I love that Paul calls Jesus the “Divine Yes” in today’s readings in Second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 19 in the NLT! Here are verses 18 through 20 in the NIV – “But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.” Amen! Do you realize that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises in the Old Testament? The Law pointed to Jesus in the OT and the Law is fulfilled in Jesus. The sacrificial system pointed to Jesus in the OT and the sacrificial is fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is indeed the Divine Yes! In your life each and every day, is Jesus your Divine Yes?
Worship Video: Today’s readings in Second Corinthians reminds me of the Matt Redman song “10,000 Reasons:”:
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today we begin Paul’s Second Letter to the church in Corinth! Corinth was a city known in the 1st century for its wealth and lust. It was a trade center with thousands of sailors who disembarked there. Its pagan temples encouraged the practice of sexual immorality along with idol worship. Thus, this was not an easy place for the early church! But clearly a place where the church was so needed! Below is a map of where Corinth is in Greece – it is about 48 miles west of Athens. And below that is a modern day photo of ancient remains of the pagan temple to Apollo from ancient Corinth:
~ Second Corinthians ~ Author: Paul the apostle Place: Ephesus Date: A.D. 57 Content: Paul’s earlier letter to the Corinthians had not settled all of the problems. It had some good effect upon them but much more remained to be done. In particular, Paul had to settle the problem concerning his own authority. Deep suspicions had been aroused concerning him, for what reasons we do not fully understand. But in great anguish Paul writes to reestablish his own apostolic authority. He also attempts to deal with some more practical matters, like supporting the poor believers elsewhere. Theme: Triumph over adversity is seen throughout this letter. It is a very personal one, written by one who loved his people but had been deeply wronged by them. As Paul catalogs the experiences of his life and the nature of the Christian ministry, it is possible to see the grace of God at work bringing good from evil. Satan is active, seeking to destroy God’s work, but God is greater still, establishing those who trust in him. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 25) More commentary on Second Corinthians is at this link. Below is “The Apostle Paul”, by the artist Rembrandt from the year 1657:
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in Second Corinthians chapter 1 titled “Why Bad things happen to God’s people” is at this link. Below is a great image for 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 from today’s readings from what looks to be Guatemala to me. (though maybe this picture is more South America/Andes region?) I had the good fortune to travel to Guatemala two years ago – and I miss it! It is a beautiful country with beautiful people!
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of The After’s wonderful song called “Light Up the Sky.” Here’s a great live version of this song:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray a prayer of praise to God, our Father of compassion and comfort! Pray that you will comfort those in your life who are in any trouble, with the comfort you yourself have received from God through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
New Testament – We wrap up Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians today! I like Paul’s instructions to the church in Corinth in chapter 16 verses 1 through 3 today: “Now about the money being collected for the Christians in Jerusalem: You should follow the same procedures I gave to the churches in Galatia. On every Lord’s Day, each of you should put aside some amount of money in relation to what you have earned and save it for this offering. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.” I love this last sentence! It made me smile. Paul knows how us humans are – back then and now – we like to procrastinate! We like to do things at the last minute if we can. Well, I concur with Paul that our giving to our churches should be a regular thing. With each pay check we should “put aside some amount of money in relation to what you have earned.” Really, as I think about it, giving of money to our churches with each paycheck is an act of worship. We are worshiping God with our finances. Let us not wait to give to our churches. Let us give faithfully and regularly with each paycheck God blesses us with!
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Paul’s Closing Words” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of the song “My Redeemer Lives” by Nicole C. Mullen: (she sings the first verse in Spanish, then transitions to English)
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today in First Corinthians chapter 15 verses 42 through 44 and 49 we read: “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. . . And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” Have you thought much about heaven? Have you considered life after death? Do you believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead? Do you believe that your body will be raised imperishable? That your body will raised in glory? In power? Do you believe that there is a spiritual body, just like we now know our earthly body? Are you looking forward to bearing the likeness of Jesus in heaven? On a side note, Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven” is a fantastic look at life after death for those whose lives have been surrendered to Jesus. Please please read this book if you haven’t yet! It will change your perspective on heaven!
