Mark Burgess gives us his thoughts from the 90 days

In reply to the questions I sent him, Mark gives us these thoughts:


1) Why did you decide to do the 90 days and did you think you would be able to see it through?

I wanted a kick start to get back into reading through the whole bible again. The fact that it sounded so ridiculous got my attention and then I realized that it actually wasn’t as crazy as it sounded. I did think I would be able to see it through – or frankly I wouldn’t have started it. While that wasn’t meant to be prideful, my pride is such that I would never have started if I thought I would have to drop out. In that sense, I think my pride was turned to something useful.

2) Did you have any sticky patches where you didn't think you were going to be able to complete it, and what helped you keep going?

While I didn’t have any patches when I thought I wouldn’t complete it, there were a few occasions when I got behind. The accountability that went with telling others I was doing the readings helped, but so too did the fact that I felt my resolve grow as I got through it. There is something very encouraging in seeing that bookmark move forward so quickly. My wife Jodi also encouraged me throughout (I know she and others were also praying for the people doing the readings) and made sure that any slack that needed taken up was taken up so that I could devote the time needed. Adam’s weekly check-ins at church helped too! Also I have no doubt that God kept me going through it in other ways I am unaware of. For me, the thing was to keep going with the plan when I fell behind – I also felt it easier to catch up rather than finish a few days ‘late.’ One thing that was difficult was to remain accountable without being legalistic.

3) What did you see during the 90 days that was new, surprisig, in a different light, challenging,encouraging and/or faith building/enhancing?

Not stopping at natural breaks, like chapter and book endings helped the readings take on different perspectives – for instance I have rarely (if ever) read Acts before straight after John. This made the transformation of Peter et al all the more amazing. Reading through fast without stressing about the more difficult passages was also helpful. The act of progressing through the 90 days was also encouraging in itself in that it helped make the task a lot less intimidating and built up my confidence.

4) Would you recommend the 90 days to other people, and if so, what advice would you give them?

Do it. Don’t be intimidated. If you miss a day – as you certainly will – just keep going in the readings. It really is not as bad as it sounds (can I say that about the bible??) and you will end up changed for the better in some way. Typically, I insisted on buying the 90 days bible – which was a bit of a rip off but helpful in that it is slim-line, had no notes, and had the readings marked off. It was helpful – although I am not recommending it as such (I figured I may as well set myself up to succeed as much as was possible) I would suggest using a bible with no notes and resisting the temptation to linger over what you don’t understand.

Jean Cunningham tells us her thoughts on having done the 90 days

During the Sunday morning service at St Paul's, I asked Jane McBride and Miriam Isaacs the following questions:

1) Why did you decide to do the 90 days and did you think you would be able to see it through?

2) Did you have any sticky patches where you didn't think you were going to be able to complete it, and what helped you keep going?

3) What did you see during the 90 days that was new, surprising, in a different light, challenging,encouraging and/or faith building/enhancing?

4) Would you recommend the 90 days to other people, and if so, what advice would you give them?

I also asked Jean Cunningham to send me her thoughts on them, and here are her answers:

1. I would not have started if I did not intend to go to the very end, personality type I'm afraid.

2. A lot of the Old Testament was very hard and often it was the thought of getting to the New Testament that kept me going.

3. I had not fully understood the time line before, reading in bits you don't really understand how things tied in together. Reading bits that you suddenly found familiar - Byrds song Time Time Time - I didn't know was from the Bible (I think this is Turn! Turn! Turn, based on the Book of Ecclesiastes - Ed). Reading the Gospels one after the other different perspectives but the same story was just awesome - ugh did I really say that.

4. I would certainly recommend others to do it. It is a big challenge but if you do it over a year you lose perspective. You just have to keep going. I'll do it again, different version, that means an excuse to buy a new Bible. I am looking forward to it.

Day 88 - Revelation 18:1 - 22:21

In today’s (final) section, we read about:

The fall of Babylon, the great prostitute
The songs of victory in Heaven
The rider on the White Horse
The Thousand Years, defeat of Satan and the final judgment
The New Jerusalem
Prayer for Jesus to return quickly

First of all, well done, we have made it to the end, and god has met us in amazing ways throughout this time. It has been a real encouragement to see how God has been at work in all those undertaking this journey of faith, and thank you for all the comments, kind words, prayers and camaraderie. I’m sure you will all want to join again the next time we do this. In the mean time, please send me your thoughts on what these 90 days have meant for you, and I will post them here under your own name, and we can all be encouraged.

APOLOGIES
As with yesterday, there has not been time to write the blog today, but I shall return to this next week.


One verse from today – “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Rev 21:3-4)

Day 87 - Jude 1 - Revelation 17:18

In today’s section, we read about:

Jude’s letter, warning against false teaching
In the revelation of John, the vision of the risen Jesus walking among the lamp stands
The letters to the seven churches in Asia
The living creatures, and elders worship around the throne of God
The scroll with the seven seals, which are opened by the lamb that was slain
The seven trumpets are sounded
The woman and the dragon, the beast out of the sea, the lamb and the 144,000, and the harvest of the earth
The seven bowls and the seven plagues


APOLOGIES
As with yesterday, there has not been time to write the blog today, but I shall return to this next week.


One verse from today – “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen” (Jude 24-25)

Day 86 - James 3:13 - 3 John 14

In today’s section, we read:

The last two chapters of James
Peter’s first letter – the hope we have, even though we may have to suffer when we stand firm in it in this world
Peter’s second letter – an exhortation to stay true to scripture and reject false teaching
John’s first letter – Jesus is light, life and love, and we should live in these three, especially love
John’s second letter – an exhortation to hold on to the truth that has been taught
John’s third letter – an exhortation to show hospitality to teachers of the truth

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

In the earlier chapters of James, we saw how the author stressed the importance of works to demonstrate the vitality of faith – “faith is dead without good works” (2:26). In today’s chapters, we see a more positive side to what a living faith can produce. “God gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires” (4:6); “humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (4:7-8); “humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour” (4:10); “such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven” (5:15).

