Family Bible Reading

Monday, May 26 2 Corinthians 5           Commentary In today’s passage, Paul reminds believers of their home and their purpose. He also exhorts the Corinthians, as David Garland perfectly encapsulated, to “finally recognize that he serves them, not himself, that he wishes to exalt them before God, not himself, and that his bold admonishments are all part of his ministry to get them to accept God’s reconciliation so that they may stand with him acquitted before God. They need to examine their own consciences and question whether their own lives are governed by the fear of God.” [1] The home of the Christian is not on this earth or even in this body (referred to here as a tent), but in heaven – and eventually, in the new heavens and earth. While we are in this life, we will face numerous hardships and trials, but one day, if know Christ, God will bring us to our eternal home with resurrected, perfect bodies. If we know Christ, we ca...

People frequently claim that we can’t trust the Bible, that Jesus didn’t exist, and so on. What do scholars, especially in the fields of ancient history, archaeology, and New Testament think of the claims of the Bible? Surprisingly to some, the vast majority of scholars accept many of the key points of the New Testament narrative being historical true. Thus, as we explore the question of whether we can trust the Bible’s account of Jesus and the early church, we will be citing the New Testament as well as nonbiblical sources from around the same time period. Citing the Bible in this discussion is not only reasonable, but necessary. Most of what we know about Jesus and his first followers comes from the Bible and the nonbiblical sources that support various historical claims of the Bible (like certain people existing, etc.) give further support for the New Testament being an authentic account by the followers of Jesus. In addition, we have both non-Christian and Christian sources from th...

 eMonday, May 19 1 Corinthians 15:1-28           Commentary In our reading today, Paul gives an important reminder of the gospel itself as he begins to wrap up the letter. As Patrick Schreiner explained, “Paul’s final topic concerns the resurrection of the dead. Some questioned, under the influence of Greek culture, their own resurrection. How can an earthly body that is perishable be raised?” [1] The apostle argues that the Resurrection is the crux of the gospel itself – if Jesus did not rise from the dead, it would mean sin and Satan defeated Jesus and we would be left with no Savior or hope. We would be following a dead, failed “Savior” to the grave and Hell. The gospel is about a suffering and dying Savior for sure, but also about the victorious Resurrection of that same Savior. Paul heard and was converted by this gospel and he passed on that same message. He notes that there were hundreds of witnesses to the risen Chr...