Bible Commentary & Daily Devotional

 1 Corinthians 6 - If You Need Wisdom Inside this sixth chapter of First Corinthians God reveals part of his mysterious plan.  Not all of it.  We trust His good promise of eternity with Him.  But we have a foretaste here on earth of the magnitude of God’s creativity, justice, and goodness. A few things I’d like you to notice and a few comments. First, we are told that someday we believers will judge the world (6:2).  Now, that will be a responsibility!  We know Jesus Christ is the Judge; God is the ultimate Judge of all things.  He never slumbers or sleeps.  God sees all we do and the Lord himself watches over us (Psalms 121:5).  And here Paul provides us with the insight that God will use his prized possession, mankind, believers in Jesus Christ, to assess certain matters and to judge.  What matters?  When?  Who or what in particular will we judge?  I don’t know.  We get only a glimpse.  That’s more than we deserve as Paul’s point is not for us to speculate about such things, bu

 1 Corinthians 6 - Freedom in Christ We have freedom when we trust and obey Christ.  The Bible tells us that we can honestly walk in freedom if we have devoted ourselves to God’s commandments (Psalm 119:45).  It is good for us to ponder the direction of our lives.  Every day is a day of decisions and actions.  Is today a day to turn and follow God?  We hear throughout Scripture to take care to trust only in God for a person with divided loyalties is unstable in everything (James 1:8).  Let us be a stable and steadfast people. Trust God.  He will come through for you.  His promises are sound and trustworthy.  His timing is not ours, but He is perfect - as is His timing (Psalm 119:126). We say we believe the Bible, but we do not follow the Bible’s standard of conduct for believers in Jesus Christ. We do not remove the wicked and evil people from the church as Paul says we must. Then in this chapter, we see what we know oh so well.  We see yet again how worldly we are.  We trust

 1 Corinthians 5 - Living by God’s Power I’m saddened and humbled this morning.  I’m starkly aware that life is precious.  Our daughter lost her child this week.  She was just over four months pregnant with her fourth child, a son.  It came as a shock and heavy punch of the sting and tragedy of death.  I’m thankful for that little boy, that little life that shared these last precious months with his mom and was surrounded by family and brothers that could not wait to play with him.  His brother (Meghan’s five-year-old) Jack told us this week that he was confident the doctors could heal the baby.  He was so excited to have another boy in the family.  Oh Lord God, you are good and merciful to us.  I lift up the cup of salvation to You today and praise the LORD’s name for saving me (Ps. 116).   I know life is short.  And I trust our Good loving God, in all things. And what a reminder this week of the love of our friends and church family.  I'm thankful for the prayers and words of

 1 Corinthians 4 - Managers Must be Faithful I don’t say this lightly.  But here it is.  The message of First Corinthians four and five is precisely what the Church needs to hear today.  It’s the same message of leadership responsibility and a warning of the dangers of the love of money we see in Deuteronomy 17, and Proverbs 25, and consistent throughout Scripture.  In chapter four Paul sets the tone.  That is, he explains that you have to have a really sober assessment of yourself grounded in Christ and then we have to do the hard work of removing the wicked from the church.  I’ll start with the punch line and then we can back up a bit.  Here it is: “it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning” (1 Cor. 5:12).           Ok, now let’s think about Paul’s dialogue before that critical conclusion.  We are all servants of Christ.  He gives us our roles and responsibilities, not to lord power over others and not to make wealthy an elite group, but r

 1 Corinthians 3:11-23 - Monuments and Museums Apparently, Churchill hated the idea of someone creating a statue of him in remembrance.  Knowing about his appetite for attention, I’m not sure that’s true.  But if true, it wasn’t just the pigeons he was worried about. We are reminded in this chapter never to create a monument to ourselves for the greatness of our ministry work.  It is ok to honor brothers and sisters in Christ.  But be very careful how you do it.  In my past life as a securities lawyer, I collected in my office little trophies to celebrate successful financings and mergers.  I enjoyed those little plaques and deal gifts from investment bankers.  But what's their real value?  Very little.           God says in this passage, “It is not important who does the planting or who does the watering” (1 Corinthians 3:7).  As a history buff, I love museums.  I’ve toured Gettysburg twice in the last two years and can’t wait to return.  I'm off to Yorktown this weekend a

