Good morning. Therefore be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not vain in the Lord. We shouldn’t be wishy-washy. We have a firm foundation, and hope for life after death. We should not keep that to ourselves, but rather share it with those around us. He then talks about collecting for the saints. This money was to be sent to those in Jerusalem. He tells them that if Timothy comes, “see that he is with you without cause to be afraid”. Remember that Paul told Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear/timidity. Perhaps this was an issue with Timothy. Remember we began this book with this statement, “I am of Paul“, “I am of Apollos“. Was there conflict between the two? But concerning Apollos our brother, I encouraged him greatly to come to you with the brethren. That does not sound like they had problems with each other. And then some good advice for now just as then: be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, b...
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Good morning. Regardless of when the last trumpet sounds: for this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. This physical body of ours cannot put on immortality; there has to be some kind of change. What will happen when it does? But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?“ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Adam’s sin, death came into the world. Physically it did not happen until hundreds of years later. Relating it to the Middle East: it was like being stung by a scorpion, but death not coming till some time later. Spiritually, it happened instantaneously. Father thank You that fear of death no longer reigns over us. Help us t...
Good morning. Now we are about to see some of Paul’s most famous verses. Behold, I tell you a mystery (something of God and His doings that was not understood before, but now has been revealed); we will not all sleep (die), but we will all be changed (from this physical body), in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (not some long process like the Egyptians embalming a dead person), at the last trumpet (there are seven trumpets in the book of Revelation, but that does not mean this is referring to the seventh one. Vine’s had something about it being a special trumpet. If it were referring to the seventh trumpet in Revelation, that would mean that there would be six trumpets of very bad things happening. That would create questions about the Rapture being before the Great Tribulation.); for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will all be changed. We will continue this next time. Father thank You that everything is going to turn out just the way You...
Good morning. The first man is from the earth, earthy (I guess you could call him a dirt bag); the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. We may need something like Ancestry DNA to find out from whom we are descended physically, but we only need the Bible to find out from whom we are descended spiritually. Now I say this, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Notice that it says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. In Luke, when Jesus appeared to the 11, He said, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.“ That can’t be the only difference. After all, Jesus would appear and disappear at will. Father we know that for only a re...
Good morning. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. He then talks about different types of flesh, animals, and heavenly bodies. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. This is all related back to the sewing of a seed, which does not look like the plant that grows. So also it is written, “the first man, Adam, became a living soul.“ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural (like the seed), then the spiritual (like the plant). We will finish his comment next time. Father continue to help the reader and his/her family.
Good morning. Become sober minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to you shame. Now wait a minute Paul! Did Alexa tattle on us? From what came before and what follows, most likely he was not talking about sinning in general, but about them not believing in the resurrection from the dead. Someone will say, “how are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?“ You fool! (that was harsh. I thought Jesus said to not say that about someone) That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or something else. Possibly they were thinking that if God did raise their body from the dead, that it would be just like their current body only without any frailties, and would simply last forever. Paul is saying concerning plants: what one sows, is not what grows. Similarly, your resurrected body will not be like your physical body. Ac...
Good morning. Why are we also in danger every hour? And then a very familiar verse: I affirm by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. Of course he does not mean that every day he died. However, in the book of Acts we see many times that he faced situations in which he could have been killed. If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? Was he talking about fighting with literal or figurative wild beasts? And then a statement that is the philosophy of most people of the world: if the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. If the dead are not raised, then this is it; who cares whether we do the right thing or not? And then a warning which too many Christians do not heed: do not be deceived - Bad company corrupts good morals. That is so true! While we cannot avoid the people of the world, they should not be our BFFs. There are many anecdotes, including myself, where spending time with an un...
Good morning. After Paul’s digression, we return to the thought that the Corinthians were concerned about their friends or relatives who had died earlier. Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? Exactly what is he talking about here - being baptized for the dead? My Bible says that the present tense suggests that at Corinth people were currently being baptized for the dead. But because Paul does not give any more information about the practice, no one knows for sure what he’s talking about. Many attempts have been made to interpret the concept, none of which are for certain. The passage does not say that Paul approved of the practice; just that he was using it to amplify his argument that the dead are raised. Father thank You for all that You have done for us. All we can do is to praise You every day for everything that You have done for us.
