Day 192/260: Read 1 Corinthians 16

How do we treat the people who do the work of the Lord? In his closing thoughts to the church in Corinth, Paul urged them to treat Timothy with love and respect when he arrived. “And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.”

Those who labor in the Word, who dedicate their lives to teaching the lost and fulfilling the Great Commission, are too often mistreated by the brethren at large. Friends, the preacher who is teaching the truth is not your enemy. He teaches the truth because he wants you to go to heaven. He is not trying to make you feel guilty about what you have done; he is trying to make you want to do better.

This is the charge that Paul issued to Timothy in a personal letter to the young preacher: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The apostle wanted the church to listen and to make the needed corrections in their lives, and to treat the preacher with respect as he instructed them in these things. Let the preacher do his work “without fear”; “let no one despise him.”

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray for the proper attitude in receiving the truth revealed in the Word.

Day 191/260: Read 1 Corinthians 15

“If I ever walked through the doors of a church building, it would surely collapse.” Have you ever heard someone say something like that? Or perhaps, “There is a special place in hell reserved for sinners like me.”

Have you ever heard of Saul of Tarsus? He consented to the death of Stephen, a man “full of faith and power” (Acts 8:1; 6:8). Luke records how Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” and sought permission to capture them and bring them back to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2).

Do you know who Saul of Tarsus became? He was one of the greatest missionaries the church has ever known: Paul the apostle. Despite his former life of blasphemy, persecution, and insolence, God displayed His marvelous mercy in the life of Paul (1 Timothy 1:13).

If God could turn around the life of someone like Saul of Tarsus, He won’t cause the building to fall in on a sinner today who decides they want to get right with Him. We serve an awesome God who wants to raise us up on the last day, to change us from corruptible to incorruption, from mortal to immortality. And He has the power to do it!

Be like Paul – repent of your former sins, submit to Christ in baptism for the remission of sins, and work every day for the Lord with passion and zeal.

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pray

Pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God “who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Day 190/260: Read 1 Corinthians 14

Biblical Christianity is a religion of decency and order. Paul set forth several principles for the first century church to follow. Remember that they were endowed with the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit, and there was some controversy over which gift was most important.

Still today, even though we are no longer blessed with miraculous abilities, there are disputes among religious people over their roles in the worship service. The same principle Paul set forth in the first century applies for the church today: “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

There is far too much confusion in the religious world. We would all be better off by going back to just what the Bible says; we should do Bible things in Bible ways, speak as the Bible speaks, and remain silent where the Bible is silent.

God is the author of Christianity, and He has established certain ways to do things in His service. Who are we to decide we know better than the Almighty? “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” When we substitute our opinions for God’s commands, we destroy the peace that He established.

Memory (Recite to a friend without looking)

1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Pray

Pray for peace and unity in the local congregation.

Day 189/260: Read 1 Corinthians 13

“Love is love.” Perhaps you have seen or heard that phrase with regard to the LGBTQ+ community. The thought behind their message is that love is pure and it doesn’t matter who you love. But is that what the Bible teaches?

Paul has quite a bit to say about love in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. Notice these two things in verse 6: love “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.” Does that mesh with the homosexual agenda and their meaning of the phrase, “Love is love”?

The New Testament reveals God’s mind concerning homosexuality. It is “vile” and “against nature” (Romans 1:26). It is “shameful” (Romans 1:27). It is “unrighteous” and will prevent one from “inherit(ing) the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

The New Testament also reveals that one can change. There were some in Corinth who had formerly subscribed to the homosexual way of living. Paul writes, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

If love “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth,” then those who are engaged in sexually immoral acts—whether homosexual or heterosexual—must give those up and turn to God.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is ______________ to man; but God is faithful, who will not ______________ you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to ______________ it.

Pray

Pray for guidance through the Word of God to discover what love truly involves.

Day 188/260: Read 1 Corinthians 12

The diversity of talent within the body of Christ is one of its greatest attributes. There are some who are gifted in voice, others who are gifted in leadership, others who are gifted in speech, and others who are gifted in comforting the afflicted.

In the first century, there were disputes over who had the greatest spiritual gifts; Paul emphasized that they all worked together to accomplish God’s will.

We should each work to identify our own talents and hone them to best serve the Lord; we should also help others identify talents they may not realize they possess so that they can be utilized in the Lord’s work as well.

Always remember that whatever your talent is, it is valuable and important to the church. Do not diminish your own worth just because your talent differs from another’s. “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?”

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has ______________ you except such as is common to man; but God is ______________, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of ______________, that you may be able to bear it.

Pray

Pray for opportunities to serve God in His church using the talents He has given you.

Day 187/260: Read 1 Corinthians 11

Each first day of the week, faithful Christians gather together to observe the solemn remembrance of the Lord’s death. This is a joyous time because of what His death accomplished, but also a somber time because such was necessary due to the existence of sin.

