the role Christ’s suffering and death played in God’s act of reconciling the world to himself (5:14–

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

Does Fee’s solution to 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 then constitute evidence of a liberal tendency to reject the authority of the Bible? It should trouble evangelicals that Fee says these verses are not part of the Bible and therefore “certainly not binding for Christians.” It seems to me that Fee’s recommendation that we should remove some hard verses from the Bible rather than seeking to understand them in a way that does not contradict other verses establishes a dangerous precedent. When the verses that he throws out of the Bible are missing from no manuscript, and also happen to be the very verses that show Paul’s insistence on male governance of the church meetings “in all the churches of the saints” (v. 33), then it seems to me to be another example of a pattern in many egalitarian writings, a pattern of using sophisticated scholarly procedures in order to evade the requirement of submitting to the authority of the Word of God. Fee’s rejection of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 as not belonging to the Bible seems to me another step on the path toward liberalism.

It is important to recognize what this kind of response does in this debate on the role of women in the church. It effectively prevents 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Timothy 2, 1 Timothy 3, and Titus 1 from speaking to this question. If someone says, “I’m not going to base my decision on these verses because nobody can figure out what they mean anyway,” then he has essentially said that those passages cannot play a role in his decision about this question. And that means that the passages that most directly speak to the question of women teaching and governing in the church are silenced and excluded from discussion on that very question. In essence, this approach guarantees that a decision about women teaching and governing in the church will be made without reference to the passages in the Bible that speak most directly to the topic. It is hard to think of an approach more likely to lead to a wrong decision.

One more thing that stands in the middle of the road of easy-believism is the truth of the sovereignty of God. Years ago, I used to hear people say, “Don’t ever preach the doctrine of the sovereignty of God when you have nonbelievers in the audience.” People literally warned me against that. But here is another offensive bit of news for the unbeliever: God is sovereign, and you are not. You are not the captain of your soul or the master of your fate. You do not hold your destiny in your own hand. According to 1 Corinthians 1:24, those who believe are those whom God calls and sovereignly draws. God calls them because He has chosen them (v. 27), eklegomi, picked them out for Himself. The word appears again in verse 28. How could anybody get saved under those terms? You’ve got nothing left! You’re absolutely stripped of everything. Verse 30: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” So, if it’s all God’s doing anyway, why would I tamper with the message? Why would I try to manipulate the results? Verse 31: “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” My friend R. C. Sproul has said that “God’s favorite doctrine is sovereignty, and if you were God, it would be yours too.” A wonderful sentiment like that helps offset the sick feeling I get when I hear contemporary evangelicals attack the sovereignty of God. His elective purpose is salvation, because if God isn’t saving people, they won’t be saved. This is a hard truth that many prominent evangelicals deny, stealing glory from God and overestimating the ability of the spiritually dead!

THE DREADFUL DOCTRINE One more thing that stands in the middle of the road of easy-believism is the truth of the sovereignty of God. Years ago, I used to hear people say, “Don’t ever preach the doctrine of the sovereignty of God when you have nonbelievers in the audience.” People literally warned me against that. But here is another offensive bit of news for the unbeliever: God is sovereign, and you are not. You are not the captain of your soul or the master of your fate. You do not hold your destiny in your own hand. According to 1 Corinthians 1:24, those who believe are those whom God calls and sovereignly draws. God calls them because He has chosen them (v. 27), eklegomi, picked them out for Himself. The word appears again in verse 28. How could anybody get saved under those terms? You’ve got nothing left! You’re absolutely stripped of everything. Verse 30: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” So, if it’s all God’s doing anyway, why would I tamper with the message? Why would I try to manipulate the results? Verse 31: “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” My friend R. C. Sproul has said that “God’s favorite doctrine is sovereignty, and if you were God, it would be yours too.” A wonderful sentiment like that helps offset the sick feeling I get when I hear contemporary evangelicals attack the sovereignty of God. His elective purpose is salvation, because if God isn’t saving people, they won’t be saved. This is a hard truth that many prominent evangelicals deny, stealing glory from God and overestimating the ability of the spiritually dead!

