Line Upon Line

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor Miles answers the mocking question "how are the dead raised, and with what body?" by showing that man is more than physical flesh and that God, who created the glorious diversity of the universe, can certainly raise the dead. The resurrection is a mystery revealed only by God, in which the corruptible, dishonored, weak, natural body is transformed in a moment...

Drawing on Steve Jobs's reflection that death is "life's change agent," Pastor Miles contrasts the world's resignation to death with the gospel reality that Christ rose as the firstfruits of the dead. He teaches through 1 Corinthians 15:20–34, showing that death entered through Adam, is conquered in Christ, and will finally be destroyed at His coming, calling believers to awake to righteousness be...

Paul outlines the simple message of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3—that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures—and Pastor Miles argues that the resurrection of Jesus is the crux of all human history, attested by more than 500 eyewitnesses. The teaching traces the announcement, cover-up, and proclamation of the resurrection, the dramatic conversion of Sau...

On the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001, Pastor Miles confronts the question "why?" behind the world's wickedness and tragedy, locating the answer in sin, and points to the gospel: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, the way God has intervened to deal with sin's penalty, power, and presence.

Examining Jesus's encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, this teaching reveals our missionary God who goes to the places no one else will go and reaches the people no one else will reach. Jesus reveals to a needy outcast both the gift of God and the giver of that gift, calling believers to carry that same knowledge into a thirsty world.

Opening the great resurrection chapter, Paul declares the gospel afresh to the already-saved Corinthians, reminding believers that the gospel is not a "what" but a "who"—Jesus Himself—and that genuine saving faith holds fast to Christ alone. The teaching explores salvation in its past, present, and future tenses and the conditional "if" that distinguishes true faith from vain faith.

Paul gives clear direction for orderly corporate worship in the church at Corinth, addressing the proper use of tongues, prophecy, and the role of women. The two governing principles are edification and order, because God is not the author of confusion but of peace.

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 14, Pastor Miles teaches that while the gift of tongues is genuine and useful for personal prayer and praise, it must take a lesser position in the corporate gathering because love seeks the edification of the whole body. He works through verses 13-25, arguing that prophecy (intelligible speech) is "greater" in the assembly because it builds up believers and convicts un...

Paul exhorts the Corinthians to pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially to seek prophecy above tongues in the corporate gathering, because prophecy edifies the whole body while uninterpreted tongues edify only the speaker. The teaching defines New Testament prophecy as God's already-revealed word spoken for edification, exhortation, and comfort—distinct from preaching and from the O...

Paul concludes his teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13:8 by showing that spiritual gifts are imperfect and temporary, while love endures forever. Christian maturity is not measured by spiritual giftedness but by Christlike love, which flows from faith and hope and remains the greatest of the divine triad.

Concluding his study of the characteristics of Christian love in 1 Corinthians 13, Pastor Miles examines the final attributes of verse 7—love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things, and never fails—and applies them with reference to the 2011 Norway terror attack to show what genuine Christian love looks like in daily life.

Continuing through 1 Corinthians 13, Pastor Miles teaches that love—not doctrine or spiritual gifts—is the fulfillment of God's law and the true mark of a disciple, then examines several characteristics of love: it keeps no record of wrongs, does not rejoice in iniquity, and rejoices in the truth.

Continuing his study of 1 Corinthians 13, Pastor Miles examines the first eight of fifteen characteristics of agape love in verses 4-7, showing that biblical love is active rather than merely emotional and is ultimately found perfectly only in Christ. He argues that patience, kindness, freedom from envy and boasting, humility, courtesy, selflessness, and self-control are the evidence of God's Spir...

Working from Hebrews 10:19-25, Pastor Miles shows how the insufficient old covenant sacrifices point to the once-for-all, sufficient sacrifice of Jesus, which gives believers bold access to God. He unfolds three "let us" exhortations—draw near in faith (justification), hold fast our hope (glorification), and consider one another in love (sanctified community)—as the mark of Christian maturity: fai...

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 12, Pastor Miles teaches that the church is a living body—an organism, not an organization—in which God sovereignly sets every member, gifts them, and establishes an ordained order of service. He explains the meaning of God "setting" believers in their place, addresses the diversity of gifts, the rightful desire for the most useful gifts, and the call to servant leaders...

Drawing from Zechariah 7:8-14, this teaching examines God's call to His restored people to execute true justice, show mercy and compassion, and defend the defenseless—and the wrath that came when they hardened their hearts and refused to listen. Pastor Miles applies these characteristics of God's own nature to how believers are to relate to one another today.

Continuing in 1 Corinthians 12, Pastor Miles teaches that God has sovereignly made believers one body with diverse members, and that while God creates the body's unity and diversity, it is our responsibility to maintain its harmony through humility and selfless love. The spiritual gifts are useless without the fruit of the Spirit, and the local body thrives only when each member, especially the se...

Pastor Miles teaches from 1 Corinthians 12:12 that all believers are baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit at conversion, then shows how the human-body illustration reveals the church's unity, diversity, divine sovereignty, and harmony. He concludes that the church is a living organism organized by Christ Himself, not an organization run by human community organizers.

A communion meditation built around the truth of God's mercy, drawing especially on Exodus 34 and Ephesians 2 to show that God "defaults" to mercy and grace while still maintaining His justice through the atoning death of Christ. The teaching prepares believers to partake of the bread and cup as a remembrance of the body and blood that secured their relationship with God.

Continuing a series on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, Pastor Miles surveys the gifts of miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, apostleship, helps, administration, evangelism, and pastor-teacher, urging discernment grounded in Scripture and warning against both undue dogmatism and false signs and wonders.

Christ has set us free from slavery to sin, and the paradox of the gospel is that He calls us to use that liberty not for selfish license but to willingly make ourselves servants of one another in love. Pastor Miles traces the Old Testament picture of bondage to sin, the Messiah's coming to free the captives, and the call of Galatians 5:13 to "by love serve one another."

Continuing a study of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12–14, Pastor Miles teaches that every believer is gifted by the Spirit to glorify God and edify the body, then examines five gifts in detail: mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, and healings. He stresses that gifts are tools, not measuring rods of spirituality, and that God still heals today, though not always, sometimes allowing illness for His...

Pastor Miles teaches that every believer is gifted by the Holy Spirit for the profit of the body of Christ, then begins working through the New Testament's lists of spiritual gifts—covering prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, and leadership. He urges believers to step out by faith to discover and exercise their gifts for God's glory and the church's edification.

This teaching opens Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 by warning against using emotional experience as the measure of the Spirit's work, then answers four foundational questions: who gives the gifts, who receives them, why they are given, and when they are received. Pastor Miles argues from Scripture that all believers are baptized by Jesus with the Holy Spirit at conversion...

Opening his teaching on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-3, Pastor Miles explains that the Corinthians were not lacking in gifts but in understanding—their pagan background and ignorance of spiritual things allowed counterfeit, ecstatic, and false practices to invade the church. Paul provides the first test of true spirituality: no one speaking by the Spirit curses Jesus, and no one can confe...