Thursday, September 3, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 86
2 Peter 1; 2 Peter 2;
2 Peter 3; Jude 1
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To
those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have
received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be
yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His
divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through
them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the
world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make
every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and
to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you
possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being
ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But
if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten
that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10 Therefore, my
brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if
you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will
receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even
though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now
have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as
I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will
soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And
I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able
to remember these things. 16 We did not follow cleverly
invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he
received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from
the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am
well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came
from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 19 And
we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay
attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and
the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must
understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own
interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the
will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit.
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just
as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing
swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their
shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In
their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.
Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has
not been sleeping.4 For if God did not spare angels when they
sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for
judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he
brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of
righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of
what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued
Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless
men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after
day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and
heard)-- 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue
godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment,
while continuing their punishment. 10 This is especially true
of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise
authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial
beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and
more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the
presence of the Lord. 12 But these men blaspheme in matters
they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born
only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. 13 They
will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure
is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in
their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full
of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are
experts in greed--an accursed brood! 15 They have left the
straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who
loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his
wrongdoing by a donkey--a beast without speech--who spoke with a man's voice
and restrained the prophet's madness. 17 These men are springs
without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for
them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by
appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who
are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They
promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man
is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20If they have escaped the
corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are
again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they
were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to
turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of
them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and,
"A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."
1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have
written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I
want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the
command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. 3 First
of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing
and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, "Where
is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on
as it has since the beginning of creation." 5 But they
deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the
earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters
also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By
the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept
for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But
do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The
Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is
patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire,
and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since
everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward
to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the
destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the
heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking
forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So
then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to
be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in
mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul
also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes
the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters
contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable
people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own
destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already
know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of
lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in
the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory
both now and forever! Amen.
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To
those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus
Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. 3Dear
friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we
share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was
once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose
condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.
They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for
immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5 Though
you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people
out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And
the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their
own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for
judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and
Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and
perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of
eternal fire. 8 In the very same way, these dreamers pollute
their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9 But
even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body
of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said,
"The Lord rebuke you!" 10 Yet these men speak
abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do
understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals--these are the very things
that destroy them. 11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of
Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed
in Korah's rebellion. 12 These men are blemishes at your love
feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only
themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees,
without fruit and uprooted--twice dead. 13 They are wild waves
of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness
has been reserved forever. 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon
thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to
convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly
way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against
him." 16 These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they
follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others
for their own advantage. 17 But, dear friends, remember what
the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said
to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their
own ungodly desires." 19 These are the men who divide
you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But
you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the
Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be
merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire
and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing
stained by corrupted flesh. 24 To him who is able to keep you
from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and
with great joy-- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory,
majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages,
now and forevermore! Amen.
Ephesians 3
Ephesians 3 (New International Version, ©2010)
Ephesians 3
God's Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3
God's Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 17
Revelation 17 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 17
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
Revelation 17
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
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