Simpler Bible

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus and then opens with a beautiful statement on the purpose of affliction and comfort. In the space of five verses, Paul mentions comfort ten times.

Paul also mentions "boasting" very early on, in verse 12. At least, that is the word the ESV uses. But the concept is clearly sprinkled throughout the entire letter of Paul. "Our boast" is intended to contrast the boasting of the false teachers.

Paul really kicks this letter into high gear with the last verse of chapter 2, "For we are not like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ." And we will pick up here tomorrow.

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Every now and again, you will meet a so-called Christian who says, "But even if Jesus is not real, I'll still believe." They typically add something biblically ridiculous like, "If I'm wrong in my belief in Jesus, then I've lost nothing, but if you're wrong in your disbelief about Jesus, you have lost everything." NO! Christian, hear me, hear Paul say, "If we have hope in Christ in this life alone, we are above all men most to be pitied." We've been fools to believe if there is nothing to believe in.

Without the resurrection, everything else becomes moot. This is why we see several places in the book of Acts where the people were engaged with the message of the preacher up to the point of the resurrection being proclaimed. The resurrection was always the dividing point of the story. The resurrection was always the part that divided the crowd. Believing in the resurrection of Jesus is the key to salvation. "If we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved." Without the resurrection of the Lord and belief in that fact, there can be no salvation.

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Paul reminds them that without love (remember the gifts were for the building up and encouragement of the body), their gifts were worthless. So you might have the "higher" gifts, but that gift was made void if not used according to the love of God. There are people with spiritual gifts today, like preaching or tongues, who get a little bit too big for their own britches and believe their gift is THE gift of the church. And, abandoning love and the equipping of the body, they have shown that their gift now has no value before God at all.

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

I was also taught to take the test seriously enough to know that whatever "gift" I scored the highest on was MY gift, and I was told it probably wouldn't change. But that isn't how Corinthians reads to me. The Spirit gives gifts as he sees fit, and then God arranges those gifts in the body as he desires. I'm not saying people will have a new gift every six months, but I do believe, contrary to what I was taught growing up, that the Spirit may see fit to give me a gift tomorrow that I have not previously had.

And what are the gifts all for: The building up of the body. That's the other thing that I think I missed as a youth. Whatever gift I have and wherever God has placed me is for the good of the body of Christ and not for myself alone. That being said, I think there are a lot of believers, all with a spiritual gift, who just sit passively in their church communities without ever considering how they might benefit the body as a whole. Just imagine how effective the body of Christ would be if we all used the gifts the Spirit had given us.

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Still, Paul points out that it is not sinful to eat meat sacrificed to idols. The aim of the conversation is not whether eating meat sacrificed to idols is right or wrong but that the soul of the nonbeliever or immature believer must be of more importance to the mature believer. The gospel has to matter more than the liberty of the mature believer. Remember, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

That last statement is an important verse and one that is usually memorized early on for someone trying to know the Scripture well. However, let us keep sight of the intent of this verse. Don't miss the overall context. "Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God... that they may be saved." So then my actions are not restricted at all by this law or that one, for I have freedom in Christ, but my freedom must always come second to the gospel opportunities set before me. Paul desired more that the people would come to salvation than that his rights be upheld and broadcast. And that is a good example for us to follow. Even Paul says in the very next verse, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Corinth, like much of the rest of the world, was full of idolatry. Some in the church who had come to salvation in Christ were still eating meat sacrificed to idols with the understanding that an idol had no real authority or power. However, the new and/or immature believers had not yet come to that position in their faith journey and, having witnessed some believers eating meat sacrificed to idols, had come to believe that they were worshipping Jesus and the idols of Corinth.

The "strong" believers were less concerned with the building up of their newer brothers and sisters in Christ and more concerned with eating whatever they wanted to from the position of freedom in Jesus.

Paul warns, "Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." Paul then immediately gives a couple of examples of "rights" he has laid down for the gospel's sake. Paul put aside the right to take along a believing wife, and he laid aside the right to demand payment from the Corinthians for his ministry there. The point of putting these rights aside was not because Paul believed them to be unimportant but because he believed the gospel of Jesus to be of greater importance. Paul's freedoms and rights came secondary to the goal of proclaiming the good news of Jesus.

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Paul would prefer that people have single-minded devotion to the Lord, but we cannot deny, nor would we try to, that God created marriage in the opening pages of the Bible to image him. So, marriage is for the glory of God, and singleness is for the glory of God. But if someone considers their singleness a gift, then they are more easily free from distractions so that they might honor God.

If you will consider chapter seven an answer to the problem of the sin in chapter five, I think this section of Corinthians will make a little more sense to you.

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

You will notice that Paul doesn't pull any punches when dealing with the sinful man but says instead, "Don't even eat with such a one as this" and "Purge the evil person from among you." The sexual sin and the church's apparent inability to address it are the topics of discussion in the next chapter.

Paul begins by shaming the Corinthians for daring to take spiritual matters before the unspiritual courts of the world. He queries, "Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between brothers." Indeed, being called "stupid" by Paul is more than just a little unpleasant.

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes

Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

What's in Store: Daily podcasts, YouTube videos, and blog posts – everything you need to make your Bible study a breeze, no matter where you are on your faith journey.

Connect with Us:

Don't Miss Out: Hit subscribe for a daily dose of Bible wisdom. Let's explore the Scriptures together, connect the dots, and uncover the major themes of redemption.

Join us in making Bible study Simpler!

Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Paul applied all of these things to himself and Apollos, "That you may learn not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another." You will see that the Corinthians were quite proud of what they knew, the sin they allowed, the food they ate, and the gifts they had from the Holy Spirit. But we will see that more in the coming days.

The text that changed everything for me was 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. I used to teach that to whatever crowd I found myself in front of. I am now convinced, for the reasons I gave in the video, that those particular verses deal with the laborers and not the "field" or the "building."

For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes