Posts by Josh Moody
1 Corinthians 3: All Are Yours
Joshua 8-9, Psalm 75, Mark 1:35-45, 1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 3: Paul now begins to address their conflict over human leaders more directly. In the process he establishes some very important principles that pertain to church health and dysfunction. First, divisiveness in church life is a sign of a lack of maturity. We should be hungering…
Read More1 Corinthians 2: The Mind of Christ
Joshua 6-7, Psalm 74, Mark 1:21-34, 1 Corinthians 2 1 Corinthians 2: In this passage Paul first explains his evangelistic strategy, and then his discipleship philosophy. First, his evangelistic strategy. Paul deliberately voided himself of superior eloquence of “Sophia” (Greek for wisdom) that was so well-known of the “Sophists” of his day. He did not use their techniques…
Read More1 Corinthians 1:18-31: The Cross
Joshua 3-5, Psalm 73, Mark 1:9-20, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 1 Corinthians 1:18-31: An extraordinary passage with an extraordinary message: all is centered on the cross so that God would get all the glory! First, consider why people do not center on the cross? Paul tells us it is because it seems like foolishness. We do not understand its…
Read More1 Corinthians 1:1-17: Focus on the Gospel
Joshua 1-2, Psalm 72, Mark 1:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 1 Corinthians 1:1-17: As we begin this letter of Paul’s to the Corinthians, we dive in at what is frequently one of the most difficult—and tiresome—matters for churches to effectively resolve. It seems as if the church at Corinth was struggling with divisions related to different powerful personalities or…
Read MoreRomans 16: What the Gospel Can Do
Deuteronomy 33-34, Psalm 71, Matthew 28:11-20, Romans 16 Romans 16: This long list of greetings at the end of the Book of Romans can seem somewhat random and unimportant, and we wonder why it is recorded for us to read. But not only does it tell us that Paul (despite what his detractors have said down through the…
Read MoreRomans 15:14-33: Preaching and Prayer
Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 70, Matthew 28:1-10, Romans 15:14-33 Romans 15:14-33: Part of this passage can feel at first glance simply like Paul describing his travel plans. But there is more to it than that. Here we can see in particular, First, why Paul is writing this letter to the Romans. In verses 15 and 16, he describes his…
Read MoreRomans 15:1-13: Principles of Communal Living
Deuteronomy 29-31, Psalm 69:19-36, Matthew 27:57-66, Romans 15:1-13 Romans 15:1-13: Paul continues to give some principles of communal living—all of which are based on the gospel that he has explained in this letter, and the example of Christ himself. First, the strong should bear with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves. Of course, the question…
Read MoreRomans 14: Disputable Matters
Deuteronomy 27-28, Psalm 69:1-18, Matthew 27:45-56, Romans 14 Romans 14: An important and much neglected category within the Christian community is that of “disputable matters.” Those who tend to be serious about the Bible and want to stand firmly on what it says can end up being serious about everything and inflexible about every matter. But Paul took…
Read MoreRomans 13: Christians and Culture
Deuteronomy 22-26, Psalm 68, Matthew 27:27-44, Romans 13 Romans 13: How are Christians to relate to the world around them? What are the principles that should guide some of the complicated decisions that inevitably have to be made by Christians as they consider the right way to live in a society and culture that is predominantly non-Christian? Paul,…
Read MoreRomans 12:9-21: Love
Deuteronomy 18-21, Psalm 67, Matthew 27:11-26, Romans 12:9-21 Romans 12:9-21: The great principle of Christian life is summarized in one word: love. It is the golden rule. It is how the greatest commandment is summarized. Love for God. Love for neighbor. The greatest of all is love. But so often in church life, while we know this in…
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