Daily Inspirations

  Good morning. Remember that Paul just said that there were divisions among them. Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper; for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. It sounds like they were having the old fashion dinner on the ground; but instead of after the service, it sounds like it was before it got started. They were more interested in eating and socializing than they were in remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus through communion. For I received from the Lord (from the detail which follows, it sounds like it was during one of the times when Jesus appeared to Paul) that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when ...

  Good morning. Paul then goes through several more verses talking about men/women praying or prophesying with their head covered. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. He talks about long hair for men/women. But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. When you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. (remember that he has already dealt with them saying “I am of this one” or “I am of that one”) For there must be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. Can you believe that – that there “must” be factions among us? You only hear about how we must be united and nothing about there being factions. Of course the truth shines a light on divisions in the church. If you don’t hear truth from the pulpit, then it’s easy for everyone to get along; but there will be no spiritual...

  Good morning. Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. At first that seems arrogant – we would never have the audacity to tell someone to do that of us. However it does say as Paul imitated Christ, not everything he did. I praise you because you hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. Now traditions in the church can be a bad thing. A church has been doing a certain thing for dozens of years. When it was first started, it may have been a great thing; but now they dare not do anything differently, and anyone who suggests doing something different is a heretic. The traditions Paul is talking about are those from the beginning of the church on the day of Pentecost. And now what many have made to be a controversial verse. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Some have used that verse to say that whatever the husband says, the wife must submit to it without ...

  Good morning. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? The Catholics believe that the communion (wine) is turned into the actual blood of Jesus. Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? They believe that it is turned into the actual body of Christ. We believe that it symbolizes both. Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Paul then goes back again talking about things sacrificed to idols. Then: Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. He goes back to talking about eating meat sacrificed to idols. Then: Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. If only we practiced that every day of our lives, we would never do anything wrong. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved. ...

  Good morning. In context, the following verse is talking about situations similar to those that came upon the Israelites when they had a “bad hair day” and rebelled against the Lord; but it is apropos to things that we are tempted to do in our everyday lives. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Part of the reason that I said that in context it was talking about what the Israelites went through is the use of the word endure. You normally do not talk about enduring temptation; but that is exactly what they did not do – they did not endure the situations, but rather rebelled against the Lord. However, the verse is true in our everyday lives. We are tempted to do some thing. We feel like we cannot resist it; but God will show us a way out – to not succumb to the temptation. It ...

  Good morning. Paul continues telling of the different instances in which the Israelites sinned and complained about what they went through in the wilderness. He even tells what awful things came upon them and sometimes mentions how many died. These things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. As you have heard many times, history repeats itself. We need to make sure that that history does not repeat itself with us. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. If you read the accounts Paul talks about, you will see that they became arrogant instead of humble. They acted like they did all of the miracles and not God. The same thing can happen to Christians today. God performs some miracle in their lives or for their church, and they take credit for it. They get what we call a “big head“. Then they won’t listen to God when He tells them to change something in their lives. Father...

  Good morning. Paul now goes back to Israel‘s experience during and right after the exodus. Our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and that rock was Christ. All of those things were symbolizing what Christians go through. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Even though they had what they had dreamed of all of their lives in Egypt, they were still not satisfied with what God gave them. Too many Christians are the same way. At the time they get saved, they rejoice greatly because of what they were brought out of. But after a relatively short time, they go back to behaving the way they did before they got saved and complain about “what God has done to them”. They got zapped in the wildernes...

  Good morning. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. When people are in a physical race, they don’t just lollygag; they put forth full effort and try to win. We should do that also in our Christian life. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Their reward will soon fade away, but ours will last forever. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air. We should not be living our lives aimlessly; but we should have a purpose, and everything we do should be to fulfill that purpose. I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. Sometimes we have to reject the desires of our physical body in order to achieve a higher goal. Our body wants to eat, but we need to fast. Our body wan...

  Good morning. The Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. So he was saying that he and Barnabas should not have to take care of themselves. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. Paul had no choice but to preach the gospel. It wasn’t just a job to him; he was divinely directed to preach by the Lord Jesus Christ. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. And then he lists various categories in which he behaved acceptably to both sides of the issue. However, he did not compromise himself or the gospel. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Father help us to do the things necessary to bring others to Christ without compromising the gospel. Help u...

  Good morning. Paul then gets a little heated under the collar. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Apparently there were some people who were questioning his apostleship. My defense to those who examine me is this: do we not have a right to eat and drink? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Most ministers who came to churches in a city expected the churches to take care of them financially. It appears that some were saying that Paul and Barnabas needed to take care of themselves. He continues on making the case that he and Barnabas had a right to not have to work to take care of themselves; instead to concentrate on ministering to the people. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we e...