Good morning. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. Is this reigning Paul is talking about happening right now, or is it during the millennium? Of course it does not look like He is reigning right now. For He (the Father) has put all things in subjection under His (the Son’s) feet. But when He says, “all things are put in subjection”, it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. The book of Hebrews also has similar statements. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. Just like “wives be subject to your own husbands“, it does not mean that He is a voiceless slave to the Father. Father thank You that there is no fear of death to those who are believers. To quote from the movie The Mummy, “death is only the beginning”. Of course there it was not the beginning of somet...
Good morning. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. As a side note: Paul is saying that Jesus was not just God, He was also man. There are heresies that say He was not a man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in its own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming. According to the Rapture, all Christians who are already dead will be raised before the Great Tribulation. The verse continues: then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. That comes after the Millennium, i.e., 1000 years after the Tribulation. Father help us to be a great week for the reader. Help this to be a time of relaxation and fun with family.
Good morning. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. That makes sense. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. Is your head beginning to swim? For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. From what he says later, they must have had great concern about their friends or relatives who were Christians and had died earlier. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits (The first sheaf of the harvest given to the Lord as a token that all of the harvest belonged to the Lord and would be dedicated to Him) of those who are asleep. Jesus was just the first to be raised from the dead, not the only one. We will see next time that Pa...
Good morning. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Wow Paul. If you were not fit to be called an apostle, who was? It shows that no matter how low you go, God can still receive glory through you. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. It didn’t have to be the original apostles who preached to them. In fact, it did not have to be an apostle at all. Someone preached to them, and they believed. From Paul’s long logical argument that follows, apparently some were proclaiming that when Christians die that was it - there was no resurrection from the dead. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the...
Good morning. Now back to Paul’s description of what is meant by the Gospel: for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the 12. After that He appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. The gospel (good news) is: First, He died for our sins. We don’t have to do anything else other than to believe and receive it. That was especially good news for the Jews because they believed they had to do all the sacrifices and to “earn” their salvation. Second, He was buried for three days and nights. He didn’t just pass out and later revived. He was “most sincerely dead“. Third, He did not stay in the grave,...
Good morning. Paul then talks about women keeping silent in church 😇 . Of course that does not mean to not participate in a service verbally. In Acts it talks about Philip the evangelist having seven daughters who were prophetesses. Probably the key to this is when he says, if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home. He concludes the chapter by saying “therefore, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner”. Now I make known to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. So he is getting ready to tell us what the gospel (good news) is. Just because someone hears the gospel, does not mean that he or she receives it - remember the different types of soil upon which the seed was sown. He says that you are saved by i...
Good morning. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted. It does not say that all can be prophets, but that all may prophesy. If he’s talking about in one service, and I’m not sure that he is, that would definitely disprove the belief about only two or three prophesies occurring in a service (personally I believe that there should not be more than that to the entire body in a service; however, there could be more than that to individuals that are in the service). And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. Note again that he says prophets, and not ones who prophesy; however, it is also true of those who prophesy. In either case the individuals should be in total control - you are not compelled beyond your will to speak. There have been many times that I have “eaten a prophesy“ because it would disrupt the service. Father help the reader to be e...
Good morning. Back to the “let two or three prophets speak“: but if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. Now if it were talking about them prophesying, we would have the following scenario: One of them would be standing up saying something like this, “Thus saith the Lord…“ Right in the middle of him/her prophesying, another prophet would stand up, interrupting the prophecy because he/she had been given a revelation. That would be total chaos like Paul has been speaking against in a church service. I can think of a couple of other possibilities. The prophet is giving a “three point sermon“, while the other prophets are passing judgment on his/her message. (We forget that everything was new to them. They did not have the New Testament. They were getting OJT). In the middle of the message (some of which may be just the person’s opinion), God reveals something about the topic to another prophet seated which needs to be shared with the people. Ano...
Good morning. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. This has been used to say that like the “messages in tongues“ you should have at most two or three prophecies in the service. There are a couple of things to note. First of all, it says prophets. Just because you give a prophecy, does not mean that you are a prophet. You are just operating in that gift. If I remember correctly, Kenneth Hagan used to say that to be a prophet you had to operate in two or three other gifts of the Spirit also. I personally do not know what differentiates between someone who regularly operates in the gift of prophecy and one who is a prophet. What I do know is that like I’ve said before, too many people are going around proclaiming that they are a prophet. The second thing is that it says to let them speak; it does not say to let them prophesy. They are two different Greek words. In the book of Acts it talks about Judas and Silas, also being prophets encouraged and strengthen...
