Archive for April 2023

Judges 8, Psalm 85, Mark 6:14-29, 1 Corinthians 10:14-33 1 Corinthians 10:14-33: Paul continues to try to help the Corinthians think clearly about the issue of meat offered to idols, and how more generally they as Christians can function in a pagan society. Increasingly, this is a matter, at a general level, of great importance to contemporary Christians…

Judges 6-7, Psalm 84, Mark 6:1-13, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 1 Corinthians 10:1-13: This passage of warning has three elements to it that we should carefully consider. The first is the approach to the Bible. Paul clearly considers the Old Testament to be God’s Word. Is that how we approach the Bible? He also considers the Old Testament to…

Judges 4-5, Psalm 83, Mark 5:21-43, 1 Corinthians 9:13-27   1 Corinthians 9:13-27: Paul continues his defense of his ministry against the criticisms of the Corinthians. They were perturbed that—among other things—he had not taken a salary from them. Perhaps they felt it was a sign that he considered himself better than them or was not willing to…

Judges 1-3, Psalm 82, Mark 5:1-20, 1 Corinthians 9:1-12   1 Corinthians 9:1-12: Paul, who had founded the church at Corinth, now had a strained relationship with the church. The reasons for that strain were several, but among them was the issue that Paul had not accepted a fee from them. Other preachers and travelling speakers were customarily…

Joshua 24, Psalm 81, Mark 4:21-41, 1 Corinthians 8 1 Corinthians 8: Paul now starts to address what can helpfully be categorized as “conscience issues.” Oftentimes in church life, people confuse or conflate the difference between matters of primary importance, secondary importance, and those that are of tertiary importance. There are things about which we can hold different…

Joshua 22-23, Psalm 80, Mark 4:1-2, 1 Corinthians 7:17-40 1 Corinthians 7:17-40: Paul continues to work out the implications of the principles related to sex and marriage that he taught in the first part of this chapter. The first part of this new section establishes an important application regarding slavery. While Paul argued that new Christians should make the…

Joshua 20-21, Psalm 79, Mark 3:20-35, 1 Corinthians 7:1-16 1 Corinthians 7:1-16: These verses have, of course, engendered much conversation down through the years. Several points need to be made for us to understand them and to be able to apply them to our lives. First, Paul is concerned that we exercise the “gift” that we have received…

Joshua 18-19, Psalm 78:40-72, Mark 3:1-19, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 1 Corinthians 6:12-20: What is the right Christian attitude to sexual immorality? To understand Paul’s teaching here, we need to have the backstory of the Bible’s approach to sexual ethics. From a biblical standpoint, marriage tells the story—it is as Paul calls it elsewhere a “mystery”—of the gospel love…

Joshua 15-17, Psalm 78:1-39, Mark 2:18-28, 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 1 Corinthians 6:1-11: In this passage, Paul deals with two complicated (and controversial) matters. They were controversial in ancient Corinth, and they are controversial also today. First, is it legitimate for a Christian to take another Christian to a law court? Paul’s argument here is that the very question…

Joshua 13-14, Psalm 77, Mark 2:13-17, 1 Corinthians 5 1 Corinthians 5: The great challenge: how can a church be both a friend for sinners and discipline Christians who unrepentantly continue in public and flagrant sin? Despite its challenge—and the great need for wisdom from God sought in humble prayer in community of godly leaders—it is a necessary…