  Good morning. Remember we are talking about doing things that other Christians might think is wrong. For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food (doing something that my fellow Christian thinks is wrong, but I believe is right) causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat (do that thing) again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble. In today’s world, probably the most obvious example would be whether or not to drink alcoholic beverages. One Christian might think that it is OK to drink alcoholic beverages, and there are many who do, but a Christian who does not believe that with whom he/she associates sees that Christian drinking. He/she might either condemn that Christian or think that is OK for themselves to drink. Remember that whatever is not from faith is sin. Our tendency is to say, ...

  Good morning. In the following, Paul is talking about meat being sacrificed to idols, which in itself does not apply to us, but some of the things he says about that have applications in general to us. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. That is so true and is very evident in today’s world. If someone thinks they know more than you, they think that makes them better than you, and that your opinion is worthless. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. The following is about meat sacrificed to idols, but it is applicable to things in our lives. I will paraphrase what Paul says. Take care that this liberty of yours (to do something that other Christians might think is wrong) does not somehow become a stumbling block to the ...

  Good morning. Remember the last statement: he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. You were bought with a price (just as a slave is bought); do not become slaves of men. Of course Christ paid the ultimate price for us. Some people had no choice as to whether or not to become slaves of men. Others because of economic necessity became slaves of men. Each is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called. I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. (That does not mean that Paul thought it would be true for all time). Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you marry, you have not sinned. Similarly for virgins. He then makes the argument that those that are married, men or women, are concerned about pleasing their spouse. Those that are not are concerned about pleasing the Lord. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a rest...

  Good morning. Paul then goes through a discussion about believers being married to unbelievers; that they should not divorce them simply because they are unbelievers. However, if the unbeliever desires to leave, they should let them, since the believer has no guarantee that the unbeliever will eventually come to the Lord. Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Of course that is impossible, and is just hyperbole. But the next statement would be possible: has anyone been called in  uncircumcision? He’s not to be circumcised. There was a lot of pressure from Jewish Christians upon the Gentiles to adopt all of the religious ways of the Jews in order to become Christians. We talked about that in Acts. Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; li...

  Good morning. Remember last time: the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? In chapter 3 he talked about the collective body of Christ being a temple of the Holy Spirit; now he’s talking about the individual person’s body being a temple of the Holy Spirit. For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. If we were constantly conscious of God dwelling inside of us, would we even dare to sin like we do? It reminds us of Watchman Nee’s book “Practicing the Presence of Jesus”. He then talks about the marriage relationship. Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am (unmarried). However, each man has his own gift from God. But I say to the unmarried (FYI this is a masculine noun) and to widows that is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. Father help us to always ...

  Good morning. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. It’s one thing for God to raise His Son from the dead (which is understandable); but it’s so much more that He would raise us from the dead. We are not just an afterthought. Since our bodies are to be raised from the dead, we should keep ourselves in holiness. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Our complete selves (spirit, soul, and body) belong to God. The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Paul then urges us to - flee immorality. You cannot cozy up next to it and expect to remain victorious. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. The next verse, which we will look at next time, expands on what this means. Father thank You that we are one spirit with You. Help us to keep our eye...

  Good morning. Last time Paul listed a bunch of despicable people and said they would not inherit the kingdom of God. He then says: such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified (note that all are in the past tense) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. So there is hope for all. You don’t have to be perfect to become a Christian. God will transform you and renew your mind. Of course it is much more than that – it is a transforming of your heart. But if your mind is not transformed, it will get in the way and put you in the mindset where you will want to do the old things. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. This should be our attitude at all times. In all situations, we should be in charge, not the activity or substance. Even if in itself it is OK, the fact that we can’t do without it is a warning sign. We are...

  Good morning. I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! That’s pretty harsh, Paul. Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? Could we do that? Would we be willing to give up our belongings that someone might take away from us without any fighting back? Would we be willing to “take one for the team“? I doubt it. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; (he then lists a bunch of despicable types of people that we would consider to be sinners) will not inherit the kingdom of God. But we will see next time that there is good news for these people. Father help this to be a great week for the reader and his/her family. Give him/her peace and patience in the midst of storm.

  Good morning. Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? My Bible says that it is probably talking about property disputes, and not criminal ones. The Romans allowed them to do that, but not when it was a criminal case. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? Would you be willing to trust in the members of the church to make the right decision about some property dispute you had with another member of the church? Probably not in today’s world. How about the statement that we are to judge the world and angels? Does that seem possible to you? So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? That is eye-opening. How many Christians think ...

  Good morning. Therefore let us celebrate the feast (not just during Passover), not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote you not to associate with immoral people; I did not mean those of this world, for then you would have to go out of the world. I wrote to not associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or… - not even to eat was such a one. Again, this is part of the “shunning” process. What have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? Remember that bad company corrupts good morals. Why, because it always spreads to the entire church. There are two extremes. Some accept everyone no matter what kind of lifestyle they have; and the other extreme immediately condemns those who even have a hint of what the accusers think is wrong (not necessarily what the Bible says is wrong). Those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man fr...

