Westminster Seminary California Professor A. Craig Troxel gives a morning devotion from 1 Corinthians 13.

Westminster Seminary California Professor A. Craig Troxel gives a morning devotion from 1 Corinthians 13.

Westminster Seminary California Professor A. Craig Troxel gives a morning devotion from 1 Corinthians 13.

Westminster Seminary California Professor A. Craig Troxel gives a morning devotion from 1 Corinthians 13.

C.S. Lewis wrote that the first step to “acquire humility” is “to realize that one is proud. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.” Lewis is probably correct that pride shadows us more than we know. Thankfully the Word of God helps us to see how we can re-orient our lives, speech and motives more humbly. Moreover, the eternal Word become flesh helps us to see what humbling oneself looks like; especially when it is motivated by love.

When Paul says “Love does not envy” he is addressing the earnestness of our desire. A strong or intense desire is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Scripture tells us to “earnestly desire” higher spiritual gifts among other things (1Cor 12.31). But if we desire or love something in the wrong way and to the wrong degree, then we have entered into the realm of envy. The darkness of envy will not rest until it has snuffed out its rival, even if that rival is the “light of the world.” 

This series of chapel talks (based on 1Corinthians 13) is intended to answer the question, “What Is Love?” Few questions could be more important or more practical. Our “greatest” duty is to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. So, if we miss this, we have missed the most obvious thing of all. This first lesson looks at the two sides of love—in what it is determined to endure and what it is willing to give.

Love is Passive and Active (1Cor 13.4)

Morning devotion from 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

A lecture from WSC's new Associate Professor of New Testament, Dr. Bradley J. Bitner

Lawsuits among believers stem from a failure of the church to live in light of its union with Christ. 

It is very easy for us to “size people up” and compare ourselves to others.

In this passage, Paul would have us realize that even truth, that is true knowledge, becomes folly if it is employed to accopmplish an end for which it is not adapted.

The Lord comforts us through the resurrection comfort of Christ, and does this so that we may then pass this comfort on to others as they suffer.

Paul corrects the church in Corinth's worldly view of spiritual gifts by grounding the use of all gifts in love.

To those who are weary and tired, Paul exhorts them to “not lose heart.”  How is this possible?  While the afflictions are momentary, eternal glory awaits for those who are in Christ. 

The Apostle Paul's defense of his ministry against the accusations of the self-described “super apostles” and other critics is instructive for ministers young and old. In contrast to theirs, his ministry began with God's mercy to sinners in Christ, was conducted in the open for all to see, and unlike his critics, his preaching and life were consistent.

In 2 Cor 4:3–6, Paul asserts the deadly work of Satan on unbelievers blinding them to the glory and life-giving light of Christ in his gospel which believers know and which shapes his ministry.

The word of God has the power to destroy strongholds of the world through the gospel. It will accomplish the ends for which God has set it forth.

Dr. Michael Horton exposits 2 Cor. 3, in particular to those seeking to go into pastoral ministry. He shows from this text that pastors are a “letter of recommendation” from Jesus as ministers of the New Covenant. 

Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to live according to their New Covenant status by portraying the world in absolute contrasts.