Sometimes we can open the Bible and find clear direction regarding the day to day decisions we face. But what about those decisions that Scripture doesn’t directly address? In 1 Corinthians, Paul shares five guiding principles that will help us discern the rightness or wrongness of a particular behavior. Thanks to Dr. John Marshall for…
Category: 1 Corinthians
Table Manners
You probably grew up with a parent who taught you how to use good table manners. We had several in our house that were strictly observed, such as wash your hands before dinner, wait for everyone to be seated before eating, don’t sing at the table or talk with your mouth full, “clean your plate,”…
Hope That Sings 2
Yesterday I posted some thoughts on how I handled 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 and how I viewed this concluding section as Paul’s song of hope which was the result of the implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In short, Paul didn’t just want his readers to know something…he wanted them to feel somthing as well!…
Hope that Sings!
Do you ever burst out in spontaneous singing? I’m not talking about the obligatory chorus that comes at holiday celebrations or birthday parties. I’m talking about being so filled with joyful hope that you are overpowered by song and it spews out. For the last three weeks I’ve been sharing some of the insights I’ve…
Hope That Sustains 2
So what are the implications of this resurrection body that we are to receive? How does this truth offer hope that sustains us through the most precarious time we will ever face? First, Paul’s teaching on the resurrection body assures us that God’s purposes are not undone by death. As the seed is buried in…
Hope That Sustains
After patiently answering question upon question about the resurrection, Paul finally got to the heart of the issue that concerned the Corinthian congregation: But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” (1 Corinthians 15:35, NLT) Much has been written regarding his response to the church, but…
The Last Car You’ll Ever Need
Imagine that you walk into a car show. As a car enthusiast, you’re excited to see all of the new models that car manufacturers have developed. You walk past the new models from Ford Motor Company, then General Motors. Dodge and Chrysler have nice ideas, as well as the massive selection of imports. You leisurely…
A New Mission
I grew up in a tradition that outsourced missions. The churches would receive three offerings each year for the purpose of supporting missions, and regularly calendared missionaries to come and tell us the stories of life serving God in some alternative hemisphere. My job was to learn to be the best Christian I could be…
A New Purpose for Living
Evidently the Corinthians lived with a worldview that is not new to our contemporary culture: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we will die” (1 Corinthians 15:32-33). Since they dismissed the resurrection and the possibility of life after death, they, like many people today, determined to live for the moment regardless of the consequences….
A New Confidence for Living
Paul has asserted that the resurrection provides a hope that sustains us by providing believers with a new attitude about death. For the Christian, death is not the bitter, final end of our existence. Rather, it is a transition step toward eternal union with God. The second piece that naturally follows our new attitude is…
