Saturday, August 12, 2017

Proverbs 12

1 To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.
2 The LORD approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness.
3 Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.
4 A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.
5 The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.
6 The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives.
7 The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm.
8 A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.
9 Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.
10 The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.
11 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.
12 Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.
13 The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble.
14 Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards.
15 Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
16 A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.
17 An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies.
18 Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.
19 Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.
20 Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!
21 No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
22 The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.
23 The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.
24 Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.
25 Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.
26 The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.
27 Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
28 The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.
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Ephesians 1 NLT

Outline

  • Greetings (1:1-2)
  • The Divine Purpose: The Glory and Headship of Christ (1:3-14)
  • Prayer That Christians May Realize God's Purpose and Power (1:15-23)
  • Steps Toward the Fulfillment of God's Purpose (chs. 2-3)
    • Salvation of Individuals by Grace (2:1-10)
    • Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile through the Cross (2:11-18)
    • Uniting of Jew and Gentile in One Household (2:19-22)
    • Revelation of God's Wisdom through the Church (3:1-13)
    • Prayer for Deeper Experience of God's Fullness (3:14-21)
  • Practical Ways to Fulfill God's Purpose in the Church (4:1;6:20)
  • Conclusion, Final Greetings and Benediction (6:21-24)


Ephesians 1 NLT
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. 
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 
4Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 
8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 
10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 
11Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 
13And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 
14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. 
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 
16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 
17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 
20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 
21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 
22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 
23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
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Friday, August 11, 2017

Proverbs 11

1 The LORD detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.
2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
3 Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.
4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.
5 The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.
6 The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.
7 When the wicked die, their hopes die with them, for they rely on their own feeble strength.
8 The godly are rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead.
9 With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous.
10 The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die.
11 Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.
12 It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet.
13 A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
14 Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.
15 There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt; it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.
16 A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.
17 Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.
18 Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.
19 Godly people find life; evil people find death.
20 The LORD detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity.
21 Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free.
22 A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.
23 The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.
24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
26 People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.
27 If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!
28 Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
29 Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise.
30 The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.
31 If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, what will happen to wicked sinners?
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Summary of the Book of Ephesians

Summary of the Book of Ephesians

This summary of the book of Ephesians provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Ephesians.

Author, Date and Place of Writing

The author identifies himself as Paul (1:1; 3:1; cf. 3:7,13; 4:1; 6:19-20). Some have taken the absence of the usual personal greetings and the verbal similarity of many parts to Colossians, among other reasons, as grounds for doubting authorship by the apostle Paul. However, this was probably a circular letter, intended for other churches in addition to the one in Ephesus (see notes on 1:1,15; 6:21-23). Paul may have written it about the same time as Colossians, c. a.d. 60, while he was in prison at Rome (see 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; see also chart, p. 2261).

The City of Ephesus

Ephesus was the most important city in western Asia Minor (now Turkey). It had a harbor that at that time opened into the Cayster River (see map, p. 2429), which in turn emptied into the Aegean Sea (see map, p. 2599). Because it was also at an intersection of major trade routes, Ephesus became a commercial center. It boasted a pagan temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Diana (Greek Artemis); cf. Ac 19:23-31. Paul made Ephesus a center for evangelism for about three years (see note on Ac 19:10), and the church there apparently flourished for some time, but later needed the warning of Rev 2:1-7.

Theological Message

Unlike several of the other letters Paul wrote, Ephesians does not address any particular error or heresy. Paul wrote to expand the horizons of his readers, so that they might understand better the dimensions of God's eternal purpose and grace and come to appreciate the high goals God has for the church.
The letter opens with a sequence of statements about God's blessings, which are interspersed with a remarkable variety of expressions drawing attention to God's wisdom, forethought and purpose. Paul emphasizes that we have been saved, not only for our personal benefit, but also to bring praise and glory to God. The climax of God's purpose, "when the times will have reached their fulfillment," is to bring all things in the universe together under Christ (1:10). It is crucially important that Christians realize this, so in 1:15-23 Paul prays for their understanding (a second prayer occurs in 3:14-21).
Having explained God's great goals for the church, Paul proceeds to show the steps toward their fulfillment. First, God has reconciled individuals to himself as an act of grace (2:1-10). Second, God has reconciled these saved individuals to each other, Christ having broken down the barriers through his own death (2:11-22). But God has done something even beyond this: He has united these reconciled individuals in one body, the church. This is a "mystery" not fully known until it was revealed to Paul (3:1-6). Now Paul is able to state even more clearly what God has intended for the church, namely, that it be the means by which he displays his "manifold wisdom" to the "rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" (3:7-13). It is clear through the repetition of "heavenly realms" (1:3,20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12) that Christian existence is not merely on an earthly plane. It receives its meaning and significance from heaven, where Christ is exalted at the right hand of God (1:20).
Nevertheless, that life is lived out on earth, where the practical daily life of the believer continues to work out the purposes of God. The ascended Lord gave "gifts" to the members of his church to enable them to minister to one another and so promote unity and maturity (4:1-16). The unity of the church under the headship of Christ foreshadows the uniting of "all things in heaven and on earth" under Christ (1:10). The new life of purity and mutual deference stands in contrast to the old way of life without Christ (4:17 -- 6:9). Those who are "strong in the Lord" have victory over the evil one in the great spiritual conflict, especially through the power of prayer (6:10-20; see note on 1:3).

Outline


  • Greetings (1:1-2)
  • The Divine Purpose: The Glory and Headship of Christ (1:3-14)
  • Prayer That Christians May Realize God's Purpose and Power (1:15-23)
  • Steps Toward the Fulfillment of God's Purpose (chs. 2-3)
    • Salvation of Individuals by Grace (2:1-10)
    • Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile through the Cross (2:11-18)
    • Uniting of Jew and Gentile in One Household (2:19-22)
    • Revelation of God's Wisdom through the Church (3:1-13)
    • Prayer for Deeper Experience of God's Fullness (3:14-21)
  • Practical Ways to Fulfill God's Purpose in the Church (4:1;6:20)
  • Conclusion, Final Greetings and Benediction (6:21-24)
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Thursday, August 10, 2017

Proverbs 10

1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.
2 Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.
3 The LORD will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.
4 Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.
5 A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.
6 The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
7 We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.
8 The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.
9 People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.
10 People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.
11 The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.
13 Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding, but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.
14 Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.
15 The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.
16 The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.
17 People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.
18 Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool.
19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
20 The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless.
21 The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
22 The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
23 Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.
24 The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.
25 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.
26 Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.
27 Fear of the LORD lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
28 The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.
30 The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.
31 The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.
32 The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.
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