Author Archives: Jefferson Vann
incongruous
1 Corinthians 6. Paul addresses two incidents in which people within the church in Corinth are acting in an incongruous manner. Their actions are inconsistent with what Jesus did for them. He justified them by his substitutionary death. He washed … Continue reading
Posted in church, discernment, faithfulness, holiness, Holy Spirit, hypocrisy, idolatry, integrity, kingdom of God, sanctification, witness
Tagged 1 Corinthians 6
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defiling the Passover
1 Corinthians 5. The Corinthians had been guilty of judging (criticizing) Paul and the others in his band. It was as if they had pointed out a speck in the eyes of the missionaries, but had failed to notice the … Continue reading
Posted in church, courage, discernment, holiness, hypocrisy, witness
Tagged 1 Corinthians 5, Matthew 7
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the scum of the world
1 Corinthians 4. The ESV study Bible, commenting on verse 3, says “Some of the Corinthians, perhaps followers of Apollos or Cephas, probably spoke disparagingly of Paul, especially of his speaking ability (1:17; 2:3–4; 4:18–21; 2 Cor. 10:9), thinking they … Continue reading
Posted in church, divisions, equality, judgment, leadership, ministry
Tagged 1 Corinthians 4
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these are your gods
Exodus 32. It is hard to resist the temptation to make something happen when God wants you to wait. Israel had already agreed to keep the covenant, but grew impatient when Moses stayed atop Mt. Sinai. Their solution: worship God … Continue reading
Posted in discernment, idolatry, integrity, patience, relationship with God, trust, worship
Tagged Exodus 32
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fireproof buildings
1 Corinthians 3. Paul describes the Christian life as both God’s field and God’s building. As a field, the life is planted in us by God through one worker, and watered through another, but but workers answer to God — … Continue reading
Posted in discernment, divisions, future, Holy Spirit, preparation, scriptures, works
Tagged 1 Corinthians 3
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a wisdom ahead of its time
1 Corinthians 2. When Paul first shared the gospel with the Corinthians, he avoided demonstrating his considerable skill in Greek rhetoric, and he also avoided showing off his profound wisdom. He kept his message simple, and trusting God to make … Continue reading
Posted in church, discernment, gospel, Holy Spirit, scriptures, wisdom
Tagged 1 Corinthians 2
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the foolishness of God
1 Corinthians 1:18-31. The human mind is capable of astonishing leaps of insight, connecting the dots of thought and idea in a way that makes sense of an altogether complex world. But the unaided human mind stops and opens its … Continue reading
Posted in discernment, Jesus Christ, plan of God, praise, the cross
Tagged 1 Corinthians 1
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evangelical unity
1 Corinthians 1:1-17. The Church at Rome had some divisions (e.g. the weak and the strong) but in Corinth they were mastering the art of division. Paul appealed to the Corinthians that they make efforts to manifest their unity, not … Continue reading
the gods dying like men
Psalm 82. Most commentators are quick to put quotation marks around the word gods in this psalm. They take this as a prophecy against unjust human rulers. They claim that Jesus implied this in John 10:34-35. But Jesus only claimed … Continue reading
friends that help, friends that hinder
Romans 16. In this final chapter of Romans, Paul puts flesh on the practical principles that he had been teaching in the letter. He does this by greeting and showing appreciation to his friends and fellow Christian workers who are … Continue reading
