New Testament / 1 Corinthians

  • Proclaiming the Lord’s Death

    1 Corinthians 11:26

    We cannot live without food and drink, and the use of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper is to remind us that we cannot survive without the death and resurrection of our Savior. As we eat the bread ...Read More

  • Rising from the Dust

    1 Corinthians 15:35–49

    Unfortunately, many early Christians found it hard to get rid of the Greek philosophical notion that matter is bad while spirit is good. That is not a biblical concept. The earth and all on it, including human beings, was originally ...Read More

  • Selfless Love

    1 Corinthians 13:4-5

    Do you struggle with a short temper? Are you quick to exaggerate things and make the worst out of any and all circumstances? The antidote to these things is remembering the patience of our Creator. He did not wipe us ...Read More

  • Selfless Love

    1 Corinthians 13:4–5

    The hardest people to be courteous to are the people who know us the best. How often are we rude and irritable with our spouses and children even as we exercise a great deal of self-control with those who are ...Read More

  • Shades of Gray

    1 Corinthians 10:31

    Though the Spirit grants us new life in Christ, this does not mean we immediately overcome our ignorance of God’s ways. Instead, the Spirit works through Scripture, illuminating it as we read and hear it so that we might ...Read More

  • Speaking Sacramentally

    1 Corinthians 10:1–4

    Speaking sacramentally, we refer to the bread as the body of Christ and the wine as His blood in order to proclaim that He is truly present when we sit at His table. Ours is a supernatural faith, and we ...Read More

  • The Authority of the Church

    1 Corinthians 5

    Today’s passage is a proof text for question and answer 85 of the Heidelberg Catechism, which deals with how church discipline opens and shuts the door to the kingdom of heaven. Excommunication shuts the door by declaring that the ...Read More

  • The Blessedness No One Has Imagined

    1 Corinthians 2:9–10

    The first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. In glory, we will enjoy God face to face and experience His loveliness and holiness directly ...Read More

  • The Body of Christ

    1 Corinthians 12:12–31

    In summarizing today’s passage and the communion of saints, answer 55 of the Heidelberg Catechism says that “each member should consider it a duty to use these [spiritual] gifts … for the service and enrichment of the other members.” One ...Read More

  • The Carnal Christian

    1 Corinthians 3:1–4

    Being conformed to the image of Christ does not happen quickly. There is no secret formula for victory over the flesh or a second blessing that creates instant maturity. One of the most important means for growing to maturity is ...Read More

  • The Church is Holy

    1 Corinthians 1:2

    Through the blood of Christ, God sees His church as holy, although He is by no means ignorant of the sin that persists in our lives. Yet this declaration of holiness gives us confidence that we can make real progress ...Read More

  • The Covenant Fulfilled

    1 Corinthians 15:20-24

    We say we are saved by grace alone — which is absolutely true. But this grace is only available to us at Christ’s expense. Only because He came and perfectly fulfilled the covenant of works could God graciously impute His ...Read More

  • The Everlasting Reign

    1 Corinthians 15:20–28

    Even as the world seems to get darker and darker we can be sure of one thing — that Jesus is on His throne and nothing is happening apart from His kingly authority. His sovereign reign allows us to trust Him ...Read More

  • The Form of Worship

    1 Corinthians 14:26–40

    Take some time today to consider the liturgy used in your own church. Have its different elements become meaningless to you, things you do without consideration? Or, do you take care to contemplate the significance of the words you speak ...Read More

  • The Importance of Communion

    1 Corinthians 11:27–34

    Few churches enjoy Holy Communion on a weekly basis. Some claim that to do so would demean its meaning by becoming common. Yet we gather every week to worship God. Others say it would be impractical. Discuss with your pastor ...Read More