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not out of regret or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

As we seek to interpret the meaning of this phrase, it is critical to keep in mind what other scriptures have to say about the distinction between the Father and the Son. For example, the New Testament calls Jesus “the Son” over 200 times. Moreover, the Father is considered by Jesus as someone other than Himself over 200 times in the New Testament. And over 50 times in the New Testament the Father and Son are seen to be distinct within the same verse (see, for example, Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:4; Galatians 1:2-3; Philippians 2:10-11; 1 John 2:1; 2 John 3).52

Modern readers accustomed to interpreting biblical texts as discourse addressing the private individual will find this image of a corporate sacrifice a strange picture, but it is fundamental to Paul’s understanding of his mission. For instance, in Romans 15:14–19, he invokes the metaphor of himself as a priest presenting “the offering of the Gentiles” to God; this “offering” (prosphora) is then explicated as “the obedience of the Gentiles” (v. 18). In this passage, Paul is the metaphorical “priest” presenting the offering, whereas in Romans 12:1–2 the community performs the act of self-presentation. In both cases, however, the content of the sacrifice is the community’s corporate obedience. That Paul has the community explicitly in mind in Romans 12 is confirmed by the fact that he immediately reintroduces the “one body in Christ” metaphor in verses 4–8, again emphasizing, as in 1 Corinthians 12, the complementarity of different gifts for the common good.

When egalitarians claim that 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 applies only to a special situation of disruptive women in the church at Corinth, they are changing the meaning of a verse by restricting it to a very narrow situation. And they are basing this on mere speculation, not on any hard facts. In doing this they are setting up a pattern of interpretation that will be imitated by others who will speculate (without any hard facts) about “special situations” that can be used to invalidate other New Testament commands as well. And in that way they take another step on the path to liberalism.

I read a story years ago that claimed to be about the most insignificant person ever born. His mother wrote his name on the birth certificate as Nosmo King. Somebody asked the mother where she got a name like that. It turned out the mother was illiterate, so she just copied down the No Smoking sign in the room and wrote it “Nosmo King.” There is the ultimate nothing person, named after a No Smoking sign. If you speak the hard gospel of Jesus Christ, you may be pegged as one of the Nosmo Kings of the world: a loser, a nobody. Verse 28 of 1 Corinthians 1 says God has chosen things that are “despised,” exoutheneo, considered nothing. Christians are about as low as you can go. We are “the things which are not,” literally “the nonexistent ones.” It’s human nature to want to be somebody. So the Lord decided to do it a different way, choosing as His messengers the impotent, nonintellectual nobodies whom the world considers nothing by its standards.

the Trinitarian Benediction says, "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14).   Matthew 28:19 has a particular relevance to this doctrine: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." This verse does not say:   "…into the names of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." "…into the name of the Father, and into the name of the Son, and into the name of the Holy Spirit." "…into the name of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit."   The first two would imply that there are three

DAY 25: What specific instructions did Paul give Timothy that would apply to a young person? A young person seeking to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ can find essential guidelines in 4:12–16, where Paul listed five areas (verse 12) in which Timothy was to be an example to the church: 1. In “word” or speech—see also Matthew 12:34–37; Ephesians 4:25, 29, 31. 2. In “conduct” or righteous living—see also Titus 2:10; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:12; 3:16. 3. In “love” or self-sacrificial service for others—see also John 15:13. 4. In “faith” or faithfulness or commitment, not belief—see also 1 Corinthians 4:2. 5. In “purity” and particularly sexual purity—see also 4:2. The verses that follow hold several other building blocks to a life of discipleship: 1. Timothy was to be involved in the public reading, study, and application of Scripture (v. 13). 2. Timothy was to diligently use his spiritual gift that others had confirmed and affirmed in a public way (v. 14). 3. Timothy was to be committed to a process of progress in his walk with Christ (v. 15). 4. Timothy was to “take heed” to pay careful attention to “yourself and to the doctrine” (v. 16). The priorities of a godly leader should be summed up in Timothy’s personal holiness and public teaching. All of Paul’s exhortations in vv. 6–16 fit into one or the other of those two categories. By careful attention to his own godly life and faithful preaching of the Word, Timothy would continue to be the human instrument God would use to bring the gospel and to save some who heard him. Though salvation is God’s work, it is His pleasure to do it through human instruments.

