Podcasts about Corinth

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 - Speaker: Lukus Counterman - The book of 2 Corinthians betrays a strained relationship between Paul and the church of Corinth. Even though he brought the good news of the gospel to these people, and even though he started the initial congregation, they turned on him. The relationship was cold and distant and so at the end of chapter 6, Paul explains the cause. The believers in Corinth were intermingling with unbelievers. They were toying with sin. They mistakenly thought they could blend Christianity and worldliness. But in the end, they were contaminated and their relationship with Paul was compromised. The way back home for distant Christians is to root out evil and run towards holiness in the fear of God. May the Lord teach all of us that lesson as we gather in worship this weekend.

First to the Corinthians- The church at Corinth was a church infected by the pagan culture that surrounded it. The Holy Spirit has much to say through this letter to the modern-day church, which has also been heavily influenced by the immorality of the current culture.

Daily Dose of Hope January 23, 2026   Scripture: I Corinthians 1   Prayer:  Abba Father, You are the potter, we are the clay, and the work of Your hands. Mold us and fashion us into the image of Jesus, your Son. Father, may we be one in You as He is in You, and You are in Him. Glory and praise to you, forever and ever. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We have been journeying through Paul's letters.  Today, we are starting our fourth pastoral letter, I Corinthians.   Let's start by talking a little bit about Corinth.  It was a Greek city, about forty-five miles from Athens.  It was highly prosperous but also known for its immorality.  We read about Paul's time in Corinth in Acts 18 during his second missionary journey.  It's in Corinth that Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila, fellow tentmakers and believers.  He started his time there by preaching in the synagogues but the Jews were generally not responsive.  That led Paul to begin to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles in the area.  And he was very successful.  Thus, the church in Corinth included both Jews and Gentiles.  Paul stayed with the Corinthians for roughly a year and a half.  During that time, there were some Jews who brought charges against Paul for his teachings.  The discord continued after he left.  Thus, the Corinthians church was dealing with these outside pressures, as well as serious internal discord and immorality.  Paul stayed in touch with them through letters.  We have two of these letters (there were probably others) in the New Testament.   In this first chapter of I Corinthians, we immediately notice this is a letter. Paul starts by identifying himself as the author and makes it clear that the recipients are those in the church at Corinth. After a brief expression of thanksgiving, Paul wastes no time at getting to a most pressing point. There is disunity in the church. Factions have emerged over who to follow. Some say they follow Paul, others say Apollos or Cephas, and some say Christ.   We don't know the details of the disagreements, or how the factions came about. Really, I don't think the fine points are that relevant. What's more interesting to me is how Paul handles the situation. He reminds them who and whose they are. He reinforces the mission. We get so distracted by our own egos and allegiances; the mission is what suffers. The mission is sharing the Gospel, spreading the Good News of Jesus.   Let's fast forward 2000 years. How often have we as individual Christ-followers and as a church gotten off track because of disagreements with other Christians? Think about people you have personally known who have left a church because they got mad about something. Conflicts over individual personalities, music styles, bruised egos, miscommunication, or even the color of the new carpet, can totally derail a church from the true mission! What if we just had laser focus on Jesus? What if the mission trumped everything else? How might that change things?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

A shocked city, a careful army, and a plateau that decides everything. We follow the tense weeks after Athens' first win outside Syracuse, when momentum gave way to method. Nicias, often branded cautious, makes a hard strategic choice: pause late in the season, refill the coffers, request cavalry, and prepare for a siege that can actually hold under pressure. Meanwhile, Syracuse hears Hermocrates at last. His blunt case—discipline over bluster, reform over blame—shrinks a muddled command, tightens training, and sends envoys to Corinth and Sparta to turn a local crisis into a panhellenic cause.The political map of Sicily comes into sharp focus as Camarina keeps a careful distance, Naxos and Regium quietly help Athens, and both sides court allies who can tip supplies, harbors, and morale. Then the war's center of gravity jumps across the sea. Alcibiades escapes and arrives in Sparta with insider detail and a plan to exploit Athenian overreach. His advice sparks two decisive moves: dispatching Gylippus to steady Syracuse and fortifying Decelea to bleed Attica. Intelligence, timing, and audacity reshape the conflict more than any single skirmish could.Through winter 415–414 BCE, the Athenians work with rare clarity. Catana becomes an operating base; ships are refit; scouts trace Syracuse's walls and water. The conclusion is simple and stark: win the Epipolae Heights or lose the siege before it begins. Spring brings speed. A quiet sail, a rapid landing, and Lamachus' night march seize Euryelus, the gateway to the plateau. Engineers mark lines. Syracuse counters. For a moment, the expedition reaches its high watermark, the city nearly within an encircling wall. But with Gylippus on the horizon and a reformed Syracuse ready to contest every trench, the hard road truly begins. Support the show

Over the course of several missionary journeys, the Apostle Paul walked countless miles of Roman roads, carrying the Gospel in his heart like an Olympian bearing a torch. The 2025 Greece/Rome Signature Tour followed those footsteps chronologically, tracing Paul's path through some of Scripture's most compelling cities and accounts. Join Rich Ferreira and Jerrell Jobe as they reflect on the journey, from its beginning in Kavala (Acts 16), through Philippi, Thessaloniki (Thessalonica), Berea, Athens, Corinth, and finally, Rome.Building on Philippi's history as a status-driven Roman city, Jerrell then unpacks Philippians 2 and explores what it truly meant for Christ to “become a servant.”Studying Scripture in this way brings the Bible to life—real people in real places in real time—causing the stories to leap off the page! The same Living Word Paul proclaimed in Macedonia is the Word that draws us there today. Join us.Watch this summary of the trip:https://vimeo.com/1156798520?fl=pl&fe=sh2026 trip page:https://gtitours.org/trip/signature-greece-rome-2026Video podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0bN0wc_lv0  

Dr. Scott Powell, JD Flynn, and Kate Olivera look ahead at the readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time— including an Advent-y passage from Isaiah, St. Paul's strong message about unity to the church in Corinth, and Jesus' withdrawal to Galilee. This episode is brought to you by the Institute for Liturgical Formation at Christendom College's Graduate School of Theology.This summer, consider spending four weeks at the Institute for Liturgical Formation— immersed in reverent liturgy and rigorous academics.To learn more, visit christendom.edu/liturgyAlready read the readings? Skip ahead to 6:50Reading 1 - Isaiah 8: 23—9:3Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14Reading 2 - 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13, 17Gospel - Matthew 4: 12-23 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pillarcatholic.com/subscribe

Reading 1Isaiah 49:3, 5-6The LORD said to me: You are my servant,Israel, through whom I show my glory.Now the LORD has spokenwho formed me as his servant from the womb,that Jacob may be brought back to himand Israel gathered to him;and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,and my God is now my strength!It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,to raise up the tribes of Jacob,and restore the survivors of Israel;I will make you a light to the nations,that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.Reading 21 Corinthians 1:1-3Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,and Sosthenes our brother,to the church of God that is in Corinth,to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.Grace to you and peace from God our Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ.GospelJohn 1:29-34John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.He is the one of whom I said,‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of mebecause he existed before me.'I did not know him,but the reason why I came baptizing with waterwas that he might be made known to Israel.”John testified further, saying,“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heavenand remain upon him.I did not know him,but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. The argument started small. They always do. A comparison here. A subtle jab there. Then suddenly the whole church in Corinth was splintering into camps — Paul's camp, Apollos' camp, Peter's camp, even a "we only follow Christ" camp said with a smug twist. Division never screams at first. It whispers. Then it fractures. I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else. For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. — 1 Corinthians 1:10–17 Paul doesn't tiptoe around the problem. He hits the heart of the issue. Because when people start attaching their identity to personalities rather than to Christ, unity dies. And Paul slices through the noise with one sharp question: "Is Christ divided?" Of course not. But when Christ isn't at the center, people start choosing sides. Here's the truth Corinth needed — and we need: When Christ is at the center, we won't take sides. Pastors don't unite the church. Preferences don't unite the church. Personalities don't unite the church. Only Jesus does that. So why are the names of your pastor, your preferences, and your personalities so important to you? But when Christ becomes the main thing again. The sides disappear. Comparison fades. Pride quiets. Unity rises. So let this settle deep today: If Christ stays at the center, division loses its power. And said another way — because we need the reminder — When Christ is truly at the center, we refuse to take sides. DO THIS: Reach out to one believer today — someone outside your usual circle. Send encouragement. Build a bridge where a wall once stood. ASK THIS: Where have preferences quietly replaced Christ as the center? Who do you tend to "follow" more closely than Jesus? Is there a person you need to reconcile with for the sake of unity? PRAY THIS: Jesus, keep me centered on You alone. Quiet my pride, crush my comparisons, and make You the center of everything I follow and everything I love. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Make Room"

Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville “And He Gave Evangelists…” (2) Introduction: What would you say are the top four greatest needs in God's kingdom today? I'm sure we could all come up with good answers to that question. I will give you my top four: The first is obvious: Christians who are passionate about knowing God, loving God, and loving lost souls.  Moms and Dads who raise their children to pursue the one true God and bring all other pursuits in service to him. Elders who equip and shepherd the flock, not “exercise authority of them” (Matthew 20:25, 1 Peter 5:1-4). Evangelists who actually “do the work of an evangelist” as outlined by Paul in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Paul told us that these last two needs, along with the apostles and prophets, were gifts Christ gave to the church for the equipping of the saints, to bring them to maturity in order to cause the growth of the body (Ephesians 4:11-16). These lessons are about gaining a better understanding of  the need for evangelists in God's kingdom and what we can do to encourage a desire to do this work.  Recap from the First Lesson When we study Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus, we cannot miss the challenge and the extensive nature of the work. Just as God set aside the tribe of Levi to spend their lives teaching Israel, so he gave “evangelists, shepherds and teachers” to the church to equip and grow the body. The failure of the Levites to fulfill their purpose led to the failure of the whole nation to live up to God's purpose. Today, God did not appoint a whole tribe, he appointed individuals who give their lives to bring the gospel message both to equip Christians and to spearhead reaching lost souls. But the shortage of evangelists is becoming more and more apparent.  Paul's Overview of the Work: 1 Timothy 4:6-16  Vs. 6: “…trained in the words of faith…”  7-8: “…train yourself for godliness”  11: “Command and teach these things.”  12: “Set the believers an example…”  13: “Devote yourself to the public reading of the Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching”  14: “Do not neglect the gift…” 15: “Practice these things, immerse yourself in in them…”  16: “Keep close watch…Persist in this…” Conclusion: These are not things that can be done by men who hold a secular job.  Why Not Be Content with the Men Preaching? “Preaching” is not “doing the work of an evangelist”  It was not God's design (Ephesian 4:11-12) Who will go out at night to teach the lost? Who will teach the lost in the daytime? Who will train and equip the church to do their part in evangelism efforts? Who will train more men to be evangelists? The Result: whole churches are being trained to neglect the lost and be content with the “99” (Matt. 18)  What Keeps Men from Preaching? First, the increasing wealthiness of our culture, which is enticing to young, college age men. The possibilities of living a comfortable and prosperous life are all around them. In conjunction with the above, relying on a church for wages feels uncomfortable and unstable to a man who plans to be married and raise a family. This is especially true when these same young men have repeatedly witnessed churches discharge a preacher every few years. (Of course that is not exclusive to preaching!) Relying on churches for support to work at a church that is not self-supporting. I have had preachers tell me they could never do what I have done and be in a church where they needed outside support. “How can I be confident that the support won't be dropped on a moment's notice?”  Second, preaching is often not a draw to younger men when they consider the whole church can become their “boss and critic.” Further, they have often seen preachers mistreated. Talk to any older preacher—their greatest trial will have come from their own brethren. Therefore, there are many who have decided to work a secular career job while utilizing opportunities to “preach a sermon” as the need arises. That certainly shouldn't be considered wrong, but it does contribute to the lack of evangelists. Third, preaching is not a “job,” it is a passion. Paul said it well in 1 Corinthians 9:16-17, “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.”  I trained one man who had wanted to preach from the time he was 14 years old. He went to FC and majored in Bible (not a good idea), and then asked to train with me. I had known him from childhood, and therefore accepted him. After six months I said to him, “I think you would be happier doing something else. What do you think?” He agreed, and went back to school for a secular job. The problem wasn't that he couldn't preach a sermon. It was that it wasn't his passion. Frankly, he hadn't even learned what it meant to love God with all his heart. Too many young men see preaching as a job. Another young man possibly could have become a good evangelist, but he submitted to his wife's insistence that his working hours be only 9 to 5.  Which brings up another hindrance: wives must be passionate about their husband's work.  Fourth, embedded in preaching are hardships and choices we would rather not make: There is a very interesting “American culture” problem that has seriously affected preachers and potential preachers. When a preacher is looking for a church, it is natural to do “background checks” on the church and how they have treated former preachers. We certainly do not want to go to a place where the elders or members are abusive. On the other hand, if you were a preacher, would you want to go to a church like Corinth? No, no! Paul sent Titus to “churches” on the island of Crete who were, “…always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” Paul basically said, “Titus, I want you to go a fix that!” Oh my. Consider “the Law of the Lid”  How many churches today are in the category of needing good elders and a good evangelist to “put in order the things that are wanting?” There is certainly a great need, but who wants to do that!!! The first place I preached, there was one faithful member, a lady named Bernice. I was told by elders that I would be foolish to go there. “It's a retirement community and no one is interested in the gospel. And besides, over the past seven years, 50 men have gone out there and preached sermons, to no avail.” But in the first three years we baptized 60 people, and one of the same elders then said to me, “Well, it must just be fertile ground.” For seven years, Bernice could not get a preacher to go and live there and do the hard thing (not just go preach and sermon and go home). Fifth, parents rarely prepare their sons to consider preaching or talk to them about the importance of the work in God's kingdom. I'm not suggesting that parents badger their sons to preach; that is not appropriate. Instead, I would recommend two approaches: Instill in your boys and girls our identity as disciples of Christ. Instill God's love for all people and his desire for them to be saved. And help them feel the weight of our responsibilities as Jesus' disciples — Jesus appointed us, only us, to bring the saving gospel to the world. If we don't do it, no one else will! (Parable of Lost Things & our identity as the Offspring of Abraham) Prepare them, and not just your sons, but also your daughters.  How to answer commonly asked questions using the scripture (Why does worship matter? Salvation, etc. Teach them to open their mouths and explain biblical texts! That is done far better by parents than it is in our Sunday/Wednesday classes. Teach them to give a speech, not a biblical speech, just a speech. [story of Dad and the speech of Spartacus to the Gladiators]  Sixth, a lack of training and mentoring.  In other words, how many churches and preachers are intent on obeying 2 Timothy 2:2 or followed the pattern of training that we see Paul doing?  Erik, Brent, Andy, and I have all turned down young men who desired to preach because they didn't understand the extent of the work. “I didn't know I'd have to work this hard.” “I don't like you telling me what I'm doing wrong in my preaching. I just want encouragement.”  In many cases, there are those who can preach a sermon, but the work described in Ephesians 4:11-16 and the “pastoral epistles” is not being done, and therefore understandably intimidating. Why shouldn't it be? It is often not seen/practiced among evangelists, shepherds and teachers. I personally cannot count the number of young preachers who have come out of one–two year programs, moved to a church, but haven't the slightest idea what to do other than “preach.” What about reaching the lost? What about engaging the church in the effort? What about moving the church to maturity? What about equipping the saints?  The need for patience on the part of the elders and the members, and humility to learn on the part of the preacher. Berry Kercheville The post Ephesians 4:11-16 And He Gave Evangelists… (2) appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

The first admonitionPaul gives us is to walk in love. We walk in love because love is thefoundational characteristic of the Christian life. If we walk in love, we willnot disobey God or injure others, “for he who loves another has fulfilledthe law,” as we read in Romans 13:8. TheHoly Spirit places that love within our hearts. Romans 5:5, tells us that thelove of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It flows outof us because God is love. We are living with God, walking with God, andtherefore we are walking in love. Now Paul goes on to point out something else.Not only do we walk in love, but we also walk in the light. We see thisin verse 8, where he says, “For you were once darkness, but now you arelight in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” We walk in love, and we walkin light. Why? Because God is light. Remember, we are imitating our Father.When we walk in the light, we have nothing to do with the darkness of sin. Paulthen gives us specific descriptions of sins that we are to avoid. In verse 3,he says, “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not evenbe named among you, as is fitting for saints.” Then in verse 4, he adds,“Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are notfitting, but rather giving of thanks.” First,we see sins of the flesh. Why do we avoid these sins? Because we are saints.Notice that phrase, “as is fitting for saints.” Saints are those who have beenset apart—sanctified—for the glory of God. We are different because we are inChrist, not because of anything special in ourselves, but because we belong toHim and have been set apart for His purposes. Myfriend, you don't have to wait for a church or an institution to declare you asaint. The moment you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, you become a saint.Even the believers in the church at Corinth—troubled as that church was—werestill called saints. They had been set apart, even though there were things intheir lives and in their church that did not belong there. That's why Paul saysthese things are not fitting for saints. Whatis fitting for saints is that we do not walk in darkness, but in light. We putaside fornication, sexual sin, uncleanness, and covetousness. Covetousness isreally a weakness of our fallen nature—an expression of uncontrolled appetites.The fornicator and the covetous person both seek to satisfy desires by takingwhat does not belong to them. We see this clearly in 1 John 2:16, which speaksof “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.” Paul tells us thatthere should not even be a hint of these things among us. We stay away fromthem because they are not fitting for the saints of God. ThenPaul addresses our speech in verse 4—“neither filthiness, nor foolishtalking, nor coarse jesting.” These are sins of the tongue, and they arenot fitting either. Instead, we are called to give thanks. When we trulyunderstand how blessed we are in Christ—when our hearts are filled withgratitude and appreciation for God's goodness—we will not speak in ways thatare displeasing to Him. Coarsejesting is a form of speech that takes something clean and twists it intosomething dirty through cleverness or wit. People with filthy hearts and mindsdo that. They take what is pure and corrupt it with their words. My friend,that should never characterize Christian conversation. By the grace of God, weavoid these things. Why? Because we are children of light, and we are to walkas children of light. We were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord.May God help us to understand these truths, to avoid the sins of the flesh andthe sins of the tongue, and to make sure that what we say and what we do bringsglory to God. May we reflect His light to a world that is filled with darkness. 

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 1:1-3. Have you ever forgotten who you are? Not your name. Your identity. The core of who God says you are. Because life has a way of chipping at that, doesn't it? One comment from someone who doesn't really know you… One failure you can't stop replaying… One season where you feel more worn out than useful… And suddenly you're questioning everything. That's exactly why Paul opens this letter the way he does. He doesn't start with correction. He starts with identity. Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Corinthians 1:1–3 Corinth was a moral circus. A city where everything was loud, proud, fast, and compromised. But Paul looks straight at this messy church and says, You're God's people. You're sanctified. You're called saints. Not because they earned it. Not because their behavior proved it. Because Jesus did the work and placed His name on them. And here's the takeaway for you today: Culture doesn't get to name you. Christ already did. You are: Sanctified — set apart by God. Called — chosen for His purposes. Blessed — grace and peace belong to you. Paul says all that before addressing a single issue… because identity always comes before behavior. When you remember who you are, you start living like who you are. DO THIS: Speak your identity out loud today. "I am sanctified in Christ and called by God." Say it before you walk into work… before you see your family… before you face that thing that makes you doubt yourself. ASK THIS: Where have you let the culture tell you who you are instead of Christ? What false label do you need to lay down today? How would your decisions change if you fully lived like a "called saint"? PRAY THIS: Jesus, remind me today who I am in You. Strip away every false label and anchor my heart in Your grace. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Who You Say I Am"

Big IdeaThe letters of the New Testament remind us who we are called to be. Saints. Set apart. Different in a way that points the world to Christ.Key Scripture“To the church of God in Corinth… called to be saints.”1 Corinthians 1:2Key Points to RememberMost of the New Testament is made up of letters written to real churches with real problems.When we read these letters, we are reading someone else's mail, but God still speaks to us through them today.Paul calls the Corinthians saints, not because they were perfect, but because they were called to live differently.A saint is not a super Christian. A saint is someone set apart in love, humility, justice, and compassion.Being set apart does not mean being better than others. It means reflecting Christ in how we live.The world should see generosity instead of greed, welcome instead of exclusion, peace instead of violence.Even when the church falls short, God does not give up on us. We are still called, loved, and invited to grow.A Question to Reflect OnWhen the world looks at my life, what do they see?Do they see something that points them toward Jesus?A Prayer to Carry With You“Thank you, God, that you judge us not by the perfection of our actions, but by our readiness to live boldly in faith.”Living It Out This WeekLook for one small way to live set apart this week through generosity, kindness, justice, or peace so others might catch a glimpse of God's kingdom.

