The Surprising God

This post exegetes 1 Corinthians chapters 8 and 10, offering context for the RCL Epistle reading on the third Sunday in Lent (3/23/25). Insights are drawn from Warren Wiersbe ("Bible Expository Commentary") and Bruce Winter ("New Bible Commentary").  Ruins of the Temple of Apollo in Corinth (via Wikimedia Commons) Introduction   After answering questions about being a single or married Christ-follower, Paul turns to another question from the Corinthian church: “Is it permissible for a Christian to eat meat that was sacrificed to an idol?” Though we don’t typically face this issue in our world, we do wonder how we should appropriately exercise the freedom that is ours in Christ, by the Spirit. To help us think about this issue with the mind of Christ, Paul gives us in chapters 8 through 10 four guiding principles:  Balance knowledge with love (1Cor. 8)  Balance authority with discipline (1Cor. 9)  Balance experience with caution (1Cor. 10:1–22)  Bala...

This post exegetes Philippians 3:17-21, offering context for the RCL Epistle reading on the second Sunday in Lent (3/16/25). Insights are drawn from Warren Wiersbe ("Bible Expository Commentary") and Francis Foulkes ("New Bible Commentary"). Ruins of the city of Philippi (from Wikimedia Commons) Introduction  In Philippians 3:15-16 Paul calls upon believers at Philippi to live according to their identity in Christ. What does that look like? In 3:17 Paul refers to a certain “pattern” of living—one modeled by Paul and his faithful followers: 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. This exhortation to Christian maturity is an urgent matter in Paul’s mind because the unity of the congregation is threatened. Note 3:18: 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Christians living as “enemies of the cross of Chri...

This exegesis of  Romans 10:1-21 offers context for the RCL Epistle reading on the first Sunday in Lent (3/9/25). Insights are drawn from "Expositor’s Bible Commentary" and Stott’s "Message of Romans." "Apostle Paul" by Rembrandt Introduction Chapters 9-11 of Romans address the God’s relation to Israel. Chapter 9 looks at the past aspect of the relationship, emphasizing God’s sovereignty. Now in chapter 10 Paul emphasizes the present aspect of the relationship, emphasizing human responsibility in Israel’s continuing rejection of the gospel. He explains the reasons, the remedy and the results of that rejection. In studying this we learn a lot about the nature of saving faith and of the imperative to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. The reasons for Israel’s rejection  Romans 10:1–13 You would think that Israel as a nation would have been eagerly expecting the arrival of her Messiah and been prepared to receive Him. For centuries they had known th...

This exegesis of 2 Corinthians chapter 3 provides context for the RCL Epistle reading on Transfiguration Sunday, Epiphany 8, 3/2/25. Insights are drawn from commentary by Warren Wiersbe ("Bible Expository Commentary") and Colin Cruse ("New Bible Commentary"). Transformation:  monarch butterfly emerging  Introduction  In founding the church in Corinth, Paul had been careful to ground the believers in the pure gospel of God’s grace. Shortly after Paul left, false teachers (called “Judaizers”) brought in another gospel—one of grace plus law. Their teaching said that salvation is both received and then maintained by grace received through faith plus obedience to the requirements of the Law of Moses. This false teaching was popular at the time and remains so today. Why? Because we humans tend to be more comfortable with pursuing measurable religious goals than we are in simply trusting Jesus and allowing his Spirit to work within us. We are more comfortable with external...

This exegesis of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 provides context for the RCL Epistle readings on Epiphany 5, 6 & 7 (2/9, 2/16 & 2/23/25). Insights are drawn from commentary by Warren Wiersbe ("Bible Expository Commentary") and Bruce Winter ("New Bible Commentary"). (via Tim Staples at https://timstaples.com/2019/resurrection-of-the-body/) Introduction   The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is an encouraging core teaching of the Christian faith. Sadly, it was rejected by Greeks who embraced a dualistic philosophy that viewed the body as evil and the spirit (viewed as an immortal soul) as good. Death was thus seen as the release of the spirit/soul from its bodily prison. The idea that God will resurrect people bodily was thus to Greeks both absurd (Acts 17:32) and unwelcome. Despite this Greek viewpoint, Corinthian Christians (most who were Greek) embraced (at least at first) the doctrine of the bodily resurrection. However, by the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthi...