Joshua 12 – Joshua 12 lists the 31 kings defeated by the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan. The chapter divides the victories into two regions: the lands east of the Jordan, conquered by Moses and given to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh …
1 Corinthians
65 posts
Deuteronomy 26 – Once again we enter into an Old Testament story which has significant implications for how we understand events documented in the New Testament. “Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the …
Ezekiel 13 – Wow! What a relevant topic! For years, false prophets have been stirring up dissension in order to dismantle what God is building among His people. To make a clear point, God compares a false …
Acts 24 – Paul now finds himself in limbo and at the mercy of the political system. He continues to plead his case, as well as preach the Word in all situations. The sad part of this …
Acts 8 – It’s an awesome thing when the Holy Spirit begins to transform lives and show himself in amazing and unpredictable ways. The early church was on fire and the gasoline that was fueling it was …
Leviticus 17 – The people of Israel must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by killing their animals in the fields as sacrifices to the goat demons. The people of Israel must keep this regulation for …
Leviticus 10 – By the end of Leviticus 9, everything seems to be going great… until we turn the page to Leviticus 10. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan, put live coals in …
Leviticus 2 – The grain or cereal offering of the OT symbolized man’s work for God. The offering would be brought to the priest and would symbolize man’s willingness to keep the law. But, the grain offering …
Revelation 21 – There is a lot of crossover between what Isaiah writes in chapter 65 and the 21st chapter of Revelation. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will …
Revelation 20 – If someone comes up and asks you, “How do you interpret Revelation?” most likely, they are referring to Revelation 20:1-10. The question of pre or postmillennialism is the first order of business. It simply answers …
Revelation 11 – I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation 10 for continuity. It is best to read on and view chapters 10 and 11 as one …
Jeremiah 11 – The people of Judah and Jerusalem were not helpless. They continually chose their sin over God. The point being made in this chapter is that God’s justice is inevitable if sin becomes natural and …
2 Chronicles 14 – The attack that comes upon Israel is from the Ethiopians but that is deceiving. During this time Egypt had gained power. These Ethiopian forces were most likely mercenaries working for Egypt and were …
1 Chronicles 24 – There is a fine line between structure and freedom in the Spirit. This chapter speaks to the structured process of the priesthood while attempting to preserve true worship and the influence of the …
Ephesians 4 – And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building …
Ephesians 2 – Many of us today live under the illusion that we simply can’t change. Hidden deep under a “that’s just the way I am” attitude is a deadliest of all sins – human pride. It’s …
Exodus 35 – Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted in craftsmanship, but according to Scripture, that trait is not enough. Craftsmanship alone has a tendency to …
Exodus 13 – The way God led was definitely the “road less traveled.” The people did not go directly toward Canaan. There were traditionally three main routes from Egypt to Asia. The most …
1 Thessalonians 4 – What do we know about the coming of the Lord? Paul gives us a clue at the end of this chapter. Verses 13-18 are controversial, and (surprise, surprise) they center around the end …
3 John 1 – Gaius was the Greek way of writing the Roman name Caius. Believe it or not, there are many references to Caius in Scripture. In Romans 16, Paul mentions a Caius who lived in …
Job 18 – The dating of this time period would have meant that Job and his friends were highly influenced by mythopoetic language. In Ugaritic mythology, death was thought to be ruled by the god Mot who …
Job 5 – Eliphaz continues his speech in chapter 5. I am struck with similar thoughts from his words in chapter 4. What he knew was not wrong. In fact, he was quoted by Paul. For the …
Job 4 – There is a difference between theology and common sense. I know that the word ‘theology’ sounds like a churchy, religious concept that only “the holiest people” can understand. The truth is, we all have …
Joshua 19 – When the people of Israel finished dividing up the land, they gave Joshua son of Nun a part of the land as his own. 50 As the LORD had commanded, they gave him the …
Matthew 28 – The appearances of the resurrected Christ are astonishing! Many people will concede that Jesus was a real man who died, but few will place their faith in His divinity. Naturally, more people take issue …
Proverbs 13 – “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”” 1 Corinthians 15:33 HCSB Through God’s pursuit of sinners, we are empowered through the Holy Spirit to live according to His commands. We are empowered. …
1 Timothy 6 – Paul bookends this letter by circling back to his thoughts from 1 Timothy 1. In that chapter, he introduced the problem Timothy was facing at Ephesus which was the deceptive doctrine of false …
Romans 12 – Starting in verse 9 of Romans 12, Paul rattles off a disjointed list of Christian principles. On the surface, it may seem haphazard. In reality, Paul is most likely using a style known as …
2 Kings 19 – For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 1 …
1 Kings 2 – After the peaceful resolution in chapter 1, we are now back to the chaos of David’s family lineage. As David lies on his deathbed, he gives Solomon a list of action steps to …
Genesis 39 – Set against the backdrop of Joseph’s brother Judah pursuing a harlot who was actually his daughter-in-law, here we have a polar opposite response. Genesis 39 is a valuable lesson on dealing with temptation. Joseph …
Genesis 11 – Josephus wrote of how the Tower of Babel originated from the heart and mind of Nimrod. “Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. …
Esther 6 – Generally speaking, we tend to fall into one of two categories. Either we are detail-oriented thinkers or big-picture thinkers. People who focus on the details tend to lack the vision to see how it …