ESV 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus […]

Introduction: Get Purified: When There's Sin in the Church... (1 Corinthians 5:1-13) RECOGNIZE sin. (1 Cor 5:1-2) Ephesians 5:3 - But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. REMOVE the sinner. (1 Cor 5:3-5) Proverbs 22:10 - Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. Titus 3:10 - As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him... What do we hope to accomplish by throwing him out? In His heart: We hope He's ASHAMED. 2 Thessalonians 3:14 - If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. In His head: We hope He LEARNS. 1 Timothy 1:20 - Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. In His body: We hope He SUFFERS. In His Spirit: We hope He REPENTS. REMEMBER the purpose. (1 Cor 5:6-8) RESTRICT discipline to believers. (1 Cor 5:9-13) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 5What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Why do you think people have a hard time with a church removing an unrepentant sinner, when the Bible clearly commands it?What is the motivation behind removing someone from church? What does it do for the church?Explain 1 Cor 5:5 in your own words.How would you coach someone on “How exactly do I confront a brother in Christ who is clearly in unrepentant sin?”BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open up those Bibles.The book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 5.1 Corinthians chapter 5.Imagine a scenario with me.You go to the doctor because you have a suspicious looking spot on your skin and the doctorgives you the news you don't want to hear.You have skin cancer.So for the good of the body, for the health of the body, what needs to happen with thatspot?You have to remove it, right?Right?You have to remove it.Or if you go to a doctor and they find out that you have cancer in your kidney, for thehealth of the body, what do you have to do?You have to remove it, right?If it's on your skin, for the health of the body, you remove it.If it's on your kidney, for the health of the body, you remove it.And what if there's cancer in the church?All of a sudden the brakes got pumped a little bit, didn't they?In principle, for the health of the body, it has to be removed.We're getting back into 1 Corinthians.Remember the first four chapters, one message really, it was get unified.Paul pointed out that Corinthians had a lot of problems with pride and boasting and factions.Get unified, knock it off.All right, next subject takes us to our next section here, get purified.There is another problem in the church.There was someone who claimed to be a Christian but was living in flagrant, unrepentant sin.What do you do with that guy?Let's just pause for a moment.I'm going to ask you please pray for me.To be faithful to communicate what God's Word says, I will pray for you to have a heartopen to receive it.All right, let's pray.Father, be glorified.Be glorified as we spend this time in Your Word.Be glorified in the hearts of every one of us that we would be very quick to disregardour opinions and have a heart to embrace Your truth.We thank You ahead of time, Father, for what You're going to do.Whatever that looks like to us, I guess doesn't really matter.Do what You do, Father.We pray in Jesus' name.All of God's people said, "Amen."So what do you do?What do you do when there's someone in the church who claims to be a believer but they'reliving in obvious flagrant, unrepentant sin?What do you do with that person?We're going to get right into it on your outline.Get purified.When there's sin in the church, what do you do?What do you do?First of all, number one, write this down, "Recognize sin."How about we start there?Look at verse 1 and chapter 5.Paul says, "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you."Stop right there for a second.What is sexual immorality?What is that?I know what the words mean.I don't need a definition, but in our day, can somebody give me an example of what issexual immorality?Because it seems like we live in a day that anything goes.So how can we say anything's immoral if everything's okay?What even is that?Well, he goes on, look at the rest of verse 1.He says, "It's reported that there is sexual immorality among you and of a kind that isnot tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife."Okay, now, I'm not going to bore you with the homework, but according to the Greek text,here's what's going on.There was a man who married, had a kid, and his wife dies.And he remarries, probably a much younger woman, and his son has the hots for his stepmother.And they start a relationship.And the man ends up divorcing the wife, the stepmom, because the Bible doesn't say theycommitted adultery, it says they committed fornication.So the man divorced his second wife, but his son continued an ongoing sexual relationshipwith his stepmother.Pretty shocking sin, isn't it?But not as shocking as the church's reaction.Paul's like, "What are you doing?What are you doing?Even pagans would look at this and be like, "You're sick, bro!What are you doing?You're sleeping with your stepmother?"Paul's like, "Pagans are gagging at this thought."And church, you're just...What are you doing?You're just allowing this to happen?So the church today is just like Corinth.We church, we live right in the middle of Sodom.And sin in general, and sexual sin specifically, we have - I don't need to sell anybody onthis - we have very quickly moved from tolerating it, which is bad enough, to applauding sexualsin.What do you think about that, Paul?Look at verse 2.He says, "And you are arrogant.Aught you not rather to mourn?Let him who has done this be removed from among you."Paul's like, "What are you doing?This should grieve you as a church.Having one of your members be in sexual sin,you should be sad about this."He goes, "You're so arrogant.You're so fully yourselves."That's what he was talking about in chapters 1-4.Constantly spraining their arms, patting themselves on the back.See, so sick.In Corinth, they made a - we saw this in the first four chapters - they made a big dealout of who the best preacher was, and then they make a very little deal out of flagrant,unrepentant sexual sin.Not much has changed there.The church has graded that, aren't we?We're graded that.We will make a big deal out of nonsense.Oh no, we'll fight about little points of doctrine that we'll never get figured out.We'll fight about that.But one of our members can be living a destructive sinful lifestyle when we're like, "Oh, well,what can you do?"And we'll ignore that.Just like Corinth, Paul tells them and us how to deal with the sinner.But I think first we've got to make sure that we recognize what sin is, because I thinkin the landscape of the church today we've forgotten that such a thing even exists.Do we recognize sin?See, in Corinth we're going to talk more about this here in a couple of weeks, but the Greekssaw sex as a merely biological function.That's all it was.Sex was just a biological function.It's like this.You're hungry, you eat, right?That's just natural.When you're thirsty, you drink.That's just natural.And you have those urges.You just do it, because it's just natural to do that.You know what the problem was in Corinth and in our church today?Same problem.We have lost the idea that marriage and sexuality are sacred things.We've lost that.We have completely lost that concept.There is no idea around this is a holy and sacred and precious thing that needs to beprotected.We become a bunch of dogs.You study God's Word.Do you know how sacred marriage and sexuality is?This is God's picture.God says, "I have this."And then this is all the way from creation.God says, "I have this design.I'm going to take a man and a woman, and these two are going to enter a lifelong covenantwith each other."They're going to make this lifelong commitment as covenant.They're going to have a relationship with each other that's unlike the relationship theyhave with anybody else on the earth.And two will become one.And the physical manifestation of two becoming one is the act of intimacy.They're going to know each other in a way that no one else knows either of them.They know each other that way.This is a sacred thing.Thank God we find out in the New Testament that it's a picture of the gospel.It's God enters a covenant with His people and has an intimate relationship with Hispeople.It's a picture.It's sacred.The church, when we abandon God's design, we disregard the sacredness and we've abandonedall purity.And it is the church's job, yes, it is still the church's job to promote and pursue purity.To the extent, quick call back.Dr. Taylor just read Ephesians 5, but again, verse 3, "But sexual immorality and all impurityor covetousness must not even be named among you as is proper among saints."We church have to deal with people that are insane.And that requires recognizing when people are in unrepentant sin.Can we recognize that?What do you do?What do you do with the guy?Well, look at verse 2 again, last part."Let him who has done this be removed from among you."You see that?God says when someone who claims to be a believer is living in unrepentance and remove him,get him out of the church.You're like, is that really what it says?Or is that just kind of like your interpretation?No, that's what it says.Actually, you're going to see this six times in the passage.In verse 2, verse 5, verse 7, verse 9, and twice in verse 11.In this case, you remove them.Paul says you grab them by the scruff of the neck and the seat of the pants and you finda stained glass window and you throw him out.Remove him.Not, we're going to ask you to step down from your position of leadership.Not, you can still come here, but I need you to sit in the back.But, all right, listen, you can come to church here, but I'm going to ask that you're notsaying anything, just keep your mouth shut.No.Out.You're not welcome here.You're going to recognize sin.That leaves us to number 2.Paul touches on it and I'm sure maybe the Corinthians were as shocked as some of you are now.So he elaborates.Number 2, write this down, remove the sinner.What do we do?We're going to recognize sin.God give us vision for that.And when we do, we're going to remove the sinner.Look at verse 3.Paul elaborates, "For though absent in body, I am president spirit, and as if present,I've already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing."Paul's like, "Guys, I'm not even there.And I know what needs to happen."Like, how are you not seeing this?Verse 4, he says, "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus, and my spiritis present with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for thedestruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord."He says, verse 4, "This is according to the authority of Jesus in His name, and this mustbe done in the power of Jesus."What do we do with them, Paul?He says, "Deliver this man to Satan."He says, "Throw him out into the world."Like, oh, you want to live like the world.Is that it?You want to live like the world?Okay.You want to go live like the world.You're not doing that in here.Because in here, we don't pattern our behavior after the world.So if you are, then you can go into the world and do that.Get him out.Get him out.And somebody's like, "Yeah, but you know, a guy like that, he needs church."That's true.The church doesn't need him.The Bible is clear on this.The Bible is so clear on this.Proverbs 22, look at what Proverbs 22 says, verse 10, "Drive out a scoffer, and strifewill go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease."Again, Titus 3:10, "As for a person who stirs up division."Again, this isn't just about sexual sin.We're going to see that here in 1 Corinthians 5.It's other unrepentant sin too."But as for a person who stirs up division after warning him once and then twice, havenothing more to do with him."Like, look, we've talked about this, and we've talked about this, and you're still causingproblems.I'm ignoring you.We're all ignoring you.We're having nothing to do with you.Go.Like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.You're like, time out.Why?Like, what good is it to throw the guy out of church?Like, don't we love people here?Absolutely we do.Well, then, if we really love people, why when somebody is stuck in sin, what good wouldit be to have them go out of church?Well, there's four things.Write this down on your outline.What do we hope to accomplish by throwing him out?Look, this is an act of love.You have to understand that.The most loving thing we can do is show them the door.What do you hope to accomplish?Well, there's four things you hope to accomplish, and you're going to see here, you're goingto hit them everywhere.One of the things you hope to accomplish, first of all, letter A in his heart, we hopehe's ashamed.That's one of the things you hope to accomplish.We hope he's ashamed.Second Thessalonians 3:14, Paul says, "If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter,take note of that person.Here it is again, and have nothing to do with him."Why would we do that, Paul?Look, that he may be ashamed.You're trying to shame someone?Yeah, we are, actually.Shame for that person to be out in the world, maybe with friends and family, like, "Hey,don't you go to that church?"Like, "Ah, yeah, they kind of threw me out."You got thrown out of church?That's embarrassing.Yeah, that's real embarrassing.My conduct is so bad, the church doesn't want me there.What are we driving at?We want the person to stop and be like, "What am I doing?"Right?We hope he's ashamed.Letter B, okay, that's going to the heart.Now we're going to the head.Letter B in his head.We hope he learns.We hope he learns.See, Paul told 1 Timothy 120, "Imaneus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan."Same terminology here in 1 Corinthians 5, right?"Who I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme."You see that?In his head, we hope he learns.Like talking to him didn't register.So go.Go think about your choices.Again, same principle.We want the person out of the church going, "What am I doing?What am I doing that these people who love and care for me consider my behavior so badthat I have to be kicked out in the hall like an unruly fourth grader?What am I doing?"So we're hitting them in the heart.We're hitting them in the head.Letter C in his body.We hope he suffers.We hope he suffers.Verse 5 in back in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul says, "Deliver him to Satan."Whoa, why?He says, "For the destruction of the flesh."You know, Satan can touch your body, but he can't touch your soul.He can touch your body, but he can't touch your soul.And sin always eventually leads to suffering every time.You continue an unrepentant, flagrant disobedience sin.Eventually you are going to suffer.Disease.Depression.Addiction.Throw him out.Why?You've got to let him reap the consequences of his sin.You want to live like that?Let me know how that works out for you.Spoiler alert, it's going to wreck him eventually.We want the person to get out there living in his sin, if that's what he chooses to do,to get to the point where he's suffering in one of these ways, and he's like, "Whatam I doing?I wasn't suffering like this while I was actively seeking the Lord.What am I doing?"And you're like, "Wow, seriously, seriously, Pastor Jeff, you're saying you're hoping,when they're throwing out, you're hoping they're ashamed, they learn a lesson and they suffer.Is that what you're hoping for?"100%.Why?I'll look back at 1 Corinthians 5.Look at verse 5 again.He says, "Deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.Here's the end goal so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord."So that's letter D.In his spirit, we hope he repents.Listen, this is the hard reality.This is the tough love.But when somebody is in flagrant sin, refuses to repent, and they are shown the door, we'renot trying to punish them.Like, "I hate you.I hope you suffer."No, no, no.It's, "I love you, and I hope that this suffering brings you back."You know who the poster boy is for this?Is the prodigal son, Luke 15.Jesus told the story.Now, you know, maybe you're familiar with the story, but this, you know, "Dad, giveme my share of the inheritance."The kid takes it and he goes and he spends it all.And he's broke.And now he's feeding the pigs and he's so hungry, he wishes he could eat the garbagethat he's feeding the pigs.Now, remember the story?He had to get to the place where he was so broken.He says, "What am I doing?"So let me ask you, what would have happened, I know it's a made up story, but let's getin it.What would have happened if Dad would have run in to rescue him?What would have happened?Kids like him out of money and Dad picks him up."All right, son, come on home."Would the kid have learned anything?Would he?No!He wouldn't have learned a thing and he'd do it again.No dad, hard as it was, had to let him suffer the consequences of his own stupid choices.And that's what Paul's saying here.When someone continues to thumb their nose at God, despite your appeals, despite yourtears, despite your pleading with them, despite your praying with them, and they still persistin sin, Paul's like the most loving thing you can do is show them the door.Because that's always the objection.Anytime you talk about something like this, it is so unloving.It is so unloving to kick somebody out of church.No, it is not.Unloving is allowing someone to dishonor the Lord.Unloving is allowing someone to think that sin has no consequences.Unloving is keeping someone from the joy of repenting and walking with the Lord.And he's never going to repent from his sin if the church just accepts it.So what good is it to throw him out?Well, the hope is eventually it benefits him by leading to repentance.Did you know that's only one of the benefits?Actually, that's kind of secondary, believe it or not.Number three, write this down.When they're sinning in the church and you've got to remove the sinner, number three, rememberthe purpose.Yes, it's about ultimately restoring him, but there's a bigger purpose in mind than evenrestoring the sinner.I want you to see this in your Bibles.Look at verses 6-8.Paul says, "Your boasting is not good."Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of maliceand evil, but with the leavened bread of sincerity and truth.Paul gives an illustration here, and it's an illustration from Passover, Exodus chapter12.And it's an illustration also about bread.When you made bread, there would be a giant lump of unleavened dough, and you would haveto take old leaven from a previous loaf, and you would have to put it in the new doughso that that leaven would permeate the whole loaf.Okay, now dial in here, because this is such a beautiful and genius and multi-layered illustration.It's so profound.But see, leaven in this illustration, it's a picture of sin.Right?Verse 8, he says, "It's malice and evil."Paul here is saying the reason that you removed the sinner from church is the same reasonyou wouldn't put leaven in an unleavened loaf, because when you allow it in, it affects everything.You see that?It's about permeation.That's what Paul is saying here.Remember the purpose.Throw him out.Why?Because if he's here, if he's in the church, that his sin, like the leaven in the lump,his sin is going to ultimately affect everyone.You're like, "Well, what's the deal with Passover?What's the illustration there?"Again, it's just crazy brilliant.But in the Passover, remember the last plague, death of the firstborn?Israel was to put the blood of a spotless lamb in their doorposts.And when they did that, that was the defining moment.That was its separation time.We are out of Egypt now, separating from Egypt.We are called, not to separate from Egypt, we are called to separate from the world andthe ways of the world.And that's why Paul says in verse 7 that the death of Christ is our moment of separation.Just for the Jews, blood on the door meant separation from Egypt.For us, the blood of Jesus means separation from the ways of the world.You see that?And with the Passover and the leaven and the bread, here's how it all comes together.When they left Egypt, they were to take no leaven with them.Why?It was a picture of you're leaving that behind, you're not taking Egypt with you.You're separating now.So here's what Paul's saying."Church, Christ died to make you holy.Separate yourselves from the world.The ways of the world don't allow leaven.The old stuff, the sin, back in."Why?Because the purity of the church is at stake.That's why.Because like leaven, sin spreads.Sins infectious.So verse 7, here it is again, "Cleanse out the old leaven."What's he saying?Get the unrepetent sinner out.Because he's going to affect everyone.Because as people, you are more tempted to excuse and ignore your own sin.If you're in a community where we excuse and ignore sin, you are more tempted to excuseand ignore your own sin if you're in a community that excuses and ignores other people's sin.Don't believe me?If you teach in Harvest Academy, what happens if you have one kid?In the class, one kid.Just had too much espresso that morning or something.Put a little too much saccharine on the old Count Chocula.And he comes in and he is kicking people.And he is jumping up and down on the table.And he is screaming.And you don't address it at all.What eventually happens?None of you worked with kids?Oh come on.What eventually happens?Oh, you have worked with kids, right?All of a sudden, little Joey is jumping on the table.What's little Billy doing?Apparently this is what we're doing, right?Little Joey is screaming.Now all of a sudden, little Betsy looks like we're screaming.And if you don't address it, what are you going to have in about two minutes?We're going to have an entire room full of kids all acting like little Joey.And little Joey's number needs to be up on that little screen right there.That says, come get little Joey.Why?He needs to be removed.Why?Not because we hate little Joey.Because little Joey is affecting the whole class.You see?You know that same principle is true for adults, isn't it?If we tolerate or condone God help us applaud sin, what we do church is we create a culturewhere people are comfortable to sin.And it's not long before rainbow flags are hanging on the church.We're called to be different, aren't we?Aren't we called to be different than the ways of the world?Aren't we called to pursue the ways of God?Aren't we called to represent the kingdom of Jesus Christ here on earth?And you're like, oh, so what are you saying, Pastor Jeff?You have to be perfect to come here?Oh, no, no, no, no, not at all.No, no, we're not saying that at all.At least as to Paul's last point here, write this one down.Number four, resist.I'm sorry, restrict.Excuse me, restrict.Restrict discipline to believers.Restrict discipline to believers.Look at verse 9.He says, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people."You're like, what letter?Well, there was another letter, alright?He wrote them a letter before 1 Corinthians.And we don't have that letter.Do you think if God wanted us to have it, we would have it?For sure.For some reason, God didn't want us to have it.But we have some clues, right, about what was going on there.What part of that letter was, he told to Corinthians, "You need to avoid immoral people."And now he's saying, look, that's what I told you before.It's true, but I need to clarify some things here, right?Because apparently you're not getting it.Verse 10, "Not at all," meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlersor idolaters, "Since then, you would need to go out of the world."He says, look, when we say avoid sinners.He goes, I'm not talking about avoiding non-Christians.He goes, that's impossible.That is impossible.As long as you're living on this earth, you are going to interact with non-Christians.So this whole remove, separate yourself.He says, I'm not talking about non-Christians at all.Yes, we should be loving and reaching out and sharing the gospel and inviting the churchto non-Christians.Absolutely.Paul's like, I am so not talking about that.What are you talking about, Paul?Look at verse 11, here it is.But now I'm writing to you, "Not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother."Did you see that?If he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or as an idolater, revalor, drunkard, or swindler,not even to eat with such a wand.Paul's making it very clear here.He's not saying we just avoid, we avoid sinners, we avoid non-Christians.No, no, no, no.He says, I'm talking about people who claim to be born again believers but are unrepentant.Flagrantly, proudly living in sin.By the way, not just limited to sexual sin.I think you saw that.Sometimes that's the only sin the church wants to pick on because they sin differently thanus.It's not the only sin.But you have to see the difference.You have a Christian in sin, this happens all the time.All the time.You have a Christian in sin that's like, look, I am struggling.I need help.What I'm doing is wrong.I need help.And you have a different guy that is like, look, nobody tells me what to do.Who are you to judge me?What I'm doing is not wrong.Who do you think you are telling me?I can't be with this person or do this.You don't tell me what to do.Nobody tells me what to do.You see the difference?There's a huge difference in attitude and there is a huge difference in our response.Please hear me.If you call yourself a Christian and you come to me or one of our pastors, one of our eldersand you come to us and you say, Pastor Jeff, I'm stuck in sin.Please help me.I realize this is wrong and I want to honor Christ.I will do whatever it takes to get you on track and you walk with the Lord.I will work with you.I will spend as much time as we need.I will get whoever needs to be involved to get you on track in seeking the Lord the wayyou should.I will do anything in the world for you.You have to know that and there are some people in this room that know that firsthand.On the other hand, someone who calls himself a Christian but they're in sin and they'relovingly confronted, hey, what you're doing isn't right.This is honoring the Lord and they refuse to repent.Who do you think you are?You don't tell me what to do.He's out.He's out.And listen, this is an austere passage for sure.And I sure hope to heaven that none of you think that anybody is reveling in the thoughtof evicting somebody from church.This is a horribly sad and painful thing.No one is happy when this has to happen.And this isn't meant to be harsh.You see, it's confronting people in a spirit of love.It's a plea to repent because of the gospel, because of the kingdom, because of our testimony,because purity matters.That's the point.If there's flagrant, obvious sin and there's an absolute refusal to repent, then they'reout.And we can sit here today, church, and we can look at the text on the page and we can agreewith the concepts.But I'm going to tell you for a fact, it gets real hard when it actually happens to oneof us.I mean, we can agree to the concept, but when there's a face and a name, then it gets realhard.This happened a handful of times over my ministry.I could tell you stories.I could tell you stories of a man who was sneaking off and having a relationship withone of the girls in a youth group.This was at a previous church.Confronted, chip on his shoulder.You don't understand.And the man's 38, she was like 14.Confronted, he's like, you don't understand.She's very mature.We have a special relationship.The law was involved, by the way.And he went to where he needed to go.But in that conversation with him, I said, you are not welcome here.He says, where am I supposed to go?And I said, that's not my problem, but not here.Closing time, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.We had another situation with a man who asked for help in saving his marriage.And he seemed real repentant until somebody from church caught him on a date with anotherwoman out of the restaurant holding hands with her at a table.He was confronted with that.There's the door.And look, I could tell you several more, I'm not going to.But I can't tell you this.Every single time in my ministry that's happened, those have been some of the most painful seasonsof ministry that I've experienced.It's not fun.It's not fun to sit down with a brother or sister and say, you are dishonoring the Lordin your conduct, and we are begging you to turn this around.The hope, when someone is removed, the hope is always that they repent and we will joyfullyrestore them and then we all move on.It's in the rear of your mirror.We're done, you're repented.Okay, we're not going to talk about it.We're not going to bring it up.We're done.Great.That's the hope.But do you know what usually happens in our culture?Somebody's confronted with their sin.They get upset.Then what do they do?Off to Orchard Hill.I don't need to sit here and listen to this.It's a north way.Off to anywhere but here.Hope.They don't throw me out for sinning.And I'm like, I kind of hope they do.Yeah, that's typically what happens.People are disciplined and they just pack up their Bible and they go to another church.And you're like, well, so discipline didn't do them any good.Well, maybe not.But it did the church good.Tolerating sin will destroy the church.Look at verse 12.Paul says, "For what have I to do with judging outsiders?Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?"Now Paul's like, outsiders, not my business.Members, my business.Talks about judging here.I'd encourage you to underline that verse in your Bible.Next time somebody says, "Don't judge me."Listen, we've talked about this in the Sermon on the Mount.We are forbidden to judge motives.But look here, we are commanded to judge actions.We are commanded to judge the actions of those in church, those who call themselves believers.We are commanded.We have a responsibility to the person.We have a responsibility to the church and we have a responsibility to God.You're like, well, okay, what about the sin of the outsiders?What about them?What about their sin?What about the sin of the unbelievers?Well, verse 13, God judges those outside.Heard the evil person from among you.Yeah, you know the non-believers in sin, don't worry about them.God will take care of them.You love them.You share the gospel with them.You help them to know and receive and believe in Jesus Christ.But as far as their sin goes, God will take care of that.That's His job.Your job, last phrase, purge the evil person from among you.Maybe your Bible has that in quotes because that's not a new concept.That's an old testament quote.You're like from where?From Deuteronomy 13, Deuteronomy 17, Deuteronomy 19, Deuteronomy 21, Deuteronomy 22, Deuteronomy24, there was a principle for ancient Israel that is for the church.Get them out.Get them out.At this point you're like, what am I supposed to do?What am I supposed to do with this information, Pastor Jeff?And I can tell you it is my sincere hope that you never have to do anything with this information.But if you see a brother or sister in sin, you have a responsibility to encourage themto repent.Matthew 18 gives principles for the process.And I know Matthew 18 is if somebody sins against you directly, I think the principlestill stands.Go by yourself.Get the whole story.Sit down with them.It's what I think I'm seeing, actually what I'm seeing.And if they refuse to repent, get some people from your small group.Like, hey, it looks like you're making some really bad choices right now.We love you and we care about you and we want you to get on track.And if they refuse to listen to that, then you need to come and talk to me and we'lltake care of it from there.The church, we are not headhunting.We are not looking for reasons to eject people.We are not making a federal case out of something minor, okay?I saw Billy smoking a cigar at a wedding.Church discipline, no.Slow down there, deputy dog.And we are certainly not assuming or judging character.The only thing we can judge is action.This is what I see you doing.And this is where God says, "That is wrong."We're talking about flagrant, obvious, verified, unrepentant sin.And we won't be a pure church if we refuse to deal with sinners.Let's pray.Father in heaven, it's a lot easier to preach Psalm 23.But we are committed to preaching the whole counsel of God.And Father, as uncomfortable as this might be and as offensive as this might be, Father,give us the wisdom and give us the understanding that this is actually the most loving thingwe can do is to allow someone to be shown the door if they refuse to repent.Father, you know our hearts in every case.It's our hope that there is repentance and restoration.Father, you care so much about the purity of this church.And I'm asking, Father, that you would give us compassion and love, and at the same time,boldness and obedience to handle things in a way that glorify and honor you.We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

