July 9 Paul was sold out for the Gospel. He asks the Corinthians if he was not worthy of their financial support. In fact, he spends twenty-four verses covering reasons that he has given up so much in order to win the lost. But he never put anyone on the spot, begging for their financial…
July 6 Most of us have never encountered a situation like this. But in Paul’s context, it was not unusual. In modern-day Turkey and throughout that part of the world at the time, many people were polytheists who worshiped many gods. As part of their worship, they would offer sacrifices to one of their gods….
July 5 Paul begins 1 Corinthians 7 talking about sexual intimacy in marriage. While he prohibits sexual immorality (all sexual behavior outside the context of a one-man-one-woman covenant marital relationship), Paul encourages sexual intimacy within a covenant marital relationship. In fact, he says that giving yourself to your spouse is your conjugal duty. And it’s…
July 4 In yesterday’s Bible reading and devotional, we read Paul’s discussion on sexual immorality. He continues to discussion today in 1 Corinthians 6. But he begins chapter 6 talking about church members litigating against other church members. He says that believers should not take their church disagreements to secular courts. There are two issues…
July 3 Paul says that he is aware that someone in the Corinthian church is unashamedly committing sexual immorality. He says it is worse than the immorality that is tolerated among the Gentiles. Specifically, he says that a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. Paul says, “You should be ashamed of yourselves! You should…
July 2 Paul could never be called a fly-by-night apostle. We have already seen how on multiple occasions, Paul and the other Apostles spent extended periods of time with new converts. They also frequently returned to established churches in order to spend more time with them. Here, in 1 Corinthians 4, Paul tells the church…