Reading James is a welcome antidote to anodyne, wishy-washy, let’s-not-offend-anyone Christianity. You are left in no doubt of the seriousness of slander, gossip, bitchiness, selfish motives and quarrels, and that God will judge us for what we have done. However, there is the assurance of 2:13that, “if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you” and that “the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:11).

An outline of the structure of 1 Peter might be:
However tough our current situation is, we have hope in the good news of the priceless inheritance in Jesus →
We should live lives that demonstrate that we are looking forward to receiving that inheritance, the eternal life in Jesus. In the meantime →
We should live as reflect out status as living stones in God’s house, a royal priesthood and temporary residents and foreigners in this world. One way we demonstrate this is →
Submission to authority, be it to Jesus, political authorities, slaves to masters, wives and husbands. In brief →
We should follow Christ’s example and never sinned in spite of persecution. We may well suffer for following Christ, but we should live like he did. In the end, →
If he stand firm, Jesus will reward us on his return.

The first chapter is great motivation, as Peter reminds of what is waiting for us if we stay the course – “we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1:4-5); “when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1:7); “the reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls” (1:9); and “your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God” (1:23). Peter also has an eternal perspective, as he looks forward to the end of the world when Jesus returns, but also reminds his readers that this promise was what the Old Testament prophets were looking forward to. “It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days” (1:19-20).

There is great encouragement in the midst of suffering that must come to those who follow Jesus. We have these wonderful but slightly strange names relating to our new status – “living stones” (2:4), presumably with a hint of irony since the author had been named “rock” by Jesus, “royal priests, holy nation, God’s very own possession” (2:9) and “temporary residents and foreigners” (2:11). Then we read in 3:14, “even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it”. 3:18, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”

4:8 – “continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

5:4 – “When the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”

An outline of the structure of 2 Peter might be:
God has given everything we need to live a godly life, even in the hardest of circumstances. One of the keys is scripture →
Which is not a load of clever stories, but truth, attested by eye-witnesses such as Peter. However →
There is an ever-present danger of false teachers, who will however be condemned by God’s judgment. Their lives prove that they have no part in God’s truth. →
God’s judgment will arrive in His own timescale, not ours, so we should remain vigilant until the time comes.

As in Rom 5:3-5, 2 Pet 1:5-7 gives us a wonderful progression, where we can see how the Spirit in us helps us to mature into greater Christ-likeness if we persevere – “Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”

Peter refers to the transfiguration in 1:16-18, the only event he recounts of all the things he was witness to.

I love the imagery in 1:19 – “[the prophets’] words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.”

2:9 – “Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.”

Chapter 3 is very helpful in our current climate of scoffing. God’s plan has been perfect hitherto, and we can be utterly confident that it will be for all eternity, even if we are impatient. “You must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.”

An outline of the structure of 1 John might be:
The author has seen and touched and heard himself the Word of life, Jesus, who is also light →
If we do not live lives that reflect this light and life we are denying the truth, but by coming to the light and confessing our sins, we can receive God’s forgiveness. Consequently →
We should live as Christ does, and love one another. By doing this, we prove we belong to Jesus, and through Him to the Father, and the Holy Spirit in us helps us in this →
God has sent Jesus to destroy the works of the devil and to welcome us into His family as his sons. All the obstacles have been removed by Jesus, so →
We must love one another, and the Holy Spirit helps us in this, and also to have confidence in our salvation through Jesus

This was such a joy to read, from start to finish pouring out God’s love. John starts by pointing out that he is talking from first hand experience, and is completely overwhelmed by it. Then there is the wonderful description of Jesus as light in 1:5-7, followed by, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

2:1-2 – “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

2:24-25 – “you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.”

3:16 – “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

3:21-22 – “Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.”

3:24 – “Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”

4:7-8 – “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

4:16-17 – “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”

4:18 – “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.”

5:3-5 – “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

5:13-15 – “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”

5:20 – “we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.”

2 Jn 6 – “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”

2 Jn 9 – “anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.”

One verse from today – “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything” (1 Jn 3:18-20).

Day 85 - Hebrews 1:1 - James 3:12

In today's section, we read:

• the letter to the Hebrews about a better covenant, a better High Priest and the rewards of faith
• the first half of James, where we see that faith without works is useless

Some thoughts from today:

An outline of Hebrews:
God has spoken through his prophets and scripture, but now He has spoken in an even better way, through His Son, Jesus Christ, who →
Is greater than the angels as attested to throughout Scripture and is greater than Moses →
Jesus became flesh and blood to help the descendants of Abraham and lead them into God's promised rest. This he did by →
Breaking the power of sin, death and the devil by dying for us, and becoming our great High Priest, through whom we can enter the presence of God with confidence →
He is the High Priest of God's promise, yet of a better and different order than Levi, which was based on the law, which could not make anyone perfect. Instead, he is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek →
Jesus is a High Priest forever, not having to offer a sacrifice over and over, since his sacrifice was sufficient once for all. He is a priest of a better covenant than that in the law, which is a shadow of the perfect one in heaven, in the same way that earthly temple and tabernacle are shadows of the perfect ones in heaven →
This new covenant sealed by Jesus blood is once for all, so we can have confidence to persevere, encouraging each other by meeting together and motivating each other to do good works while we wait for the fulfilment of God's covenantal promises. In the same way, →
We have the example of the many heroes of faith who persevered through faith, ie being sure about what they could not see and confident that what they hoped for would actually happen. God did amazing things through these people, who all shared in the fact that they had faith that God would deliver on his promises, but neither they nor we have seen the complete fulfilment yet, but it will come →
Therefore we should press on, encouraged by all our fellow pilgrims of faith, and live lives focused on that goal and on Jesus who is our advocate, mediator, High Priest and God. For we know that →
God will never leave us or abandon us, and in Christ He has done everything for us, so let us share in all that Christ has done for us and called us to do.

