Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

1 Corinthians 10. Day 161 - The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: (seanbailey1985@gmail.com)
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Learning from Israel's Failure. Standing Firm Against Temptation. Doing Everything for God's Glory.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31

First Corinthians 10 begins with a warning from Israel's history. God's people experienced incredible blessings. They were delivered from Egypt, passed through the sea, received God's provision in the wilderness, and experienced His presence among them. Yet many still fell into idolatry, immorality, complaining, and unbelief. Paul tells the Corinthians that these events were written as examples for us. Experiencing God's blessings does not make us immune to spiritual failure. We must guard our hearts against becoming comfortable, overconfident, or careless in our walk with Christ. Paul warns us plainly, "Whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall."

Paul then gives one of the most encouraging promises in Scripture concerning temptation. Temptation is common to all of us, but God is faithful. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear without also providing a way to endure it. That does not mean we should see how close we can get to sin without falling. Paul's command is much stronger: "Flee from idolatry." Sometimes the most spiritual response to temptation is not to stand around and fight with it but to run from it. Through his discussion of the Lord's Supper and food offered to idols, Paul reminds believers that our deepest allegiance belongs to Christ. We cannot claim fellowship with Jesus while willingly giving our hearts to the idols of this world.

The chapter closes by bringing Paul's teaching about Christian freedom into sharp focus. The question is not simply whether something is permissible. Paul tells us to consider whether it is beneficial, whether it builds others up, and ultimately whether it brings glory to God. That gives us a powerful filter for every area of life: Can I do this for the glory of God? First Corinthians 10 challenges us to learn from the failures of those who came before us, take temptation seriously, and use our freedom with love and wisdom. Whether in the big decisions or the ordinary moments of our day, the goal of the Christian life remains the same: whatever we do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 9. Day 160 - The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: (seanbailey1985@gmail.com)
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Surrendering Our Rights. All Things for the Gospel. Running to Win.

"I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some." — 1 Corinthians 9:22

First Corinthians 9 continues Paul's teaching about Christian freedom by using his own ministry as an example. As an apostle, Paul had legitimate rights. He had the right to receive financial support for his ministry, and he carefully explains why those who preach the gospel are worthy of being supported by the church. Yet Paul willingly chose not to exercise some of those rights when doing so might create an obstacle to the gospel. His point is not that Christian rights are unimportant. His point is that the mission of Christ is more important. Sometimes following Jesus means willingly laying down something we have every right to claim because reaching people with the gospel matters more.

That same heart is behind Paul's well-known statement that he became "all things to all people." Paul was not changing the gospel to make people happy or compromising biblical truth to fit the culture. He was willing to change himself. He adapted his approach, surrendered personal preferences, and entered into the lives of different people so that unnecessary barriers would not keep them from hearing about Jesus. The message never changed, but Paul's methods could. His life revolved around one consuming purpose: "I do all this because of the gospel." That challenges us to consider what preferences, comforts, or traditions we might be willing to surrender if it helps someone see Christ more clearly.

Paul closes the chapter with the picture of an athlete competing in a race. Runners do not train accidentally. They exercise discipline, deny themselves certain comforts, and keep their eyes fixed on the prize. Paul says the Christian life should be lived with that same intentionality. We are not running for a temporary crown but an eternal one. First Corinthians 9 challenges us to ask whether we are simply participating in the Christian life or truly running to win. Following Christ requires discipline, sacrifice, and focus. Our freedom is real, but our mission is greater. May we be willing to lay aside anything necessary, discipline ourselves faithfully, and spend our lives for the sake of the gospel.

1 Corinthians 8. Day 159 - The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: (seanbailey1985@gmail.com)
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Knowledge and Love. Christian Freedom. Loving Others More Than Our Rights.

"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." — 1 Corinthians 8:1

First Corinthians 8 takes us into a very specific issue facing the Corinthian church: whether Christians should eat food that had been offered to idols. While that particular situation may seem distant from us today, the principle Paul teaches could not be more relevant. Some believers understood correctly that idols were nothing and that there is only one true God. Their theology was right, but Paul reminds them that being right is not the only thing that matters. Knowledge without love can quickly become pride. Christian maturity is not simply measured by how much truth we know, but by how faithfully that truth leads us to love others.

