Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

God hates those who cause divisions in His church. 1 Corinthians 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. So far, the apostle Paul has addressed those who caused divisions in the church. He has singled out those who follow men instead of following hard after Christ.  Causing division and sowing discord among believers in Christ is something that God hates (See Proverbs 6:19). Preaching the gospel and the cross of Christ is our mission. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  19)  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Paul consistently magnified the work and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He w...

Below is a link to the YouTube channel of Heritage Baptist Church in Smithville, Ohio, where my family attends. Last year, Pastor Alvis asked me to teach the Adult Sunday School class. Currently we are making our way through the book of Ezra.  This lesson focused on the first enemy attack which was infiltration and assimilation.  This attack failed because the Jewish people took their stand upon the Word of God and resisted it. The enemy did not hesitate to launch a second, two pronged attack which was successful. Their strategy was to weaken the hands of the Jews by sowing seeds of doubt, and they troubled them by making them afraid. Fear and doubt hinder spiritual growth. The antidote for fear and doubt is faith, believing what God says to us in His Word. Last, we learned that there is always hope as long as the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, is still used. I hope this livestream is a blessing to all who are able to view it.  Bob  

Sin in the church must be dealt with as Jesus and His apostles commanded. 1 Corinthians 5:1-8  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.  2)  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.  3)  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,  4)  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  5)  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  6)  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  7)  Purge out therefore the old leaven, t...

Purge out the leaven of sin and replace it with sincere faith and God's truth.  1 Corinthians 5:6-8  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  7)  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:  8)  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  In our last lesson we looked at some of the texts that teach us that leaven is a type or a picture of the insidious nature of sin. It begins hidden and unseen, which corresponds to thinking wrong thoughts.  The corrupting and decaying influence of leaven begins diffusing through our mind to the point that we spend much time thinking about something that is sinful. Just as leaven makes bread dough rise through fermentation, so the leaven of sin makes us rise up to c...

Sin in the church must be dealt with.  1 Corinthians 5:1-2  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.  2)  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.  The apostle Paul was directed by the Holy Spirit to address sexual sin within the church at Corinth.  Some Jews at Corinth were converted to Christ but the vast majority were Gentiles and former pagans. Pagan religions shared common practices of worshiping idols made from wood, stone, ivory or other materials overlaid with gold or silver. In addition, pagan worshipers used temple prostitutes believing that having sex with them ensured the "gods" blessing.   Wine and drunkenness was often a part of their rituals.  Later in this epistle, Paul will address sexual perversion and gross immorality th...

The Holy Spirit guided Paul to address a sexual sin situation that was tarnishing the reputation of the church at Corinth. Nothing much has changed in almost two thousand years, as sexual sins are still a problem in our churches today.  Again and again, we see how timely and relevant the scriptures are for addressing modern sins and as well as ancient ones. Enticement to sexual sin is a favorite tool of the Devil 1 Corinthians 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.  A church that tolerates known sin by its members is a very dysfunctional church.  It is a sad commentary that Paul heard about this sin indirectly.  The Corinthians who wrote to him about other issues that Paul addressed, did not directly mention this particular sinful situation. The phrase "It is reported commonly" means that this sin was well known by church member...