Monthly Archives: August 2025

1 CORINTHIANS 15 LIFE COMES WHEN THE FLESH DIES

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August 11

1 CORINTHIANS 15

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. – 1 Corinthians 15:35-41

1 CORINTHIANS 15 LIFE COMES WHEN THE FLESH DIES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When I believed in Christ, my flesh has now been crucified

I no longer live for myself but for my Lord Jesus Christ

I am still a sinner but in Christ, I can overcome the world

I do this by walking in love and believing only in God’s word

Because Jesus died and resurrected to transform us

If we believe in him, we will receive eternal life.

In this letter, Paul explains the different kinds of bodies. We have earthly and heavenly bodies. Since we are still alive, we are in our earthly bodies. Because this world is not the realm of God but of Satan’s. Even though he has control over all things, we are still in our worldly bodies. So, if we do not believe in Jesus, there is no way we can control our flesh.

In Galatians 5:24 Paul mentions this again when he said “and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires.”

In verse 37, Paul mentions sowing a bare kernel, wheat or some other grain. John 12:24 explains this concept when he said that “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” He refers to dying to the flesh here so that we can be alive in Christ. Sadly, many of us cannot give up our passions and desires and we become slaves of our flesh.

REFLECTION

  • How do we die to our flesh as Christians?

1 CORINTHIANS 15 LET THE RESURRECTION TRANSFORM YOU

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August 10

1 CORINTHIANS 15

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. – 1 Corinthians 15:29-34

1 CORINTHIANS 15 LET THE RESURRECTION TRANSFORM YOU

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Jesus Christ died for you so you can be reconciled with God

It was sin that pulled you out of the presence of our Lord

When Jesus became the sacrifice to appease God’s wrath

He allowed us to be renewed and transformed in our hearts

Do not allow the world to overcome you but win over evil

Let the hope of the resurrection make you resist the devil.

In this letter, Paul continues to admonish the Corinthian church. He lays down the foundation for a new life in Christ. Because Christ died for us all sinners, it is only fitting that we embrace that transforming power of the cross.

As Christians, our lives need to be changed and we no longer need to live for ourselves, but for the edification of the church instead. The apostle Paul cautions believers not to be deceived and continue living like they used to before Christ died for them. He advised them to ensure that they are not associating with bad company. The psalmist in Psalm 1 tells us not to walk in their ways in the following words: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the lawof the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night.

We Christians ought to keep ourselves pure and holy because Christ paid a high price for us to stay free and in relationship with our Father. We need to live in that new creation.

REFLECTION

  • What can you say about Christians whose lives have not been transformed yet?

1 CORINTHIANS 15 CHRIST IS THE FIRSTFRUITS

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August 9

1 CORINTHIANS 15

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. – 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

1 CORINTHIANS 15 CHRIST IS THE FIRSTFRUITS

In Leviticus 23:9-14, the feast of the firstfruits was mention.  The Lord instructed the people through Moses that when they come into the promised land and reap its harvest, they shall bring the bunch of the firstfruits of their harvest to the priest and he shall wave this bunch before the Lord, in order that they will be accepted. It is on the Sabbath day that the priest will wave it. On that same day that they offered the bunch of firstfruits, they will offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as their burnt offering. The grain offering that goes with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma and the drink offering with it shall be of win. They were instructed not to eat neither the bread nor grain until they had brought the offering to God. It will be a statute forever throughout generations in all their dwellings.

Paul reminds the Corinthian church of the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross which made him the firstfruits of the resurrection. Paul wanted to stress that promise of new life again to all believers in this letter. According to a commentary from studylight.com The “first-fruits were a sign of the harvest to come; and the Resurrection of Jesus was a sign of the resurrection of all believers which was to come. Just as the new barley could not be used until the first-fruits had been duly offered, so the new harvest of life could not come until Jesus had been raised from the dead.”

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important for us Christians to meditate on Christ as the firstfruits?

1 CORINTHIANS 15 PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

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August 8

1 CORINTHIANS 15

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. – 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

1 CORINTHIANS 15 PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the third day when Jesus died, he resurrected from the dead

Though no one actually witnessed with their own eyes

Many saw Jesus with his resurrected body after he came back

But still, many doubted that he was truly restored to life.

Paul confronts those believers who started doubting the truth of the resurrection of Christ. In Luke 24, he narrated the events of the morning of the resurrection of Jesus when Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James came with all their spices prepared, the tomb was empty of Jesus’ dead body. Mary Magdalene wept as she was perplexed with fear not seeing her Lord. In this scene, she went and reported to the rest of the disciples what happened. In this same chapter, Luke enumerates the incidents when Jesus appeared to his disciples.

There were also several times when Jesus healed and raised Lazarus himself from the dead. Paul was rebuking their doubts because there have been so many proofs to see that the resurrection of the dead is true. He connects the importance of Christ resurrecting to the life of the believers. Without Jesus’ resurrection, their faith is futile and useless. It is in the resurrection that gives proof that he was the Son of God given to humanity to save us from our sins. It was the evidence that God loved us so much to give his Son.

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think some people have difficulty believing in the resurrection?

1 CORINTHIANS 15 NOT I BUT GOD’S GRACE IN ME

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August 7

1 CORINTHIANS 15

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

                                                                            – 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 CORINTHIANS 15 NOT I BUT GOD’S GRACE IN ME

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you become a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ

You will begin to see changes in your heart and mind

The Spirit of the Lord works in your heart to convict sin

It leads you to do what is right and be faithful to him

It is not you that can alter your thinking but it is his Spirit

So, no one can boast because we are not capable of it.

When the Lord called me to his loving kindness, I was such a mess. I didn’t truly see what a proud and boastful person I was because I always took credit for the work of the Spirit. Of course, I didn’t know that then. I was raised by ungodly people who have no clue who God is. They had religion, but that is totally a different thing from love. In this letter, Paul presents the epitome of love, who is personified in Jesus Christ. He died for all of us so we can be free from sin. He gave up his own life so that we can be reconciled with God who was full of wrath because of our sinfulness. His grace flowed from Jesus’ sacrifice.

REFLECTION

  • Share some manifestations of grace in your Christian life.

1 CORINTHIANS 14 GOD’S REQUIREMENT FROM WOMEN

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August 6

1 CORINTHIANS 14

As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order. – 1 Corinthians 14:33-40

1 CORINTHIANS 14 GOD’S REQUIREMENT FROM WOMEN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The woman believer is required by God to be silent in church services

This shows that they are submitting to their husband’s leadership

They are not to boldly speak out their queries in church

Instead, they are to consult their husbands at home

As they obey their husbands, they’re honoring God as well

When they defy God’s requirement, rebellion is at hand.

If an unbeliever reads this verse, they would probably revolt because this would look like a discrimination to women. The world system has created a standard where men and women have equal rights. These following verses don’t focus on equality of rights, but on submission to God’s authority through the men that were placed in the woman’s life. Even if the context of this letter had to do with ancient practices when women are more subservient to their authorities, we could learn submission to authority and respect for God’s order. This does not mean that God doesn’t think women have no rights in the church, but it only emphasizes that man was first in his creation of humanity and not woman. The world system is very different from how God runs his church. God’s order is there for a reason. It is to create unity in the body of Christ so that we keep our eyes on Jesus. It doesn’t mean women are not important. It only means that man speaks up about their concerns.

REFLECTION

·       What do you think of this order that God required for women to obey?