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Every article does the hard work — what the words meant to the first readers, the historical context, the first-century background — then hands it to you in words you already know.

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286 articles · page 9 of 12

From Concealed to Revealed: The Astonishing Truths Unveiled by God -1 Co 2:10–12
1 Corinthians · Ep. 18

From Concealed to Revealed: The Astonishing Truths Unveiled by God -1 Co 2:10–12

The Greek word Paul chooses for revealed points to a single past event, not a slow drip. What God unveiled, He unveiled once, and it holds.

Jun 12, 20235 min read
Love vs. Fear: What Motivates Our Actions in God's Kingdom? 1 Co 2:9–10
1 Corinthians · Ep. 17

Love vs. Fear: What Motivates Our Actions in God's Kingdom? 1 Co 2:9–10

Paul writes “as it is written,” then quotes a line you cannot quite find in the Old Testament. What he was drawing on, and what he wanted it to stir in us.

Jun 3, 20237 min read
1 Co 4:17 – Paul and Timothy: The Power of Relational Ministry
1 Corinthians · Ep. 83

1 Co 4:17 – Paul and Timothy: The Power of Relational Ministry

For this reason, I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. (1 Co 4:17).

Jun 1, 20239 min read
From Religious Leaders to Demonic Beings: Unveiling the Recognition of Jesus -1 Co 2:8-9
1 Corinthians · Ep. 16

From Religious Leaders to Demonic Beings: Unveiling the Recognition of Jesus -1 Co 2:8-9

Who are the rulers of this age who crucified the Lord of glory? Roman officials, Jewish leaders, or something standing behind both? Scholars are genuinely split.

May 31, 20237 min read
Wisdom Beyond the Ages: Exploring Paul's Radical View on Divine Knowledge 1 Co 2:6–8
1 Corinthians · Ep. 15

Wisdom Beyond the Ages: Exploring Paul's Radical View on Divine Knowledge 1 Co 2:6–8

There is a wisdom God settled on before the ages began, and the rulers of this age missed it completely. Had they seen it, Paul says, they would never have crucified Him.

May 30, 20236 min read
The Hit Single: Christ and He Crucified - Paul's One-Sermon Wonder 1 Co 2:2
1 Corinthians · Ep. 14

The Hit Single: Christ and He Crucified - Paul's One-Sermon Wonder 1 Co 2:2

Paul determined to know nothing among them except Christ and Him crucified. One message, preached everywhere, and he never once apologised for repeating it.

May 29, 20234 min read
Breaking the Preacher's Trap: Beyond Homiletics and Elocution
1 Corinthians · Ep. 13

Breaking the Preacher's Trap: Beyond Homiletics and Elocution

Young preachers learn delivery, polish, and stage presence. Paul came to Corinth in weakness and trembling, and says that was entirely deliberate.

May 26, 20236 min read
From Tents to Testimony: How Paul Balanced Work and Ministry 1 Co 2:1–5
1 Corinthians · Ep. 12

From Tents to Testimony: How Paul Balanced Work and Ministry 1 Co 2:1–5

Paul spent eighteen months in Corinth making tents and preaching the gospel. How he carried a trade and a ministry at the same time without dropping either.

May 25, 202311 min read
Unleashing Divine Surprises: The Power of Unlikely Candidates - 1 Co 1:26–31
1 Corinthians · Ep. 11

Unleashing Divine Surprises: The Power of Unlikely Candidates - 1 Co 1:26–31

Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble. Paul tells the Corinthians to look around at who God actually chose, and explains why that is the whole point.

May 24, 20235 min read
The Olivet Discourse: Revaluating the Timing and Context of Prophecies
Eschatology & Prophecy

The Olivet Discourse: Revaluating the Timing and Context of Prophecies

Pop-eschatology reads Matthew 24 as a future Great Tribulation. Before accepting that, it is worth asking who Jesus was speaking to and what He told them to do.

May 23, 202315 min read
Beyond Signs and Philosophy: Discovering the Power of the Cross 1 Co 1:20–25
1 Corinthians · Ep. 10

Beyond Signs and Philosophy: Discovering the Power of the Cross 1 Co 1:20–25

Jews wanted a sign, Greeks wanted an argument, and God gave them a crucifixion. Why the least impressive option turned out to be the powerful one.