In about 50 A.D., twenty years after Jesus Death Resurrection and Ascension Paul of Tarsus, one sent with authority by Jesus the Lord, to preach the Good News to the nations arrived in the City of Corinth, a prominent city of the Roman empire located on the trade route connecting the Aegean and Ionian seas. He immediately began announcing the Good News: "The Crucified Jesus is the True Lord of the world."  Those believing the message were shepherded into house churches.  Then Paul preached, taught and pastored in Corinth for 18 months before moving on to other cities of the empire. See Acts 18 In 53 A.D. Paul, now in Ephesus, receives letters from the Church at Corinth and from the household of a woman named Chloe, a leader in the church.  These letters revealed alarming divisions, cliques, sexual immorality, lawsuits against fellow members, abuse of the Lord's supper, unbelief in the resurrection of Jesus, and much more within the Corinthian church.  Making things worse, Paul was being mocked as a phony apostle by members of the church in Corinth. Paul writes the 1st letter to Corinth from Ephesus in 53 A.D. to address the beliefs and behaviors of this charismatic, but grossly immature and divided church. Those today who seek to build "new creation" churches within the American empire will be blessed by this great letter.  We will make a special point of discerning in 1 Corinthians the character of wisdom and foolishness, freedom and license, as well as spiritual and childish. Come join us in this series of Podcasts on "Freedom and the Corinthians" as we "eat Corinthians" together, growing in maturity in Christ together.

Daily Dose of Hope January 13, 2026   Scripture: I Thessalonians 1   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come before you today with a sense of gratefulness.  You are a God who loves us despite all our faults.  You provide for us despite our selfishness.  You answer our prayers despite our impatience.  Lord, we are so thankful and rejoice in your Holy and perfect name.  Forgive us for the times in which we fall short and we know they are many.  Lord Jesus, how we want to do better.  Help us see others through your eyes.  We so need you.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently on a journey through the letters of Paul, working through them in chronological order.  We just completed Paul's letter to the Galatians yesterday and today, we begin I Thessalonians.   Let's talk a little bit about Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica.  There are some scholars who actually think this letter may have predated Galatians, but the general consensus is that Galatians was written in 49-50 and I Thessalonians was written around 50-51.  They were certainly close together, but the letters are very different.  While Galatians is critical in nature (in response to false teachers who were trying to corrupt the Gospel), I Thessalonians is an encouraging letter in which Paul teaches about living Godly lives during difficult persecution.  I Thessalonians was also written during Paul's second missionary journey.   We get the backstory of this letter in Acts 17.  Paul and Silas have gone to Thessalonica, preach the Gospel, and pretty quickly there is a strong Christian community there.  But the Christians there are accused of defying the emperor by saying they believe in another king, Jesus (refer to Acts 17:7).  Paul and Silas end up leaving the city because of the ruckus.  In this first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is trying to reconnect.  He's heard from Timothy that the Thessalonian church is doing well, despite the continued persecution.  The letter is actually from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, as they are together in Corinth and have this urge to keep the Thessalonians encouraged.    Let's look at the letter itself in chapter 1.  It was normal in an ancient letter to include some kind of prayer for the recipient after the greeting. The authors state that they continually thank God for all the people in the church, and that they remember them before God because of their work produced through faith and love and their endurance inspired by hope in Jesus.   I am most intrigued by the line "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."  Endurance is the ability to keep going, to persevere, in the face of difficulty and suffering. We don't know exactly what kind of persecution the Thessalonian Christians were facing but it must have been pretty bad. And Paul was worried about them. They were new believers-how would they withstand these hardships? Would their faith crumble or strengthen? Apparently, they remained strong and steadfast, despite their limited experience in the faith.   This idea of endurance through hardship becomes a virtue in the early church. Here is the important part: their endurance was not a result of some kind of internal emotional strength or resolve but was a result of their hope in Jesus. Their hope was rooted in the second coming of Jesus, which will become a theme throughout this letter.   Think about your own life. How would you rate your endurance in the face of hardship? While we don't face the same kind of persecution as the Thessalonian church, we still deal with other challenges. How is your faith grounded in the hope of Christ?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Rev. James Harper preaches on 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4 in our sermon series, "A Cross-Shaped Life." Paul faced character attacks from opponents in Corinth who called him unreliable rather than engaging his theological message. His response reveals four principles for handling conflict: expect people to be messy since human nature is flawed, examine your own motives to ensure you're living with integrity, address difficult issues with love rather than avoiding them, and genuinely apologize when you've made mistakes. These principles help us navigate relationships in a way that reflects the gospel's power to love people through their messiness.