When I had the revelation of Jesus, He spoke to me about having a new identity in Him, and that He was going to give me a new name. I was being made new, and I understood the words from 2 Corinthians 5:17—“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV). Names are very significant in Middle-Eastern culture. I believe they represent nature and are prophetic. What you are called, you are destined to become. In Genesis 17:5 God changed Abram’s name (meaning “Exalted Father”) to Abraham, meaning “Father of many”—this was his inheritance. The Lord also changed his wife’s name from Sarai to Sarah (verse 15). Sarai means “Argumentative,” but then God changed the last two letters to ah, a symbol of His breath. The ah of Jehovah makes Sarai new. Her identity is changed: Sarah means “Princess.” She is the daughter of the King. Jesus also renewed the names of His disciples, especially the three closest to Him, including Simon to Peter the Rock.

Drakon, the Greek word for ‘dragon,’ is derived from the Greek words derkomai and drakein. They mean to ‘gaze’ or ‘to see clearly.’ In Greek mythology, the dragon was a giant serpent. Drakon is used exclusively in the book of Revelation to describe Satan. If I remember correctly, it only occurs thirteen times.” Zane raised his eyebrows in interest. Pointing to the open Bible on the desk, he asked, “So you are telling me that both the words dragon and serpent in this verse have roots which mean to see or to look?” Rachael nodded. “Yes, the roots for dragon and serpent can both be traced back to the same Edenic idea. Paul warned about the dangers of this philosophy in his letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians: I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law—though not being myself under the law—that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law—not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ—that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings (9:19-23). These verses really say more about Paul's sense of responsibility than about his missionary methods.

August 19 Godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 I remember a time in my college years when I was deeply puzzled over ongoing feelings of guilt concerning a sin for which I had asked forgiveness many, many times. I never felt like I was out from under the weight and burden of it. Years later, God pried open my eyes to the verse above. Suddenly I realized that I had never developed a godly sorrow over that sin. I regretted it because I knew it wasn't God's will for my life, but I had no real sorrow over it. I had hung on to it emotionally even though I had let go of it physically. I had done the right things, but I still felt the wrong things.

2 Corinthians 1:11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17, emphasis added).

Key Verses on the Rapture John 14:1-3 Romans 8:19 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; 15:51-53; 16:22 Philippians 3:20-21; 4:5 Colossians 3:4 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 4:13-18; 5:9,23 2 Thessalonians 2:1 1 Timothy 6:14 2 Timothy 4:1,8 Titus 2:13 Hebrews 9:28 James 5:7-9 1 Peter 1:7,13; 5:4 1 John 2:28–3:2 Jude 21 Revelation 2:25; 3:10

types of behaviour out there, and the gospel message of Jesus, through which God’s glory is truly revealed (verse 11), is just as much opposed to them as the Jewish law is. But don’t imagine that by teaching the Jewish law you will do more than put up some more signposts warning people about these dangers. What’s far more important is to explore the gospel itself, the message which was entrusted to Paul and the other apostles. When the law was given in the first place, God also revealed his glory to Moses (Exodus 32–34), despite the fact that the people had already broken the law. Here, as in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, Paul declares that, however good the law is, it is the gospel, not the law, which reveals God’s glory.

Key verses on the rapture. John 14:1-3; Romans 8:19; 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; 15:51-53; 16:22; Philippians 3:20-21; 4:5; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 4:13-18; 5:9,23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1,3; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:7,13; 5:4; 1 John 2:28–3:2; Jude 21; Revelation 2:25; 3:10.

