The Life and Times of the Early Church

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 15:20-34.  Part two of Paul’s teaching on the resurrection.  When Jesus returns to earth, God’s people, both living and dead, will be transformed and receive new, eternal bodies. But this is just the beginning, Paul says. Christ will destroy all opposition to his reign in the universe—both human and demonic. Then death itself will be destroyed.  May the Lord...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 15:1-19.  Part one of Paul’s teaching on the resurrection. The Corinthians accepted the fact that Jesus had been ressurrected from the dead—they just didn’t see how that would be possible for the rest of us. So Paul begins with a subject he and they are in complete agreement about: Christ was raised from the dead. Then from that fact he builds his case for t...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 14:26-40.  Paul returns to his teaching on spiritual gifts and their place in worship. His focus is on on gift in particular:  glossolalia —what we often refer to as “speaking in tongues.” He explains how the gift can be used to strengthen and encourage others and the dangers of abusing the gift.  May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 14:1-25.  In this passage, which follows Paul’s teaching on the nature of love in chapter 13, he says that the single goal of the church should be to pursue love, which is expressed in the language of “building up” the church. He then explains the importance of using the gift of speaking in tongues in a way that strengthens and encourages others.  May the Lo...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 13:4-13.  1 Corinthians 13 is well-known but often misunderstood, so we are slowing down in order to get the full meaning of what God is teaching us here about the nature of love. In today’s lesson we will consider how to apply this passage to our everyday lives. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. Paul’s teaching on the nature of love is one of the Bible’s most familiar passages. It is also one of the Bible’s most misunderstood teachings. In this lesson we will look at God’s definition of love—what love is and what it is not. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Paul develops an extended metaphor of the church as the body of Christ in which he alternates between the themes of unity and diversity and interdependence.  May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Paul begins an extended teaching on the subject of the use and abuse of spiritual gifts in public worship. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. Paul explains how the stories of Israel’s failures in the wilderness serve as examples and warnings to people today when we observe the Lord’s Supper. He explains the meaning of the ceremony and how to participate in it in a way that blesses us and honors the Lord.  May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. In this passage, Paul addresses the marital relationship in terms of self-respect, respect for God, and a mutual and reciprocal respect between husband and wife.   May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 10:1—11:1. Paul uses the story of Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness to illustrate how God took care of his ancient people, and then he reveals the point of the history lesson: the things that happened to Israel serve a purpose for us . They warn us against lusting after evil things and remind us that history need not repeat itself. Here’s the promise— God...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 9:1-27. Paul summarizes his ministry by saying,  “ I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel… ” What might that look like in today’s world?  May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. Paul addresses an issue that on the surface may appear to have little to do with us today—eating food that has been offered to idols. Given how obscure a problem this is in our own culture it is tempting to breeze through this part, but if we look beneath the surface to the deeper truths Paul is teaching, we find several invaluable principles that ca...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 7:8-40. Paul teaches God’s plan for marital relationships by addressing numerous situations that Christians might find themselves in. He talks about those who are widowed and those who are divorced.  He talks about those who are engaged to be married and those who have never been married. He talks about marriages between two believers and marriages between a...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 6:12—7:7. Paul segues back into the broad area of sexual ethics, and he explains why sexual immorality is a particularly dangerous sin. He then teaches on sexual ethics in the marriage relationship. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 5:1—6:11. Paul’s response to two reports he has heard about events in Corinth: the first is about a case of incest and the second is about believers filing lawsuits against other believers. He also incidentally mentions a sin that is vigorously debated in our day and has led many to condemn the Apostle Paul and the Bible as homophobic. May the Lord bless you...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 4:1-21. Paul addresses a challenge the Corinthians were facing that Christians today must face: the human tendency to blend the teachings of the Bible with other wisdom sources we respect. Today we call it syncretism— the amalgamation of different religions, cultures or schools of thought.  Paul offers the Corinthians (and us) an alternative.  May the Lord b...

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 2:12—3:23. Paul introduces the main point of his argument: The key to understanding God’s wisdom lies with the Holy Spirit. He then develops this point by contrasting two different pairs of people: he compares Christians with non-Christians, and spiritual Christians with worldly Christians. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 1:18—2:11.  Paul contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God and divides humanity into two camps: those who are in the process of perishing and those who are in the process of being saved .   May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

An introduction to First Corinthians and a verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 1:1-17. Paul’s opening words appeal for unity and communicate some of the key issues he will address in the letter. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of Acts 19:17-41.  The botched exorcism by the seven sons of Sceva creates chaos in Ephesus. Some residents turn to the Lord, while others become enraged because Paul’s ministry is disrupting the local trade market and the sales of magical wares. The confrontation culminates in a riot. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of Acts 18:18—19:16.   An account of how the church in Ephesus was planted. The city is filled with magicians and pagan worship, and this passage highlights an incident between seven wannabe exorcists and a man filled with numerous demons. The encounter does not end well for the seven sons of Sceva.  May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 2 Thessalonians 2:13—3:18.   Paul brings his second letter to the Thessalonians to a close with some words of comfort, a command, and a prayer. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12.   Paul explains numerous aspects of the Second Coming of Christ. He contrasts two future events (the rebellion and the coming of the man of lawlessness ) with two present realities (the mystery of lawlessness and the restraining of the Antichrist ). This “restraining” will continue, Paul says, until the restrainer moves out of the way to allow the...

A verse-by-verse study of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4.   Paul explains why the coming of Christ is still in the future. Jesus’s return will be preceded by two events: a great apostasy and the arrival of the Antichrist. May the Lord bless your study of His Word!