Episode Synopsis:About the time Paul began his second missionary journey, a serious famine swept through Palestine–greatly impacting the Jerusalem church.  Those who lived in the region knew how serious such things could be and so they prepared for it–stockpiling grain, spices, and animal feed, etc.  But as soon as a church was organized in Jerusalem–after Pentecost–Jewish Christians found themselves cut off from the synagogue and its well-established relief system.  Now on their own, the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were apparently suffering horribly and were in desperate need of relief–specifically funds to buy food and supplies locally.Tensions between Jewish Christians and recent Gentile converts to Christianity were apparent from the moment the gospel spread into Gentile regions–as indicated during the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15).  At that council, the church renounced the Judaizers and affirmed that God had blessed Paul's efforts to take the gospel into Gentile regions–which began in earnest after the Macedonian vision (Acts 16:9).  Paul planted churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth.  While these new churches aided and encouraged each other, Paul understood that if the Gentile churches–who had means–took an offering for the Jerusalem church, it would go a great way toward helping fellow Christians in genuine need.  It would also de-escalate the worry and anxiety that Jews felt toward Gentiles who were until quite recently godless pagans and often persecutors of the Jewish people.When Paul arrived in Macedonia, he tells us that there was some unspecified serious trouble and that he would strive to get things cleared up before he traveled south to Corinth.  Despite the troubles in the churches in Macedonia, they had taken up a surprisingly generous offering for the Jerusalem church–so much so that it was a major sacrifice, even beyond their means, which Paul describes as an act of grace.  Now he gets word from Titus that the Corinthians (who had been collecting a similar offering for a year) and had not followed through with their collection.  As a congregation they were far better off materially than the Macedonians, but were so distracted by divisions, the subterfuge of false apostles and other matters, the offering had not been finalized.  In chapters 8-9 of 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses this matter head-on.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners  Paul's exhortation to the believers in Corinth that there be no divisions among them.  Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; 1 Timothy 1:12-14; Acts 9, 22, 26; 1 Corinthians 1:1-18 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Romans 1:16-17; Matthew 12:22-28 Scripture translation used is the NASB “Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1971, 1995, 2020 (only use the last year corresponding to the edition quoted) by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org”CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S NEW PODCAST- The First Love ProjectHere is the video introducing the podcast on You Tube-https://youtu.be/PhFY1moDDms FIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z  BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show

How did Sparta, the most feared military state in ancient Greece, fall from grace in a single generation?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Roel Konijnendijk and Dr Owen Rees to chronicle Sparta's catastrophic collapse in the fourth century BC. Fresh from its victory over Athens in the year 404, Sparta stood unrivalled. Yet within decades, its power would be shattered, its authority broken, and its golden age over. From decisive battles against resurgent rivals Thebes and Corinth to over-ambitious kings and a defining clash with a warband of sacred lovers, it is a gripping story of sky-high stakes and two-faced duplicity; of brutal power struggles and the cut-throat scramble to become the hegemonic power of ancient Greece.MOREMarch of the 10,000Listen on AppleListen on SpotifySparta vs Athens: The Greek World WarListen to AppleListen to SpotifyPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In about 50 A.D., twenty years after Jesus Death Resurrection and Ascension Paul of Tarsus, one sent with authority by Jesus the Lord, to preach the Good News to the nations arrived in the City of Corinth, a prominent city of the Roman empire located on the trade route connecting the Aegean and Ionian seas. He immediately began announcing the Good News: "The Crucified Jesus is the True Lord of the world."  Those believing the message were shepherded into house churches.  Then Paul preached, taught and pastored in Corinth for 18 months before moving on to other cities of the empire. See Acts 18   In 53 A.D. Paul, now in Ephesus, receives letters from the Church at Corinth and from the household of a woman named Chloe, a leader in the church.  These letters revealed alarming divisions, cliques, sexual immorality, lawsuits against fellow members, abuse of the Lord's supper, unbelief in the resurrection of Jesus, and much more within the Corinthian church.  Making things worse, Paul was being mocked as a phony apostle by members of the church in Corinth. Paul writes the 1st letter to Corinth from Ephesus in 53 A.D. to address the beliefs and behaviors of this charismatic, but grossly immature and divided church. Those today who seek to build "new creation" churches within the American empire will be blessed by this great letter.  We will make a special point of discerning in 1 Corinthians the character of wisdom and foolishness, freedom and license, as well as spiritual and childish. Come join us in this series of Podcasts on "Freedom and the Corinthians" as we "eat Corinthians" together, growing in maturity in Christ together.

Walking in the steps of Christ is the ultimate goal for everyone and to walk in the steps of the Apostle Paul Who followed Christ is a joy—spiritually and literally. Join Jeff as he shares such a journey.

One slogan that captures the spirit of the age is “My body, my choice.” The idea that our body belongs to us and we can with it as we please is the driving force behind the abortion movement, the LGBTQ+ movement, and physician assisted suicide. But this is not an idea that began in the sexual revolution of the 1960s. This idea is as old as sin itself, and Paul addresses it in his letter to the church at Corinth. In this sermon, pastor Mitch helps us see that sexual sin is inconsistent with God's design for the body and that the body is for the Lord. As Paul puts it, "you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:20). The Christian life is a life of obedience carried out in and with a body created in God's image. Therefore, what we do with our bodies matters

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners Paul's thanksgiving for seeing GOD's grace in the lives of the believers in Corinth. Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; Matthew 10:1-4; Acts 9, 22, 26; Acts 18; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:1-8; 1 TImothy 1:12-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1 Scripture translation used is the NASB “Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1971, 1995, 2020 (only use the last year corresponding to the edition quoted) by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org”FIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z  BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show

In about 50 A.D., twenty years after Jesus Death Resurrection and Ascension Paul of Tarsus, one sent with authority by Jesus the Lord, to preach the Good News to the nations arrived in the City of Corinth, a prominent city of the Roman empire located on the trade route connecting the Aegean and Ionian seas. He immediately began announcing the Good News: "The Crucified Jesus is the True Lord of the world."  Those believing the message were shepherded into house churches.  Then Paul preached, taught and pastored in Corinth for 18 months before moving on to other cities of the empire. See Acts 18 In 53 A.D. Paul, now in Ephesus, receives letters from the Church at Corinth and from the household of a woman named Chloe, a leader in the church.  These letters revealed alarming divisions, cliques, sexual immorality, lawsuits against fellow members, abuse of the Lord's supper, unbelief in the resurrection of Jesus, and much more within the Corinthian church.  Making things worse, Paul was being mocked as a phony apostle by members of the church in Corinth. Paul writes the 1st letter to Corinth from Ephesus in 53 A.D. to address the beliefs and behaviors of this charismatic, but grossly immature and divided church. Those today who seek to build "new creation" churches within the American empire will be blessed by this great letter.  We will make a special point of discerning in 1 Corinthians the character of wisdom and foolishness, freedom and license, as well as spiritual and childish. Come join us in this series of Podcasts on "Freedom and the Corinthians" as we "eat Corinthians" together, growing in maturity in Christ together.

GRAB JEN'S NEW YEAR PLANNER: ⁠https://www.subscribepage.io/NewYearPlanner⁠-------------------------------------------------As we step into a brand new year, it's easy to focus on goals, plans, and fresh starts—but Scripture shows us something deeper: how you end one season has everything to do with how you enter the next.In this New Year episode, Jen shares a timely word about transition—that in-between space where many people feel pressure, fatigue, or uncertainty, but don't realize they're standing at a doorway.This message isn't heavy—it's hope-filled and practical. You'll learn how to recognize transition moments, avoid common mistakes people make at the start of a new year, and partner with God to enter 2026 with intention, alignment, and faith.Why endings matter just as much as beginnings in God's KingdomHow transition seasons reveal growth—not failureThe danger of starting a new year in the flesh after beginning by the SpiritWhy pressure often increases right before breakthroughHow your words, attitudes, and choices at the end of a season shape what comes nextSCRIPTURES REFERENCED:Ecclesiastes 7:8Deuteronomy 8:2–3Matthew 25:21Galatians 3:3Galatians 6:7–9Revelation 12:12Proverbs 18:21If the pressure felt heavier toward the end of the year, it likely doesn't mean you're failing—it may mean you were finishing. How you start 2026 matters, and God is eager to help you step into this new season with a prophetic perspective.--> Want help processing what God is saying about your next season?GRAB JEN'S Prophetic NEW YEAR PLANNER: https://www.subscribepage.io/NewYearPlanner------------------------------------------------------------✈️ Come to Greece with Me!We're walking where the Bible happened—Athens, Corinth & Santorini! Eat amazing food, explore history, and encounter Jesus.

THE TYRANT WHO BECAME A SCHOOLTEACHER Colleague Professor James Romm. Professor James Romm discusses the surprising fate of Dionysius II, the tyrant of Syracuse. After the Corinthian leader Timoleonarrived to liberate the city, Dionysius surrendered and was allowed to retire to Corinth rather than facing execution. There, the former absolute ruler became a music teacher, leading to the proverb "Dionysius is in Corinth," a saying used for centuries to describe the unpredictability of fortune and the fall of the powerful. NUMBER 10 4TH CENTURY BCE SYRACUSE