1 Corinthians 9 passage. In verse 22, Paul used three words.” Peter picked up the marker and wrote the words, I have become. I have become. “These are very important words because what Paul was saying is that his ability to construct such an eclectic circle of friends was a learned skill, and the way that he learned it was by immersing himself into the social networks and environments of others.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I would rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distressed, with persecutions, with difficulties for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. The last part of verse 10 is where we should stop and think about ourselves. “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Let that be your battle cry! If you are a Christian, you really just want Jesus to shine through you. On the days when it’s cloudy outside and you barely have enough energy to get out of bed and grab a cup of coffee. At that moment, live out this verse. When I am weak I am strong. When your body aches so bad you want to cry—look in the mirror and say “for when I am weak, I am strong.” When you take out your medicines for the day and you can’t believe you may have to swallow that many pills for the rest of your life—hold them up to God and say “for when I am weak, I am strong.

uncircumcised is not going to assure one of salvation. In the moral climate of the Corinthian community, Paul wants to insist on the holiness required of those who believe in Jesus Christ. This little section closes with an †inclusio of verse 20 with verse 17:

But in fact this section provides a theological reason for what Paul has been discussing. Just becoming a Christian does not demand or entitle a change of status. God’s call transcends all categories. The heart of this section is God’s call, referred to eight times in these eight verses. It is our common call to the faith that creates our identity both as individual Christians and as the body of Christ. This call relativizes all distinctions of race, gender, ethnicity, and social standing (Gal 3:28). Everyone should live the Christian life in whatever state a person was when called, the state that God’s providence has assigned. The

But that is precisely what the Christian does who unites himself with a prostitute. Stealing from Christ, he makes himself a member of the prostitute, her property. And for one who has been freed by Christ through belonging to him, this is an enslavement, a “falling under the power of,” the type of thing that Paul excluded in verse 12. Union with a prostitute is not the only type of fornication, but Paul uses it here as the most typical and that which the city of Aphrodite presented as the most common temptation to the male converts to the new faith. [16]    The fornicator becomes one body with her, for “the two,” it says, “will become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). Sexual union, whether within marriage or not, involves the whole person of each partner. It leaves an imprint on the soul as well, because of the partners’ psychosomatic nature. The libertines cannot say that in giving the body what it lusts for, the soul remains free and unengaged. Today this still is no small matter, given the currency of casual sex in our society. Sex is not a merely biological activity: it is a communion of persons.

Thus when Paul states in verse 17, “Everyone should live as the Lord has assigned,” he means more than just staying put in the state in which one was called. He means to live the gospel, which includes the commandments of God, to its fullest in whatever state. Just being circumcised or uncircumcised is not going to assure one of salvation. In

Press them a little harder, and ask how they know their interpretation is correct and what checks they accept on their own authority, and they may reply, with supreme confidence, in the words of verse 15: “The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment.” In the worst cases, this leads to flagrant authoritarianism—utterly self-focused leaders who are accountable to no one but themselves.

The world’s key strategy is peer pressure. Think of this as a siege tactic. They surround you and use your fear of rejection and reproach to keep you in line with them. One of the greatest things you’ll ever do is divorce yourself from public opinion. Only one opinion matters—what does the Lord Jesus Christ think of you? Along these lines, Paul wrote: Romans 12:2 — And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Are you going to do the will of the world or the will of God? Don’t be afraid to be different. If you want to overcome the world consistently, you’ll need to renew your mind daily. Remember every day that you are not your own; you are bought with a price. Jesus hung on an old rugged cross, despised by the world—rejected of men—so that you could be reconciled to God. Jesus wasn’t ashamed to suffer for us. Don’t be ashamed to stand for Him. Our Savior said: John 15:18 — If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. The Bible is filled with information about the world and how a Christian should approach it. The following is a series of verses about the word that I hope you will read and study at a later time: John 1:10; 7:7; 8:23; 15:18-25; 17:14; 1 Corinthians 1:20-21; 2:6, 3:18-19; Ephesians 2:2-3; 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:10; James 1:27; 4:4; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 2:15-17; 3:1, 13; 4:4; and 5:4.

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ~1st Corinthians 6:9-10

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:31

In particular about one of the verses the father read, Corinthians 15." "Which says?" Chloe prompted him. " 'Death is swallowed up in victory. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' " "What does that mean?" I asked. "Catholicism is a little more relaxed in Argentina." "It means that the faithful must resolutely accept the doctrine of life after death," Schulz told me. "In a way, what it means is this: There's no such thing as death. Nothing ends. Everything only transforms.

