Monday, August 24, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 78
Philippians 1;
Philippians 2; Philippians 3; Philippians 4
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the
saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and
deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In
all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy5 because of
your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me
to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I
am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's
grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you
with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer:
that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of
insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled
with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory
and praise of God. 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that
what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As
a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone
else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most
of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more
courageously and fearlessly. 15 It is true that some preach
Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The
latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the
gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition,
not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in
chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is
that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And
because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for
I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus
Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I
eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have
sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ
and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body,
this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not
know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be
with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more
necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of
this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your
progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being
with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. 27 Whatever
happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then,
whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know
that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the
gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who
oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you
will be saved--and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to
you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for
him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw
I had, and now hear that I still have.
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by
being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of
a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even
death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest
place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my dear
friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more
in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and
trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to
act according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without
complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless
and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,
in which you shine like stars in the universe16 as you hold out the
word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run
or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out
like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am
glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad
and rejoice with me. 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send
Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about
you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine
interest in your welfare.21 For everyone looks out for his own
interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that
Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with
me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send
him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am
confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25 But I
think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow
worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take
care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is
distressed because you heard he was ill.27 Indeed he was ill, and
almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to
spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more
eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may
have less anxiety. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy,
and honor men like him, 30 because he almost died for the work
of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no
trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for
you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those
mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the
circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus,
and who put no confidence in the flesh-- 4 though I myself
have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put
confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth
day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in
regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the
church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. 7 But
whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What
is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider
them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is
through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by
faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his
resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him
in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from
the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or
have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which
Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider
myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is
behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a
view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will
make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have
already attained. 17 Join with others in following my example,
brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave
you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again
even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their
destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their
shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship
is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus
Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will
be like his glorious body.
1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my
joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear
friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to
agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal
yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the
gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are
in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say
it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy--think about such things. 9 Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And
the God of peace will be with you.10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been
concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not
saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the
circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know
what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any
and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in
want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me
strength. 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my
troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early
days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not
one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you
only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid
again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking
for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I
have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have
received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an
acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet
all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To
our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet
all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send
greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially
those who belong to Caesar's household. 23 The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Romans 9
Romans 9 (New International Version, ©2010)
Romans 9
Paul's Anguish Over Israel
1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised![a] Amen.
God's Sovereign Choice
6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."[b] 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."[c]
10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger."[d] 13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."[e]
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."[f]
16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."[g] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?" 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'"[h] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"[i]
26 and, "In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.'"[j]
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."[k]
29 It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."[l]
Israel's Unbelief
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."
Romans 9
Paul's Anguish Over Israel
1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised![a] Amen.
God's Sovereign Choice
6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."[b] 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."[c]
10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger."[d] 13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."[e]
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."[f]
16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."[g] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?" 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'"[h] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"[i]
26 and, "In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.'"[j]
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."[k]
29 It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."[l]
Israel's Unbelief
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:
"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."
Revelation 9
Revelation 9 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 9
1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.
17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Revelation 9
1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.
17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
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