Picturepocket's Blog

Tag: culture

  • 1 Corinthians 12: Spiritual Gifts 

    Paul reminds the readers of a time before when they followed idols with mute spirits. Now, he says that no one with the Holy Spirit says “Jesus is cursed,” and no one says “Jesus is Lord” without the Holy Spirit. In other words, our faith and conviction are empowered by the Spirit.  Paul says there…

  • 1 Corinthians 11: Under Cover Prayers

    Paul starts out the chapter encouraging the reader to emulate him because he is emulating Christ. While it seems bold to put himself in front, his point is that we all are looking to those who has gone ahead us to show us the way. Likewise, people behind us see us. We have a responsibility…

  • 1 Corinthians 10: K-Paul Demon Hunter

    Paul transitions his talk from discipline to demons. He begins with the story of the Israelites living in the desert. Between their escape from slavery in Egypt and arrival in the land that became the nation of Israel was forty years of wandering in the desert learning to depend on God. Not only did they…

  • 1 Corinthians 9: Free for All

    In this chapter, Paul talks about his freedoms and responsibilities as a believer. He reiterates that he is free in Christ. He says that the evidence of his apostleship is the believing community that helped found. The work defines the position, not the other way around. He goes into his rights and privileges; he may…

  • 1 Corinthians 8: Food for Thought

    Just like the Romans, the Corinthian locals are fighting over food, specifically ingredients that have been offered to idols. They lived in a pagan culture with pagan practices that some had been associated with before their conversion to Christianity. Paul warn them to not have knowledge that puffs up, but love for each other that…

  • Dreams & Goals

    Christmas eve this year, I sat on the bed wrapping gifts and chain-binging Christmas movies. One was a Hallmark story where a big city gal goes to back to her Southern hometown for the holidays. While the characters were awkwardly churning through lines that someone spent five seconds writing, the romantic lead said he was…

  • I Corinthians 5: Bad Yeast

    Paul is digging down into specifics with what has been going wrong at church. He mentions sexual immorality that even the pagans don’t do, a man openly sleeping with his father’s wife. Two points of contrast to the interaction with Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8), this is a man with agency…

  • I Corinthians 3: Subcontractors of the Spirit

    Paul continues to address the divisions within the Corinthian Church. He tells them to grow up, they can’t just be sustained on milk, meaning they have to start acting more mature. Paul is going to give them something to chew on. Currently, they are acting out in jealousy and strife, which are not the ways…

  • Light in Darkness

    Every year, during the holiday season, as we approach Christmas, the events increase and things get crazier. This last week was nuts. In the midst of an atmospheric river of rainfall, we had to procure outfits for the kids for a middle school dance and choir performance. There was also a birthday gift to shop…

  • 1 Corinthians 2: New Lens

    Paul continues by reminding the readers that he focuses on Jesus and his death in his teachings over his own ideas and thoughts. He speaks from a position of weakness and trembling. He has demonstrated the power of the Spirit, not his personal wisdom.  Paul says that if the rulers at Jesus’s time had understood,…