One of the major themes of Hebrews is that what we have in Jesus is new and better.
1:2 - God has spoken in a better way, through His Son;
3:3 - Jesus is worthy of more honour than Moses;
6:9 - we are meant for better things;
7:19 - we have confidence in a better hope;
7:22 - Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant;
8:6 - "Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises";
8:8 - recalling the promise through Jeremiah of a new covenant written on people's hearts;
9:10 - a better system than the physical regulations than the law;
9:11 - a greater, more perfect tabernacle;
9:23 - Christ is a far better sacrifice;
10:34 - better things waiting for us that will last forever;
11:40 - God has something better in mind for us.

The whole of chapter 1 sets our focus on Jesus and his divine nature, in beautiful terms, eg in v 10-12. The essence of the gospel is in 1:3 - "The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven."

2:16-18 - "We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."

3:12-14 - "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ."

4:12-13 - "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable."

4:14-16 - "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

The question of the identity, nature role of Melchizedek is one that I would like to explore elsewhere. One article I have read has left me with more questions than answers, but it is quite interesting. I have also asked Chris about this.

6:16-19 has a compelling logic, and offers great reassurance - "Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary."

7:25-28 - " he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honour in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins."

9:14-15 - "Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant."

9:27-28 - "And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him."

10:12-14 - "our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honour at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy."

10:19-22 - "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water."

10:23-25 - "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

10:31 - "It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

10:35-36 - "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

11:1 - "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

12:1-2 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne."

12:22-24 - "you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel."

13:5 - "Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, / "I will never fail you. / I will never abandon you."" 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

One verse from today's section - "All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us" (Heb 11:39-40).

POSTSCRIPT
If you have the chance, I can recommend listening to Michael Card's album, Soul Anchor, based on the book of Hebrews.

Day 84 - 1 Thessalonians 1:1 - Philemon 25

In today's section, we read:

• Paul's 2 letters to the Thessalonian church, encouraging them amid persecution to live godly lives, and to correct a misunderstanding about Jesus' return
• Paul's 2 letters to Timothy, his much loved spiritual son, who has been entrusted with a ministry in the church in Ephesus
• Paul's letter to Titus, who has been entrusted with oversight for the church on Crete
• Paul's letter to Philemon, urging him to accept a run-away slave, who has subsequently became a believer

Some thoughts from today:

An outline of 1 Thessalonians:
Paul gives thanks for the faith of the Thessalonian believers, which is confirmed in various reports that he has received, most recently from Timothy who was sent to them when Paul and Silas could not go themselves
Paul recalls his visit there, where he made no claims on the believers
Paul encourages them to live holy lives pleasing to God
Paul encourages them by speaking of the resurrection which will take place when Christ returns
In the meantime, Paul encourages them to be joyful, be thankful and to never stop praying

Just imagine what it would have felt like to have received this letter, and to read this first chapter, so full of praise and encouragement - "We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1:2-3)

1:10 - "You are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment" (1:10).

Chapter 2 gives us a good insight into Paul's motivation and how he continued in spite of hardship and opposition - "our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery"' (2:2-3), "our purpose is to please God, not people" (2:4), and most memorably, "we loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too" (2:8).

What an amazing promise there is in 2:12 - "He called you to share in his Kingdom and glory". The God who made the stars, created the world and who cares for the billions and billions of people in this world, has called us to share in His glory. It's too wonderful to begin to comprehend really.

Not only has God called us, but he doesn't just leave us to get on with it - "this word continues to work in you who believe" (2:13).

4:8 is a reminder that it is not just a case of living in a way that "we don't hurt anybody", but remembering that sin is turning in the opposite direction from God, and rejection His perfect plan and will for our lives, and saying we know better.

In 2:4, Paul writes that his aim is not to please people, but to please God. Yet when we do that, we will win the respect of non-believers (4:12).

5:9-11 - "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

5:15-22 read almost as if Paul were sending a telegram, paying by the word. There is so much packed into those few lines - be joyful, thankful, pray constantly, don't stifle the Holy Spirit, test everything, stay away from every kind of evil.

5:24 sums up our dependence on God for the fulfilment of these promises and the confidence we can have in them - "God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful."

An outline of 2 Thessalonians:
Paul gives thanks and encouragement to the Thessalonians who are facing persecution
Paul explains some of the events which will happen before Christ returns, and urges the believers to stand firm
Paul asks the church to pray that the Good News will spread and urges them to avoid idleness, but live hard-working and fruitful lives

1:5-6 show that God has the ultimate control and perspective in our situations, "God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you."

1:12 is the greatest encouragement and an indication that anything is possible with God, "the name of our Lord Jesus will be honoured because of the way you live, and you will be honoured along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ" - cf 1 Sam 2:30.

2:13-14 - "we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The theme of this letter is basically that God comforts and strengthens and encourages us throughout our suffering, and that worse will come before Jesus returns. In the meantime, we should remain clear-headed, clinging to what we know to be true, and diligently working hard to live lives pleasing to God.

An outline of 1 Timothy:
Paul urges Timothy to guard against false teachings and to rely solely on the sufficiency of Christ and his sacrifice
Paul's instruction for order in public worship and guidelines for leaders in the church (elders and deacons)
Warning against false teachers and encouragement to Timothy to stand firm against it
Instructions for different groups in the church - widows, elders and slaves
True riches comes from obeying God not the wealth of the world

I was struck by the constant reminder that what we read and learn about God must have an effect on the way we live, or else it is useless - "the purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions" (1:5-6).

Paul, here in 1:12-17, is a good example of the truth of Lk 7:47, where Jesus says that a person who is forgiven little, loves little, but whoever is forgiven much will love a lot.

