Bethel Baptist Church

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 Paul has been writing about the issue of eating food that had been offered to idols and that topic will have taken up three chapters (chs. 8-10) before he is done.  In today's passage he plainly writes, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Cor 10:14). 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 is about idolatry.  Idolatry comes in many forms.  Calvin calls human nat...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 1 Corinthians 10:13 is one of the most familiar verses in this letter, and for good reason.  It contains a strength-giving promise for grace in times of trouble.  "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 In the preceding passage, Paul cites his willingness to forgo his right to receive financial support from the Corinthians.  He had done this because, in this instance, the gospel was heralded with greater power.  In the present passage the apostle describes what his life looks like when it is governed by the greatness of the gospel of Christ. One way his li...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:1-18 In discussing the issue of eating food that had been offered to idols, Paul emphasizes our commitment to one another.  Our love for each other must govern our behavior, especially when we have differences of opinion.  The apostle ends his exhortation by saying, "If food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble" (1 Cor 8...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 In his discussion of the issue of eating food that had been offered to idols and then sold in the marketplace, Paul responds to the notion that there are many gods.  In 1 Corinthians 4:6, we have a declaration that proclaims at least three massive truths. "For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth . . . yet for us there is one God, the Fa...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 1 Corinthians 8:1 begins with the words "Now concerning food offered to idols."  For the next three chapters Paul will address issues that spring from this matter.  In the first century is was believed that demons attached themselves to food and entered human beings when they ate it.  In order to extract demonic presence from meat, it was thought to be clean...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 The apostle Paul has covered a wide range of topics regarding marriage in this chapter.  To this point he has written concerning folks who are married, divorced, and widowed.  Now he addresses people who have never been married. Though he certainly does not view being single as spiritually superior to being married, he encourages the unmarried … whether div...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:10-24 Paul covers several specific issues in this chapter regarding marriage … including sexual relations in marriage, divorce, remarriage, and singleness.  In the present passage there are two marital situations in view, though this passage does not address every nuance that might be involved. The first scenario is a marriage between two believers.  The command...

Scripture Reading: Psa 2:1-6; Dan 7:13,14; Rev 19:11,15,16 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD holds them in derision.  Then he will speak t...

Scripture Reading: Mt 1:20-21; Lk 2:10,11; Acts 5:30-32; Jn 12:47-48; 1 Tim 1:15; 1 Pet 3:18 Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." And the angel sai...

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:30-35  Matthew 3:16-17  Hebrews 1:1-3  Jesus: Son of God One of the foundational things to be said about Jesus is that He was/is the Son of God.  The angel declared this wonder to Mary.  "And the angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy - the Son of God'"...

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-24 Once again Bethel Baptist Church is honored to present the Reverend Ian Leslie, former Executive Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Trenton. Reverend Leslie continues a study in 1 John during Pastor Cosand's absence.

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 1 Corinthians 7 begins a new section of the letter in which Paul answers some specific concerns the Corinthians had written him about.  These issues are marked out by the words "now concerning" (cf. 1 Cor 7:1,25; 8:1; 12:1; 161;1).  The first issue concerns a range of matters pertaining to marriage … sexual relations, widowhood, divorce, remarriage, singlenes...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Continuing his assault on the varied forms of sexual sin, Paul contrasts the nature of sexual immorality with the nature of Christianity … ending with the pointed reminder that we are not the ultimate owners of our lives.  "You are not your own" has special meaning for Christians, but the statement stands on its own with reference to every person … both bel...

1 Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Drawing a sharp contrast between Christians and unbelievers, Paul makes a staggering and categorical statement … "the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9).  The apostle then proceeds to describe some of the people in the category of 'the unrighteous,' naming nine sins (or ten, depending on the translation) … three (or four) of which...

Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:1-10 While Pastor Cosand enjoys a well deserved vacation, Bethel Baptist Church is delighted once again to host Reverend Ian Leslie.  Reverend Leslie is the former Executive Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Trenton.

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 To this point in the letter, Paul has addressed two issues in the Corinthian church … divisions, and immorality.  Now he introduces a third, grievous problem that plagued the Christian community there, namely that people of the fellowship were taking others from the fellowship to court. The authority of the church forms the background of both the issue of imm...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 In continuing to write about the immorality which the Corinthian church had failed to address, Paul broadens his discussion about the nature of the church. Apparently, the church in Corinth had developed a faulty view of themselves, as well as a faulty view of unbelievers outside the church. With regard to the church community, there needed to be a greater p...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul turns to another issue in the church in Corinth.  It is the tolerance of a particularly heinous and public sin.  Some man in the fellowship had been carrying on with a cohabiting and sexual relationship with his step-mother.  Such a relationship, Paul says, "is not even tolerated among the pagans" (1 Cor 5:1).  The problem was not onl...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21 Concluding his exhortations regarding pride and factions in the Corinthian church, Paul calls on the Christians there (and here) to receive instruction from two sources: the instruction of what is written (1 Cor 4:14,15), and the instruction of example (1 Cor 4:16,17). Both exhortations are repeatedly given to us in the Bible.  "The words that I have spoken...

Scripture Reading: Daniel 9:1-11 We would have to agree with Paul that often "we do not know what to pray for as we ought" (Rom 8:26).  There is help in the Scriptures, instructing us in how to pray.  For example, the Lord's Prayer is a pattern for our prayers.  And there are verses like 1 Jn 5:14 which teach us how to pray.  ". . . if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." We can al...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:6-13 Continuing his exhortations about the arrogance which had taken root in the church in Corinth, Paul draws a sharp contrast between what pride looks like and what humility looks like.  It is significant that of the multiplied sins on display in the Corinthian church, the apostle writes about pride first … and spends four chapters to correct this fundamental c...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 This passage is about the faithfulness of God's people and the coming day of judgment regarding that faithfulness.  "It is required of stewards that they be found faithful" (1 Cor 4:2).  God's evaluation is always right and in accordance with what is true.  According to this text, God will judge someone's faithfulness and this judgment will include motives as...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 A strong case can be made that the deepest root of the disease of sin is pride.  The Bible has a lot to say about pride.  "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov 16:18).  "When pride comes, then comes disgrace" (Prov 11:2).  "God opposes the proud" (Jam 4:6). In our passage, Paul is concluding his discussion of the pride wh...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 In our passage, Paul changes from an agricultural metaphor to an architectural metaphor, in describing the church. In 1 Corinthians 3:9 the apostle had said "You are God's field, God's building." In that verse we see both pictures. In today's section, the church now is likened to a building instead of a field. And Paul is now the layer of a foundation inste...