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians 15 titled “A Refresher Course on the Resurrection of the Dead” is at this link.
Worship Video: Our First Corinthians chapter 15 readings about Jesus’ resurrection and our resurrection bodies have been amazing! They reminded me of the Chris Tomlin song “Home:”
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray in thanksgiving and anticipation for the day you will be raised imperishable through a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Pray in thanksgiving for God’s incredibly good gift of Heaven.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
We read beautifully true words from Paul today in First Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3 & 4: “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me–that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.” And then there are some interesting words from Paul in verses 17 through 19: “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished! And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world.” He immediately follows up these verses with this statement in verse 20: “But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again.” This is quite a chapter from Paul about the Resurrection of Jesus and the Resurrection of the dead! I think the key question we each need to ask ourselves is: do you believe that Jesus was born on this earth 2,000 years ago, is the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for your sins, and on the third day rose from the dead? This is the question on which all of Christianity – and your personal faith in Jesus – hinges. So, what say you?
In verses 5 through 8 today six resurrection appearances of Jesus’ are mentioned. Below is a full list of Jesus’ resurrection appearances from Zondervan’s NIV Study Bible: 1. The empty tomb (not an appearance per se – but no body was in the tomb – the first indication of the resurrection) 2. To Mary Magdalene in the garden 3. To the other women 4. To two people going to Emmaus 5. To Peter 6. To the ten disciples in the upper room 7. To the 11 disciples in the upper room (including Thomas this time – see painting below) 8. To seven disciples fishing on the Sea of Galilee 9. To the 11 disciples on a mountain 10. To more than 500 11. To James 12. To the disciples at His ascension 13. To Paul on the road to Damascus
One of my favorite paintings of a resurrection appearance of Jesus’ is by the Italian artist Caravaggio from the year 1603 titled “Doubting Thomas”:
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians 15 titled “A Refresher Course on the Resurrection of the Dead” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of Josiah Queen’s song “The Prodigal:”
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you wholeheartedly believe in the Resurrection of Jesus. Pray that you wholeheartedly believe in your resurrection after death, if you have a saving faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
The One Year Bible Companion book dives into the question “Does 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 mean that women should not speak in church services today?” I encourage you to pick up this book, as it is invaluable in going through the One Year Bible and covers great questions like this. I will share with you a little bit of their answer on this today – “Women have much to contribute and can participate in worship services. In the Corinthian culture, women were not allowed to confront men in public. Apparently some of the women who had become Christians thought that their Christian freedom gave them the right to question men in public worship. This was causing division in the church. Paul was asking the women not to flaunt their Christian freedom during worship. The purpose of Paul’s words was to promote unity, not to teach about women’s role in the church.” Thank you Tyndale for this Q & A.
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Spiritual Gifts and Self Control” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of Mountain People Worship’s song “My Heart Wants You:”
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
First Corinthians chapter 14 is an interesting chapter. I personally have not spoken in tongues – nor heard it as far as I know. But, I do know many people that have both spoken in tongues and heard it and have heard interpretations. I do think Paul makes it clear in this chapter that both speaking in tongues and prophecy are gifts. I do think we do well to pay attention to Paul’s conclusion to today’s readings in verses 15 through 17: “Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand. For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn’t help the other people present.” Bible.org’s commentary on speaking in tongues is at this link.