The Gospel in a nutshell - 2:5-6 "there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone."

We are reminded that we need other believers and have a responsibility to them, and we cannot do this on our own - "this is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth" (3:15).

4:8 - "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” I don't think this an excuse to get fat and flabby though!!

6:6 - "true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth". 6:17-19, "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life."

6:15-16 - "At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honour and power to him forever! Amen."

An outline of 2 Timothy:
Paul expresses his concern for Timothy and encourages him to continue as he has started
Paul urges Timothy to continue standing firm, to avoid fruitless arguments and rely on God to change peoples hearts back to the truth
Paul warns that hard times are coming when people will reject God, but God's people can rely on God to keep his promise of salvation, and has left us scripture to help us through

There is an echo of Phil 4:13 here in 1:7 - "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

There is no danger that we should get carried away with how wonderful we are, as Paul reminds us that it is all from God - "God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Saviour. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News" (1:9-10)

1:12 - "I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return."

2:11-13 - " This is a trustworthy saying: / If we die with him, / we will also live with him. / If we endure hardship, / we will reign with him. / If we deny him, / he will deny us. / If we are unfaithful, / he remains faithful, / for he cannot deny who he is."

2:19 - "But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”"

3:8 - According to Jewish rabbinical teaching, Jannes and Jambres were two of the foremost magicians in Pharaoh's court who stood against Moses.

3:12 - "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

3:14-17 - "you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."

I hope I will be able to echo Paul's words in 4:6-8, "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." Also, 4:18, "the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom."

An outline of Titus:
Paul reminds Titus that he was left in charge in Crete to complete the work already began
Instruction on the qualities required of elders
Reminder of the need for good teaching, which promotes godly living
A call to remember the difference God has made by saving us

1:2 - " This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began."

1:15 - " Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted."

2:12-14 - "we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

3:4-8 - "When God our Saviour revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

An outline of Philemon:
Paul gives thanks and prays for Philemon
Paul please for Philemon to take back Onesimus, a runaway slave

One verse from today - "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Tim 1:7)

Day 83 - Galatians 3:26 - Colossians 4:18

In today's section, we read:

• the second half of Paul's letter to the Galatians
• Paul's letter to the Ephesians - glory, grace and the armour of God
• Paul's letter to the Philippians - the joy, peace and humility of Christ
• Paul's letter to the Colossians - Christ in whom everything holds and comes together

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

The main outline of Galatians:

• There is only one gospel and Paul is shocked that the Galatians are choosing to follow a different message that is not based on grace
• The message of grace Paul taught comes directly from Christ, who appointed him to be the apostle to the gentiles
• The law cannot save people - salvation only comes through faith. The law was a guardian for us until Christ came, and came via Moses, whereas God gave his promise directly to Abraham, whose true heirs we are
• God makes us his children through the promise by faith and according to his grace, not by anything we can do
• The illustration of Hagar and Sarah reminds us of the futility of human attempts to be made right by God by human actions, rather than faith in God's promise to us
• Christ has set us free, so let us live as free people belonging to God. Let the Holy Spirit lead us and guide us and produce a godly character in our lives, as opposed to the sinful nature that was what we were when slaves to the law and sin and death
• Keep going and don't give up. Remain true to the message of grace and trust only in the cross of Christ where our freedom was bought.

I find the picture of us being adopted children of the promise so rich and what it entails is so fantastic, and the metaphor of Hagar and Sarah is very helpful in reminding me that it all comes from God, not from anything that I can do.

5:5-6 - "But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love."

5:13 - "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love."

5:24-25 follows the contrast between the fruit of our sinful nature and the life of the Spirit - "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives."

6:6 - "Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them."

6:9-10 - "let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."

6:14-15 - "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation."

The main outline of Ephesians:

• God had a plan - to bring everything under Christ, to unite us with Christ and to adopt us into his family because of Jesus, and let us share in that glorious inheritance. The purpose of this plan was that we should give him praise and glory.
• Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father - the place of honour - and has authority over all things, in this world and the world to come
• God has done it all. He has raised us from being spiritually dead to being alive in Christ, through his grace. It is absolutely nothing to do with anything we have done
• We have been made to do good works that God has long had planned for us (indeed he planned our salvation long in advance), and he has made us citizens of the kingdom of heaven and we, the believers together, are a temple where God makes his dwelling place
• All this has been revealed now to the gentiles as well as the Jews, so that all can share equally in this
• Since this plan is for all alike, equally, Paul urges us to maintain that unity, and live together as children of this plan/promise. We should live in the light as children of the light, not as those who live in the darkness and whose lives are full of sinful behaviour
• The Spirit should guide all our behaviour and our relationships, which should be governed by an awareness of where we stand in relation to Christ
• Finally, we are urged to stand firm, relying on everything that God gives us (the armour of God)

Reading the beginning of Ephesians, I was struck by the fact that God has planned everything for us in advance, and everything that happens is in order to fulfil that plan, all for his praise and glory. Reading this, it is impossible to come to any other conclusion than that everything starts and comes from God. There is nothing that we can do to earn it, but we can receive this by faith and live out our lives in accordance with it - 2:8-10, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

2:14 - "Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us." 2:17-18, "He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us."

2:20-22 - "Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit."

4:4-6 - "For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all."

4:14-16 - "Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

4:23-24 - "let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy."

5:19 - "making music to your Lord in your hearts."

6:13 - "put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." 6:18 - "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

The main outline of Philippians:

• Paul gives thanks for the Philippian believers who have been partners with him in spreading the good news and rejoices that the message is being preached
• Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ, who though God, humbled himself and died on a cross for our sakes, and who has been elevated to the place of highest honour
• We are called to shine brightly in a crooked and depraved world
• Knowing Christ is the only thing that matters. Everything else should be considered as worthless as we press on towards the goal to which God calls us, which is being united with him forever as citizens of heaven
• We are not to worry about anything since God provides and strengthens us

1:6 - "I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

2:3-4 - "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

I found 2:13 such an encouragement - "God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." Although my sinful nature is so strong, God is working through his Spirit to change my desires.

