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1 Corinthians 12 There is tremendous and limitless power available to the Christian through the power of the Holy Spirit both in our individual life as well as our collective whole. Together, as individuals and local churches, we make up one kingdom, and Jesus Christ is our King. The Holy Spirit is the same Spirit, yet there are varieties of ministries, operations, and endowments (or gifts). We are instruments that...

1 Corinthians 11:16-34 When we take communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, we remember, acknowledge, appreciate, celebrate, and receive from the work Jesus accomplish at the cross to forgive us of our sins and make us righteous before God. People who have taken communion with a humble heart have had testimonies of a supernatural breakthrough – bodies healed, miracles in finances, answers to prayer, and relationships restored. Communion can...

I Corinthians 11:1-15 Remember this Scripture is a letter from Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church. In this passage, Paul is addressing another specific issue in the culture of Corinth. In this time period and in this part of the world, women wore scarfs to cover their heads to signify that they were married. The scarf symbolized the wife’s submission to her husband as the authority in the home. Her...

1 Corinthians 10:14-33 Do we consider others before we speak or act? We often think about ourselves – our knowledge, our experience, our interpretations, our freedom. Paul encourages the Christians not to purposefully offend other people that have different perspectives than ours. We are to lead men and women to salvation and a Savior by putting our focus on how they will receive, or how they will open their heart...

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 We all know what temptation is like. It’s a wrong desire that pulls, draws, attracts us away from our loving, obedient, dependency on God. Temptation entices us to please ourselves or to rely on ourselves rather than pleasing or relying upon God. Sin has a pull for our unregenerate flesh (soul and body), but our spirit, made righteous in Christ, is drawn to the holiness and grace...

1 Corinthians 9 As Christians, we have the privilege and responsibility to tithe ten percent of our income to the church, taking on responsibility to care for the needs of our local church and leadership. When people don’t return God’s tithe and give offerings to their local church, the church is not able to function as it should. We need our leaders’ time to be dedicated to prayer, study of...

1 Corinthians 8 Be on guard for puffy pride. Pride is definitely a common thread that is woven throughout this letter to Corinth, so what does spiritual pride look like? In chapter 8 it looks like someone so self-absorbed that he or she isn’t concerned about how a weaker Christian will be affected by their speech or behaviors. In verse 1 in the Amplified it says, “but love (affection and...

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 Again, we know Paul said he was writing this portion of the letter from his own opinion and not the inspiration of God. He encourages people not to marry because of the “impending distress (Amplified Version) of the world.” We know from history that Rome would soon attack Jerusalem and the temple, sending the Jew scattering from oppression. The Amplified also brings out this phrase in verse...

1 Corinthians 7:1-24 The family is God’s plan. God told men and women to leave their parents and cleave to each other in marriage. God told us to be fruitful, to have lots of children, and to fill the earth. God loves our families. In this passage, Paul makes it clear that he is speaking his own opinion here, not the Lord’s. Paul encourages single people, if possible, not to...

1 Corinthians 6 You’ve sinned? Welcome to the club. We all have. However, God is merciful and Jesus paid the price for sin. Not only has Jesus offered us the new birth and eternal life; He’s also given us freedom from the grip of sin. He’s given us the Spirit of God to always be with us and in us! Our bodies are a temple, or dwelling place, for God...

1 Corinthians 5 Where do you draw the line with associating with people who are living in sin? Some Christians completely withdraw from anyone in sin, saved or unsaved. Other Christians consider some sinful people to be their best friends and spend a lot of time together. In the Amplified version, Paul says, “not to associate [closely and habitually], with unchaste (impure) people.” Immediately after that statement, Paul says, “Not...

1 Corinthians 4 A proud heart is often a deceived heart, blinded from what’s true. A proud heart may feel superior to others, putting others down. A proud heart can also have a desire to control. Often people in pride are unaware of it. Paul comes to address their pride. The Greeks were focused on philosophies, thinking they know more than Paul, looking down on the Apostle as foolish. Paul...

1 Corinthians 3 In chapter 2 Paul spoke about a spiritual understanding in comparison to human knowledge. In chapter 3, Paul continues on the topic of spiritual understanding, telling these young believers that they were very immature in their spiritual understanding, which was obvious because of the divisions among them. In an effort to show these believers unity in the church, Paul compares this body of believers to a building....

1 Corinthians 2 The second chapter is a continuation of the first, where Paul addresses the wisdom and philosophies of the Greeks in comparison with the spiritual knowledge of God that is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. It’s the humble heart that receives from God through reliant faith. The matters of the spirit are not understood with mere intellect alone; they are only known from the heart, the...

1 Corinthians 1 Paul begins his letter to the Christians at Corinth with an encouraging greeting, then quickly begins to address the dissentions and divisions that were happening in the church. Paul first admonishes the Christians towards unity, and then he tries to get them on common ground, and that was through Christ. When the people were looking at him and Apollos, Paul pointed to Jesus. When the Jews were...