SHOW 12-29-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR UR THE PRINCESS'S MUSEUM AT THE DAWN OF HISTORY Colleague Moudhy Al-Rashid. Moudhy Al-Rashidintroduces Ennigaldi-Nanna, a princess and high priestess of the moon god in the ancient city of Ur. Excavators discovered a chamber in her palace containing carefully arranged artifacts from eras much older than her own, effectively serving as a museum. A clay cylinder found there acted as a museum label, preserving the history of ancient kings to lend legitimacy to her father, King Nabonidus, and his dynasty. NUMBER 1 THE STORIES TOLD BY MESOPOTAMIAN BRICKS Colleague Moudhy Al-Rashid. Moudhy Al-Rashidexplains how millions of mud bricks reveal the history of ancient Mesopotamia, from the construction of massive temples to the 9-kilometer wall of Uruk. These bricks were often stamped with the names of kings to ensure their deeds were known to the gods. Beyond royal propaganda, bricks preserve intimate moments, such as the accidental paw prints of dogs or footprints of children left while the clay dried in the sun. NUMBER 2 GILGAMESH AND THE BIRTH OF WRITTEN LEGEND Colleague Moudhy Al-Rashid. Al-Rashid discusses Cuneiform, a writing system used for over 3,000 years to record languages like Sumerian and Akkadian. She details the Epic of Gilgamesh, a tale of a tyrannical king who finds wisdom and friendship with the wild man Enkidu. While Gilgamesh was likely a real historical figure, his story evolved into high poetry about mortality and leadership. The segment notes that kingship was believed to have descended from heaven. NUMBER 3 HOMEWORK AND HEARTACHE IN ANCIENT SCHOOLS Colleague Moudhy Al-Rashid. Excavations of a "schoolhouse" in Nippur revealed thousands of practice tablets, showing the messy first attempts of children learning to write. These artifacts include literary accounts of school life, complaints about food, and even teeth marks from frustrated students. The curriculum was rigorous, covering literacy and advanced mathematics like geometry, which was essential for future scribes to calculate field yields and manage the bureaucracy. NUMBER 4 THE ALCOHOLIC TYRANTS OF THE WEST Colleague Professor James Romm. James Romm introduces Syracuse as a dominant power in the 4th century BCE under the rule of Dionysius the Elder, who rose from clerk to autocrat. Dionysius fortified the city's geography to create a secure military base and adopted the Persian custom of polygamy, marrying two women on the same day. This created a rivalrous, "unhappy family" dynamic in a court notorious for heavy drinking and "Syracusan tables" of excess. NUMBER 5 PLATO'S FAILED FIRST MISSION TO SICILY Colleague Professor James Romm. Professor Romm details Plato's background, including his connection to the Thirty Tyrants in Athens and his philosophy of "forms." Plato was invited to Syracuse by Dion, who hoped the philosopher could reform the tyrant Dionysius the Elder. However, this first visit was a disaster; Plato attempted to lecture the ruler on ethics and moral behavior, resulting in the philosopher being dismissed from the court with dishonor. NUMBER 6 THE BANISHMENT OF DION Colleague Professor James Romm. Plato returned to Syracuse to tutor Dionysius the Younger, hoping to create an enlightened monarch, but found a court defined by drunkenness and immaturity. The experiment failed when Dion, Plato's ally, sent a letter to Carthage that the tyrant interpreted as treason. Dionysiusbanished Dion and kept Plato under a form of house arrest to maintain the appearance of an alliance, while the tyrant solidified his power. NUMBER 7 A PHILOSOPHER OBSERVES A COMING WAR Colleague Professor James Romm. At the Olympic Games, Plato met the exiled Dion and learned that the tyrant had confiscated Dion's property and given his wife to another man. Despite the growing tension, Plato visited Syracuse a third time in 361 BCE to attempt reconciliation. Romm argues that Plato's harsh description of the "tyrannical man" in The Republic was directly inspired by his personal observations of living under the roof of the Syracusan tyrant. NUMBER 8 REVOLUTION, ASSASSINATION, AND CHAOS Colleague Professor James Romm. Dion launched an invasion to liberate Syracuse, but the revolution unleashed chaotic populist passions he could not control. After ordering the assassination of a rival, Dion fell into a depression and was eventually assassinated by a faction of his own army. Rommnotes that ancient historians, including Plutarch, largely protected Dion's reputation to safeguard the prestige of Plato's Academy, despite Dion's failure to become a true philosopher king. NUMBER 9 THE TYRANT WHO BECAME A SCHOOLTEACHER Colleague Professor James Romm. Professor James Romm discusses the surprising fate of Dionysius II, the tyrant of Syracuse. After the Corinthian leader Timoleonarrived to liberate the city, Dionysius surrendered and was allowed to retire to Corinth rather than facing execution. There, the former absolute ruler became a music teacher, leading to the proverb "Dionysius is in Corinth," a saying used for centuries to describe the unpredictability of fortune and the fall of the powerful. NUMBER 10 PHILOSOPHER KINGS AND THE RIVER OF HEEDLESSNESS Colleague Professor James Romm. James Romm explores Plato's Republic, arguing that philosophers make the best kings because they perceive the true "forms" of justice rather than earthly shadows. The discussion turns to the "Myth of Er," a story of the afterlife where souls travel for a thousand years before choosing their next life. Plato warns that drinking too deeply from the River of Heedlessnesserases memory, whereas philosophers strive to recall the forms. NUMBER 11 PLATO'S LETTERS AND THE WHITEWASHING OF DION Colleague Professor James Romm. The conversation examines Plato's thirteen letters, specifically the five Romm believes are genuine regarding the Syracuse affair. Platoviewed himself as a wise lawgiver capable of reforming a tyrant, though he was naive about practical politics. In the seventh letter, Plato attempts to rehabilitate the reputation of his associate Dion, spinning the narrative to portray Dion as a virtuous victim of evil rather than admitting his political failures. NUMBER 12 THE RETURN OF THE NOBLE MONARCH Colleague Gregory Copley. Gregory Copley argues that the world has reached "peak republicanism," where republics have become inefficient political battlegrounds. He defines nobility not as a class structure, but as a quality of honorable leadership that embodies the state's values. Copley suggests modern monarchies, like that of King Charles III, are reinvigorating this role by acting as apolitical symbols of unity and diplomacy, unlike elected leaders who only represent their voters. NUMBER 13 THE DANGERS OF TRANSACTIONAL NATIONALISM Colleague Gregory Copley. Copley warns that suppression in republics often leads to uncontrollable demands for liberty, citing the collapse of the Shah's Iran and the USSR. He distinguishes between "tribal nationalism," based on shared history, and "state nationalism," which is often transactional. Copley argues that transactional systems eventually fail because the state runs out of resources to trade for support, leading to corruption and the potential fracturing of society. NUMBER 14 CONSTITUTIONS, BELIEF, AND THE EMPIRE Colleague Gregory Copley. Copley describes the US Constitution as the "de facto crown" holding the American empire together, though it faces challenges from populist movements. He argues that a "faith-based electorate" or a "belief in beliefs" is essential for social unity, noting that when people stop believing in God, they will believe in anything. Monarchy utilizes mysticism and continuity to maintain this unity, a quality difficult for republics to replicate. NUMBER 15 THE REASSERTION OF ANCIENT EMPIRES Colleague Gregory Copley. Copley contends that China is reasserting its identity as an empire, with the Communist Party seeking legitimacy by connecting with imperial history despite previous rejections of the past. Similarly, he views Vladimir Putin as a nationalist attempting to restore the memory and grandeur of the Russian Empire. The segment concludes by suggesting the US might "lease" the symbolic nobility of King Charles III during state visits to borrow necessary leadership prestige. NUMBER 16

It was a cosmopolitan city. It was a commercial city. And it was a corrupt city. In short, it was very much like many of our big cities today. It was Corinth, a melting pot of people, a center of trade, and home to ten thousand prostitutes serving at the temple of Aphrodite. It was also a turning point in Paul's ministry. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29?v=20251111

The Creator of the universe gave His life so that we could share in His inheritance and reign with Him forever. This Gospel motivated early Christians in Corinth to give. In this message from 2 Corinthians 8, Pastor Lutzer reveals three critical truths about giving. The Gospel motivates us to be generous. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.   SUPPORT: Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/ Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

Diagnosing Carnality at Corinth, by Dan Duggin. 12/28/2025. Sunday PM Sermon

In this recent monograph Sarcasm in Paul's Letters (Cambridge University Press 2023, Matthew Pawlak offers the first treatment of sarcasm in New Testament studies. He provides an extensive analysis of sarcastic passages across the undisputed letters of Paul, showing where Paul is sarcastic, and how his sarcasm affects our understanding of his rhetoric and relationships with the Early Christian congregations in Galatia, Rome, and Corinth. Pawlak's identification of sarcasm is supported by a dataset of 400 examples drawn from a broad range of ancient texts, including major case studies on Septuagint Job, the prophets, and Lucian of Samosata. These data enable the determination of the typical linguistic signals of sarcasm in ancient Greek, as well as its rhetorical functions. Pawlak also addresses several ongoing discussions in Pauline scholarship. His volume advances our understanding of the abrupt opening of Galatians, diatribe and Paul's hypothetical interlocutor in Romans, the 'Corinthian slogans' of First Corinthians, and the 'fool's speech' found within Second Corinthians 10-13. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

December 21, 2025 - Sunday AM Bible Class   This episode resumes a study of 2 Corinthians 2 as Neal unpacks why the Apostle Paul delayed his return to Corinth, how he defends his apostolic authority, and how the church should respond to repentance and restoration. Using the background from Acts and 1 Corinthians 5, the lesson situates Paul's letter in the timeline of his missionary journeys, explains the likely presence of false apostles and Judaizing critics, and recounts the specific disciplinary case of the man who lived with his father's wife. The class explores two primary reasons Paul gives for not coming sooner: changing plans directed by the Lord and a pastoral desire not to cause the congregation additional sorrow until they had processed corrective discipline. The speaker walks through 2 Corinthians 2:5–11 in detail, highlighting Paul's four practical instructions to the church after the penitent's return—forgive, comfort, reaffirm love, and be obedient—and Paul's personal example of forgiveness to prevent Satan from taking advantage of the situation. Listeners will hear discussion of key pastoral and practical themes: how to implement restorative discipline, the distinction between forgiveness and comfort, the role of godly sorrow in producing repentance, and the dangers of mishandling public sin. Class participants contribute practical reflections; Titus's report to Paul is noted as the confirming news about the church's response. The episode then broadens into leadership principles drawn from Paul's closing remarks: common distractions leaders face, the image of church leaders as an "aroma" that attracts some and repels others, the limits of human sufficiency and dependence on God's grace, and proper motives—sincerity, submission, and accountability—versus corrupting or peddling the gospel. The lesson closes with actionable takeaways for elders, teachers, and every believer about restoration, unity, and trusting God's sufficiency in ministry.   Duration 44:35

Wesley Wright Lighthouse Bible Church Sunday, December 28, 2025 My Joy is the Joy of You All 2Co 2:1-11 Reminders from Chapter 1: Paul = afflicted but saw gain God delivered them from death Promises are Yes + Amen in Christ It's not clear what trip Paul was talking about when he says he did not want to come to the people of Corinth in heaviness (2Co 2:1). What we do know is Paul did not want to make his readers sorrowful (2Co 2:1-3) because of their relationship with him. Leadership in ministry and in our service the body of Christ more generally necessitates empathy. Rom 12:10-18 Paul wrote out of much affliction and anguish of heart (2 Corinthians 2:4) but not to sadden his audience. He wrote... for full notes: http://www.lbible.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1769

2 Timothy 4 (NASB) 1 I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. 9 Make every effort to come to me soon; 10 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Take along Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. 12 But I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the overcoat which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Be on guard against him yourself too, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. 16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. 21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.   1. Your number one priority 1-4 2. Fulfill your ministry 5-8 3. Final thoughts 9-22

"In this sermon from 1 Corinthians 15:12–22, we explore Paul's profound teaching on the resurrection and how it flows directly from the doctrine of union with Christ. Every benefit of salvation—justification, adoption, sanctification, and now glorification—comes to us because we are united to Christ, the second Adam and our covenant head.Some in Corinth denied the resurrection of the dead. Paul responds by showing that to deny our resurrection is to deny Christ's resurrection, because the two are inseparably linked. Christ is the firstfruits—the beginning of one great harvest. His resurrection guarantees ours. Your future resurrection is not only promised; it has already begun in Him.This reality transforms how we endure suffering in this life. Just as Christ entered glory after humiliation and suffering, so believers—united to Him—follow that same pattern. Our sufferings are “with Christ,” and our glorification will be with Him as well.At Christmas we remember why this union is possible at all: the incarnation. The eternal Son became man so that we could be united to Him and share in His life, His righteousness, and ultimately His resurrection. As we have borne the image of the man of dust, so we will bear the image of the Man of heaven.If Christ is raised, then you will be raised. If you are in Christ, you will live.This is the hope, the comfort, and the unshakeable foundation of the Christian life.#1Corinthians15 #UnionWithChrist #Resurrection #ChristianSermon #BibleTeaching #Glorification #ReformedTheology #GospelHope #Incarnation #ChristTheFirstfruits #EternalLife #ChristianLiving"

In about 50 A.D., twenty years after Jesus Death Resurrection and Ascension Paul of Tarsus, one sent with authority by Jesus the Lord, to preach the Good News to the nations arrived in the City of Corinth, a prominent city of the Roman empire located on the trade route connecting the Aegean and Ionian seas. He immediately began announcing the Good News: "The Crucified Jesus is the True Lord of the world."  Those believing the message were shepherded into house churches.  Then Paul preached, taught and pastored in Corinth for 18 months before moving on to other cities of the empire. See Acts 18  In 53 A.D. Paul, now in Ephesus, receives letters from the Church at Corinth and from the household of a woman named Chloe, a leader in the church.  These letters revealed alarming divisions, cliques, sexual immorality, lawsuits against fellow members, abuse of the Lord's supper, unbelief in the resurrection of Jesus, and much more within the Corinthian church.  Making things worse, Paul was being mocked as a phony apostle by members of the church in Corinth.   Paul writes the 1st letter to Corinth from Ephesus in 53 A.D. to address the beliefs and behaviors of this charismatic, but grossly immature and divided church. Those today who seek to build "new creation" churches within the American empire will be blessed by this great letter.  We will make a special point of discerning in 1 Corinthians the character of wisdom and foolishness, freedom and license, as well as spiritual and childish. Come join us in this series of Podcasts on "Freedom and the Corinthians" as we "eat Corinthians" together, growing in maturity in Christ together.

