Posts

"Comforted Comforters" October 18 Readings: 2 Corinthians 1:1-2:13

Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.   The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Corinthians 1:1-2:13 Background:    Paul's correspondence with the Corinthians is complicated. We have two letters from Paul to the Corinthians (1 and 2 Corinthians), but there is evidence of two others. One Paul calls his "painful letter." Some believe that the painful letter is included in 2 Corinthians, but we will never know this for certain. It is my belief that these are

"Finishing Well" October 17 Readings: Acts 20

Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.   The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Acts 20 Background:    Before we delve into 2 Corinthians and Romans, also written on this third missionary journey of Paul, we will return briefly to Acts 20, in which Paul wraps up that journey. After spending time in Macedonia and Greece he went to Troas where the tragic and hilarious story of Eutychus falling asleep during his sermon and falling out of a window to his death takes place. Th

"Why Bother?" October 16 Readings: 1 Corinthians 15-16

Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.   The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Corinthians 15-1 6 Background:    It is one of the highlights of scripture and it proves that liberalism and threats to the truth are nothing new. 1 Corinthians 15 is Paul's response to those who said that Christianity was all about a way of life and that we shouldn't worry so much about the "sweet by and by." People were denying the resurrection and saying that Jesus was s

"Body Builders" October 15 Readings: 1 Corinthians 13-14

Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.   The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Corinthians 13-14 Background:    An ironic rebuke, 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most familiar scriptures. It describes the love of God and the love we are to have for one another - a love that is not squishy, tolerant of sin, or weak. It is a gritty love that is based on actions that mimic the love of Christ. It is given as a direct contrast to the self-serving focus on gifts that was prev

"Unity, Variety" October 14 Readings: 1 Corinthians 12

Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.   The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Corinthians 12 Background:    There is so much going on in 1 Corinthians 12 that it deserves a book, not an introductory paragraph. Several quick points. Contrary to many translations, the introduction should not read, "now about spiritual gifts," but is more generic. "Now, about spiritual things." The chapter is about how the Spirit operates. The key principle is that th

"A Worthy Manner" October 13 Readings: 1 Corinthians 11:2-34

Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.   The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Corinthians 11:2-34 Background:    Paul deals with two topics in this passage, the first is one of the more confusing passages in Paul's writings. He gives instructions about men and women and hair length and head coverings, and after carefully studying this passage several times I still do not know exactly what is being said. What is clear is that Paul wants men to be men and women to b

"Giving Up My Rights" October 11 Readings: 1 Corinthians 8:1-9:14

Image
  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.   The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Corinthians 8:1-9:1 4  Background:    Paul turned his attention in chapters 8-10 to "food sacrificed to idols" - a huge issue in that era, but not one we worry about much these days, at least not literally. Those who worshiped idols did so by offering sacrifices. Lo and behold, those idols did not eat much and the leftover meat was sold in the idol meat market - the best steak at t