Sunday, July 26, 2015
Romans 8
Romans 8New International Version (NIV)
Life Through the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a]free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d]because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spiritthat we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?36 As it is written:
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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."
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Revelation 2
Revelation 2 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 2
To the Church in Ephesus
1 "To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna 8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum 12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira 18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.' 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 2
To the Church in Ephesus
1 "To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna 8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum 12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira 18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.' 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 57
Acts 17; Acts 18:1-18
1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia,
they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As
his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he
reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and
proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus
I am proclaiming to you is the Christ, " he said. 4 Some
of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of
God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the
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. 6 But
when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers 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. 10 As
soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On
arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the
Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received
the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see
if what Paul said was true. 12 Many of the Jews believed, as
did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 13 When
the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at
Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The
brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at
Berea.15 The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then
left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as
possible. 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 the Jews and the 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 dispute 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 want 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: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very
religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your
objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown
god. Now what you worship as something unknown 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
hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed
anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything
else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they
should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and
the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so
that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he
is not far from each one of us. 28 'For in him we live and
move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his
offspring.' 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 man's 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 all men
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 A few men 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.
1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There
he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy
with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave
Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker
as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath
he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When
Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to
preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But
when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in
protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of
my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 Then
Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a
worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his
entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard
him believed and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to
Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be
silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack
and harm you, because I have many people in this city." 11 So
Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. 12 While
Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and
brought him into court. 13 "This man," they charged,
"is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the
law." 14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to
the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or
serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But
since it involves questions about words and names and your own law--settle the
matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." 16 So
he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on
Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio
showed no concern whatever. 18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for
some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by
Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea
because of a vow he had taken.
Romans 6
Romans 6 (New International Version, ©2010)
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 1
Revelation 1 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 1
Prologue
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Greetings and Doxology
4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7 "Look, he is coming with the clouds,"[b] and "every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him."[c] So shall it be! Amen.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
John's Vision of Christ
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 1
Prologue
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Greetings and Doxology
4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7 "Look, he is coming with the clouds,"[b] and "every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him."[c] So shall it be! Amen.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
John's Vision of Christ
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 56
Galatians 4; Galatians
5; Galatians 6
1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child,
he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 He
is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So
also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of
the world. 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his
Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under
law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because
you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who
calls out, ""Abba", Father." 7 So you are
no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an
heir. 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves
to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know
God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those
weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You
are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I
fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. 12 I
plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done
me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that
I first preached the gospel to you. 14 Even though my illness
was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you
welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus
himself. 15 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify
that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given
them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the
truth? 17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no
good. What they want is to alienate you [from us], so that you may be zealous
for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is
good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. 19 My
dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is
formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and
change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! 21 Tell me,
you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For
it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other
by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born in
the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a
promise. 24 These things may be taken figuratively, for the
women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears
children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar
stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of
Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But
the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For
it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break
forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children
of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband." 28 Now
you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that
time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of
the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does the Scripture
say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son
will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." 31 Therefore,
brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,
then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark
my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ
will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every
man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole
law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been
alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But
by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we
hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing
itself through love. 7 You were running a good race. Who cut
in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of
persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 "A
little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10 I
am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is
throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 11 Brothers,
if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that
case the offense of the cross has been abolished.12 As for those
agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! 13 You,
my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the
sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The
entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as
yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each
other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So
I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful
nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the
Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in
conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But
if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The
acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and
envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that
those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things
there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since
we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let
us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are
spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be
tempted. 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you
will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is
something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one
should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without
comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should
carry his own load. 6 Anyone who receives instruction in the
word must share all good things with his instructor. 7 Do not
be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The
one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap
destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap
eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at
the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore,
as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who
belong to the family of believers.11 See what large letters I use
as I write to you with my own hand! 12 Those who want to make
a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The
only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of
Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law,
yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May
I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the
world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.16 Peace
and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. 17 Finally,
let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
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