Reading for October 13th

 Read 1 Corinthians 15.29-49. In verses 29-34: What we practice shows what we believe. In verse 29: This practice is mentioned only here in the New Testament. Paul assumes the practice in order to draw the implication. In verse 30: He now appeals to his own practice: Daily risking his life as an apostle. In verse 31: I die every day: In his apostolic life, Paul reenacts the Christ-event (2 Cor 4.7-12). In verse 32: Wild beasts at Ephesus refers to Paul's own opponents; the quotation is from Isa 22.13. In verse 33: Paul quotes a popular proverb traceable to the Greek comic poet Menander (4th century BCE). In verse 34: Sin is easier when God is absent from the future. In verses 35-41: Some examples from nature. In verse 35: An imaginary questioner as what happens to the body. In verses 36-38: A grain of seed must "die" (be buried in the ground) before it rises from the earth in a different form as wheat (Jn 12.24). In verses 39-41: Nature presents different forms of life. Glory is brightness or radiance. In verses 42-49: Nature helps explain resurrection. In verses 42-44: Sown and raised continue the image of the seed from vv. 36-38. The contrasting qualities underscore the differences in the forms of life before and after "burial." In verses 45-49: Gen 2.7. The first Adam received life; Christ the second Adam, gives (resurrection) life. Adam and Christ represent different forms of life. All humans share Adam's dust. Those in Christ are of heaven and will eventually breathe his life-giving spirit. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 12th

 Read 1 Corinthians 15.1-28. In 15.1-58: Instructions about resurrection. In verses 1-11: The tradition of Christ's resurrection. In verse 2: Being saved: Conversion has lasting effects. In verse 3: Handed on ... received: Paul uses language describing the transmission of sacred teaching (11.23). In verses 3-5: This is one of the earliest summaries of Christian preaching (Rom 1.1-4). Died, buried, raise, and appeared identify key moments of the passion story (Mk 14-16). In accordance with the Scriptures reflects Christian conviction that God was at work in these events (Is 53; Hos 6.2). In verses 5-11: Women figure more prominently in the gospel appearance stories (Mt 28.1-10; Mk 16.1-8; Lk 23.55-24.12; Jn 20.1-18). Appearances to more that five hundred and James are distinctive elements of this list. The twelve (v. 5) are distinguished from all the apostles (v. 7). Paul places himself within the same tradition, even though his experience of the risen Lord was exceptional (Gal 1.13-17). In verses 12-19: Some doubt the resurrection. In verse 12: The truth of Christ's resurrection is assumed throughout. No resurrection of the dead: Doubts could arise in different forms: No life at all after death; no resurrection of the body, only the soul; no future resurrection (it is already here). In verses 13-14: Denying resurrection in principle eliminates Christ's resurrection. In verse 15: Paul's credibility is at stake. In verses 17-18: The church's faith is also threatened. In verse 19: Christian preaching is about future hope or nothing at all (Rom 5.5; 8.24-25). In verses 20-28: Christ, Adam and future resurrection. In verse 20: The faith of 15.3 is reaffirmed . First fruits: Christ's resurrection is like the beginning of harvest because more of the same follows (1 Thess 4.14). In verses 21-22: Like Adam, Christs stands at the beginning of a new order of humanity. The crucial difference: Adam introduced death, Christ life (Rom 5.12-17). In verses 23-28: The sequence of events outlined here emphasizes how those who belong to Christ share the experience of Christ (1 Thess 4.13-18 reflects different concerns). The end ("telos") is better translation that the rest . It is the time when the risen Lord finally triumphant over every other power, especially death, yields the reign of God the Father. The language of v. 25 is drawn from Ps 110.1. V. 27 draws on Ps 8.6, which Paul explains in vv. 27-28. He understands his feet to mean Christ's feet. Christ's subjects everything (including death), Then yield s the power God to whom all, including Christ are subject. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 11th

 Read 1 Corinthians 14.20-40. In verses 20-25: Worship outsiders can understand. In verse 20: The issue is their level of maturity (13.11; Eph 4.14-15). In verse 21: Isa 28.11-12. Yahweh speaks to Israel using foreign language (Assyrian), but with out success. In verse 22: Strange tongues might be understandable to strangers, but not to God's people. Intelligible speech, prophecy, is better for them. In verses 23-25: As it turns out, even the unbeliever and outsider benefit more if they can understand what is said when the whole church comes together. Prophetic proclamation can convict the unbeliever's heart and show God's presence within the church. The quotation is from Isa 45.14. In verses 26-36: Suggestions for orderly worship. In verse 26: The variety of activities suggests unstructured worship. Building up restates the overarching principle (14.12). In verse 27-28: The restrictors on speaking in a tongue imply the individual's ability to control speech. Paul's instruction are consistent: no interpreter, no tongues (14.5, 12; see 12.10). In verses 29-33: Prophetic speech can also be controlled. since it is understandable, it is weighed rather than interpreted. Chaotic worship fails to recognize the true nature of God (7.15; Rom 15.33). In verses 33b-36: The restrictions on women's speech are in parentheses because their location here is disputed. The role of  women in worship is discussed nowhere else in chs. 12-14. The instructions do not agree with Paul's earlier discussion in 11.2-16, were women praya nd prophesy along with men. many scholars doubt they were written by Paul and date them to a later period (1 Tim 2.11-12; Titus 2.5). In verses 37-40: Concluding words. In verse 37: Command of the Lord: I what sense is not clear. Paul is not able to cite Christ's teaching as he does earlier (7.10; 9.14). In verse 39: Be eager to prophesy: He restates the point where the discussion began (14.1). Do not forbid speaking in tongues: he recognizes that some people will. Paul sees their dangers but also their potential value. In verse 40: His advice is grounded in God's character (14.33). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 10th

