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 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…
June 14 Paul begins 1 Thessalonians 2 talking about how he and his companions ministered to the church with such care for the people. He talks about how he and his partners conducted themselves when they ministered there in 1 Thessalonians 2:7–12. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13–14, Paul repeats what he said in yesterday’s Bible readings…
June 13 It can be very dangerous to imitate someone. But the key is who you are trying to imitate. Paul doesn’t hesitate to praise the Thessalonians for imitating him and his partners, (1 Thessalonians 1:6) and he goes further in 1 Corinthians 11:1 to tell them to imitate him as he imitated Jesus. Paul…
June 11 In Paul’s final chapter of Galatians, he tells the church to restore brothers and sisters who have been overtaken in any wrongdoing. (Galatians 6:1) He warns them to be careful, lest they, too, might fall into sin. In other words, Paul is telling the church’s mature believers to reach out and restore someone…
May 31 We will see throughout the book of Acts that there are some people who will just never accept the simple Christian life and teachings. Legalists show up again and again causing problems. Just as the Jewish leaders did during the ministry of Jesus, religious, graceless people raised their objections over and over again….