Good morning. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. Not long after I began participating in a Friday night Bible study, which later turned into that house church l spoke of before, I began giving the tongues part of “tongues with interpretation” (we call it a “message in tongues”, but that term does not occur in the Bible, merely tongues). I had no teaching or training on how to do it. My heart would begin racing for no apparent reason, and I would get the impression to speak out loud in tongues; so I just “let her fly“. For me the next step was not interpretation of tongues but prophecy. I did not give an interpretation of tongues until years later after I moved here. Notice that it says by two or at the most three, and not at the same time, which would produce confusion. One reason would be that the wh...
Good morning. Last time it was about someone entering a church, and everyone speaking in tongues. But if all prophesy (it doesn’t say whether everyone was prophesying at the same time, or one by one. Because of what follows, I assume the latter), and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he’s convicted by all, he’s called to account to by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed (if it were all at the same time, it would be hard for him to hear what was directed at himself); and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. So what should a church service be like? When you assemble, each one has a Psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. It sounds like Paul was expecting participation by everyone - maybe not all in one service, but over time they would. That is totally unlike today’s church services. Nowadays almost no one in the congregation participates like ...
Good morning. Do not be children in your thinking (remember last chapter: “when I was a child …”); yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers (seems to imply that speaking in tongues was a natural outcome of being a believer); but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men (not exactly sure what is meant here, whether it means those who are saved but have not received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, or those do not operate in the gifts of the Spirit - specifically interpretation of tongues) or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? That would be a reasonable assumption and may be why Pentecostals get a bad reputation. Father make this a special weekend for the reader. Open his/her eyes to the future as to what he/she should do for his/her family.
Good morning. Continuing with the thought of only praying with the spirit: “otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “amen“ at you giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified”. Remember the goal of a church service is the building up of the body, not just yourself. OK Paul, so do you refrain from speaking in tongues? I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all (Southern translation - y’all); however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than 10,000 words in a tongue. This does not mean that you do not ever speak in your “prayer language“ in a church service. It does mean that it should not draw attention to yourself like the example I gave when I visited my friend’s Pentecostal church. Father thank You that if we follow the leading of Your Holy Spirit in a church ...
Good morning. So after yesterday, what should we do about praying in tongues? What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. We should do both, and not one to the exclusion of the other. What does he mean when he says sing with the spirit? What is that all about? Before I moved to this area 30 years ago, the churches I belonged to spent time in every service singing in the Spirit. It wasn’t this tiny bit that we occasionally do almost under our breath. It was the whole congregation joining in with full volume. (my roommate and I would even do that when we worshiped together at home) It wasn’t but a couple of minutes, but it seemed like longer. After we finished, everything was very still as we basked in the presence of the Holy Spirit. (None of the churches I have been in since I moved here do that. There is almost never a pause in the service.) After a few moments of silence, m...
Good morning. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Just praying in tongues without an interpretation can help flush out what is clogging up your spiritual pipeline; however it does not give you any direction as to what you should do. You need an interpretation. However, when you flush out your spiritual pipeline, many times the thought will come do your mind of exactly what you should do. There is this teaching out there that says go ahead and pray in tongues; pray that you may interpret; and then whatever comes to your mind is the interpretation of what you said in tongues. They are to then take that as coming straight from God. I’m not saying that it does not work for some people; but I am alarmed at the thought of most Christians doing that. They don’t have the spiritual maturity and/or are not well grounded in the word of God. You will hear something in your mind, but it’s proba...
Good morning. Paul mentions several items that if they make sounds only, what good will that be? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. If I then do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. He’s talking about using a learned language that the hearers do not understand. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. The whole purpose of a church service is to glorify God and to edify the body of believers. If you are speaking in your “prayer language”, out loud in a church service, you’ll be edified, but not the church. Father give the reader wisdom to help his/her family member. We know that You can make everything to work out for the good to those who believe and are c...