 Read 1 Corinthians 14.1-19. In 14.1-40: Prophecy better than tongues. In verses 1-5: Tongues and prophecy compared. In verse 1: Spiritual gifts ("pneumatika"): 12.1. In verse 2: Speak ... to God: tongues are a form of prayer only God can understand. In verse 3: Speak to other people: Prophecy is proclamation other people can understand. In verse 4: Themselves ... church: Tongues benefit the individual, prophecy the group.  In verses 5-6: Paul prefers prophecy over tongues. In verses 6-19: Tongues require interpretation. In verse 6: Unlike tongues, these four types of speech can be understood without an interpreter. In verses 7-8: Music without distinct notes is only noise. In verses 9-11: Tongues are not foreign speech: They are like foreign speech--unintelligible without an interpreter. In verse 12: Building up: This restates the principle of 10.24, 33. In verse 33: Do my words benefit the group? In verse 13: Speaking and interpreting a tongue can be done by the same person (12.10). In verses 14-17: In a tongue is one way of praying. Only words prayed or sung with the spirit produce a group of worshipping individuals. Worship done with both spirit and mind creates a church. In verses 18-19: Since Paul himself can speak in tongues (13.1; 14.6), he knows their value and their limits. Comments or Questions.

Reading for October 9th

 Read 1 Corinthians 13.1--13. In 13.1-13: The way of love. I in this chapter is Paul speaking out of his own experience, but its lofty, poetic tone extends Paul's own experience to everyone. In verses 1-3: Religion requires love.  Each item mentioned relates to Paul's own experience: Tongues (14.18); prophetic powers (14.37); mysteries and knowledge (2.6-13; 4.1; 15.51); faith (power to heal; Rom 15.18-19; 2 Cor 12.12); giving away possessions (4.11; 9.18); handing over his body (2 Cor 4.10-12). He uses boast in a positive sense (Rom 15.17). In verses 4-7: Active love. Paul sketches this profile of love with terms used of his own ministry: patient and kind (2 Cor 6.6); not envious or boastful (3.7, 21); not arrogant or rude (2 Cor 2.17; 4.1-2); does not insist on its own way (10.24,33); not irritable or resentful (4.14); does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth (2 Cor 6.10; 11.29); bear, believes, hopes, endures (9.27; 2 Cor 6.3-10). In verses 8-13: Love never ends. In verse 9: In part: For all their value, both knowledge and prophetic speech give an incomplete picture. In verse 10: The complete body refers to the end time, when God is fully revealed (Rom 8.18-25). In verse 12: In a mirror, dimly: Paul compares life to lookin in a mirror that yields an unclear image. Paul thinks of conversion as being fully known by God (8.3; Gal 4.90. Inverse 13: These three are  difficult to separate (Col 1.4-5; 1 Thess 1.3).  Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 8th

 Read 1 Corinthians 12.12-31. In verses 12-26: One body and many members. In verse 13: Through baptism, people from many back-grounds and social levels become members of Christ's one body (Gal 3.26-28). In verses 14-26: V. 14 states the basic theme of this section. In verses 17-19 The absurdity of the image makes his point. In verse 20: The main point is repeated (v. 12). In verses 22-25: The weaker, less honorable, less respectable, inferior members are the sexual organs, all indispensable and requiring honor and respect. They are compared with the mores respectable members, the parts not covered by clothing. In verse 24: God has so arranged: Paul renders the Genesis creation story in greater detail. In verse 26: The body suffers and rejoices as a single organism (Rom 12.15). In verses 27-31: The church as the body of Christ. In verse 27: This states v. 13 more fully. Their identity as the body of Christ does not appear to be self-evident to the Corinthians. In verse 28: The universal church is in view here (Eph 1.22-23). The first three groups are probably listed in ranked order (Eph 4.11-13). Apostles, literally "those sent," may refer to missionaries rather than the twelve apostles (15.5, 7). The roles and activities doubtless overlapped. In verses 29-30: These rhetorical questions expand on v. 12. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 7th

