Paul Writes To His Friends In Corinth

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and brother Sosthenes to the church of God at Corinth.

I thank God continually for the blessing which he has given you through Jesus Christ. Through him you have been so richly and fully gifted with every kind of speech and knowledge that you have proved the truth of the testimony which I bore to Christ when I was with you.

Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I beg of you all to agree in your statement of faith. There must be no quarrels among you, but you must be one both in your way of thinking and in your purpose. For I have been told, brothers, by the members of Chloe’s household, that there are quarrels among you.

Avoid all impurity! Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the impure man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is within you, which you have received from God? You do not belong to yourselves, for you were bought for a price. Be sure to honor God with your bodies.

No temptation has come to you that is beyond your power to resist. God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond what you can stand; but when the temptation comes, he will provide the way of escape, so that you will have strength to endure.

In all things I can do as I like, but they are not all good for me. In all things I can do as I like, but they do not all make me a better man. Each of us must seek not only his own good but that of his neighbor.

Do you not know that in a race, though all run, only one wins the prize? So run that you may win the prize. Every athlete exercises self-restraint in every way; but while they do this to win a crown that perishes, we do it to secure one that is eternal. So then I run as one who is sure of his goal. I do not plant my blows as a boxer who beats the air; rather I constantly train my body and keep it under control for fear that I, who told others of the contest, might myself be disqualified.

Now brothers, I wish you to understand about spiritual gifts. There are different kinds of gifts, but all are given by the same Spirit. There are different ways of serving, but all are for the same Master. There are different ways in which God’s power is shown, but the same God is working in all of you in all these ways. Each is given his own gift of the Spirit for the common good.

Just as a man’s body has many parts, and these parts, although many, form only one body, so it is with Christ. For we have all been baptized by the one Spirit so as to form one body. Whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen, we have all been given the same Spirit. For the body consists not of one part but of many. If the foot were to say, “Because I am not the hand I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would be, for all that, a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God gave each part of the body its proper place, exactly as he wished. If they were all only one part, where would the body be? As it is, while there are many parts, there is only one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor can the head say to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, even those parts of the body which seem weaker are necessary. If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it. If one part is honored, all the parts share its honor.

Now you are one body–the body of Christ, and each of you are parts of it. And God gave each his proper place in the church: apostles first, prophets next, teachers third, then workers of miracles, healers, helpers, and directors.

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all able to work miracles? Are all healers? Are all able to tell what their words mean? But always seek to attain the highest gifts.

Yet I will show you a far better way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Even though I have the gift of prophecy, and can understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have faith enough to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I give all I have to feed the poor and my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not envious; love is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act rudely, is not selfish, is never provoked, does not resent wrong; rejoices not in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love forgives all things, believes all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. As for prophecies they shall come to an end. As for tongues they shall cease. As for knowledge it also shall come to an end; for we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, that which is imperfect shall come to an end.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child; but now that I am a man I have put away childish ways. For now we see only the dim reflection in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know only in part, but then I shall know fully, even as also I am fully known.

And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

http://kids.ochristian.com/Childrens-Bible/Paul-Writes-To-His-Friends-In-Corinth.shtml

Opening Our Homes

In Outlive Your Life, Max Lucado writes: “Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It’s no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message: ‘You matter to me and to God.’ You may think you are saying, ‘Come over for a visit.’ But what your guest hears is, ‘I’m worth the effort.’”

This is what the apostle Paul must have heard and felt when Aquila and Priscilla opened the doors of their home to him. When he arrived in Corinth, he was probably exhausted from his journey from Athens. He may also have been discouraged because of his seemingly unsuccessful ministry there (Acts 17:16-34). He later wrote, “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). Aquila and Priscilla probably met Paul in the marketplace of Corinth and opened their home to him. They provided a spiritual oasis through Christian hospitality.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be hospitable, to be a “hospital” that helps those who are going through life’s storms and need restoration. We can be used by the Lord because He has provided for us.

Heavenly Father, make me open to be willing to serve others through showing hospitality. May I provide a safe haven for those going through the storms of life. Amen.

Christian hospitality is an open heart and an open home.

http://odb.org/2012/07/15/opening-our-homes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

A Sense Of History

As my wife and I toured the British Museum, we were struck by the history and legacy contained in that massive facility in London. We looked at artifacts that were centuries older than anything found in the United States, reminding me how valuable it is to have a sense of history. History gives us a record of perspective, context, and consequences that can help us make wise choices as we learn from both the successes and failures of those who have gone before us.

Paul also saw the value of embracing the lessons of history. He warned of the destructive nature of bad choices by recounting the story of the children of Israel and their wilderness wanderings—a result of their refusal to trust God and enter the Promised Land (see Num. 14). Then Paul told the believers in Corinth, “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11).

God has given us the Bible, partly to help us learn from the history of His people. Biblical lessons contain both examples and warnings to guard us against our worst inclinations and to lead us into wiser living. The question is whether we will learn from the lessons of the past or repeat the mistakes of those who came before us.

Lord, teach us from the stories in Your Word. We know You’ve put them there to guide us and give us wisdom. Help us to make obedience out of love for You our purpose. Amen.

Valuable lessons are learned from examining the lives of God’s people who’ve gone before.

http://odb.org/2012/05/19/a-sense-of-history/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29

Darkness into Light by Patricia Day

1 Corinthians 1

In its day, Corinth was not a nice place to be. It was a pleasure seekers paradise, where fleshy lusts could be satisfied in as many ways as were desired. The temples were certainly not Godly places. 1,000 prostitutes were available at meetings, to satisfy certain needs! This was not a church. It was infected with immorality and the people split among themselves. It was an ugly society filled with the darkness of evil.

Thankfully, Paul steadfastly brought about change. He planted God’s church there and converted as many as would be converted, to become followers of Christ. The darkness of their former ways became light under God’s guidance.

Sadly many societies today, still hold on to ancient – even pagan – traditions of satisfying the body, while ignoring the soul. Children and youth are abused and used! People of sick and evil ways and minds, use them to bring about their own gain, caring not one bit about the wellbeing of the innocence they destroy and the youth they traffic.

Mark 2: 17 – Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. (NKJV)

God’s Grace is never denied to anyone. Jesus can bring healing and cleansing to our spirit for He is the bringer of light, in a world ravaged by the darkness of sin.

Prayer: Today, Abba, let us be mindful of all those who need You in their lives. Let us pray for redemption for each of them, and remember to pray for hope and rescue for the abducted, imprisoned and abused. Let us pray for legions of Your angels to surround the innocent’s of this world and bring them to safe places. Let us continue to pray for Your intervention in bringing the perpetrators of dark acts, into the light of the law of society and be accountable under Your laws! Amen!

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