Good morning. So is Paul saying that we should not speak in tongues? Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than one speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. (when one operates in the gift of tongues, he or she does not have to worry about “is it correct, or am I using good grammar?” They simply “rear back and let her fly“) So is Paul talking about our daily speaking in tongues using our “prayer language“ as some call it; or is he talking about in a church service supplying part of a message to the people? Since he mentions the “one who prophesies”, it is probably in a church service to bring a message. What he says next seems to amplify that idea. But now, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will it profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or knowledge or prophecy or of teaching? Father help this to be a great day for the reader and help h...
Good morning. Today we continue with why Paul said “but especially that you may prophesy”. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation (King James - comfort). Remember that the one who speaks in a tongue speaks to God, not to men. In other words, The one who prophesies builds up other people, not themselves. That is why the pastor says that if a prophecy or interpretation of tongues puts down someone, it is probably not from God. On the other hand, the word exhortation can have with it the idea of “quit messing around and get your life straight“. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. So that is the crux of the matter - why Paul said “but especially that you may prophesy“. One may speak in tongues at any time (though not the gift of tongues), but normally, prophesying occurs in a church situation; though there are times when someone made prophesy outside of a church situation to a single individu...
Good morning. We ended last time with Paul saying to desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. Remember though, you must operate spiritual gifts in love or you are not benefited, even though the other person may have their need met. Why did he say “but especially that you may prophesy”? For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. He’s not talking about speaking in another “learned“ language, like French or German. True, if one spoke in a foreign language that no one there spoke, it would be a “mystery“. Only God would be able to understand what he or she said; but the mysteries that Paul is talking about are not mysteries just because people do not understand that language. They are mysteries because they are spiritual things that are unknown to the people in the church. Not long after I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I visited a church of a friend who was Pente...
Good morning. Happy Fourth of July! Finishing the “love“ chapter: Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. Once again, “then“ could not be when the New Testament had come in its complete form, because we do not know fully just as we have been fully known. So if “then“ refers to when the “perfect” comes, that would seem to suggest that the “perfect” coming was Jesus when He returns. Therefore you cannot use those verses to say that the gifts of the Spirit and tongues no longer exist. But now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. We need all three of these here on earth; but “when we all get to heaven” (“what a glorious day that will be”), we won’t need faith or hope. Faith and hope are for when you cannot see or touch that for which you are believing. When Jesus returns, we will experience everything that we are believing and hoping for. Faith and hope may fail (many people experience times when they ca...
Good morning. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. My Bible says that the imagery is of a polished metal (probably bronze) mirror in which one could receive only an imperfect reflection in contrast to seeing the Lord directly and clearly in heaven. That is so true. No matter how “mature“ we’ve become in the Lord, we still only see dimly. What about the word “then“? When is “then“? The closest reference is “when the perfect comes”. If that is what it is talking about, the “perfect“ could not be the New Testament in its complete form, because we don’t yet see “face to face”. Again, if the “perfect“ is Jesus, then tongues and the gifts of the Spirit have not yet ceased. Father help us to see You clearly and to be conformed to the image you see us being.
Good morning. Love never fails. Everything else may fail, but love does not. Paul then lists some things that will “fail“; that is, disappear. But if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. These are things that are important in the “here and now”; but there will come a time when they won’t be necessary. Then they will no longer exist. There are some groups that try to use these verses to say that the gifts of the Spirit no longer exist, and that tongues for every day personal use no longer exists. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. These people say that the “perfect“ is the New Testament in its complete present form. Therefore we don’t need these things; and they have ceased. We will return to that idea later. Father You are love, and You never fail.
Good morning. Love: does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Even when it does not fit our narrative, we should always abide in truth. Love - bears (covers) all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. When we are walking in love, we should want to believe the best in others, instead of the worst. We should not be quick to shun them. It does not mean that we put on blinders when it comes to the action of others. It means that we should not assume the worst in people, but rather desire that there is really good in them and in their intentions. Again we don’t turn a blind eye to peoples’ actions. We have seen too many cases where a parent believes that their child can do no wrong, when we have seen the wrong actions ourselves. That is not what we mean. We should believe for the best in others. Enduring of things does not mean putting up with bad behavior. No matter what happens to us or to the other person, we should continue our love ...