There are two elements in the Lord’s Supper: unleavened bread, which represents Jesus’ body that was nailed to the cross, and the cup containing the fruit of the vine, which represents Jesus’ blood that was shed.

When Jesus instituted this feast with His disciples prior to His death, He pointed out that the “blood of the new covenant…is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Without the blood of Christ, we are without hope. But because of His great sacrifice, our sins can be covered and we can stand blameless before God.

In partaking the Lord’s Supper together, we “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” We are reminded of what His sacrifice means for us, and that remembrance should motivate us to spread His gospel far and wide so others can be saved from their sins.

Memory (Copy into a notebook 5-10 times)

1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Pray

Pray for a greater respect and appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice.

Day 186/260: Read 1 Corinthians 10

If we are no longer bound by the Old Testament and the Law of Moses, what use is it? Paul says, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” While it is profitable to learn from our own mistakes, it is wiser (and often less painful) to learn from the mistakes of others.

Paul makes reference to five specific sins that befell the children of Israel. First, the lust for evil things. Second, idolatry. Third, sexual immorality, Fourth, testing the Lord. Fifth, and perhaps the most difficult for many, complaining.

When is the last time you complained about something? You probably don’t have to think back very far. Especially since the advent of social media, complaining seems to be one of the most frequent shortcomings of humanity. What makes it even worse is when we complain about the blessings that God has given us. If we have food and clothing, we should be content (1 Timothy 6:8).

Sometimes it can be tough, but we can do it. God does not command us to do anything that is impossible. He does command, “Do all things without complaining and disputing” (Philippians 2:14). Let’s try to obey Christ today in this matter.

Memory (Read aloud 5-10 times)

1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Pray

Pray for the humility to recognize God’s blessings and refrain from complaining about them.

Day 185/260: Read 1 Corinthians 9

Athletic metaphors can be used to help one understand the seriousness of the Christian life. One would not enter into an athletic endeavor without first training to ready himself to compete effectively. There is no point in competing if the goal is not to be the victor.

Paul encourages the Corinthians in the Christian race, “Run in such a way that you may obtain (the prize).” Just as an athlete trains his body—“is temperate in all things”—so, too, must the Christian train his behavior and lifestyle. Getting caught up in some sinful activity will only damage your ability to run the Christian race successfully.

“Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.” It is important, when training for a physical competition, to know your goal so you can healthily take care of your body. One can know what sort of diet he needs and what exercises to do to achieve the type of muscles needed for a specific athletic event.

Similarly, in the spiritual sense man can know what is right and what is wrong by studying and learning what God has revealed. In applying those things to his life, he can confidently live for Christ, knowing the outcome. “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5).

Memory (Recite to a friend without looking)

1 Corinthians 6:20. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Pray

Pray for strength in your spiritual training through the Word.

Day 184/260: Read 1 Corinthians 8

One of the hallmarks of Christian character is humility. The one who understands that he does not know everything is a wise man. Paul says, “And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.”

The life of a Christian is a life of growth, of understanding that there is always more to learn and always more to understand. Those who know more have a great responsibility in bringing those with less knowledge to a better understanding of spiritual matters, but we must be careful that we do not cause a person to be uncomfortable in participating in certain activities that may violate their conscience.

Paul uses the example of eating meat sacrificed to idols. Of course, we idolatry is wrong. There are some who have difficulty separating the meat sacrificed from the act of sacrifice, and to that person, it would be wrong to eat that meat because of their conscience. But for the one who is able to separate the sinful act from the thing used in the sinful act, he may eat. However, he should not cause one with less understanding to do the same, and should go as far as to abstain or give up his own personal liberty for the sake of the other.

Can you think of situations in your life in which you may need to give up some things in order to prevent a brother from stumbling?

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 6:20. For you were ___________ at a price; therefore ___________ God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Pray

Pray for wisdom in practicing personal liberty, and strength in abstaining when necessary for a brother’s sake.

Day 183/260: Read 1 Corinthians 7

Let the Bible interpret the Bible. You cannot take a passage out of its context and interpret it in such a way as to contradict another clear passage of Scripture. The Bible truly is its own best commentary.

Much damage has been done to the sanctity of marriage due to dishonest handling of this chapter. We must understand what Paul says in this chapter in the light of what is taught elsewhere, including Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 concerning divorce and remarriage.

There is one and only one God-approved reason for divorce and remarriage, revealed in Matthew 19:9, and that is fornication (KJV). When Paul states that a believer “is not under bondage” if an unbelieving spouse departs, he is not giving permission to remarry if adultery is not the cause; he is not superseding Christ’s teaching.

Further, when Paul writes, “Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called,” he does not have reference to a sinful condition such as an adulterous relationship.

When we come to Christ, we must leave behind everything that is not in harmony with God’s will; we must die to self. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

1 Corinthians 6:20. For you were bought at a ___________; therefore glorify God in your ___________ and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Pray

Pray for guidance in God’s Word to identify sinful situations in your life and seek to rectify them.