3:7-9 - "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."

3:13-14 - "I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

4:6-7 - "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

4:8 - "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

4:12-13 - "I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

The main outline of Colossians:

• Christ is supreme over everything in heaven and on earth, and has called is to share in his inheritance, having bought our freedom and reconciled us to himself
• This message of reconciliation had been hidden through centuries, but has now been revealed to all people. It is a message of freedom from rules, and new life in Christ who cancelled out all our sins on the cross
• Since our new life is hidden in Christ, we should live in accordance with this new reality, choosing to be holy and letting the truth about Christ fill us in everything we do.

1:6 - "This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace."

1:15-16 - "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth."

1:19-20 - "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross."

1:26-27 - "This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory."

2:13-15 - "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."

3:1-4 - "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." Our life is hidden with Christ - only He can control it and take it away, nothing else can.

4:5-6 - "Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone."

One verse from today - "Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us" (Col 3:11)

Day 82 - 1 Corinthians 15:1 - Galatians 3:25

In today’s section, we read:

The last two chapters of 1 Corinthians, where Paul expounds at length on the resurrection
Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians
The first three chapters of the letter to the Galatians, where Paul detects a false gospel being preached, which teaches justification comes not by faith but by the law and obeying Jewish customs

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

· 1 Cor 15 is one of my favourite chapters in the bible, as it spells out the centrality of the resurrection, and how if it didn’t happen and isn’t a real, historical event, we are deluded and pathetic. But the amazing thing is that it *REALLY IS TRUE*. 1 Cor 15:20, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” The tone is similar to John 6:66-69, “At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”” I.e – we’re stuck with you, we have nowhere else to go, but it just so happens that of all the people we could possibly be stuck with, we would have chosen you anyway since you have the words of eternal life.
I don’t think trying to summarise 1 Corinthians like I did Romans was a success, so instead for 2 Corinthians, I shall try to summarise the structure:
Paul gives thanks for God’s comfort
The reason that Paul changed his plan to visit Corinth was to spare them a severe rebuke
Paul urges the church to forgive the sinner who had caused the trouble before
We are ministers of the new Covenant, written on our hearts, the glory of which outstrips that of the old
However, we carry this treasure in fragile clay jars, but we have the hope that we will have an eternal body
We belong to God’s kingdom as new creations, and he chooses us to be his ambassadors, charged with a ministry and message of reconciliation
When Paul was with the Corinthians he endured all hardships and was not a financial burden on them
Instead he urged them as a spiritual father to live righteous lives
Paul rejoices in their repentance and return to the truth
Paul urges them to generosity, comparing them to other churches he has planted, and encouraging them to give to the church in Jerusalem
Paul defends his apostolic authority and even resorts to “foolish boasting” over his sufferings and his visions
Paul’s final warnings to them to examine themselves and see how this matches up to the truth

1:20 – “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”

1:21-22 – “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first instalment that guarantees everything he has promised us”

3:6 – “He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”

3:17 – “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

3:18 – “all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

4:17-18 – “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

5:5 – “God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.”

5:15 - “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

5:17-21 – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[e] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

7:9-10 – When the Holy Spirit convicts us, it is always specific, not a vague feeling of condemnation. “It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”

8:9 – “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”

9:7-8 – “don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

12:9-10 – “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I shall discuss Galatians in tomorrow’s posting.

One verse from today – “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die” (Gal 2:20-21)

Day 81 - Romans 15:1 - 1 Corinthians 14:40

In today’s section, we read about:

The end of Paul’s letter to the Romans with a reminder of why Paul wrote, details of his intentions for future travel and personal greetings
The first 14 chapters of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

In chapter 15, Paul summarises the message of chapter 14 and not causing fellow believers to stumble – “accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (15:7). He then recalls the universality of the good news of Christ, which has been laid out clearly in Scripture.

15:25-27 enables us to make a reasonable deduction on when this was written, since Paul talks of taking the gift from the believers in Macedonia and Achaia for the church in Jerusalem, which points to it being during his third missionary journey.

I know some accuse Paul of misogyny and wanting to relegate women to a subservient place (mainly based, I guess on 1 Cor 14 we read later today), but I was struck that the first person Paul commends is a woman, and not just that, but she is also a deacon in the church in Cenchrea (near Corinth!!!) and described by Paul as “one who is worthy of honour among God’s people… she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.”

I like the way Paul concludes by pointing out just how enormous and great a thing it is that God has done by revealing this “secret” to gentiles so that God may get all the glory through Jesus.

Yesterday, I tried to summarise the flow of argument in Rom 1-14, and I shall try to do the same for 1 Cor 1-14, although I found this much less straightforward, since whereas Romans appeals to my logic and intellect, 1 Corinthians is where the rubber hits the road in daily life. Anyway here goes:

