Monthly Archives: July 2025

1 CORINTHIANS 12 THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GIFTS

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July 27

1 CORINTHIANS 12

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

1 CORINTHIANS 12 MANY PARTS BUT ONE BODY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a member of the body of Christ

Each of the part of his body has a role to play

Although each have different functions to do

They are all aiming to give God splendor.

One of the most controversial topics in the church of Christ is the spiritual gifts. Many different denominations focus on certain gifts they like and bring about divisions among the churches. One church puts more importance on one gift than the other or one believer may rank a certain gift as better than the other. They miss the point of unity in the body of Christ. Our sinful nature will always have standards to follow. It is automatic for humans to compete and compare. We miss out on the purpose of God giving us these gifts when we look at it in a worldly manner. We think that these gifts are for our own edification and not for giving God the praise. We begin to classify certain gifts as better and some other ones as lesser.

Paul presents the division stirred by having a worldly mindset in discerning the spiritual gifts. It veers the believer away from the purpose of the gifts to unify all the parts of the body of Christ. It creates disunion and conflicts among the different parts.

REFLECTION

·       How can we minimize the tendency to highlight differences instead of unity?

1 CORINTHIANS 11 JUDGE ONESELF SO YOU WON’T BE JUDGED

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July 25

1 CORINTHIANS 11

29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judgedourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplinedso that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait forone another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. 1 Corinthians 11:29-34

1 CORINTHIANS 11 JUDGE ONESELF SO YOU WON’T BE JUDGED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As sinful people, it is automatic for us to pass judgment on others

But if we are in relationship with God, we will love our brothers

We must only judge ourselves against the laws of the Lord

We do not use our preferences and the standards of the world

Let us examine our hearts constantly especially when taking communion

It will defile the Lord if we do not prepare for ourselves for this union with him.

Paul continues to guide the Corinthian church with regards to the Lord’s Supper. He explains the consequences of not preparing and examining one’s heart for this very important remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. This was instituted by Christ himself and they were all commanded to meet and remember this holy sacrifice he did on the cross. When we do not examine our hearts before we partake of it, we are putting judgment on ourselves and it can lead to our illness, weakness or even spiritual or physical death. Do all believers take this very seriously? Sometimes it becomes a chore and routine to receive communion without much thought on the process of preparing for it.

Paul talked about judgment here and he admonished them to judge oneself instead of others. It is easy for humans to point fingers at someone else instead of looking into one’s faults, weaknesses or even admit our own sins. When we do this, we deflect and cover up our sins, something we don’t want to do especially before communion. It tarnishes our hearts, it defiles the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to cleanse us from sin.

REFLECTION

  • What are we missing when we do not examine our hearts for communion?

1 CORINTHIANS 11 IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE LORD’S DEATH

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July 24

1 CORINTHIANS 11

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. – 1 Corinthians 11:23-28

1 CORINTHIANS 11 IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE LORD’S DEATH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When someone we love dies, we remember them

When we serve the Lord, we communion with him

In remembrance of Jesus’ death, we take the Lord’s supper

By doing so, we reflect on God’s greatest love for mankind

Let us therefore examine ourselves as we partake of this

It is how we praise and honor the memory of our beloved Savior.

In this letter, Paul does what Jesus commanded them to do. They were told to commemorate the sacrifice he did on the cross by remembering the cup of the new covenant promise of God to his people. Jesus also told his disciples to remember his body as they break bread and partake of it. These following verses explain how Jesus himself instituted communion or the Lord’s Supper. It isn’t any other kind of supper, but it is a celebration of the love of God for mankind. It is to remember how God himself provided for a sacrifice to give us a clean slate from sin which we inherited from Adam and Eve.

Some unbelievers do not realize how important the Lord’s Supper is because they are not part of the covenant promise that God gave his people. They do not know the consequences of sin and do not acknowledge a higher being who made us all. Paul stressed the importance of proper examination of the heart before we partake of this.

REFLECTION

  • What’s the difference between remembering Jesus’ death than your loved one’s?

1 CORINTHIANS 11 PREPARING FOR TAKING THE LORD’S SUPPER

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July 23

1 CORINTHIANS 11

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. – 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

1 CORINTHIANS 11 PREPARING FOR TAKING THE LORD’S SUPPER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you are a member of the church of Christ

You are expected to remember Jesus’ sacrifice

Therefore, you must honor this remembrance

Don’t just take the Lord’s supper without preparation

Make sure you let go of all divisions and have sins confessed

You will be defiling the symbol of the cross if you don’t.

