The Life and Times of the Early Church

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 8:1-13.

Paul addresses an issue that on the surface may appear to have little to do with us today—eating food that has been offered to idols.

Given how obscure a problem this is in our own culture it is tempting to breeze through this part, but if we look beneath the surface to the deeper truths Paul is teaching, we find several invaluable principles that can help us navigate through the gray areas of Christian living—the decisions we must regularly make that are not specifically addressed in the Scriptures.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 7:8-40.

Paul teaches God’s plan for marital relationships by addressing numerous situations that Christians might find themselves in. He talks about those who are widowed and those who are divorced.  He talks about those who are engaged to be married and those who have never been married. He talks about marriages between two believers and marriages between a believer and a non-believer. All of us will find ourselves somewhere in the mix.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 6:12—7:7.

Paul segues back into the broad area of sexual ethics, and he explains why sexual immorality is a particularly dangerous sin. He then teaches on sexual ethics in the marriage relationship.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 5:1—6:11.

Paul’s response to two reports he has heard about events in Corinth: the first is about a case of incest and the second is about believers filing lawsuits against other believers.

He also incidentally mentions a sin that is vigorously debated in our day and has led many to condemn the Apostle Paul and the Bible as homophobic.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 4:1-21.

Paul addresses a challenge the Corinthians were facing that Christians today must face: the human tendency to blend the teachings of the Bible with other wisdom sources we respect. Today we call it syncretism—the amalgamation of different religions, cultures or schools of thought. 

Paul offers the Corinthians (and us) an alternative. 

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 2:12—3:23.

Paul introduces the main point of his argument: The key to understanding God’s wisdom lies with the Holy Spirit.

He then develops this point by contrasting two different pairs of people: he compares Christians with non-Christians, and spiritual Christians with worldly Christians.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 1:18—2:11. 

Paul contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God and divides humanity into two camps: those who are in the process of perishing and those who are in the process of being saved.  

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

An introduction to First Corinthians and a verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 1:1-17.

Paul’s opening words appeal for unity and communicate some of the key issues he will address in the letter.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of Acts 19:17-41. 

The botched exorcism by the seven sons of Sceva creates chaos in Ephesus. Some residents turn to the Lord, while others become enraged because Paul’s ministry is disrupting the local trade market and the sales of magical wares. The confrontation culminates in a riot.

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!

A verse-by-verse study of Acts 18:18—19:16.  

An account of how the church in Ephesus was planted. The city is filled with magicians and pagan worship, and this passage highlights an incident between seven wannabe exorcists and a man filled with numerous demons. The encounter does not end well for the seven sons of Sceva. 

May the Lord bless your study of His Word!