Tuesday, September 22, 2015
1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 1 (New International Version, ©2010)
1 Corinthians 1
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
A Church Divided Over Leaders
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[b]"; still another, "I follow Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ Crucified Is God's Power and Wisdom
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."[c]
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 1
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
A Church Divided Over Leaders
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[b]"; still another, "I follow Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Christ Crucified Is God's Power and Wisdom
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."[c]
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."
Galatians 6
Galatians 6 (New International Version, ©2010)
Galatians 6
Doing Good to All
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, 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 they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever 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.
Not Circumcision but the New Creation
11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh 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 keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to[b] the Israel of God.
17 From now on, 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 and sisters. Amen.
Galatians 6
Doing Good to All
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, 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 they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever 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.
Not Circumcision but the New Creation
11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh 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 keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to[b] the Israel of God.
17 From now on, 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 and sisters. Amen.
Revelation 15
Revelation 15 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 15
Seven Angels With Seven Plagues
1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God's servant Moses and of the Lamb:
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."[b]
5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Revelation 15
Seven Angels With Seven Plagues
1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God's servant Moses and of the Lamb:
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."[b]
5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Chronological New Testament Study Day 7
Mark 2 NIV
1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered
Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the
door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing
to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since
they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in
the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the
paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he
said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6 Now
some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why
does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God
alone?" 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his
spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to
them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is
easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up,
take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of
Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . .
." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you,
get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took
his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they
praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like
this!"
13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A
large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As
he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's
booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi
got up and followed him. 15 While Jesus was having dinner at
Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him
and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When
the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating
with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples:
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 17 On
hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a
doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were
fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it
that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours
are not?" 19 Jesus answered, "How can the
guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as
they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the
bridegroom will be taken from them,and on that day they will
fast. 21 "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old
garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear
worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he
does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will
be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."
23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the
grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads
of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him,
"Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" 25 He answered, "Have you never read
what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In
the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house
of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." 27 Then
he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not
man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Monday, September 21, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 6
John 2:1-25; John 3:1-36; John 4:1-54
NIV
John 2:1-25
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana
in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his
disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the
wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more
wine." 4 "Dear woman, why do you involve
me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." 5 His
mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Nearby
stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,
each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to
the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to
the brim. 8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out
and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9 and
the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He
did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the
water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said,
"Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after
the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till
now." 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus
performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put
their faith in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his
mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. 13 When
it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In
the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others
sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out
of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he
scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To
those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you
turn my Father's house into a market!" 17 His disciples
remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume
me." 18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous
sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" 19 Jesus
answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in
three days." 20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six
years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three
days?" 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his
body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples
recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that
Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the
Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed
in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them,
for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about
man, for he knew what was in a man.
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.2 He came to Jesus
at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from
God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were
not with him." 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I
tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born
again." 4"How can a man be born when he is old?"
Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's
womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you
the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and
the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives
birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying,
'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it
pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where
it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 9 "How
can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10 "You are Israel's
teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these
things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and
we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our
testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you
do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No
one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of
Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so
the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who
believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the
name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has
come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their
deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But
whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly
that what he has done has been done through God."
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out
into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and
baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim,
because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be
baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An
argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the
matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to
him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the
Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is baptizing, and everyone is
going to him." 27 To this John replied, "A man can
receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves
can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29The
bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits
and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice.
That joy is mine, and it is now complete.30 He must become greater;
I must become less. 31 "The one who comes from above is
above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as
one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He
testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his
testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that
God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the
words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The
Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see
life, for God's wrath remains on him."
