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Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 9:22 “… I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” In so many ways the apostle Paul was way ahead of his time. You might even call him a “renaissance man”. He was remarkably free, and admirably mature. And he had absolutely no […]

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 7:29a, 31b “…the time is short…the form of this world is passing away.” I’d like to caution you before reacting to Paul’s apparently low view of marriage in this chapter. First of all, read 9:5, “Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, […]

Alms, Prayer, & Fasting 6:1-18 Our Father in Heaven v. 9 (Part 2) Jesus’ reference to God as Father would not have surprised his audience. In the Jewish scriptures God had claimed “Israel as his son…” (Ex. 4:22) and had blessed and chastened him time and again through out a tumultuous history. The use of […]

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Have you a pet sin? Once that’s been with you for years? Perhaps It’s relatively secret (apart from any “shared” sinning […]

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 4:41 “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. “ (NIV) Paul appears a touch arrogant here. “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court,” he says. Not only does he have little regard for what people think of him, he […]

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 3:3 “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” That key verse begins (in the NIV), with, “You are still worldly” (carnal). And, if it were up to some of us to complete the verse we might say, “For where […]

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 2;9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” “Pie in the sky when you die by and by.” That’s how the Christian hope is cynically described by those who have a low […]

Alms, Prayer, & Fasting 6:1-18 Our Father in Heaven v.9 Right off the top the pronoun puts things in perspective. There is no “I, me, or mine” . Rather it’s “we, us, and ours”. God is the Father of all, not a household deity. “Our” reminds us that we have no inside track to God […]

Key Verse: Romans 16:22 “I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.” Tertius? Who’s he? And Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Gaius, Erastus, Quartus? Who are these people? Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater were relatives of Paul. Erastus was head of Rome’s public work department. Gaius was a local church member with the gift of […]

Key Verse: Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ” Do you enjoy reading the Bible?” someone asked me recently. “Sometimes, yes. Other times, no.” I answered. “Why the fluctuation?” he questioned. ” Because the Bible […]

Key Verse: Romans 14:10 “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.” Paul begins this chapter with, “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters” (v.1). He’s face to face here with […]

Key Verse: Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” He was an over-eater. He came into my office grossly overweight and self-disgusted. As he told me his story, I received an education in the devastating bondage of “gradualism”. What’s that you ask? […]