Sermon and Worship Resources

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1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... phenomenon of spiritual gifts. Ultimately all gifts extend from God and are given for the good of the church. These gifts are not rendered to the disposition of the ones who receive them. They are given and established under the rule of Jesus the Lord. Variety exists in the unity of the church because of the reality of the divine that is manifested in such complex coherence. As Paul’s discussion creates a coherence between the same Spirit and the same Lord and the same God, recognizing the oneness of God ...

2. Elihu Makes His Appearance

Job 32:1--37:24

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... he has. 33:13–14 For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In verse 14 Elihu counters Job’s complaint in verse 13 that God does not respond to humans when they cry out to him. Elihu insists that God speaks in a variety of ways to humans, even to sinners like Job. Elihu will go on in verses 15–22 to explain how God uses dreams and pain to communicate with people. The problem is not God’s lack of communication but Job’s inability or unwillingness to listen to God ...

3. Regulations about Infectious Skin Diseases

Leviticus 13:1-46

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... skin conditions themselves is the functioning of the Priestly protective boundaries for the community in this purity system. Additional Notes 13:2 The term for infectious skin disease is tsara’at. In this chapter, it appears to refer to a variety of serious skin diseases with a scaly appearance. NIV uses “infectious” in its translation. Alternatives would be “malignant, defiling, disfiguring, grievous, virulent.” We will follow the NIV rendering as being just as good as any other. For additional ...

4. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Christ; and various activities or work that come from God the Creator God. Paul's specificity suggests a more complex concept than simply one God with many gifts. For Paul, the more precise, more profound point is that there is a variety of gifts because there is true variety within the unity of God. Among the many confused and wrong-headed notions about the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts that the Corinthians seem to hold is the belief that the gift of the Spirit is given to individuals for individual ...

5. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... "we were all made to drink of one Spirit." In his central portion of chapter 12, Paul develops the body analogy, delicately balancing the genuine uniqueness of each part against the organic result these parts produce the miracle of a functioning, unified body. Variety is affirmed as a God-given gift (v.18), but variations in function and design are wholly attributed to God not to any inherent superiority of one body part over another. While Paul knows that part of the Corinthians' problems lay in assigning ...

6. The Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... God saw that what had come into being was good. Second, God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees . . . that bear fruit with seed in it.” In this command God bestowed on the land generative power to produce a variety and an abundance of plant life. Possessing this generative power did not make nature a goddess, however. God’s command led to the regularity and predictability of nature as well as to the multiplication and adaptation of various kinds of plant life to the ...

7. The Flood

Genesis 6:1-8:22

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... order to avoid Enlil’s wrath, threatened against any of the gods who would forewarn any human of the coming deluge (11:170–73). No reason is given for Ea’s favoring Utnapishtim. After building a boat in seven days, Utnapishtim took on board a variety of skilled workers, seemingly with no regard for their character (11:84–85). Utnapishtim, however, duped the people of his city by telling them that he had to leave their city because Enlil had turned hostile to him, while Enlil was going to make them ...

8. Unity and Community (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... “gifts of healing” and “miraculous powers” (or “activities of powers”). That both “gifts” and “activities” are plural suggests that Paul does not think of these as permanent gifts belonging to certain people. These, rather, are gifts given to whoever is serving in any of a variety of ministry situations where that particular gift is needed to evidence the power of God’s kingdom (Matt. 11:4–5; contrast Acts 14:9–10; 19:11; 28:8 with Phil. 2:27; 2 Tim. 4:20; 1 Cor. 11:30; Gal. 4:13 ...

9. One Body, Many Parts

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... of the entire church. Nevertheless, the items that are mentioned repeatedly gain prominence through the repetition and may be of special concern in relation to the Corinthian situation. 12:29–30 Paul pursues the theme of the necessity of differentiation or variety of gifts in a series of rhetorical questions. He takes selected ones of the parts (persons or gifts) enumerated in verse 28 and asks repeatedly, Are all apostles/ prophets/teachers, etc.? The grammatical form of the questions assumes the answer ...

