Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

We are about to begin our next study, and we are moving to the Old Testament. We will begin with the book of Hosea. Hosea is the story of a faithful God pursuing an unfaithful people. This means it is time to get your next Scripture Journal from our website for this study. If you are a Project23 partner giving $35/month or more, we have already sent this to you in the mail.

Our shout-out today goes to Christopher Long from Turbotville, PA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. — 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

What if the one doctrine you assume is safe is the one you've stopped defending?

Paul begins by reminding them of the gospel they received, believed, and stand in.

Then he defines it.

Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He was raised on the third day. All according to the Scriptures.

This is not vague spirituality.

It is a historical resurrection.

And Paul lists witnesses to this history. Names. Groups. Himself.

This isn't poetic prose. It's testimony.

Christianity is not built on mystical experience. It is anchored in a risen Savior who appeared in history.

Then Paul says something personal:

"By the grace of God I am what I am." — 1 Corinthians 15:10

The resurrection didn't just validate Jesus. It transformed Paul. It changed the very essence of who he was.

And here's the implication we cannot miss:

The resurrection of Jesus makes your resurrection possible. If Christ is raised, death is not final. If Christ is raised, sin is not ultimate. If Christ is raised, your future is secure. But if you quietly, in your mind, redefine the resurrection as symbolic… everything shifts. And so does your identity.

Don't adjust the gospel in your mind. Today, consider how His resurrection guarantees your resurrection. And then write out, maybe in the comments below, how this affects you, your identity, and your future. It is this that we should be able to communicate to others, as Paul did to believers in Corinth.

DO THIS:

Consider how the resurrection of Jesus guarantees your resurrection. Write down, in one sentence, why the resurrection matters for you personally.

ASK THIS:

1. Can I clearly explain why the resurrection is essential to the gospel?
2. If someone asked me why Jesus had to rise bodily, would I know how to answer?
3. Am I standing on the gospel Paul preached—or one softened by culture?

PRAY THIS:

Lord, strengthen my confidence in the resurrection of Jesus. Help me stand firmly in the gospel and speak it clearly to others. Let the risen Christ shape how I live today. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Christ Is Risen"

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Our shout-out today goes to Keith Larson from Tacoma, WA. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you.

Our text today is 1 Corinthians 14:36-40.

Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order. — 1 Corinthians 14:36-40

Paul now drops the hammer.

After regulating tongues. After regulating prophecy. After regulating the disorder. After addressing the controversial issue of silence. He confronts the deeper issue.

Pride.

"Or was it from you that the word of God came?"

Translation: Did revelation originate with you?

"Or are you the only ones it has reached?"

Translation: Are you spiritually elite?

Paul transitions from worship style to authority over worship. Paul exposes their spiritual arrogance that was causing the chaos.

"If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord."

This is a staggering declaration. Paul equates his written instruction with divine authority. To reject it is not merely to disagree with Paul. It is to resist the Lord.

And then comes the sober warning:

"If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized."

In other words, refusal to submit to apostolic authority reveals something about your standing. This is the real dividing line and the real question we all have to ask ourselves:

Do we submit to Scripture as the Lord's command?

Submit to God's authority. Let the unchanging Scripture confront you, correct you, and reshape you. Do not presume to edit what was given to rule over you.

DO THIS:

Examine how you respond when Scripture confronts you. Do you reinterpret it—or do you submit to it?

ASK THIS:

1. Do I treat apostolic instruction as optional?
2. When the Bible corrects my preferences, do I adjust—or argue?
3. Am I truly under the authority of Christ's Word?

PRAY THIS:

Lord, keep me from spiritual pride. Guard me from assuming I know better than your Word. Teach me to recognize Scripture as your command and to submit to it with humility and joy. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Use Me Lord"

If your words don't build the body, they're not spiritual — they're self-promotional.

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul confronts a church obsessed with expressive spirituality but careless about edification. The repeated emphasis is clear: speech in the church must build others, not platform the speaker. Tongues, prophecy, interpretation, even silence — all are measured by one standard: does it strengthen the body? Spiritual maturity is not proven by intensity, volume, or visibility, but by whether the church leaves stronger than it arrived.

1. Why do you think modern Christianity often confuses emotional intensity with spiritual maturity?

2. Paul emphasizes "building up" seven times — why is repetition important in this chapter?

3. What is the difference between building yourself up and building the church?

4. How can someone claim "the Spirit led me" and still be acting in self-interest?

5. Where do you see platform-building creeping into church culture today?

6. How should the command for clarity (v. 9, v. 19) shape preaching, teaching, and worship?

7. When might silence be more spiritual than speaking?

8. How can social media amplify self-promotion instead of edification?

9. What practical test can you apply before speaking in a meeting, posting online, or correcting someone?

10. In what area of your life do you need to shift from self-expression to body-strengthening?