1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and
baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was
not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord
learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4 Now
he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in
Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son
Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was
from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When
a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you
give me a drink?"8 (His disciples had gone into the town to
buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a
Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews
do not associate with Samaritans. ) 10 Jesus answered
her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a
drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living
water." 11 "Sir," the woman said, "you
have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living
water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the
well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and
herds?" 13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks
this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the
water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in
him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 15 The
woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty
and have to keep coming here to draw water." 16 He told
her,"Go, call your husband and come back." 17 "I
have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right
when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had
five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just
said is quite true." 19 "Sir," the woman said,
"I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers
worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must
worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus
declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship
the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.22 You
Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for
salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has
now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God
is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." 25 The
woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming.
When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then
Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
27 Just then his disciples returned and were
surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you
want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" 28 Then,
leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the
people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever
did. Could this be the Christ ?" 30 They came out of the
town and made their way toward him.31 Meanwhile his disciples urged
him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he said to
them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." 33 Then
his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him
food?" 34 "My food," said
Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his
work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the
harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for
harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he
harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be
glad together. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps'
is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.
Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their
labor."
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town
believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I
ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they
urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And
because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said
to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we
have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the
world."
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now
Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own
country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans
welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover
Feast, for they also had been there. 46 Once more he visited
Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a
certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When
this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and
begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 "Unless
you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told
him, "you will never believe." 49 The royal
official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus
replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took
Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the
way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When
he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The
fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." 53Then the
father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to
him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household
believed. 54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus
performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.
Galatians 5
Galatians 5 (New International Version, ©2010)
Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
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 the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith 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 to keep 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, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, 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!
Life by the Spirit
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh 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, forbearance, 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 flesh 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.
Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
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 the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith 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 to keep 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, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, 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!
Life by the Spirit
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh 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, forbearance, 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 flesh 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.
Revelation 14
Revelation 14 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 14
The Lamb and the 144,000
1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
The Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
8 A second angel followed and said, "'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,'[a] which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name." 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[b] with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Revelation 14
The Lamb and the 144,000
1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
The Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
8 A second angel followed and said, "'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,'[a] which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name." 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[b] with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Galatians 4
Galatians 4 (New International Version, ©2010)
Galatians 4
1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces[a] of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b] 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,[c] Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Paul's Concern for the Galatians
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 forces[d]? 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 and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and 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 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? 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 have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, 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!
Hagar and Sarah
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 according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
24 These things are being taken figuratively: 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, barren woman, you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."[e]
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does 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."[f] 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Galatians 4
1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces[a] of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b] 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,[c] Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Paul's Concern for the Galatians
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 forces[d]? 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 and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and 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 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? 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 have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, 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!
Hagar and Sarah
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 according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
24 These things are being taken figuratively: 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, barren woman, you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."[e]
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does 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."[f] 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Revelation 13
Revelation 13 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 13
The Beast out of the Sea
1 The dragon[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?"
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.[b]
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
10 "If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword, with the sword they will be killed."[d] This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666.
Revelation 13
The Beast out of the Sea
1 The dragon[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?"
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.[b]
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
10 "If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword, with the sword they will be killed."[d] This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.
The Beast out of the Earth
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Galatians 3
Galatians 3 (New International Version, ©2010)
Galatians 3
Faith or Works of the Law
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?[a] 4 Have you experienced[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."[c]
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."[d] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."[e] 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because "the righteous will live by faith."[f] 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, "The person who does these things will live by them."[g] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole."[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed,"[i] meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Galatians 3
Faith or Works of the Law
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?[a] 4 Have you experienced[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."[c]
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."[d] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."[e] 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because "the righteous will live by faith."[f] 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, "The person who does these things will live by them."[g] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole."[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed,"[i] meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Revelation 12
Revelation 12 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 12
The Woman and the Dragon
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter."[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Revelation 12
The Woman and the Dragon
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter."[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 5
Matthew 4:1-25; Luke 4:1-44; Luke
5:1-39; John 1:15-51 NIV
Matthew 4:1-25
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the
desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days
and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and
said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become
bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man
does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of
God.' " 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and
had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If
you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is
written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift
you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'
" 7 Jesus answered him,"It is also written: 'Do not
put the Lord your God to the test.' " 8 Again, the devil
took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world
and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he
said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus
said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the
Lord your God, and serve him only.' " 11 Then the devil
left him, and angels came and attended him.