The flow of 1 Corinthians:
Paul gives thanks that the Corinthian church has received “every spiritual gift”, BUT →
There are divisions in the church, some claiming to follow Paul, some Apollos, some Peter, and other “only Christ”. Paul explains he didn’t come to build a following but to preach a message →
About the power of the cross of Christ and the resurrection, which is totally at variance with the ‘wisdom’ of the world. However, God’s foolishness is wiser than the wisest wisdom of the world, but →
God’s wisdom is revealed not by clever words of men, but by the Spirit. Equally →
Growth comes not from any particular leader, but from God. Christ is the foundation on which we may build, but what we build will be tested. More importantly, since everything comes from God, →
We must at all costs avoid destroying the church that is God’s, as indeed is everything is God’s. Since everything comes from God →
Paul wants to be regarded a s a mere servant of the gospel, but is appalled at the arrogance and “wise in their own eyes” attitude of some in the church there. This is most egregiously shown in the →
Sexual immorality that is worse than would be expected even among the pagans there. Worse, the perpetrators boast of it, and the deleterious effect this has on the church as a whole impels Paul to insist that the culprit be thrown out of the fellowship. (Paul also criticises them for taking their disputes to the public court, instead of being willing to suffer wrong for the sake of the body). The freedom God gives should never be used as licence for anything goes, since →
We have been bought by God, we belong to him and not ourselves. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Sexual purity is so important since we join with another person through sex, and so should honour God through that. Since sexual purity is so important, →
Paul says that while marriage may prevent a believer from wholeheartedly focusing all their attentions on serving God, it is better to marry than to burn with lustful desires. The key thing is to serve God and live pure lives following him, whether married or single. →
We should also serve by ensuring that we do not cause others to stumble. Indeed, Paul has completely lived out this approach →
Becoming all things to all when as the circumstances dictate, so that some can be won for Christ. Living like this is possible, even though Israel’s history is littered with examples where they failed, where they were concerned with what they wanted to do, which is the case in Corinth, where →
The way the Lord’s Supper is celebrated brings only dishonour and shame, and provokes division, instead of bringing the church together which should also be the case →
With Spiritual gifts, which are all given by the one same Holy Spirit, not for the recipients benefit, but for the body as a whole, in which they are many different parts and roles, but just one whole. These gifts should b exercised with →
A theme which Paul expounds beautifully, reminding them that this should be their highest goal, and encouraging them to structure their gatherings so that this is the outcome.

1:8-9 – “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1:18 – “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”

1:30 – “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

2:10 – “it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.”

3:16-17 – “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

4:7 – “What do you have that God hasn’t given you?”

4:20 – “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power”

6:19-20 – “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body.”

7:23 – “God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.”

8:3 – “But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes” – cf 1 Sam 2:30

8:6 – “we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.”

9:22-23 – “I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”

10:12-13 – “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

In 12:4-11, talking about the different gifts provided by the Holy Spirit, Paul refers 7 times to the ‘same’ or ‘one’ Spirit who provides the gift. Unity is the key, and not division! 12:13 – “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”

12:27 - “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

13:4-7 – “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

13:11-12 – “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

14:1 – “Let love be your highest goal!”

14:20 – “Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.”

14:33 – “God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.”

One verse from today - "So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you— whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God."

Day 80 - Acts 28:17 - Romans 14:23

In today’s section we read about:

Paul under house arrest in Rome
Paul explains to the Roman Christians about the universality of the gospel
Judgment of sin, the law and justification by faith, as demonstrated by Abraham
The contrast between Adam and Jesus Christ
The power of sin is broken, yet our sinful nature rebels
Life in the Spirit now, who intercedes for us and is the guarantee that nothing can separate us from God’s love
God’s love for Israel, who turned away from Him, and the election of the gentiles
Advice for godly living, offering our lives as living sacrifices and not being confirmed to this world
Respect authority and fellow believers, and exhortation not to do anything that could cause them to stumble

Some thoughts that stuck me today:

The progression of Romans 1-14 which we read today seems to me to be something like this:

Paul wants to preach the good news of Jesus, which is →
He is the way to be made right with God because →
Man has turned away from God and in so doing →
Faces eternal judgment, as made clear by →
The Law, which is holy and good, because it reveals to us what we should be doing but can’t. Consequently →
We deserve death, because we cannot * DO* anything to save ourselves. Fortunately →
God has made it so that we are saved by *FAITH*, and through *FAITH* we can enter into the righteousness of God through Christ’s sacrifice, because →
In the same way that sin (and the punishment for sin) came through one man, Adam, God’s gift of eternal life is made available to us through one man, Jesus Christ, whom God sent to achieve this. Because of what Jesus did, →
The power of sin in broken. Instead of being dead to God and therefore dead indeed, we are now dead to sin and alive to God in the Spirit because of Christ’s sacrifice. However, →
In this life, our sinful nature wars against the Spirit, and our human nature (the flesh) causes us to do not what the Spirit has caused us to want to do, but to sin instead. However, because of the Spirit in us →
There is now no condemnation for us, because Jesus has fully met the requirements of God. He has put his Spirit in us, who helps us in ways we cannot know and with groans we cannot express and ensures that nothing whatsoever can separate us from the love of God. →
God’s love was first revealed to the Jews, but they have turned away in unbelief, and God has grafted in the gentiles as branches, since →
His mercy is intended for everyone. So →
Let us live our lives in the light of this, as a living sacrifice, not conforming to this world, but loving each other, having no grudges. Instead →
We are to respect authority, as God has created a world of order and authority. The only thing we owe should be →
Our ongoing obligation to love one another, which means we should take care not to cause our brothers and sisters to stumble, but should bear with each other and take account of each others’ weakness, being convinced in our own minds that what we do is in accordance with God’s will and should bring him glory

Verses which leapt out at me as I went through included:

1:11 – “I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.

1:16 – “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes”

1:17 – “As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””

1:20 – “ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

2:7 – “He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honour and immortality that God offers.”

2:29 – “And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.”

3:21-22 – “But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

3:24-25 – “God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”

3:26 – “God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”

3:30 – “There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.”

4:13 – “Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.”

4:16 – “the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it”

5:1-2 – “since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

5:6 – “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

5:8 – “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

5:10-11 – “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

5:16 – “For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.”

5:18-19 – “Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.”

6:7-8 – “when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.”

6:16 – “You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”

7:22-23 – “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.”

8:1 – “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

8:6 – “letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

8:15 – “you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.””

8:26 – “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness”

8:32 – “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

8:39 – “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

9:18, 22 – “God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen… In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.”

10:4 – “Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.”

10:9-11 – “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

11:5 – “It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them.”

11:29 – “God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”

12:2 – “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

12:9 – “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.”

12:10 – “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.”

13:8 – “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbour, you will fulfil the requirements of God’s law.”

13:14 – “clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”

14:17-19 – “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.”

14:20 – “Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat.”

One (other) verse from today's section - "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." (Rom 12:1)

Day 79 - Acts 16:38 - 28:16

In today’s section, we read about:

Paul travels from Thessalonica via Berea to Athens, where he speaks in the home of philosophers and philosophies
Paul travels to Corinth where he meets Priscilla and Aquilla before returning to Jerusalem
Paul’s third missionary journey, including a lengthy stay in Ephesus
Paul returns to Jerusalem, where he encounters opposition and is arrested
After a lengthy detention at the pleasure of the Roman governors, Paul is shipped off (and shipwrecked) to Rome

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

I’d like someone to make the accusation against me that was made against Paul in 17:7, “they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.” It reminds me of the old question I often used to hear, ‘if you were charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to secure a conviction?’

It is interesting the way Luke records the response of those who heard Paul. In Berea, the people were more responsive – 17:11-12, “the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.”

It is interesting to read how Paul adapts his message to the cynicism of the Athenians, without compromising the integrity of the message. He starts with common ground – the statue to the unknown God – and then tries to make him known. 17:30-31 is particularly sobering, “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” The response was less fulsome than elsewhere, but we are not accountable for the response, just warning people. Some people laughed in contempt (v33), which Paul refers to 1 Cor 1:22, “it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.”

Paul knows that he is not responsible for the response, as he absolves himself of the Jews’ blood (18:6; 20:26 – cf Ez 3:19)

18:18 Paul is shaving his head at the fulfilment of a vow – cf Nazirites in Nu 6:18

19:17-18 – “A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honoured. Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.”

19:26 – “this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all.” This sounds obvious to us, yet so many of us have our own gods made in our own image that we prize above the one true living God.

20:21 – no favouritism, “I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.”

20:24 – “my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” cf Phil 3:7-11, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

21:8 is a proof of Matt 25:21, where those who show themselves to be faithful in small things will be given the opportunity to have responsibility for much larger things.

26:20 – “all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.”

One verse from today - "And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself" (Acts 20:32)

Day 78 - Acts 6:8 - 16:37

In today's section, we read about:

Stephen is arrested, appears before the Council and is stoned to death with Saul looking on approvingly
Saul's conversion and escape from Damascus back to Jerusalem
Peter's vision meaning the gospel is now for the Gentiles as well
James is killed and Peter imprisoned, where he is miraculously released
Barnabas and Saul are sent out by the church of Antioch
Paul's first missionary journey to Cyprus and Asia Minor
The council of believers at Jerusalem decides on the obligations for gentiles
Paul and Silas sent out on the second missionary journey
They are arrested in Philippi, when there is an earthquake while they are jailed

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

First, 6:15 - "everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s." Secondly, Stephen's defence starts by teaching his grandmother to suck eggs, by setting out the history of God's plan for Israel, which may well have added to the hostility of the listeners. He then moves on to show how his accusers were following the example of disobedience of those who killed the prophets. No wonder they went mad. Yet in the midst, Stephen experiences the truth of Jesus' promise that the Holy Spirit will help him to answer (Matt 10:19-20) and He will give a peace the world cannot comprehend (Jn 14:27). We read 7:55, "Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand" and to the end is focused on Christ, "As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died" (7:59-60).

There is a thread of humility of the believers, pointing towards Christ and ensuring that He gets the glory, notably in 14:14-15, which contrasts with the self-aggrandisement of the worldly, eg Simon the sorcerer (8:9,21-23) and Herod Agrippa (12:23).

I'm sure there is a simple explanation for 8:16, "the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," but my brain today is too sluggish to work out what it is.

In 8:23-40, we see such a good example is Philip - he is open and responsive to the Holy Spirit, he is obedient, enthusiastic and his speech is informed by God. Equally, Ananias in 9:10-19 is obedient in spite of what would have seemed his better judgment. However, he trusts that God knows exactly what is best. Barnabas in 9:27 intercedes with the apostles on Saul's behalf. These are great encouragement and examples of humble people being obedient and great glory to God resulting.

The lesson from Peter's vision in ch 10 is clearly a hard one for him to accept. However, in the end, he is obedient and dogged in seeing through what has been revealed to him. "I see very clearly that God shows no favouritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all" (10:34-36). Then he convinces the others, "When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life”" (11:18).

Poor old Rhoda seems to have had a blonde moment in 12:13. What would have been going through Peter's mind when he's left hammering on the door in the street? It was fine in the end though.

The picture we get of the church in Antioch is very good. First, we read that this is the place where the believers were first given a name that reflected who it was they believed in, Christians (11:25). Then we see how much they prayed, and how they were willing to send out and let go key people in their congregation.

I like the way in which Paul's preaching in Antioch of Pisidia has such an impact that we read in 13:44, "The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord." It is an attractive message - 13:38-39, "We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do."

God is the mover of everything - 13:48, "all who were chosen for eternal life became believers." God chose us, we did not choose Him. The passage from Amos 9 quoted ion 15:17 also underlines this point, " the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, / including the Gentiles— / all those I have called to be mine

14:16-17, "In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts." cf Rom 1:19-20, "They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."

Luke's description of the stoning is so understated. The mob left him, believing he was dead, but 14:20 just says that Paul "got back up and went back into the town." Paul does refer to this in a whole list of what he went through in 2 Cor 11:25.

The discussion in the Council at Jerusalem in ch 15 moves a long way in the direction of grace as opposed to the law - v10-11," So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Yet there is a list of recommendations, each of which is good in itself (although I do like my steak saignant), but you can see why this might leave a foothold for legalism.

15:39 is quite sad, with the disagreement being so bad that Paul and Barnabas are no longer able to work together. Barnabas seems to have a more forgiving grace-full attitude than Paul. However this disagreement did not stop God's work progressing through Paul (although we don't know what Barnabas did).