  1 Corinthians 3:1-10 - Builders This chapter gives us more insight into what it is like to be in partnership with God.  I think of A.W. Tozer and C.S. Lewis when I read this chapter.  I believe they understood 3:18, “Stop deceiving yourselves.  If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.”  A Christian paradox.           We are God’s workers.  We plant and water, but only God makes the seed grow (3:7).  As God’s workmen we build on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.  If we build well He will reward us on Judgment Day (3:8).  The good news is we do not create alone.  We are building with God, the Master Builder.  The Builder of a People. The truth is God wants us to grow up.  He wants us to progress past infancy.  God wants us to be spiritual people ready for compelling discussions and heavy responsibilities. But are we ready?  Are we controlled by the Holy Spirit, free from sin, and with ears to hear from God? Or are we,

 1 Corinthians 2 - Evaluate all Things (Including Ourselves) There is nothing wiser than God’s glorious plan.  God is preparing a mysterious home, an eternal home, for those who love Him (2:9). Rely not on human wisdom, plans, or rulers.  All of that soon fades away and is forgotten.  God is working out an eternal plan.  He reveals it to us through His Spirit. God gives us glimpses of His deep secrets through the mind of Christ.  You cannot understand the spiritual things of God without the Spirit of Christ. Yet we who believe in and have accepted Christ Jesus as our God, our Lord, our Saviour, have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.  And we can evaluate all things (including an honest assessment of ourselves) (2:15).  It’s a sobering thought to me this morning.  I know how fallen and weak I am, how susceptible to sin.  Oh, to be of one mind with God, in thought and deed.  May we be of one mind today - uni

 1 Corinthians 1:10-31 - Humble Pie Humble pie.  That’s the message of this chapter.  That’s what God makes with the intelligence of the intelligent and the wisdom of the wise.  God makes a good pie. Be thankful for Jesus and for what He did on the cross.  We must heed Paul and his humble attitude.  We must not aim to be the boss man, to be clever, to be the star performer.  God’s power is in the cross of Christ.  For our benefit God made Jesus to be wisdom itself (1:30). We must admit that we, as those that claim the name of Christ, have failed miserably.  Are there divisions in the church?  Are we of one mind, united in thought and purpose?  Do we live in harmony with each other? There is no need to respond, please don’t.  Our fat pastors wax on, but there is severe dysfunction in their homes and in our churches.  God sees it all as he has done from the time of the whistleblowers in Chloe’s household (1:11), explaining to Paul the burdensome and embarrassing factions in the e

 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 - Partnership with the Son of God We need better leadership.  It’s easy to say that, but what do we do about it.  Let’s use godly principles.  Let’s follow the biblical example of servant leadership.  Let’s ask God to show us how to lead and serve.  Let's truly be in partnership with Jesus Christ as God invites us to be.           Be confident in God (Psalm 108:1).  Be genuinely concerned about understanding, be ready and eager to learn, and always listen to the whole story - getting the full picture - before taking action (Pr. 18). A new book.  Let’s start. We see at the outset the early church example of working well together.  Tertius wrote out Romans for Paul and Sosthenes helped Paul with this letter.  When was the last time we shared our work and acknowledged our teammates?  That’s the Christian way!  God expects us to work well together. People and organizations will disappoint us, but God is faithful to do what He says.  God invites.  He does n

 Romans 16 - Spark to Blaze Apple Orchard Falls I love Paul’s conclusion here.  In just a few sentences Paul recognizes, commends, and encourages over 30 brothers and sisters in Christ.  From the lightning bolt of faith that hit him on the road to Damascus, Paul’s impact even at this early stage of the Church, was immeasurable.           As God did with Moses and Aaron, He still commissions flawed men to go on great adventures of faith.  Like Paul, we should encourage each other, “all glory to God, who can make you strong” (16:25).  Indeed.  It is all about Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God.  May we hear, believe, and obey today. Paul reminds us of the impact of these many early Saints.  They had already turned the world upside down for Good through their faith in Jesus.  Earlier in Romans Paul speaks of taking delight in honoring fellow believers (13:10).  And he does just that here. Paul tells us to always assess what we are being taught and to assess the impact of the teacher

 Romans 15:14-33 - A Trip to Spain? We are made acceptable to God by the Holy Spirit.  On our own, without the Good News, we are filthy, an unclean offering to God.  But God purifies us through trust in our faithful Rescuer.  That’s His Way.  And that’s why and how we are good. We have reason to be enthusiastic about what God has accomplished through us, but be careful not to boast.  The church today is filled with braggarts.  It’s not good.  I watched a graduation ceremony recently where the officiants made it all about themselves.  Boastful men.  Can you imagine going to a wedding and having all the honor and attention and praise and celebration for, the priest?  That would be nuts.  But that’s the type of men we’re dealing with here.  Self-centered narcissists.  They seem to know little of Jesus Christ and his Way.  The Holy Spirit gives all good things; let us give all praise to God alone.  And let us do things His Way. Notice here the importance of non-believers being convi