Paul reproves the Corinthian believers in this letter with regards to their demeanor before they were taking the Lord’s Supper. It has come to his attention that there are divisions and factions going on in the church. He corrects their attitudes when coming to partake of this remembrance. Some of them are acting like they are eating a meal in their own homes, where there is no control as to how they eat. He scolds them like a father would his own children and confronts wrong ways they do things that are not edifying God.

In the previous chapter, he commands them to flee from idolatry and reminds them of the cup of wine that they share. Each of them partakes of one bread for they are all members of the body of Christ. He also mentioned that they cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and the cup of the demons and partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. It will provoke jealousy from God.

REFLECTION

·       Why is it important for us to prepare our hearts and minds when we take the Lord’s Supper? What happens if we don’t?

1 CORINTHIANS 11 A SYMBOL OF SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY

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July 22

1 CORINTHIANS 11

10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. – 1 Corinthians 11:10-16

1 CORINTHIANS 11 A SYMBOL OF SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a wife, a woman needs to acknowledge her head

The member of the church has to submit to God

It is by succumbing to authority that we show obedience

When we concede to our heads, we honor Christ

The man follows Christ and by doing so, he honors God as well

The wife submits to her husband which means following God’s order.

In this letter, Paul could not stress enough the order that God has laid down for all his people. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit comprises our Trinity. Three persons in one God. Each of them has certain distinct roles that are unique to one another, but they are one.

Just as a man and a woman when they marry becomes one flesh and united, so is the body of Christ or the communion of saints is also one with Jesus Christ. Though they are one, there is an order in which they came about.  God’s order is that he created man for himself. The man serves God and God has authority over him. The woman was created for the purpose of being the man’s helper. She was taken out of the rib of the man himself, so the man has authority over the woman. God instituted marriage and when a man and a woman is married, they become one flesh.

According to a commentary, in Corinthian culture, a woman who covered her head during worship or when she was in public displayed her submission to authority. Although we don’t follow such practices anymore, it is good for us to remember who to submit to.

REFLECTION

·       What wrong notion of submission did the culture propagate in our world today?

1 CORINTHIANS 11 THE HEAD OF MAN AND WOMA

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July 21

1 CORINTHIANS 11

Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wifeis her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wifewho prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. – 1 Corinthians 11:1-9

1 CORINTHIANS 11 THE HEAD OF MAN AND WOMAN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God created man, he gave him dominion over creatures

Man was supposed to steward all of God’s creation

God made a woman so that she could be man’s helper

So, she is to submit to her man because he is the leader

Man’s head is Christ himself, so he must submit to his Lord

The woman is under the authority of her husband and not of the world.

In this letter, Paul explains the concept of leadership and authority. He points back to the beginning of time when God created the world and human beings. It seems to me that he was explaining this to the Christian church in order that they won’t put him on a pedestal. Instead, he points to the purpose of why God made man and woman. If you go back to Genesis 1, we can recall how God created all things in a sequence. Each day, he made something different from the day before. God was pleased when we finished all creatures but was very pleased when he made man. Even though he made both man and woman in his own image as verse 27 says, what Paul is emphasizing here is the order of creation and also the purpose why they were made. Man was made for God and woman for man.

That is the order. God is the head of the man, the man is the head of the woman.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Paul points out God’s concept of order in this letter?

1 CORINTHIANS 10 DO ALL THINGS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

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July 20

1 CORINTHIANS 10

29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. – 1 Corinthians 10:29-33

1 CORINTHIANS 10 DO ALL THINGS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As believers, our focus must be on giving God all the glory

To praise and honor God, we must be undefiled and holy

If we do things to feed our flesh and satisfy our cravings

It is not honoring God because the self becomes first

But if we do all things to bring pleasure to God

We will stay faithful and continue to give him laud.