2 Corinthians 2 – The man Paul is referring to in this chapter was most likely the same man who was having an incestuous affair when Paul wrote his first letter to the …
1 Corinthians 16 – Paul begins with a collection for the saints. The Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary provides a solid summary of what this means for Jesus followers today. “Paul once again addressed a question asked by …
1 Corinthians 15 – 1 Corinthians 15 is a critical chapter that supports the evidence of Jesus Christ as well as His death and resurrection. Paul records an ancient oral tradition, “that Christ died for our sins …
1 Corinthians 14 – Gifts that are meant to edify the body, share with the body. Gifts that are meant to edify you personally, keep them personal. Paul’s stance on tongues is clear. If there is no …
1 Corinthians 13 – The Greeks had four different words to describe love. ‘Eros’ described erotic love. It was the word used to describe sexual love. ‘Storge’ referred to family love. It described the love between father …
1 Corinthians 12 – Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each …
1 Corinthians 11 – 1 Corinthians 11 opens up a can of worms in our culture today. At the very least, many of Paul’s words here have been challenged. In some cases, they have been called sexist …
1 Corinthians 10 – So many Christians today have fallen into the temptation of obsessing over rights and privileges. What I mean by that is the need to ask the question, “What harm can it do?” to …
1 Corinthians 9 – Paul was a man with his priorities straight. He was a man who had given up all his rights for the sake of Jesus. His life’s mission was to preach the Gospel and …
1 Corinthians 8 – Knowledge can be like a puffer fish. It puffs us up into a state where our thorny exterior rips the flesh of others. Using food as an example, Paul illustrates that Christians who …
1 Corinthians 7 – It is important to first understand that Paul is not dealing with a full theology of marriage in this chapter. He is answering specific questions the Corinthians had asked him. We know this …
1 Corinthians 6 – Paul’s had some specific issues with the Corinthians in regard to legal matters. First and foremost, the disputes in question were between two believers. Paul is working under the assumption that Jesus has …
1 Corinthians 5 – Paul once again comes out swinging against the Corinthians for their immorality and tolerance. Interestingly, his clarification toward the end of this chapter contains a lot of insight. Paul, just like Jesus, had …
1 Corinthians 4 – Paul doesn’t mince words with the church at Corinth. They had a very obvious pride issue. Humble Servant. Paul reminds them he is a servant of Christ and a steward of the mystery. …
1 Corinthians 3 – I want to focus on the beginning of this chapter where Paul addresses his brethren as being carnal. This term really just means someone who is dominated by the flesh. There is a …
1 Corinthians 2 – Imagine what it would have been like to be Paul. After conversion, he compared his Gospel to the disciples in order to validate his beliefs and share his experiences. Now, as he has …
1 Corinthians 1 – Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother… 1 Corinthians 1:1 NASB In Acts 18 Sosthenes was the leader of the Jewish synagogue who …
Psalm 130 – Psalm 130 is known as a Pauline psalm because it speaks to the grace and mercy of God. This was a theme Paul wrote on extensively. For all have sinned and fall short of …
Psalm 122 – In the Christian Jewish Bible, verse 4 speaks to two reasons for going to the house of the Lord. The tribes have gone up there, the tribes of Adonai, as a witness to Isra’el, …
Psalm 110 – Psalm 110 might be quoted more frequently in the NT than any other Psalm. The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet’? Matthew …
Deuteronomy 31 – “But was his momentary failure not far too severely punished?” Alexander MacLaren We tend to look at old man Moses and feel sorry for him. The fiery temper that ended the life of an …
Deuteronomy 25 – “Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.” Deuteronomy 25:4 GNB On the surface, this seems like a straightforward passage. In that time, an ox would break the grain …
Deuteronomy 14 – Holiness and practicality are two thoughts that are sometimes difficult to reconcile. Why did God not allow certain animals to be eaten? Why did the people have to tithe from their agriculture? The laws …
Deuteronomy 13 – When did self-appointed titles become a “thing” in the church? When did “a word” become more important than action? When did the thoughts inside people’s heads become full-blown prophecies directly from the mouth of …
Deuteronomy 4 – “No other nation, no matter how great, has a god who is so near when they need him as the LORD our God is to us. He answers us whenever we call for help. …
Deuteronomy 2 – It is a unique time in Israel’s history. Moses continues to lead and teach the people even though *spoiler alert* he will die before making it to the Promised Land. This time of transition …
Numbers 18 – As mentioned in previous chapters, the Levites were given special authority and privileges among the spiritual duties assigned by God. However, they were not given the same authority as priests. This is the main …
Numbers 13 – We finally arrive at the “meat and potatoes” of the book of Numbers. The Israelites were to scope out the Promised Land and give a full report back to Moses. In the beginning, everything …
Numbers 4 – Numbers 1 dealt with numbering the tribes. Numbers 2 was all about the ordering of the camps. Numbers 3 introduced us to the duties of the priests and Levites. Now, in Numbers 4, it …
Song of Solomon 8 Commentary by Brad Boyles As Hank has written, this chapter is the 1 Corinthians 13 of the Old Testament. In these verses, we find four essential qualities of love. It is unstoppable and inevitable within a …
Song of Solomon 4 – If we study these chapters carefully we can see that there has been no mention of a wedding prior to chapter 3. In 3:11, (the last verse of chapter 3), we read …
Ezekiel 39 – Until the time that Jerusalem fell, the message of Ezekiel was negative and full of judgment. Now, God turns His attention towards hope. There would be a new spirit, new leadership, and a new …