Puzzled about Messengers?

May 22, 2022 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 2:1–5

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.

4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Puzzled about the Affect of Your Actions?

April 21, 2024 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 8:7–9

1 Corinthians 8 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.  3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”  5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),  6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.  8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?  11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Puzzled about Using God's Word?

April 14, 2024 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 8:4–6

1 Corinthians 8 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.  3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”  5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),  6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.  8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?  11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Puzzled about Knowledge?

April 7, 2024 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 8:1–3

1 Corinthians 8 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.  3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”  5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),  6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.  8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?  11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.