The couplets that Paul uses in verses 52-53 are not direct grammatical opposites, and shouldn’t be taken that way. This is a common error by modern translations and commentaries. They don’t represent two different bodies, but one body clothed with a new status. The allusion by Paul to death being swallowed up is not a direct fulfillment of Isaiah 25:8 and is not stated as being so by Paul. Rather, it is a reference to a common cosmic concept already well known to the first-century saints regarding Hades. Likewise, Paul repurposes the saying in Hosea to show that just as Yahweh turns his back on the unfaithful, He also protects and provides for the faithful. Chapter 33: Paul writes again to Corinth Shortly after the first letter, Paul later wrote a follow-up letter to the Corinthians. While the first letter was addressed simply to the church in Corinth and the saints (1 Corinthians 1:1), the second letter was addressed to the audience around the entire area where Corinth was located,

And First Corinthians chapter 11, verse 31 says, ‘For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

When 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 is read as a quotation representing a Corinthian practice (which D. W. Odell-Scott argued for in 1983, Charles Talbert argued for in 1987, and Peppiatt has argued for again more recently51), Paul’s purpose seems clear: to distinguish what the Corinthians were doing (“women be silent”) and to clarify that Christians should not be following the Corinthian practice (“What!”). While I cannot guarantee this is what Paul was doing, it makes a lot of (historical) sense. First Corinthians includes several non-Pauline quotations already, and the wording of verses 34–35 is remarkably close to Roman sources. As Marg Mowczko observes, “The view that 14:34–35 is a non-Pauline quotation is one of the few that offers a plausible explanation for the jarring change of tone which verses 34–35 bring into the text, as well as the subsequent abrupt change of topic, tone, and gender in verse 36.”52 If Paul is indeed quoting the Roman worldview to counter it with the Christian worldview, then his meaning is the exact opposite of what evangelical women have been taught. Could it be that, instead of telling women to be silent like the Roman world did, Paul was actually telling men that, in the world of Jesus, women were allowed to speak? Could we have missed Paul’s point (again)? Instead of heeding his rebuke and freeing women to speak, are we continuing the very patriarchal practices that Paul was condemning? As a historian, I find it hard to ignore how similar Paul’s words are to the Greco-Roman world in which he lives. Yet, even if I am wrong and Paul is only drawing on Roman sources instead of intentionally quoting them for the purpose of refutation, I would still argue that the directives Paul gave to Corinthian women are limited to their historical context.53 Why? Because consistency is an interpretative virtue. Paul is not making a blanket decree for women to be silent; he allows women to speak throughout his letters (1 Corinthians 11:1–6 is a case in point). Paul is not limiting women’s leadership; he tells us with his own hand that women lead in the early church and that he supports their ministries (I will discuss Romans 16 in the next section). Maintaining a rigid gender hierarchy just isn’t Paul’s point. As Beverly Roberts Gaventa reminds us from earlier in 1 Corinthians (12:1–7), Paul’s “calling to service is not restricted along gender lines so that arguments about complementarity find no grounding here.”54 By insisting that Paul told women to be silent, evangelicals have capitulated to

About you . Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 30:6 “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. Matthew 22:37 And He said to him, “ ‘ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ Mark 12:30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ Luke 10:27 And he answered, “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” V'ahav'ta eit Adonai Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha. וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ. Shared with Public Name pronunciation Add a name pronunciation Other names Add a nickname, a birth name... Favorite quotes "Perhaps I can best describe my experience of doing mathematics in terms of a journey through a dark unexplored mansion. You enter the first room of the mansion and it's completely dark. You stumble around bumping into the furniture, but gradually you learn where each piece of furniture is. Finally, after six months or so, you find the light switch, you turn it on, and suddenly it's all illuminated. You can see exactly where you were. Then you move into the next room and spend another six months in the dark. So each of these breakthroughs, while sometimes they're momentary, sometimes over a period of a day or two, they are the culmination of - and couldn't exist without - the many months of stumbling around in the dark that precede them." ~ Andrew Wiles "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." ~ First Epistle of John, chapter 2, verse 9-11 "As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. It is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become victims of the darkness." ~ William O. Douglas For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. ~ Paul & Timothy in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians

One of the most overlooked points in 1 Corinthians 13—also known as the love chapter—is that love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (verse 6 NASB). When our kids are confused about where their loyalties should lie regarding love, we should point them to the side of truth.

