Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
In 1Corinthians 7 Paul turns to God’s purpose for sexuality and his discussion could be the “poster child” for the importance of understanding the context. I hope you’re enjoying 1Corinthians as much as I am. I’m particularly encouraged by your emails, tweets, and the many new subscribers! I love hearing from you!
In 1 Corinthians 7:7-11, Paul addresses the widows and widowers, telling them both singleness and marriage are good gifts from God. Then he addresses those considering divorce as a way to please God.
The podcast is on break this week for some much need rest and relaxation. In the meantime, here are 16 things to do during the break.
In Corinthians 7, Paul turns to answering specific question the Corinthians asked. The first question concerns the place of sexuality. Paul corrects their view that married people should be celibate.
With 1 Corinthians 4, we finished the first major section of 1Corinthians and moved into some of Paul’s more challenging teaching on issues like sexual immorality, lawsuits between believers, and what separates believers from the world. As we waded into deep theological waters, we’ve seen the overwhelming importance of context, especially when his argument crosses multiple chapters. Thanks for listening and emailing! Welcome new subscribers!
Paul argues that the pursuit of sexual purity is a necessary part of following Christ, because we belong to him in a profound way and God created sexuality with a specific meaning.
Paul counters two arguments the Corinthians used to justify their choices: “all things are lawful” and “food is for the stomach.”
Should believers take other believers to secular law court? Paul confronts the Corinthian church for doing so. But like the other issues he’s addressed, Paul is more concerned with the attitudes behind their taking legal action.
When you recruit feedback from your students at the end of a Bible study year, don’t forget to solicit feedback from your leaders.
Continuing his discussion of the man having an affair with his stepmother, Paul uses a common biblical analogy that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. What exactly is he telling us about the church?
You can now find a resource page for every book of the the New Testament on WitW! These pages contain links to maps, background information, charts, overviews, introductions, encyclopedias and key words to help you do your own inductive study! I hope you find them useful. On the podcast, I plan teach through 1Corinthians 8, take a break and return to 1Corinthians. Thanks for listening and emailing!
Paul confronts the Corinthian church about their attitude toward a man having an affair with his stepmother. Paul is concerned with the blatant disregard of God’s law by the man in question, and even more concerned with the attitude the church is taking toward his behavior.
Paul concludes the first major section of this letter by urging his readers to repent and imitate him in following Christ and look foolish to the world.
The first day of Bible study typically requires a lot of teamwork and cooperation. You probably need leaders to sign up for both refreshments and tasks. Here’s two example sign up forms.
Should we expect rewards in heaven for our behavior in this life? If 1 Corinthians 3 does NOT teach that we will receive rewards in heaven, are there other passages which do teach that doctrine?
1 Corinthians: A 47-week Bible Study podcast on Paul’s letter to the Corinthians from the podcast Wednesday in the Word with Krisan Marotta
Some claim that Scripture teaches believers will receive various crowns in heaven based on their works in this life. We look at two key themes Scripture teaches, and two main mistakes we can make in studying these passages.
1Corinthians 3:10-17 is frequently cited as one of the places that Scripture teaches believers will receive various rewards or crowns in heaven. The context indicates otherwise. Paul is issuing a warning to leaders in the church.
You can now find a resource page for every book of the the New Testament on WitW! These pages contain links to maps, background information, charts, overviews, introductions, encyclopedias and key words to help you do your own inductive study! I hope you find them useful. On the podcast, I plan teach through 1Corinthians 8, take a break and return to 1Corinthians. Thanks for listening and emailing!
Hebrews frequently quotes more passages from the Old Testament but some of them are hard to identify. Here are the places where the author of Hebrews quotes the Old Testament.
Paul explains how the Corinthians should view Apollos and himself – as fellow-servants of God. His explanation has far-reaching implications for the American church today.
Everything you need to kick start your study of the Epistle to the Hebrews: maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study.
1Corinthians 3:1-4 have been at the center of a theological debate over whether we can have victory of sin in our lives now. One side argues that Paul believes “carnal Christians” will be saved but not sanctified because they have not learned to appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The other side says there is no such thing as “carnal Christians.” I will attempt to you show you from context which side is right and which side is wrong.
This list of the places the psalms are quoted in the New Testament includes both allusions and direct quotations.
Paul argues that the message he preaches is in fact wisdom because it is revelation from God. The gospel is not something we would figure out on our own.
The itinerary of Paul’s three missionary journeys on 1 map and in 1 chart with links to background information on the cities and the reference in Acts.
Paul argues that when he was in Corinth he didn’t seek to impress them with flashy rhetoric and charisma, rather he taught them wisdom from God, so that their confidence would rest in the power of God.
I hope you’re enjoying 1Corinthians as much as I am! I think every Bible teacher and serious Bible student should understand 1Corinthians 1-4, not only for their content, but for what they teach us about how to study the Bible. I’ve particularly enjoyed your questions and comments! Thanks for listening and emailing!
Everything you need to kick start your study of the Book of Acts: maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study.
As he discusses this issue of changing the gospel message to make it more attractive to the world, Paul says let’s consider what happened when I first preached the gospel in Corinth. Let’s consider your calling. What we can learn from it? Our boast is that we belong to God — not because we were smart enough to find Him; but because He was merciful enough to find us.
Paul argues that those who live in rebellion to God will see the cross as foolishness. There’s no way to spin the gospel to change that. If you re-package the gospel to make it attractive to rebels, it is no longer the gospel.
As part of the deeper issues of why factions are developing in the Corinthian church, Paul tells us he’s grateful that he baptized few people in Corinth. His discussion gives us a window into the place of baptism.
Ray Stedman was one of the twentieth century’s foremost pastors and biblical expositors. He was my first pastor. Many of his books and his wife Elaine’s books are now free online. The first two on the list are my favorites.
1Corinthians 1-4 are one of the best examples of why it’s necessary to study an entire letter rather than sets of verses here and there. We won’t accurately understand Paul unless we understand the situation into which he was writing.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study both Paul’s epistle to Titus.
In the greeting of 1 Corinthians, Paul introduces 3 themes of the letter: 1) Paul is an authoritative emissary for Jesus Christ; 2) God chose Paul for this role; and 3) speech and knowledge are gifts from God that we ought to view wisely. We’ll also contrast 2 ways to approach studying this letter. One perspective finds little value in some of the practical problems. The other perspective leads to wisdom that can be applied to any situation.