10. The Resurrection Body

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... 38b sets up the following analogies in verses 39–41. 15:39–41 In one way the argument in these verses is simple and clear, and in another way the line of thought strikes many readers as being strange. In essence, Paul refers to a variety of entities: humans, animals, birds, fish, heavenly bodies, earthly bodies, the sun, the moon, and the stars. He claims the plain, observable truth: each of these elements of creation has a distinct form, be it flesh or splendor. Indeed, the different forms of these ...

11. The Fellowship Offering

Leviticus 3:1-17

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... from the herd, a cow. The animal without blemish may be either male or female. The more solemn atoning sacrifice of the whole burnt offering in chapter 1 required a male animal. No mention is made of the age of the animal in chapter 3. Allowances of such variety in the animal may relate to the fact that only the fat of the animal is burned on the altar. Again the animal is brought before the LORD, at the tabernacle. 3:2 The next verse distinguishes between the acts of the worshiper and those of the priest ...

12. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... as much as any wound or bruise. Verse 8 outlines the consequence should Job’s denials be proven false. If he has taken from others by means of deception or even theft, he will suffer similar loss. Although the image is clearly agricultural, it is subject to a variety of understandings. Will others eat Job’s produce because they steal it? Will they receive his goods as a judgment against Job in court? Or is it because he will die and leave his crops to those who come after him (Eccl. 2:18–21)? A double ...

13. Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26

Matthew 9:9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to them as well. After calling his fishermen disciples, the only other “calling” recorded in Matthew’s gospel is his own (9:9). In today’s text Matthew is described as a “tax collector” (“telones”), one who was employed to collect the great variety of taxes levied on the people by the regional ruler, Herod Antipas. Jesus’ call comes to Matthew while he is busily engaged in his work. He is in the “tax booth,” collecting the government’s cut from the merchants and traders bringing ...

14. Romans 12:1-8

Romans 12:1-8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of the Roman's "renewed mind" is to be toward the "good," "acceptable" and "perfect" that is, toward an image of pure holiness that God offers believers. The first step in this transformation, Paul notes, is a call to humility (v.3). Amid all the variety and independence of the Roman Christian communities, Paul calls all members to recognize the basic equality they share as members of one body the body of Christ. Just as Paul calls upon believers to use their own wills to offer up themselves as sacrifices ...

15. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... spiritually gifted insight that reveals "Jesus is Lord" is an utterance that could only come from the genuine Spirit of God. Next, Paul carefully addresses the still confusing fact that while there is only one genuine Spirit, its presence is manifested in a variety of ways. This diversity-in-unity is, in fact, the greatest strength, the most unique gift, of the Holy Spirit. Instead of forcing an unvarying unity of experience on believers (as required by so many other first-century cults), the Spirit of God ...

16. Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... in the ways of the world and the affairs of humankind. As a genre, proverbs are common to every spoken tongue and offer universally recognized truths in the form of a short saying, maxim or aphorism. Egyptian proverbial wisdom can be found in a variety of "instructions," including that of Kagemni of the Old Kingdom, as well as Ptah-hotep and Merikare, and may have formed a basis for some of the biblical texts in Proverbs (see Pritchard, Ancient Near East Texts, 412ff). "The Proverbs of Alfred" was published ...

17. Isaiah 11:1-10

Isaiah 11:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... : the shoot out of the stump, the branch out of the roots, the rod of the mouth, the breath of the lips and righteousness as a belt around the waist (vv.1-5). This is followed by the description of a pastoral scene in which a variety of animals are paired to convey an image of peace: the wolf, leopard, young lion, bear, lion, viper and young viper are juxtaposed with lamb, kid, calf, cow, ox, nursing child and weaned child. By making use of such traditional images, Isaiah skillfully attracts the attention ...

