Picturepocket's Blog

Tag: church

  • Genesis 14: Spoils of War

    In the Valley of the Salt Sea, for twelve years, the people in the region had been under the rule of the king of Elam, but on the thirteenth some rebelled.  In the fourteenth year, the king of Elam teamed up with other three kings of cities to fight five rebellious cities including Sodom and…

  • Genesis 9: The Aftermath

    After the flood, God blessed Noah and his sons and told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth. Even though Noah’s wife and his sons’ wives are not mentioned explicitly, we are assuming that they are also participants in this blessing, since it takes two to multiply. God told the survivors that…

  • Genesis 2: Begin Again

    In the second chapter of Genesis, God rests on the seventh day. God declares the seventh day holy, which means set apart, because it is the day he rested from his labor. Taking a break from work is part of the rhythm of life from the beginning. Then the story rewinds. The writer describes an…

  • 2 Corinthians 13: Extreme Church Makeover 

    In this section, Paul repeats his warning for a third time. He says if he comes again he will not spare them. The Corinthians keep questioning Paul, but he says they must examine themselves. If they want to see Christ speaking in him, they must prepare for his strength because even though Jesus was crucified…

  • 2 Corinthians 12: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

    Feeling like he’s not being respected, Paul shares a vision with his readers in hopes that they will listen to what he has to say. He says that a man, himself we assume, was caught up either in- or out-of-body visit to the third heaven where they experienced paradise and other unexplainable events. The what?…

  • 2 Corinthians 11: Résumé of Risk 

    In this chapter, Paul complains about the kind of preachers the Corinthians are listening to. He compares himself to a matchmaker, bringing them as pure bride to Christ. Now, he accuses them of stepping out from their pure devotion. He says that other teachers are bringing a different Jesus, a different gospel and a different…

  • 2 Corinthians 7: Coach Paul

    Paul starts this chapter continuing the theme of separation from lawlessness the last chapter. Believers are not to be unequally yoked, partnered, with unbelievers. Paul encouraged them to maintain purity of the body and spirit by the fear of God. Here we aren’t speaking of fear of someone irrational or vindictive, but accountability to the…

  • 2 Corinthians 5: Happy Campers

    In Chapter 5, Paul, a tentmaker by trade, starts referring to his body as a tent, a fragile structure, where his soul resides until it can go to its eternal dwelling in the heavens. He says that we groan, longing to shed the suffering in our current situation for a more complete, perfect one that…

  • 2 Corinthians 2: Love letters

    When reading other people’s mail, you have to figure out what is in the unsaid parts. Here, Paul is continuing to be sad about not coming to Corinth in person, and being forced into corresponding by letter. At the time of writing, he is feeling awful about not keeping his word to visit. As readers,…

  • 2 Corinthians 1: Comfort & Joy

    In Paul’s second letter to the Church at Corinth he includes a greeting for the Saints of Achaia. It was the southern part of Greece including Corinth and Athens that was one province under Roman rule. He addresses them by “the will of God and Timothy our brother.” Timothy had been introduced as a leader…