Paul does not let apparent setbacks deflect him from what he has set out to do, so when the door was shut in Asia and Bithynia, he is open to the call to go to Macedonia.

God shows his sovereignty by the earthquake which sets them free. There is also a spiritual earthquake in the life of the jailer, who was ready to kill himself, but instead finds the gates of eternal life unlocked to welcome him in.

One verse from today - "We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15.11)

Day 77 - John 15:18 - Acts 6:7

In today's section, we read about:

The Holy Spirit is promised after Jesus goes away
Jesus' prayer for his disciples
Jesus is arrested, tried, sentenced to death and crucified
Jesus rises from the dead, appears to his disciples
The epilogue to John's gospel with the encounter on the lake shore
Jesus ascends into heaven, and the disciples choose Matthias to replace Judas
The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost
A lame man is healed, Peter and John are questioned by the religious authorities and instructed not to preach about Jesus
Ananias and Sapphira are struck dead
The apostles agree to appoint men to oversee food distribution so they can concentrate on teaching and prayer

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

These chapters covering the final hours before Jesus' arrest really demonstrated to me the truth of Is 55:8 "my thoughts are nothing like your thoughts". Jesus devotes these last few minutes to comforting and reassuring his disciples and the degree of intimacy between him and the Father are a golden thread running through it. The situation would appear to indicate a world thwarting God's will, yet it is clear that at every stage, Jesus is consciously deciding what will happen in order to bring about the Father's purposes.

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, with a three-fold purpose: (i) to convict the world of its sin (not believing in Jesus); (ii) to convict the world of God's righteousness (which is accessible to us because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross); and (iii) the convict the world of the coming judgment. In the same way that Jesus' entire purpose is to bring glory to the Father, so the Holy Spirit will bring glory to Jesus.

The scales finally fall from the eyes of the disciples in 16:29 - they have seen clearly that Jesus is the Son of God. This clarity of vision is reflected in the promises about prayer in 16:23-24, "At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy."

The prayer in ch 17 summarises the discourse of the preceding chapters, drawing on the close, intimate and dependent relationship he has with the Father. The theme of unity is repeatedly stressed (viz Chris' recent sermon on 1 Cor 3), as is the fact that Jesus has granted his followers citizenship in God's kingdom.

John’s account is different in some aspects from the other gospels. For instance, John does not record the disciples falling asleep, it tells that Peter was admitted to the courtyard only after the intervention of another disciple who was known there, that Jesus himself carried his cross (19:17), and gives a different time for the beginning of the crucifixion (19:14, cf Matt 27:45).

I find it ironic the lengths the religious leaders went to in order to remain ceremonially pure (18:28), while perfectly happy to arrange the death of the blameless Son of God.

John stresses until the end that Jesus is in total control right until the end. Most tellingly, we read in 19:28, “Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfil Scripture he said…” and in 19:30, “then he bowed his head and released his spirit.”

I like the way ch 20 finishes, “the disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name” (20:30-31). This is complemented by the last verse of the gospel – “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (21:25).

The NLT gives Jn 21 the title ‘Epilogue’, and I am sure there must be various theories why this chapter has been added after what seems to be a natural conclusion to the gospel. The chapter revolves about this one encounter between the risen Lord Jesus and some of his disciples back on the shore of lake Galilee, where they have returned to their former trade. Jesus again performs a miracle (the catch of 153 fish which doesn’t burst the net) and then gives Peter the opportunity to make a three-fold confirmation of his devotion too Jesus to make amends for the triple denial the night before the crucifixion. Restoration is complete, before the sending out to do God’s will. I also like v24, “this disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate” – cf Lk 1:1-3, Jn 19:35.

There appears to be a discrepancy between Mt 27:7 and Acts 1:18 as to who bought the field. The important thing is the fulfilment of the prophecy in Zech 11:13.

Would we recommend that we follow the procedure the apostles took in Acts 1:24-26. Yes to the first part – prayer. I’m less convinced about the second, casting lots!

God has prepared everything perfectly for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He has brought people from all over the known world to Jerusalem to hear the truth of Jesus proclaimed, so that the message can go out into the whole world. And while the risen Jesus was seen by more that 500 of his followers (1Cor 15:6), but the end of this day – the Festival of the Gathering in the First Fruits – 3000 were added to the number who believed (Acts 2:41).
Peter is able to claim the fulfilment of specific prophecy (Joel 2:28-32) in Acts 2:18-21. He is clearly speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet it is worth remembering that not only did he spend three years as a disciple of Jesus, but his brother was also a follower of John the Baptist before (Jn 1:41) and he must have had an interest in prophecy because they were clearly expecting the Messiah. The point is that God can use Scripture in us if we are in the habit of learning it. We are storing up these pearls of treasure as we do so.

I like the way that Peter can compare David’s tomb in 2:29 with the empty tomb that couldn’t contain Jesus.

The unity that Jesus prayed for in 17:21 is wonderfully fulfilled in Acts 2:43-47.

“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses to the fact!” (3:15).

When Peter speaks of the faith that heals in 3:16, it is worth remembering that the essence of faith has changed from the Old Testament faith, which meant waiting for the future fulfilment of God’s promise to the acceptance that all these promises have met their wonderful and complete fulfilment in Jesus – “For all God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory” (2 Cor 1:20).

The religious leaders are still as desperate and ridiculous as they were in Jn 9. It seems bizarre that the Council could think that it was acceptable to flog these people who have been let go free without charge. Yet the disciples’ response to that they “left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (5:41).

It is a salutary reminder that while the community and fellowship among the very young church was in many ways exemplary, there were still problems – deceit (Ananias and Sapphira – 5:1-11, factional grumbling - 6:1). However, the Spirit is able to lead them in wisdom into the right path to take, with the result that “God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.”

One verse from today - "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)