Paul makes it clear that an idol has no real power and that eating certain food does not bring us closer to God. In Christ, believers have tremendous freedom. But Paul introduces an important question: What if exercising my freedom causes another believer to stumble? Suddenly the issue is no longer just about what we are allowed to do. It becomes about how our choices affect the spiritual well-being of someone else. Christian freedom was never intended to become Christian selfishness. Sometimes love willingly gives up a right for the sake of another person's faith.

Paul closes with a powerful example of that kind of love. If something he was free to do would cause a brother or sister to stumble, Paul says he would rather give it up entirely. That is a very different way of thinking from a culture that constantly tells us to demand our rights and do whatever makes us happy. First Corinthians 8 challenges us to ask a better question than simply, "Can I do this?" As followers of Jesus, we should also ask, "Will this honor Christ, and will it help or hurt the people around me?" Spiritual maturity is not proven by how much freedom we exercise. Sometimes it is revealed by what we are willing to surrender because we love others more than we love our own rights.

1 Corinthians 7. Day 158 - The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: (seanbailey1985@gmail.com)
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
God's Design for Marriage. Faithfulness in Every Season. Living with Undivided Devotion.

"Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him." — 1 Corinthians 7:17

First Corinthians 7 begins a new section of Paul's letter as he responds to specific questions the Corinthians had asked him. He addresses marriage, singleness, sexuality, divorce, and contentment with remarkable pastoral wisdom. In a culture filled with sexual immorality, Paul affirms God's design for marriage and reminds husbands and wives that marriage involves mutual love, responsibility, and faithfulness. Neither spouse is called to selfishness. Christian marriage should reflect a willingness to serve one another and honor the covenant God has established between them.

Paul also addresses difficult situations involving divorce and marriages where only one spouse follows Christ. His consistent emphasis is faithfulness. Believers should not look for reasons to abandon their commitments simply because following Jesus has changed their circumstances. At the same time, Paul recognizes that some situations are beyond a believer's control and reminds us that "God has called you to live in peace." Throughout the chapter, Paul refuses to treat marriage as spiritually superior to singleness or singleness as superior to marriage. Both can be gifts from God, and both provide opportunities to faithfully serve Christ.

Running through the entire chapter is a larger principle that reaches far beyond marriage: our circumstances do not determine our usefulness to God. Paul repeatedly encourages believers to faithfully serve Christ wherever God has placed them. We can easily convince ourselves that we would serve God better if something about our lives were different, but Paul points us back to faithfulness right where we are. First Corinthians 7 challenges us to honor God in our relationships, remain faithful in the season He has given us, and make Christ our highest devotion. Whether married or single, in an easy season or a difficult one, our greatest calling remains the same: to belong completely to Jesus and faithfully serve Him with the life we have been given.

1 Corinthians 6. Day 157 - The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: (seanbailey1985@gmail.com)
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Living as God's People. Washed and Made New. Glorifying God with Our Bodies.

"You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." — 1 Corinthians 6:11

First Corinthians 6 continues Paul's call for the church to live differently because they belong to Christ. He begins by confronting believers who were taking one another to court over disputes that should have been handled within the Christian community. Their willingness to fight publicly over personal grievances revealed a deeper spiritual problem. Paul reminds them that sometimes it is better to be wronged than to damage the witness and unity of the church. Following Jesus means that being right is not always as important as being faithful.

Paul then gives one of the clearest reminders in the New Testament of the transforming power of the gospel. After listing patterns of sin that characterize life apart from God, he says, "And some of you used to be like this." Those words are filled with hope. Their past did not have the final word. They had been washed, sanctified, and justified through Jesus Christ. The gospel does not simply forgive us while leaving us unchanged. Christ gives us a new identity and calls us into a new way of life. We should never forget where grace found us, but neither should we continue living as though grace never changed us.

The chapter closes by addressing sexual immorality and the significance of our bodies. The Corinthians lived in a culture that separated spirituality from physical behavior, but Paul rejects that thinking completely. Our bodies belong to the Lord. For believers, the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we have been bought at an incredible price through the blood of Christ. That means holiness reaches into every area of life, including our sexuality. First Corinthians 6 reminds us that Christian freedom is not permission to do whatever we want. We belong to Jesus. We have been purchased, cleansed, and made new, and now every part of our lives should bring glory to the One who gave Himself for us.