  Good morning. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? This probably refers back to the procedure right before Passover. Many times in the Scriptures, leaven represented sin. So before Passover began, they made sure that there was no leaven whatsoever in the house. They would sweep it just to make sure. If there was even a tiny speck of leaven in the dough, the dough would have to be thrown out. Similarly, there’s no such thing as a “little sin” in your life. Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. This verse is one of the reasons why I believe that the last supper was not the Passover meal. If it were the Passover meal, then Jesus our Passover sacrifice died 24 hours after the Passover lambs were sacrificed. Father help us to clean out all the old leaven of sin in our lives. Help us to start each day a pure and fresh lump o...

  Good morning. Remember last time that Paul said he was going to find out the power of those who were arrogant. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. You can give all kinds of fancy “teachings”, but they are useless if there is no power in you or in what you say. The Gospel has transforming power. It can not only bring about healings and so on, but it can also bring a change in your heart and your attitude. He then goes through the thing about someone among them having his father’s wife (not talking about his mother – stepmother). Paul gets a bit “hot under the collar“. I on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, I have already judged him who has committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan (my Bible says that means to put him out of the church, so that he does not have the fellowship o...

  Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...

  Good morning. Back to those who are arrogant: For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast is if you had not received it? All of that is why they are arrogant. Paul then gets sarcastic: you are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. For I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. My Bible says that the word spectacle in Greek means theater. Paul is referring to the gladiatorial contests in the arena or perhaps to the triumphal procession of a victorious Roman general. He pictures all the world and even angels looking on while the apostles are brought in last to fight to the death. How would you like to live your life that way with everyone rooting for your failure or demise? Fathe...

  Good morning. Last time Paul said that it was no big deal if he were examined by them or anyone else, and that he was conscious of nothing against himself. It was the Lord who was to examine him. And so what should we do? Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. Ultimately, God is the one who will judge. However, as the old saying goes: we are to be fruit inspectors. Is the one ministering bearing the fruit of the Spirit? If not, then their ministry is suspect. Now these things I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. Sometimes Christians who follow certain “evangelists” think that theirs is better than others’, which ...

 Good morning. So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (not us belonging to some leader) or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. Some ministers think that they deserve special privileges and don’t have to lift a finger. But Paul says about himself: let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. We should listen to others, because they may see something wrong in us that we do not see. However, just because they think we are doing something wrong does n...

  Good morning. Let no man deceive himself. Did you realize that you can deceive yourself? We do that all the time in the natural. We want something so badly that we come up with all kinds of reasons or excuses to justify obtaining it. “If we buy this or that, we can use it for God’s glory”. In the end though we are just deceiving ourselves. If any man among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. Say what? Remember that in the beginning of Corinthians we were talking about the difference between the wisdom of this world and God‘s wisdom. It is foolishness to believe in the power of the cross, but that is where true wisdom lies. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness.”; and again, “the Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.“ In the book of James, he says that the wisdom of this world cannot compare to the wisdom from above...

  Good morning. Now we come to a couple of verses that are commonly misapplied. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. Sometimes people apply these verses to an individual’s body. However, Paul has just been talking about building the church. In chapter 6 he is talking about your own personal body. My Bible says that when it says temple of God, Paul is talking about God’s church. Paul does not mean here that each of his readers is a temple of the Holy Spirit. He says, “you yourselves (plural in Greek) are God‘s temple (singular in Greek)”. All of us together are a holy temple of God. Here he is not talking about each of us individually being God‘s temple. If you ruin God’s church, He will ruin you. Father help us to always work together to build Your church, not to tear it down. Keep the Destroyer and his allies from e...

  Good morning. All right so we have laid the correct foundation for the church – Jesus Christ; now what? Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; but the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. The one building upon the foundation chooses which materials they’re going to use to build with. Even though the foundation is solid, if the builder uses flimsy materials, the house will not stand during a storm (I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down). It may be “cheaper“ to use wood, hay, or straw; but they won’t last. Paul just said it would be tested with fire: if any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer a loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. My Bible says that that last statement is perhaps a Greek prov...

  Good morning. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. Paul was the one that helped start the Corinthian church. He laid the foundation, which is what an apostle does. If the foundation is bad, the building won’t stand up under a storm. You remember Jesus talking about the man that built his house upon the foundation of sand. But just laying a good foundation is not enough. If the ones building upon the foundation do not do a good job, the building will also collapse. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. If you lay a foundation of good works etc. instead of Christ, the building will not stand. It will crumble at the least disturbance. Once the foundation is laid, then one must choose what type of materials to use the build the building. Of course there is a parallel with our own lives. The ...

  Good morning. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. The building of a church generally takes more than one person. Each one is important for a particular stage of the work. In the end, no matter how many or how great the people that build, the church will be nothing without God causing the growth. So then neither is the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Therefore no one can claim that it was their doing that established the church. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God‘s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. God used several different ways of describing His church. Each way gives a different aspect of the meaning of the word church. It’s OK to expand a little bit on the interpretation of those different ways. Sometimes people will take it too far and make generalizations that really don’t exist in real life. Fa...