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in
prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went
and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and
Naphtali-- 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet
Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way
to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16 the
people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land
of the shadow of death a light has dawned." 17 From that
time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
near."
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of
Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They
were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come,
follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of
men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed
him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James
son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father
Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and
immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in
their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every
disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him
spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various
diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having
seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25Large crowds
from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan
followed him.
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from
the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for
forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and
at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him,
"If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus
answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'
" 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him
in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to
him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been
given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if
you worship me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus
answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him
only.' " 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him
stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of
God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10For it
is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you
carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that
you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " 12 Jesus
answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'
" 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he
left him until an opportune time.
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the
Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He
taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He
went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went
into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The
scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the
place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is
on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent
me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor."20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to
the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened
on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today
this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All
spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his
lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. 23 Jesus
said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician,
heal yourself ! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in
Capernaum.' " 24 "I tell you the
truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his
hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in
Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and
there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah
was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of
Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the
time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the
Syrian." 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious
when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the
town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in
order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right
through the crowd and went on his way.
31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in
Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 32 They
were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. 33 In
the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried
out at the top of his voice,34 "Ha! What do you want with us,
Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy
One of God!" 35 "Be quiet!" Jesus said
sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man
down before them all and came out without injuring him. 36 All
the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching?
With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come
out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the
surrounding area.
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home
of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they
asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked
the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. 40 When
the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of
sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover,
demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!"
But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was
the Christ. 42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.
The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried
to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, "I
must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also,
because that is why I was sent." 44 And he kept on
preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of
Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of
God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the
fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of
the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from
shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water,
and let down the nets for a catch."5 Simon answered,
"Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But
because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6 When
they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began
to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat
to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they
began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus'
knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For
he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had
taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from
now on you will catch men." 11 So they pulled their boats
up on shore, left everything and followed him.
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came
along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to
the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me
clean." 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the
man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"And
immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus ordered
him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and
offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to
them." 15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so
that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their
sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and
prayed.
17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and
teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea
and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for
him to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on
a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When
they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof
and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd,
right in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, he
said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." 21 The
Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who
is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God
alone?" 22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and
asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which
is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24 But
that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins .
. ." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up,
take your mat and go home." 25 Immediately he stood up in
front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone
was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We
have seen remarkable things today."
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax
collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth."Follow
me," Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left
everything and followed him. 29 Then Levi held a great banquet
for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were
eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the
law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you
eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 31 Jesus
answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance."
33 They said to him, "John's disciples
often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on
eating and drinking." 34 Jesus answered, "Can
you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But
the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days
they will fast." 36 He told them this
parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an
old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the
new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into
old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run
out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be
poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old
wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "
15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out,
saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed
me because he was before me.' " 16 From the fullness of
his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For
the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,
who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews
of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He
did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ.
" 21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you
Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No." 22 Finally they said, "Who
are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say
about yourself ?" 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah
the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight
the way for the Lord.' " 24 Now some Pharisees who had
been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if
you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 "I
baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do
not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of
whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."28 This all happened
at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him
and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who
comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I
myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he
might be revealed to Israel." 32 Then John gave this
testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on
him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who
sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come
down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I
have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
35 The next day John was there again with two of
his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,
"Look, the Lamb of God!" 37 When the two disciples
heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around,
Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you
want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher),
"where are you staying?" 39 "Come," he
replied, "and you will see."So they went and saw where he was
staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew,
Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who
had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find
his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is,
the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at
him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called
Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter ).
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for
Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." 44Philip,
like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip
found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in
the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph." 46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from
there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. 47 When
Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true
Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." 48 "How
do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you
while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Then
Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of
Israel." 50 Jesus said, "You believe because I
told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than
that." 51 He then added, "I tell you the truth,
you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on
the Son of Man."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)