Hope for Today (English)

John 6:60-65 Hello friend and welcome to Hope for Today. My name is J. Mark Horst; I’m your friendand Bible teacher. The program you’re listening to is produced by Heralds of Hope, aninternational Gospel media ministry. Each week the Bible teaching broadcasts of Heralds of Hopecircle the globe in English and 21 other major languages. If you’re tuning in to Hope for Today for the very first time, w...

John 6:51-59 Hello friend and welcome to Hope for Today. My name is J. Mark Horst; I’m your friendand Bible teacher. The program you’re listening to is produced by Heralds of Hope, aninternational Gospel radio and literature ministry. Each week the Bible teaching broadcasts of Heralds of Hope circle the globe in Englishand 21 other major languages. And our Bible teaching programs in several langua...

1 Corinthians 16:13-24 The history of Christianity is quite checkered. It seems sometimes it flourished greatly. Other times it was in retreat. During the first century, Christianity spread far across the world. Tradition tells us that Thomas, the disciple who said he would not believe Jesus had resurrected until he saw the nail prints in His hands and thrust his hand in His side, went to the coun...

1 Corinthians 16:1-12 Denominations have their forms of government. Some have a governing body of bishops. Others have a single pastor of a congregation. One is called Episcopalian government. The other is called congregational government. Certain denominations emphasize what they call the priesthood of the individual believer. By this they mean each one can plead his or her own cause before God....

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 In my younger days, we used to debate the question, “Which is better, anticipation or realization?” It was a stupid question, I suppose, and debating it was useless, but we did it anyway. Anticipation holds the future in view, always exciting for its uncertainty. Realization takes the edge off excitement. The look is either now or then, backwards I mean. Of course, the subje...

1 Corinthians 15:35-50 We learn by comparisons or relationships. Definitions are often made by comparison. For example, synonyms for the word dark are dim, dusky, dusk, darkly, obscure, murky, opaque, gloomy. Then the dictionary gives this definition: “lack or deficiency of light, or illumination of whatever kind.” You see what I mean? We learn by comparisons. This was Jesus’ method of teaching. H...

1 Corinthians 15:29-34 Our right of choice lays upon us moments of serious consequences. Often it is impossible to retrieve the outcomes of the choices we make. They are cast, as it were, in irretrievable molds. For that reason, we must weigh carefully every decision we make. Every decision we make has moral consequences. We cannot operate in a moral vacuum. To put it another way, we cannot operat...

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 The second pronouncement is: CHRIST HAS INDISPUTABLE PRIORITY 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming 24 Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. “Christ the firstfruits.” No one else arose as J...

I Corinthians 15:20-28 Since we have no physical proof of the resurrection of Christ except the empty tomb, our affirmation must rest on belief or faith. But what is faith? For some faith is ignoring the supposed facts or the absence of facts. For others faith is credulity, by which they mean simple-mindedness, not being able to think through the propositions or the problems. For still others, fai...

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Mountain climbers scale cliffs that turn back the average hiker. They do it by training and practice. In the field of industry, researchers defy what some say is impossible. Over a hundred years ago, it was suggested that the patent office be closed since all the inventions had already been made. How wrong they were! For example, the invention of the transistor in 1948 by Be...

The second proposition is 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. We often say, “Seeing is believing.” Wh...

From the very beginning, skeptics ridiculed the resurrection of Christ. I use the designation Christ because that is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning “The Anointed One.” He had a special mission when He came. By the term Messiah, I assume that Jesus of Nazareth was He whom God anointed as the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sins of all men, women, and children throughout...

1 Corinthians 14:34-40 One person supposedly made this statement why he was not a member of a church. He said, “I have never found a perfect church; therefore I am not a Christian.” To which his friend replied, “When you find that perfect church, don’t join it.” Do you see the point? If he did join, it would no longer be perfect. He would spoil it. Probably every congregation has its good points a...

1 Corinthians 14:23-33 We are told that the Ethiopian Christians during the Communist regime multiplied greatly, in spite of being restricted. In fact, the restriction seems to be the seed that made them grow. Public gathering was prohibited, so they went, as we say, underground. They had cell groups and they met in secret. Their neighbors and friends gathered with them, and the church grew in gre...

1 Corinthians 14:10-22 We may wonder where all the languages came from. We might even wonder where language itself came from. Those who advocate that we came from lower animals have a problem. Lower animals have no languages. Of course, they argue, this is a part of the evolutionary process. Yet evolutionists suggest that language began when cavemen uttered a series of grunts, which later became w...

1 Corinthians 14:1-9 From the record, we learn that the church in Corinth had a turbulent history. It began with a riot when the founding apostles were hauled to Gallio’s judgment seat by opposing Jews. But Gallio refused to hear the case, dismissing it with these words: “If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if it be a question o...

I Corinthians 13:1-13 There is a second answer to the question, What does love do? It is: LOVE SYMPATHIZES 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believet...

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 In the language Paul spoke, there were three words for love. Eros, used by the secular Greeks, is the lowest word for love. We get our word “erotic” from that word, and it means “sensual” or “sexual.” Filos speaks of filial love, meaning the love of the family. The name of the city Philadelphia means “brotherly love.” It is a combination of the word filos and the word adelfos...

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 The next logical step in understanding is: THE MINISTRIES ARE CLASSIFIED. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? The apostle Paul raises some questions. How he does is most striking, for every one of them is so framed as to expect a negative answer. I...

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 The church is a functioning body. Like the human body, every member is important. In the church, each member comes into the body the same way, and each has a distinct place or function, just like the members of our physical bodies. This is clearly taught in I Corinthians 12. There are in the church certain offices or responsibilities the apostle Paul found necessary to defin...

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 No one can travel in two directions at the same time. Choices become important when we face directions. Choosing calls for counsel. Where can we find trusted counsel? To whom can we turn? In the church there is an opportunity for counsel. Actually, the Greek word for church, ekklesia , means a “called-out people.” Within the body of Christ, there is a bonding not experienced...

I Corinthians 12:1-11  Every human proposition can be carried to an extreme. For example, freedom can be carried so far that it becomes self-interest. And no one else is considered. In the field of Christian doctrine, extremes emerge, too. Some have little tolerance for any modified understanding of biblical teaching. On the opposite side, we do not condone false teaching. Some controversial teach...

1 Corinthians 11:11-34 As I examine the Mosaic Law in the Old Testament, I find frequent feasts or festivals. Many were outlined. At those times all work ceased. The Israelites were to do no “servile work.” These festivals were to remind them of their very significant relationship to God, their Redeemer. The New Testament holds fewer festivals. In fact, we ordinarily consider only one, which we ca...

1 Corinthians 11:1-16 It is a symbol of authority. 10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. The word power contains as its basic meaning “authority.” The woman ought to have authority on her head. This authority may look in two directions. It may look to her own, that is, that it gives her the right to come into the presence of God. It may look to the auth...

1 Corinthians 11:1-16 Taking a careful look at chapter 11, we see that it is in the middle of the section of the discussion on how Jesus is made unto us sanctification (see Preface). Chapter 11 has to do with sanctification and divine order. It is touched upon in two areas. The first has to do with THE VEILING FOR CHRISTIAN WOMEN and the second with the Lord’s Table. We focus our attention on 11:2...