18. Gift

2 Corinthians 8:16--9:5, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... but also to encourage the wealthy Corinthians to contribute as generously as possible. 8:1 The direct address of the Corinthians as brothers marks the transition to the new subject of the collection for Jerusalem. The word charis runs like a leitmotif throughout 2 Corinthians 8–9, displaying a variety of senses (cf. 8:1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 16, 19; 9:8, 14, 15). Here it is used in the sense of the grace that God gives people so that they can abound in good works (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 9:8). The collection was ...

19. One in Christ

Ephesians 2:11-22

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... the summit of a building to crown its completion. Some believe that this is a more fitting explanation of the thought in Ephesians, where Christ is the head of the body (1:22) and the church grows into him who is the head (4:15). The variety of interpretations of the difficult imagery and syntax should not distract the reader from the central message of this passage. The apostle is showing that the church consists of three significant elements: (a) the Gentiles, who are now part of God’s people, and the ...

20. Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ

Colossians 2:6-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... by Christ (Mark 7:19) and declared nonbinding upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:9–16; 15:19–29). One gets the distinct impression that the regulations threatening the Colossians were all man-made traditions. People in the ancient world would abstain from certain foods for a variety of reasons (cf. Rom. 14:17, 21; 1 Tim. 4:3). The Colossians are not to be bound by rules with respect to food (what you eat or drink) or the religious calendar (a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day). It is ...

21. By Faith

Hebrews 11:1-40

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... ,” and so it has come to us in our Hebrew Bibles. The physical object leaned upon is of little significance; what matters is the attitude and pose of worship that points to Jacob’s faith. 11:22 Joseph’s faith can be abundantly illustrated from a variety of episodes in his life. Understandably he became much celebrated for the character of his life (e.g., Philo, On Joseph; Testament of Joseph; Josephus, Ant. 2.9ff.; Ps. 105:17ff.; Wisd. of Sol. 10:13f.; 1 Macc. 2:53; Acts 7:9f.). Joseph’s faith not ...

22. Favoritism Forbidden

James 2:1-13, James 2:14-26

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... ? Was it not because he acted in righteousness and dependability through faith?” but Jews referred to him far more frequently this way, e.g., Isa. 51:2; 4 Macc. 16:20; Matt. 3:9; John 8:39; m. Aboth 5:2). The tests of Abraham are referred to in a variety of late Jewish literature, e.g., Aboth de. R. Nathan 32; m. Aboth 5:3; Jubilees 17:17; 19:8; Pirke R. Eliezer 26–31, as is his great charity: Testament of Abraham, recension A, 1.17; Targum Ps.-Jonathan on Gen. 21:33; Aboth de R. Nathan 7. Translation ...

23. The Plague of Locusts

Exodus 10:21-29

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... travel easily, including men and women without children. They probably thought that this would appease Moses. Just exactly who would go is ambiguous, not just for our translation, but likely because it was the main issue at stake in the negotiation. Therefore the variety in the vocabulary may be intentional. The officials were not yet as blind as the pharaoh. They said, “Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?” Nowhere is the effect of the hardening of the heart more succinctly expressed than in ...

24. The Passover

Exodus 12:1-30

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... the home on the night before Passover with a feather and a spoon to collect pieces of leavened bread hidden to initiate the search (Sarna, “Exodus,” p. 385). 12:21 The people received Moses’ words as from the Lord. For a brief summary of the variety of source critical theories on the compositional complexity of the liturgical and narrative elements in vv. 21–28, see Durham, Exodus, p. 161. 12:24 Present-day Seder meals do not use a lamb because it can’t be done properly. Sometimes a lamb shank is ...

25. Offerings for the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:1-9

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... . Many elements of the tabernacle texts also occur in Genesis 1–2. This intentional reflection of the creation weights the significance of the tabernacle as a new creation of the Lord. Rabbinic interpreters have long recognized the echoes of creation in a variety of texts. The Creator was doing something new in directing the building of the tabernacle. The Spirit of God, present at creation (Gen. 1:2) filled Bezalel and the craftsmen who created the tabernacle with creative gifts (Exod. 31:1–11). Israel ...

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