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “The Measure of a Gift” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of Matt Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name:”
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Based on our readings in First Corinthians chapter 14 today, I’m wondering if anyone has experiences with speaking in tongues that you’d be willing to share in the Comments section below? Feel free to post up anonymously without using your name or email if you’d like. Maybe you’ve experienced tongues yourself or have heard others speaking in tongues? I definitely don’t want to create any debates with this question. I’m just genuinely interested in hearing others thoughts or experiences regarding speaking in tongues? Thanks. Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today in First Corinthians chapter 13 we will read verses that you have likely heard many times at many weddings. It is the “Love” chapter of the Bible. This chapter goes way beyond just romantic or marital love – it gets at how we live our very lives each and every moment in relationship to all of creation. In verses 1 through 3 we read: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” How do these verses speak to you? Do you notice the juxtaposition of the concept of love and the concept of nothingness? Do you see that without love there is nothing? Do you believe that if we live our lives without love, we are nothing? Even if we have amazing spiritual gifts. Even if we have faith that can move mountains. Even if we give away all of our possessions to the poor. If we do not have love, we are nothing. We gain nothing. We give nothing. Do you see how important love is in our lives? Do you see that we must live each and every day from a starting point of love? Why do you suppose Paul spends this entire chapter telling us about the importance of love? Do you think that God is love and wants us to be love as well? I love (pun intended 🙂 how this chapter ends: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Amen and amen.
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “What Is This Thing Called Love?” is at this link and “But The Greatest of All These…” is at this link. (this second commentary link focuses in on “agape” love and is phenomenal – please read!)
Worship Video: Today’s readings in First Corinthians 13 inspired this beautiful song by Brandon Heath called “Love Never Fails:”
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that you are filled with Christ’s love. Pray that you are sharing and giving love to others in your life continually. Pray that love is the greatest gift that you receive and give each and every day.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
First Corinthians 12 is once again another amazing chapter in this book! Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ… it gets no better! I love verses 4 through 7: “Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” If you are a believer in Jesus as your Lord, do you believe that a spiritual gift has been given to you? Do you know what your spiritual gift is? Are you using your spiritual gift as a means of helping the entire church? (I think my spiritual gift is a gift that Paul did not write about in this chapter – the gift of blogging! 🙂
I love Paul’s discourse on the Body of Christ. Verse 26 stands out: “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” This makes me wonder about the Body of Christ in our world today. Do you think that there are Christians in our world today who are suffering? Who are starving? Who are being persecuted? Who are dying of disease? And… if there are Christians – part of the Body of Christ just as we are part of the Body of Christ – who are suffering, are we sharing in the suffering with them in any way, shape, or form? If we are not, are we ignoring part of our Body? As Casting Crowns put it in their big hit Christian song – “If we are the Body, why aren’t His hands healing? Why is His love not showing them there is a Way?” Why?
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Spirituality and Spiritual Gifts” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminds me of Third Day’s great song “Your Love Oh Lord!”
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Wow.. great verses from Paul today! I think most of us will recognize these words, or slight variations, as to how The Lord’s Supper happens at many churches today. It is beautiful to come across these words in verses 23 through 26 in the context of Paul’s overall letter to the Corinthians. It reminds me of how The Lord’s Supper comes upon us at church in the midst of our often busy / distracted lives. We so need to hear these words and so need to receive The Lord’s Supper: “For this is what the Lord himself said, and I pass it on to you just as I received it. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is givenfor you. Do this in remembrance of me.”In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and you, sealed by the shedding of my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.” How is The Lord’s Supper experience for you these days? Do you consciously take The Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus? Do you consciously realize when you participate in The Lord’s Supper you are announcing Jesus’ death until he comes again?
Paul’s teachings in verses in 27 through 29 are something for us to take note of: “So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.” How do these verses speak to you? Do you examine yourself before participating in The Lord’s Supper?
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in First Corinthians titled “Corrections for Communion” is at this link.
Worship Video: As Paul teaches on The Lord’s Supper today in First Corinthians, it seems an appropriate time to post up this video of Kutless’ “Sea of Faces.” I have loved this song since I first heard it. And every time I hear it I immediately think of The Lord’s Supper!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you participate in the Lord’s Supper regularly. Pray that you are proclaiming the Lord’s death whenever you participate in the Lord’s Supper. Pray that you examine yourself before partaking in the Lord’s Supper.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
New Testament in a Year 