Thursday, June 11, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 26
Luke 12; Luke 13
1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had
gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak
first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the
Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed
that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What
you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have
whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the
roofs. 4 "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of
those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I
will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the
body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are
not five sparrows sold for two pennies ? Yet not one of them is forgotten by
God.7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't
be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 8 "I
tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also
acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns
me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And
everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone
who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 "When
you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about
how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for
the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." 13 Someone
in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance
with me." 14 Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a
judge or an arbiter between you?" 15 Then he said to
them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's
life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."16 And
he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a
good crop. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have
no place to store my crops.' 18 "Then he said, 'This is
what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will
store all my grain and my goods.19 And I'll say to myself,
"You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy;
eat, drink and be merry." ' 20 "But God said to him,
'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will
get what you have prepared for yourself ?' 21 "This is
how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich
toward God." 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or
about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than
food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens:
They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.
And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you
by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? 26 Since you
cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 "Consider
how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.28 If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and
tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of
little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will
eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world
runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But
seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 "Do
not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the
kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide
purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will
not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 "Be
dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like
men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he
comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It
will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.
I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at
the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good
for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the
second or third watch of the night.39 But understand this: If the
owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not
have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready,
because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect
him." 41 Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this
parable to us, or to everyone?" 42 The Lord answered,
"Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge
of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It
will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he
returns. 44 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of
all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to
himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to
beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The
master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an
hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with
the unbelievers.47 "That servant who knows his master's will
and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with
many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things
deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been
given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with
much, much more will be asked. 49 "I have come to bring
fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But
I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is
completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No,
I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in
one family divided against each other, three against two and two against
three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son
against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against
mother-in-law." 54 He said to the crowd: "When you
see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and
it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's
going to be hot,' and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to
interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't
know how to interpret this present time?57 "Why don't you
judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with
your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way,
or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the
officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you,
you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. "
1 Now there were some present at that time who
told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their
sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these
Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered
this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too
will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower
in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others
living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent,
you too will all perish." 6 Then he told this parable:
"A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for
fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who
took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for
fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up
the soil?' 8 " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone
for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If
it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' " 10On
a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and
a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was
bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus
saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free
from your infirmity." 13Then he put his hands on her, and
immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant
because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the
people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days,
not on the Sabbath." 15 The Lord answered him, "You
hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the
stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not
this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long
years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" 17 When
he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted
with all the wonderful things he was doing. 18 Then Jesus
asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It
is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and
became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." 20 Again
he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?21 It is
like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it
worked all through the dough." 22 Then Jesus went through
the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone
asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said
to them,24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow
door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able
to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the
door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for
us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' 26 "Then
you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27 "But
he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you
evildoers!' 28 "There will be weeping there, and gnashing
of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the
kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will
come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the
feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are
last who will be first, and first who will be last." 31 At
that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place
and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you." 32 He
replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today
and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' 33 In
any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no
prophet can die outside Jerusalem! 34 "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I
have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under
her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is
left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,
'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' "
Acts 17
Acts 17 (New International Version)
Acts 17
In Thessalonica
1 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[a] 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
In Berea
10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
In Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean." 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'[b] As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'[c]
29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Acts 17
In Thessalonica
1 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[a] 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
In Berea
10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
In Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean." 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'[b] As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'[c]
29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Revelation 3
Revelation 3 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 3
To the Church in Sardis
1 "To the angel[a] of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Philadelphia 7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Laodicea 14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3
To the Church in Sardis
1 "To the angel[a] of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Philadelphia 7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Laodicea 14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
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