Bible Reading for June 16 – I Corinthians 11:17-34 Why do we need to examine ourselves before we take the Lord’s Supper? Isn’t the whole point of the gospel that we are forgiven and freed from the power of sin and death? Isn’t the Lord’s Supper supposed to be a…

Today’s passage explains why previous generations of women insisted on wearing hats to church (v. 5), and why men still remove their caps to pray (v. 4). But it also contains some of the most difficult and disputed words in the entire New Testament: “The head of a wife is…

Bible Reading for June 14 – I Corinthians 10:14-11:1 Many times, when we are having trouble figuring out what to do, it’s because we are asking the wrong question. The people in Corinth knew that idols were phony, and so they knew that any meat that had been offered to…

Have you ever known someone who had a completely inaccurate view of themselves? The fellow who insists on singing in the choir even though he’s tone-deaf. The guy who is sure that he can fix everything, but who regularly has to call the plumber or electrician when he gets in…

Bible Reading for June 11 – I Corinthians 9:1-27 “You can’t make me! I’m free! I have my rights!” Hardcore liberty junkies as we are, we Americans love to say such things – but we have already seen in chapter 8 that Paul disagrees. Instead, he was willing to put…

Bible Reading for June 10 – I Corinthians 8:1-13 You may remember when Vice-President Pence was condemned for his prudery when he refused to meet in private with any woman other than his wife. Or maybe you’ve expressed frustration with someone who steadfastly refuses to drink alcohol. It’s easy to…

Can Paul really be serious? People should stay single because “those who marry will have worldly troubles” (v. 28)? Is he saying that all Christians should become monks or nuns? Well, despite some denominations taking this passage seriously enough to make singleness mandatory for pastors or bishops, Paul makes it…

Bible Reading for June 8 – I Corinthians 7:1-16 The Romantic view of human sexuality is basically the mutual pursuit of individual happiness. The challenge, we are told, is to find the perfect person with whom to share your life, someone who will fulfill all your needs and all your…

What happens when conflicts between Christians escalate to the point of harming one another? In that case, Paul argues, we should not resort to the secular court system. Now, it’s true that all Christians remain under the authority of human rulers (see Romans 13), so we have just as much…

Bible Reading for June 5 – I Corinthians 5:1-13 “Purge the evil person from among you” (v. 13). That’s what Deuteronomy says time and time again when it prescribes the death penalty for people who commit various sorts of sins: false prophecy (13:5), worshipping other gods (17:7), failing to accept…