The American Chestnut tree once dominated forests in the Eastern US. That is, until a blight nearly wiped it out. Now, scientists and volunteers are trying to bring back these towering trees.Today on Vermont Edition, we'll listen back to a show from this summer about chestnut restoration efforts in the Northeast. Scientists are developing and planting blight-resistant American chestnuts around our region.Then, what's more majestic than a tree so big you can't even wrap your arms around it? Through Vermont's Big Tree Program, you can search a map of the state's largest trees, like a massive white pine in Corinth or a beautiful paper birch in Canaan.

Send us a textStrong Women Strong WorldPriscilla | Part 7Senior Pastor Keith StewartAugust 10, 2025She's a teacher, leader and a valued coworker of the Apostle Paul. She is also the second most mentioned person in the writings of Paul (only Timothy has more mentions). Yet very few Christians know her story or why she matters. This Sunday, our series on strong women brings us to Priscilla____________Discussion Questions 1. Priscilla and Aquila were a couple who served God together and worked alongside each other in the tent making business. If you're married, how well would that arrangement work out between you and your spouse? Are there ways you presently serve God together? What is that like?2. Working regular jobs as tentmakers did not interfere with the calling of God on the Apostle Paul's life or that of Priscilla and Aquila. Yet so many today often view their work as unspiritual and an impediment to doing the work of God. How do we change the way we see our jobs and do our jobs so that it fits better with the plan of God for our life? How do I turn even the most mundane tasks into something meaningful for God? 3. It's obvious, based on how Luke inverts the names of this couple whenever they're mentioned in a ministry context, that Priscilla is the one who leads the way and is operating in her primary gifting. How do you respond when your spouse's gift outshines your own? What qualities would you expect to see in Aquila that allowed him to support his wife in her spiritual gifting?  4. Priscilla's example of teaching the gifted Apollos is one of the best repudiations of the idea that what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 14.34-35 and 1 Timothy 2.12 was an attempt to silence women and forbid them a role in teaching men (If you haven't listened to the first message in this series, it's imperative that you do so). Furthermore, that the churches in Corinth and Ephesus (where the Timothy passage is addressed) both started in Priscilla and Aquila's home, is another major hurdle in making these verses say women can't teach. Why is the example of Priscilla ignored? Glossed over? Or distorted? What did you learn today about Priscilla that stood out to you most? How does her example encourage you? 5. There is no question that Priscilla and Aquila were foundational in the establishment of the church especially among the Gentiles. Paul said so himself. They were a key presence in three of the churches that were most instrumental in spreading the gospel message. We'd love to know more than what we do about their lives and influence. But most of the work this couple did was out of the limelight and without extensive records. How content are you to serve in relative anonymity as Priscilla and Aquila did? What are you doing with your life right now that will outlast this life? 

Send us a textForget the hot takes on manhood. We're after something deeper: a vision of masculinity that can carry real weight at home, in the church, and in a culture that often feels like modern Corinth. Justin and Michael weave story and Scripture to challenge passive niceness and chest-thumping control, arguing for a better way—servant lordship—where a man both washes feet and makes the hard call when it counts.We trace Michael's journey from the Army to a crisis of idols to faith in Christ, then into marriage and fatherhood shaped by Scripture as the final authority. Along the way, we unpack headship and submission without power games, recover the strength of ezer as a help in trouble, and confront how authority without influence collapses. The heartbeat is 1 Corinthians 16:13: act like men. In the Greek, that's a call to courage—a virtue that undergirds justice, temperance, and love, and turns belief into action when life gets costly.This conversation is practical and unvarnished. We talk about building relational equity, apologizing to your kids, showing affectionate presence, and training boys and girls to do hard things. We push back on false binaries—oil-field tough vs theater soft—and champion whole-life formation: strong body, sharp mind, soft heart. We explore why fathers must be visibly prayerful, how pastors are called to father congregations, and how Jesus models masculine leadership by teaching, confronting, and sending with compassion and conviction.If you've felt stuck between trendy extremes or unsure how to lead with both strength and tenderness, this episode offers a clear path shaped by faith and sustained by courage. Listen, share with a friend who needs an honest word, and if it helps you, leave a review so others can find it. Then tell us: where do you need more courage this week?Support the show

In this episode, Jenilee sits down with deliverance minister and author Mike Brewer for a powerful and eye-opening conversation on bloodline deliverance, generational curses, and what it really means to become the Curse Breaker in your family.Together they unpack:What generational curses are — and what they are notHow bloodline assignments begin through agreements, rituals, and traumaWhy certain patterns repeat in families for generationsSigns that a spiritual influence may be operating in your lineageReal deliverance stories that reveal how bloodline covenants workWhy demons often target entire family lines instead of individualsHow one believer can shift the spiritual trajectory for their whole householdPractical steps to walk in freedom and protect the next generationIf you've felt like you're fighting battles you never started, or carrying weights that don't make sense… this conversation will give you clarity, language, and a roadmap for freedom.

Hippocrates (ca. 460–375 bc) brought medicine out of the realm of the superstitious and into the light of testing and observation. But he didn’t lose sight of the patient’s humanity. “It is far more important to know what person the disease has,” he said, “than what disease the person has.” The apostle Paul cared for a church with multiple problems, yet he saw the humanity of each member—including a man who’d committed a sin “that even pagans do not tolerate” (1 Corinthians 5:1). Paul dealt strongly with the “disease,” and the man repented. Now, as he wrote another letter to the church in Corinth, Paul had affirming instructions for all of them. He recognized that this man’s sin had affected everyone. “He has grieved all of you to some extent,” he said (2 Corinthians 2:5). But since the man had turned from his sin, Paul said, “Reaffirm your love for him” (v. 8). His motivation was clear: “I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you” (v. 4). He knew them all. And he loved them. Sin affects us all. Behind each sin is a human being. When we’ve been wronged, it may be difficult to work toward restoration, yet that’s what God calls us to do. Know the person. Then, in Christ’s strength, love them.

Episode Synopsis:When Paul left Ephesus to visit Corinth in what is known as the “painful visit,” he became the object of a personal attack from an unnamed party.  This was bad enough, but what made the matter worse was the fact that the Corinthians had done little if anything to support the apostle.  This forced Paul to send the so-called “severe letter,” the text of which is lost to us.  We may not have the letter, but we know the effects it had upon the congregation because they are explained to us in chapter 7 of 2 Corinthians.  In the severe letter, Paul called upon the Corinthians to discipline the party who attacked him and caused so much disruption in the Corinthian church.  It is also implied that he addressed the fact that some of the Corinthians were still engaging in practices which were not consistent with their profession of faith in Christ–sexual immorality and pagan idolatry.Paul was forced to wait for word from Corinth to learn of the letter's impact.  Apparently he was on pins and needles until Titus brought word of the letter's impact.  Titus's report gave Paul joy and comfort, especially when he learned that the letter brought about the desired result–“godly sorrow,” which he contrasts with “worldly sorrow.”  The latter is the disappointment of failing to attain worldly things, while the former produced a  sense of grief within the congregation that they had not done the right thing and needed to make things right.  As difficult as this was for all concerned, the “severe letter” led to the repentance of the Corinthians, which was the best possible result.  Once Paul learned of the outcome, there was a great sense of relief that the Corinthians stepped up and did what was required.  Therefore, when Titus brought news of this to Paul, both he and Paul were greatly comforted by this circumstance.  Paul is now able to boast both in Titus's work in Corinth, as well as in his own efforts in dealing with this issue.  He can boast that the Corinthians were doing the right thing as difficult as that was.  Paul had to confront the Corinthians–which required a painful visit and a severe letter.  But things have changed.  Now he can boast about them.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Paul's interaction with the believers in Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:12-24 NLT) shows that even sincere, godly people sometimes need to change their plans. He reassures them that his motives were pure, his conscience clear, and his communication honest, even though he had to disappoint them by not returning as promised. This scenario in scripture reveals an important truth for entrepreneurs and ministry leaders: making promises with good intentions is right, but when circumstances shift, it may be necessary to "unmake" a promise with humility and clarity. Changing direction doesn't mean being unreliable—it means stewarding responsibility well, communicating honestly, and trusting that others will understand as you make decisions aligned with what's best for them and for your calling.   Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com __________    

Fr. Mike emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit exemplified in Paul's interaction with those in Ephesus in Acts 19 and reminds us that God wants to fill each of us with the same Holy Spirit so we can walk in his strength. Fr. Mike also highlights the power of sacramentals, the reality of demons acknowledging Jesus, and the importance of removing things in our lives that are harmful. Lastly, as we begin reading the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, we get a glimpse of Paul's heart for the people of Corinth. Today's readings are Acts 19, 2 Corinthians 1-2, and Proverbs 28:22-24. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

In today's reading from Acts, the Holy Spirit guides Peter to initiate ministry to the Gentiles, beginning with the family of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Upon hearing Peter preach, Cornelius' entire household receive the Holy Spirit and are baptized. Commenting on today's second reading from 1 Corinthians, Fr. Mike reminds us to pursue Christian unity and avoid the dissension and infighting we see in the Church of Corinth. Today's readings are Acts 10, 1 Corinthians 1-2, Proverbs 27:21-22. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.