1 Corinthians 9: Will You Receive The Crown?
Verse of the Day: (V25) “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”
1. Christ (V1-8)
V1 “Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?”
Paul pleaded with the Corinthian Christians that they should love and support God’s preachers. Though there were Christians who supposedly loved God and men, yet in reality, they hated and opposed God’s preachers. The reason was that they might not be Christians, and even if they were, they had backslidden to the point where they hated and opposed God’s preachers. Let us truly love God’s preachers as they preach God’s word!
V2 “If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.”
2. Corn (V9-23)
V9 “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?”
Paul explained to the Corinthian church that they must love and financially support their full-time preachers, just like the farmers would not muzzle their oxen but let them freely eat the corn which they were ploughing on the field. However, Paul knew that the church must do it willingly, and hence, Paul became a tentmaker to support himself while preaching the gospel. Let us as a church truly loves and financially supports our full-time preachers and staff, because God shall richly bless and reward the church in due time.
V18 “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.”
3. Crown (V24-27)
V24 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”
Though it was not an easy road for Paul as he faced much hatred, opposition and persecution, yet he persevered to the end. He was determined to finish his Christian race well, so that he could gladly receive the incorruptible crown from his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and hear His comforting words, “Welcome, my good and faithful servant!”
V25 “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to finish my race so that I shall receive Your crown.
1 Corinthians 8: Do You Love God?
Verse of the Day: (V3) “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.”
1. Love (V1-4)
V1 “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit reminded the Corinthian church that God placed charity or God’s love above everything else, including knowledge. When we have knowledge, we may become proud, while when we have true love of God, we will always remain humble, and continue to love and encourage others. Paul warned them that though they could eat the food offered to idols because these idols were nothing, yet they must be careful not to stumble the weaker Christians. Indeed, God’s love is above everything else!
V3 “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.”
2. Lord (V5-6)
V5 “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)”
The people in Paul’s time, and even today, believed and worshipped many gods and lords, but truly there is only one God, the Father, and only one Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only God is the Creator of this world, and only the Lord Jesus is the Saviour of this world.
V6 “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”
3. Liberty (V7-13)
V9 “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak.”
Though we are at liberty to eat food offer to idols, yet we should refrain from eating them, because we know that there are weaker Christians who have weak conscience, and may be stumbled by our liberty. If we stumble them, we actually sin against God, because it shows that we do not love them. Therefore, let us who are strong, love the weak, by not stumbling them, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the best and perfect example of love. Jesus loves us so much, that He left the throne of heaven to be a man, and to die on the cruel cross, and shed His precious blood for the sins of the whole world. Whosoever believes in Jesus should never perish in hell, but have everlasting life with Him in heaven.
V12 “But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to love You and others, because You first love all.
1 Corinthians 7: What Is Your Gift?
Verse of the Day: (V7) “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.”
1. Gift Of God (V1-17)
V1 “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”
Though God through Apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians to follow the example of Paul who devoted all his time and energy on God’s work because he had God’s gift of being single, or was a widower, yet not all the Christians had the gift of being single or were widowers. However it is God’s desire that whether we have His gift of being single or married that we devote most if not all our time and energy on His work.
V7 “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.”
2. Commandments Of God (V18-24)
V18 “Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.”
During Paul’s time, the Corinthian Christians were arguing whether it was necessary to circumcise the Gentile Christians because the Jewish Christians were circumcised according to tradition. Some even argued that the Jewish Christians should do away with circumcision. Hence, God through Paul explained to them that keeping God’s commandments, namely, loving God and men, was more important than keeping men’s tradition. Let us therefore focus on keeping God’s commandments than men’s tradition.
V19 “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”
3. Spirit Of God (V25-40)
V39 “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
Beside God’s salvation, marriage is another of God’s great gifts. Marriage is for life, and only death, with the exception of adultery, separates the married couple. Only when the husband is dead, can the woman choose either to marry another or remain single. Indeed, whether we are single or married, we are the happiest when we are led by God’s Spirit!
V40 “But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You for Your gift of salvation whether I am single or married.
1 Corinthians 6: Who Shall Judge The World?
Verse of the Day: (V2) “Do ye know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”
1. Saints (V1-8)
V1 “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?”
God through Paul commanded the Corinthian Christians that they should not bring their disputes to the State Court before unbelievers, but to settle them among themselves. It was sad and tragic that they failed to love and trust one another, and hence they resorted to man’s ways instead of God’s ways in settling their disputes. Indeed, let us settle our disputes with the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit indwelling in us, and not take matters before men, because one day we shall judge and reign with Christ in this world!
V2 “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”
2. Spirit (V9-14)
V9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,”
Paul warned the Corinthian Christians to flee from sins which they had confessed to God, and God had washed them by the precious blood of His Son, and justified by His Spirit. However, it does not mean that Christians never sin, but it does mean that they should not continue in sins, and if they sin, they should confess and repent them. Those who continue in sins may never be truly saved. However, only God knows His saints, and let us continue to trust Him and look forward to the day when we shall inherit His kingdom.
V11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”’
3. Sin (V15-20)
V18 “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”
God hates sins, and in particular, immorality, because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and we should keep them pure and holy, and not abuse and dishonour them.
V19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I shall judge the world by Your Spirit and wisdom.