In this letter, Paul explains the importance of giving all the glory to God.  In John 3:30, John the Baptist says this statement: “He must increase, I must decrease.” Just as John acknowledges that God must get all the glory and whatever he does must point to the Lord, Paul reiterates that concept.  According to Wikipedia, Charles Spurgeon, a well-known evangelical Baptist preacher in London, used the phrase “what would Jesus do” in quotation marks several times in a sermon he gave on June 28, 1891. In his sermon he cites the source of the phrase as a book written in Latin by Thomas à Kempis between 1418 and 1427, Imitatio Christi (The Imitation of Christ). If we reflect on WWJD, wouldn’t we be giving God the glory? As the Son of God, Jesus never did or said anything that didn’t come from His Father. He never operated on his own and his whole life on earth was to fulfill his Father’s plan, He worshiped and praised his Father all the time by the way he lived and by speaking only the truth. We were given the Holy Spirit the moment we believed in Christ and the role of the Holy Spirit is to bring praise to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ. If we walk in the Spirit, we will surely be giving laud to God and our Lord.

REFLECTION

  • What would it look life if a believer does all things for the glory of God?

1 CORINTHIANS 10 SEEK THE GOOD OF OTHERS

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July 19

1 CORINTHIANS 10

23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience – 1 Corinthians 10:23-28

1 CORINTHIANS 10 SEEK THE GOOD OF OTHERS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a believer, we are set apart from the world

Let us not act as if we have not heard God’s word

The worldly person seeks what is good for the self

But the believer pursues the needs and welfare of others

The believer encourages and builds up the body of Christ

The unbeliever tears down and builds his own fortress.

In this letter, Paul reminds them of denying themselves and seeking the good of his neighbor. This reproof would surely make an unbeliever’s heart revolt. It is against the world system’s concept of the “self” as the center of the universe. Paul quotes Psalm 24:1 in verse 26 when he points out that everything comes from the Lord. He mentions this to them so that they do not have to be legalistic about certain foods to eat just as the Jewish law prohibits many of them.

The purpose of Paul’s mentioning that God owns all things, he is actually making them reflect that all things created by God are good. There is no need to be legalistic on what to eat and what not to eat. How one reacts to certain preferences of others may repulse other people from hearing the gospel. So, Paul cautioned them to make sure that they exercise compassion and act in love and gentleness as they associate even with unbelievers.

REFLECTION

  • What do you think would happen if every person seeks the good of others?

1 CORINTHIANS 10 FLEE FROM IDOLATRY

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July 18

1 CORINTHIANS 10

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? – 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

1 CORINTHIANS 10 FLEE FROM IDOLATRY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Be pure and holy as you serve the Lord your God

There are many things that can easily be considered idols

Anything that takes your focus away from the Lord

You are already following the systems of the world

Make sure that you put God first in all your daily routines

If you don’t, you will surely have challenges in staying loyal to Him.

In this letter, Paul emphasizes the importance of allegiance to one God alone. He points out the value of making God first in all that the believers do. Why would he say “Flee from idolatry” instead of just cautioning them to be aware of it?  In the corrupt world that we inhabit, we are constantly bombarded by temptations left and right in order that the devil can change our minds in pledging allegiance to Christ. Why does he use the word “flee” as if someone was chasing us? One of the quickest ways that the devil can distract believers from being faithful to God is by shifting their focus from God to themselves. Since the world system is about gratifying the “self,” anyone can easily be derailed in their faith walk when Satan presents things that would make their lives easier such as conveniences or avoiding suffering and connecting with other believers.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think they needed to flee from idolatry as Paul instructed them?

1 CORINTHIANS 10 ON ENDURING TEMPTATIONS

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July 17

1 CORINTHIANS 10

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

                                                             – 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

1 CORINTHIANS 10 ON ENDURING TEMPTATIONS

In this letter, Paul encourages the Corinthian believers not to be disheartened when facing temptations. He reminds them of the people in the Old Testament like Moses who led God’s people into the wilderness and into the promised land. He explains to them that God purposely gave them the commandments so that they can be guided how not to go against God’s plans. Many of the children of God didn’t follow some of his laws and they faced consequences for what they did. God dealt with sin right away when it happened before Christ came in the picture. I would say that was gracious of him to do so. In this way, he is saving the others who might be demoralized by those sinful acts. Cutting those rebellious people will protect the rest of them. Paul reminds the Corinthian church of their responsibility to follow the laws for their own benefit. He warns them to be wary of discouragement when faced with temptations because the Holy Spirit will be with them to give them a way out of it. They will not be given anything that they cannot handle.

REFLECTION

  • How can we develop endurance against temptations?