 Romans 15 - Harmony is Fitting for Disciples We are here to help each other.  Some believers are strong, some weak.  Don’t live to please yourself.  Think of others.  For some reason, it is harder than it sounds. Lord Jesus, please give us clean hands, hearts, eyes, and minds.  And help us build each other up. Lord God, the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for Your promises to be fulfilled.  Help us to stop talking and start listening to your Word.  We know that living together in harmony is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.  And yet Christians fight.  We demonize the world and each other.  We know Jesus’ prayer is for unity.  We know we should come together and give God praise and glory.  All credit and praise to God the Father who is compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love for His children (Psalm 103).  Help us, Lord God, to know you and work hard to show that we understand your character and how to emulate it.

 Romans 14 - Aim for Harmony and Build Each Other Up Christ died and rose again so that we could belong to Him so that He could be Lord of both the living and the dead (14:9).  We are His.  He has accepted us as weak as we are.  We belong to Christ through faith - we have this in common with our brothers and sisters who are alive and those who are dead.  That is a lot of people.  Amazingly, God knows each of us - millions and millions of souls who love and trust Him. Don’t condemn other believers in Jesus.  That’s what this passage says.  We will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.  That’s the promise to believers.  God will judge and reward each believer. The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but living a life of goodness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  It’s easy to get tied up in Baptist legalism.  I can default to that.  Yet that is not the mark of a Christian.  We are to b

 Romans 14 - The Christian Principles of Acceptance and Non-Condemnation Each of us is responsible to God.  He will judge whether we are right or wrong.  God’s approval matters.  In fact, each of us will give a personal account to God. Our righteousness is through trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross.  And as we stand before God's judgment seat, we will be measured by how much we love our neighbors. Faith without acts of love for other people is dead.  As we indulge our evil desires of lust, hate, anger, greed, selfishness, and jealousy we harm other people; we fail to obey God’s requirement to love others. Some people have a strong relationship with the Creator.  They have a mature faith, a deep understanding of the love of God, and freedom in Christ.  They, like Paul, know Him and His ways and requirements.  They follow God’s ways and are joyful.  They do not ignore God.  They find truth, life, and favor from Him.  They hate evil: pride, arrogance, corruption, and pe

  Romans 13 - The Royal Law: Love When in doubt, love, be loving.  “If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law” (13:8).  Let’s repeat that, it’s worth memorizing.  LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.  Put it on a cup.  Place it on a T-shirt, or a framed picture - a corporate compliance code!  Christians make up so many man-made rules and regulations.  So-called smart people ask whether or not the Jewish regulations apply to us as Christ's followers, and wonder whether Jesus fulfilled the law.  They call certain foods and drinks unclean and untouchable although God has called them clean.  They write on their websites that God’s word is inerrant then they call it incorrect.  Who should we follow?  God, or these hypocrites? This passage makes it clear.  Jesus fulfilled the law.  All of it.  Its purpose was to show us our sins.   When we are new creations in Christ through belief in Christ, we are not condemned for violating rules or regulations.  We are declared ri

 Romans 13:1-7 - God's Authorities - Servants for Our Good God is the judge of everything.  The Bible tells of God’s vengeance and judgment here on earth in addition to eternal judgment.  We are saved from eternal punishment, hell, by God.  He changes us into new people when we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  If you haven’t asked God to forgive you of your sins, then do so; accept Him now as your Lord and Savior.  Then everything changes.  A whole new ball game.  A whole new life!  This passage reminds us that there are judgments and punishments here on earth and a final judgment day (2 Peter 3) that is not here yet - but it is drawing nearer.   In this short life, we wage daily war in the battle between our evil desires and the right living that comes from letting ourselves be clothed and guided by the King of Kings. Today’s battle, like every day, requires God’s people to hate what is wrong - and to “remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on th

  Romans 12:21 - Conquer Evil - By Doing Good Brothers - Jack and Arch. We conquer evil by doing Good.  We must hate what is wrong.  Hating something means we really don’t like it.  We don’t watch it on Netflix, we don’t fund it, promote it or participate in it at all.  The world is always watching us.  It knows we are different and it wants to see if we will cozy up to evil and play with it or if we truly reject it.           But let’s make sure we have our categories right.  The biggest evil is often pride and arrogance - the things God detests.  Out of those characteristics (that seem to mark our modern leadership) come all sorts of abuse of other people.  When you think you are smarter and better than others and refuse to enjoy the company of ordinary people or associate with sick, lonely, or lowly people, you are showing gross arrogance.  We hear of so-called Christian leaders that don't go to church anymore.  They disobey the command to regularly fellowship and worship and