May 23, 20234 min read
Faith Meets Intellect: The Surprising Union of Wisdom and Discernment -1 Co 1:17–25
1 Corinthians · Ep. 9

Faith Meets Intellect: The Surprising Union of Wisdom and Discernment -1 Co 1:17–25

The cross looks like foolishness to a clever world. Paul is not being anti-intellectual here; he is telling us where real wisdom actually comes from.

May 22, 202312 min read
Paul's Dodgy Baptism Dance and Forgetful Moments 1 Co 1:14–17
1 Corinthians · Ep. 8

Paul's Dodgy Baptism Dance and Forgetful Moments 1 Co 1:14–17

Paul thanks God he baptised almost nobody, then keeps remembering more people he baptised. Behind the comedy is a serious point about who your loyalty belongs to.

May 19, 20238 min read
Holy Drama: Church Splits and Feuds - Jesus Facepalms! 1 Co 1:10–13
1 Corinthians · Ep. 7

Holy Drama: Church Splits and Feuds - Jesus Facepalms! 1 Co 1:10–13

Church splits and personal feuds are not a modern invention. Corinth had them first, and Paul's response to the drama is blunter than you would expect.

May 18, 20239 min read
The Paul, Peter, and Apollos Dilemma: Uniting Under Christ's Teachings 1 Co 1:10–13
1 Corinthians · Ep. 6

The Paul, Peter, and Apollos Dilemma: Uniting Under Christ's Teachings 1 Co 1:10–13

I am of Paul. I am of Apollos. The Corinthians had picked teams, and Paul answers with a question that still lands: is Christ divided?

May 17, 202310 min read
Confirmation: Embracing Transformation 1 Co 1:4–9
1 Corinthians · Ep. 5

Confirmation: Embracing Transformation 1 Co 1:4–9

Many traditions mark faith with a rite called confirmation. Paul uses the same idea for something God does, and keeps doing, right to the end.

May 16, 202310 min read
The Heart of an Apostle: Paul's Deep Affection for the Churches 1 Co 1:4–9
1 Corinthians · Ep. 4

The Heart of an Apostle: Paul's Deep Affection for the Churches 1 Co 1:4–9

Paul is about to spend sixteen chapters correcting this church. He opens by thanking God for them, and that order is not an accident.

May 15, 20238 min read
Coming in the Clouds: And Jesus' Prophecies
Eschatology & Prophecy

Coming in the Clouds: And Jesus' Prophecies

“This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” Reading Jesus' prophecies without deciding in advance what they must mean.

May 14, 202318 min read
From the Early Church to Modern Denominations: The Legacy of "The Church of God" 1 Cor. 1:2
1 Corinthians · Ep. 3

From the Early Church to Modern Denominations: The Legacy of "The Church of God" 1 Cor. 1:2

One phrase, “the church of God,” ended up on a hundred denominational signs. What Paul meant by it in the Greek, and how far it travelled from there.

May 12, 20238 min read
Modern-Day Apostles: Fact or Fiction? You decide. 1 Cor. 1:1-3
1 Corinthians · Ep. 2

Modern-Day Apostles: Fact or Fiction? You decide. 1 Cor. 1:1-3

Paul called himself an apostle, and plenty of people claim the title today. Here is what the New Testament actually attaches to that word, and what it does not.

May 11, 20238 min read
How the Church in Corinth Got Started: Apostle Paul's Missionary Journey 1 Cor. 1:1-3
1 Corinthians · Ep. 1

How the Church in Corinth Got Started: Apostle Paul's Missionary Journey 1 Cor. 1:1-3

Paul planted the Corinthian church around 50 AD in a wealthy port city built on trade. Knowing what Corinth was like explains almost everything that follows.

May 10, 20237 min read
Meeting in Houses: A Look at the Early Christian Communities
Colossians · Ep. 53

Meeting in Houses: A Look at the Early Christian Communities

Before there were church buildings, there were living rooms. A look at where the first Christians actually met, and what Colossae and Laodicea tell us about it.

May 9, 20236 min read
The Power of Teamwork in Ministry Col. 4:7-15
Colossians · Ep. 52

The Power of Teamwork in Ministry Col. 4:7-15

Paul closes Colossians with a list of names most readers skim straight past. Every one of them was carrying part of the work, and that is exactly the point.

May 8, 20239 min read
False Prophecy
Eschatology & Prophecy

False Prophecy

Endless speculation about the antichrist produces fear and paralysis, not faith. There is a steadier way to read prophecy, and it starts with what was already fulfilled.

May 7, 20236 min read
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