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. - 1 Corinthians 10:24 (NIV)

Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities . . . [and] in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak [in the things of the world], then am I strong [in the things of the Spirit]” (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). All of us have

Chapter 20 Quote: I have often been intrigued by Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 7:4 "Great is my confidence in you, great is my boasting on your behalf" NASB. Then at the end of the chapter, in verse 16, he says: "I am glad I can have complete confidence in you." Has Paul lost his mind? I could see where he would have confidence in the church at Ephesus, but the church at Corinth? It was a church racked with dissension, and morality and carnality of every kind. Is this just some type of phony psychological hype? No, I believe Paul conveyed a very biblical principle: The work that God begins, he completes. This underscores the value to be gained by expressing confidence in others and encouraging one another to keep on keeping on.

I started to ask Him to bless others and prayed this verse of abundance over them. “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). I asked Him to help others succeed. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4 ESV).

Don’t forget to pray for yourself. We are at war. We are up against lot of spirits these days. Spirit or lies, deception, hypocrisy, seduction, lust, prostitution, anger, hate, fame, rape, depression, judgement, substance abuse, revenge, cheating, lashing, entitlement, resentment and spirit of disappointment. Ephesians 6:12 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.’ First Corinthians, chapter fifteen, verses fifty-one and two.” Then, “‘For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangels and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.’ First Thessalonians, chapter four, verses sixteen and seventeen.

During this time of pandemic. Treat your Church like distance learning, In order to get better results, protection, prosperity and blessings in your life. You need to put in more work than usually. You need read the bible more. You need to pray more. You need to intercede more. You need to be good more. You need to rely on God more than you do on your pastor, bishop or congregation. Colossians 3 : 16 Ephesians 3:16 1 Peter 2 : 5 1 Corinthians 3 : 9

Well, some translations say ‘mansions’ while other translations say ‘rooms’. Personally, I never think about the size of the place Jesus is preparing for me. All I know is it will be perfectly suited just for me in every way, which means I’ll be perfectly satisfied with every last detail. “First Corinthians two, verse nine declares, ‘...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.

to 2 Corinthians 11. After confirming his words in verse 6, her eyes were drawn to verse 5, namely two words, “super apostles”. She read the verse softly to herself, “But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these ‘super apostles’ who teach such things.

The final thing I want to consider about the olive is the best way to preserve it for the long run. It must be crushed in order to extract the oil. The same is true for us. The biblical way to be preserved is to be pressed. And being pressed can certainly feel like being crushed. But what about 2 Corinthians 4:8, where it says, “we are … pressed … but not crushed”? Let’s read verses 8 and 9 in the King James Version: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” This was one of the biggest aha moments for me while standing in the shadow of the olive tree: crushing isn’t the olive’s end. Crushing, rather, is the way of preservation. It’s also the way to get what’s most valuable, the oil, out of the olive. Keeping this perspective is how we can be troubled on every side yet not distressed … pressed to the point of being crushed but not crushed and destroyed.

Chapter 8 I am a saint If I walked into any church in America and asked how many perceived themselves as a sinner saved by grace, almost everyone would raise their hands. But then if I asked how many perceive themselves as saints, few, if any, would raise their hands. My response would be: Which is the most biblically accurate statement of who you are as a Christian? Does the Bible refer to the believer as a sinner or a saint? Did Paul address his letters to the sinners at Ephesus or to the saints? Look at the truth in 1 Corinthians 1:2, "To the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours" (NASB). Tragically, many Christians live their lives as though the passage reads, "To others in the church who are struggling to be sanctified, sinners by calling (or saints by hard work), with some who call upon the name of the Lord, my Lord, but I'm not sure about theirs." Every Child of God Is a Saint The overwhelming and consistent message of the New Testament is that we are all saints by the grace of God, sanctified because we are in Christ Jesus. Every child of God is a saint because he is in Christ Jesus. The most overwhelming concept in the early parts of Ephesians is the tremendous inheritance we have in Christ. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing *in Christ*. For he chose us *in Him* before the creation of the world” Ephesians 1:3-4 (emphasis added). Forty times in the one book of Ephesians, references are made to either you being in Christ or Christ in you. And for every verse throughout the Bible that talks about Christ being in you, 10 verses can be found that talk about you being in him. Go through the rest of Ephesians 1 and see how many times you can find this truth. In verse 7 you will find, “*in Him* we have redemption.” In verse 11 it says “*in Him* we were also chosen.” Verse 12 will tell you that your hope lies *in Christ*. Verse 13 says that you were included *in Christ* when you heard the word of truth. The problem is not that the Bible does not clearly identify believers as saints - it does! The primary problem is, we just do not see it! So Paul says in Ephesians 1:18, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance *in the* saints” (emphasis added).

A verse in 2 Corinthians 5 explains this concept of being an awe breaker. It says that Jesus lived and died so that “those who live might no longer live for themselves” (v. 15). Here’s what this powerful little phrase means: people whose every thought, desire, word, and action was meant to be motivated and shaped by awe of God, exchange awe of God for awe of self. It’s not just that sin makes us rebels and fools. It’s not just that sin makes us want to write our own laws. No, sin does something more fundamental to each of us. Sin captures and redirects the motivational system of our hearts. In a practically life-shaping way, sin changes how our hearts operate. Paul is talking here about two opposite perspectives on life. In one, the heart is filled with a vision of what I want for me and my little world; in the other, the heart is filled with wonder at who Christ is and what he has done. Each is driven by awe, either awe of personal glory or awe of the glory of Christ. Though we were created to be moved by the awe of God, sin causes our hearts to be moved by the small, individualistic agenda of awe of self. Because we break God’s awe design, we then proceed to break God’s law design. Let me say it as clearly and practically as I can. Because of sin, awe of God is very quickly replaced by awe of self.

Homosexual sin is not inescapable Paul continues in verse 11: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6 v 11

Paul's use of terms like "natural," "unnatural," and "shameful" in describing same-sex relations does not necessarily imply that all such relationships are sinful. In 1 Corinthians 11:13-14, he similarly labels long hair on men as "unnatural," yet this is widely interpreted as reflecting first-century customs rather than a universal Christian rule. The Bible itself shows that long hair in men, as in the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:5), can be honorable. Samson’s decision to cut his hair was shameful in his context, while his long hair was actually a source of strength (Judges 16:17-19). What is honorable and shameful varies across times, cultures, and contexts.

When examining passages like 1 Corinthians 6:9, the key lies in the interpretation of "arsenokoitai" and "malakoi." If these terms refer specifically to practices like pederasty or idolatrous rituals, then the Bible may not directly address the morality of committed, consensual same-sex relationships. However, if "arsenokoitai" is interpreted as a blanket condemnation of all homosexual acts, this interpretation would have broader implications for understanding other passages in Leviticus and Romans.

Paul wrote, “If Christ be not risen… we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.” (I Corinthians 15:14-15) The conditions of the challenge are simple and reasonable. In each of the four Gospels, begin at Easter morning and read to the end of the book: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20-21. Also read Acts 1:3-12 and Paul’s tiny version of the story in I Corinthians 15:3-8. These 165 verses can be read in a few moments. Then, without omitting a single detail from these separate accounts, write a simple, chronological narrative of the events between the resurrection and the ascension: what happened first, second and so on; who said what and when; and where these things happened.

dGoing to church alone is not enough if you don't change your heart, mind, attitude, actions, and behavior. Many people have left the church, and some have even left God because of Christians. The most judgmental, mean, and vile beings on earth are often Christians. Don't be the reason people leave the church or God. Don't be the reason people hate the church or God. May your faith and Christianity encourage others, rather than discourage them. Isaiah 29:13 1 John 2:9  Titus 1:16 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 2 Timothy 3:2-4