 Read 1 Corinthians 12.1-11.In 12.1-14.40: Instructions about spiritual gifts. In 12.1-3: Establishing perspective. In verse 1: The Corinthians had asked about "pneumatikoi," literally "spirituals," rendered as spiritual gifts or spiritual persons. The same term is used in 3.1. In verse 2: Many in the church had non-Jewish backgrounds (6.9-11; 1 Thess 1.9-10). In verse 3: "Let Jesus be cursed!" What circumstances prompted anyone to say this is not clear. It could be based upon Deut 21.23 (Gal 3.13). In verses 4-11: The Spirit's many activities. In verses 4-7: Gifts (charismata") are different ways of describing manifestations of the Spirit. Paul emphasizes their variety, their common source, and their intended purpose--to serve the common good. In verses 8-10: Utterances of wisdom and knowledge describe speech that informs and enlightens. Faith gifts of healing, and working of miracles belong together. Prophecy is paired with discernment of spirits, the ability to evaluate prophetic speech. Various kinds of tongues require the interpretation of tongues. In verse 11: All are spiritual (v. 1) activities because their source is the same Spirit. Comments or Questions...

Reading for October 6th

Read 1 Corinthians 11.17-34. In 11.17-34: The Lord's supper. In verses 17-22: Being divided at worship. In verse 18: They meet in Gaius' house (Rom 16.23). In verses 18-19: The divisions and factions are along social and economic lines. In verse 22: Those who have not are the poor, literally the "have-nots." In verses 23-26: Recalling Jesus' words before his death. In verse 23: From the Lord: The story of the institution of the Eucharist goes back to Christ. Paul's version is closest to Luke's account (Lk 22.14-23; Mt 26.26-29) and is the oldest recorded version. In verse 24: In remembrance of me: Lk 22.29. In verse 25: After supper: a meal is eaten  between the bread and cup (Lk 22.20). The cup of wine symbolized the beginning of the new covenant that began with Christ's death (Jer 31.31-34; Ex 24.8). In verse 26: This verse adds Paul's interpretation to the tradition he received. In verses 27-34: Taking the supper seriously. In verse 27: To eat in an unworthy manner is to engage in the meal without thinking about what it really means. In verse 28: Examine yourselves: Remember the words for you (v. 24). In verse 29: The body is both crucified Lord and the church gathered as the Lord's body (12.27). In verse 30: Some have become sick and died because the church has not cared for them. In verses 31-32: Paul's warning is stern: Our behavior is judged by the Lord, and misbehavior is disciplined (Heb 12.5-7, 10). In verse 33: Wait for one another;: Worship as one church not many groups. In verse 34: Paul expects to visit them soon (16.5-9). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 5th

 Read 1 Corinthians 11.2-16. In 11.2-34: Some instructions about worship: What to wear and how to observe the Lord's supper. In verses 2-16: Advice about covering the head. In verse 2: Traditions are teachings Paul had received from others (15.3; 2 Thess 2.15). In verse 3: Head may mean source (head of a river ) rather than one with authority over another. For a similar hierarchy, see 3.22-23. In verses 4-5: Prays or prophesies: A worship setting is in view. No distinction is made between what men and women do (14.33b-36. In verse 7-9: Gen 1-2 informs Paul's remarks here. Image and reflection of God uses language from Gen 1.27. Reflection of man: According to Gen 2.18-25, the woman was created from man. Reflection, or glory (Greek "doxa"), draws on the image of a reflecting light: Man reflects God's light, woman reflects man's light (Heb 1.3). In verse 10: The verse is very difficult. Possibly, "The woman ought to have authority over her own head." Because of the angels may recall Gen 6.2. In verses 11-12: For a similar mutuality, see 7.2-4. In verses 13-14: Nature: Paul's remarks accept social and religious customs of his day. Comments or Questions...

Reading for October 4th

 Read 1 Corinthians 10.23-11.1. In 10.23-11.1: What to do in a private setting. Paul resumes the discussion from 8.7-13. In 10.23: The quotations reflect the views of the strong (6.12-20). In verse 24: Your own advantage: the advice in 8.1b becomes concrete. In verse 25: This follows the principle stated in 8.8 (Rom 14.14, 20). In verse 26: The quotation is from Ps 24.1. In verse 27: The setting is a private home. In verse 28: This is probably the weak person speaking. The same advice is given in 8.13. In verse 29: The other's conscience is that of the weak person (8.10). In verses 29b-30: The questions do not logically follow. They sound like questions the strong would ask, defending their right to eat. In verse 31: Glory of God: Col 3.17. In verse 33: This briefly states the principle informing Paul's advice in chs. 8-10. In 11.1: Imitators: 4.16. Christ's example is elaborated in Phil 2.5-11. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 3rd

 Read 1 Corinthians 10.1-22. In verses 1-13: Israel's example. In verse 2: Baptized into Moses: This unusual phrase reflects Christian retelling of the exodus story. It suggests that Israel participated with Moses in the exodus as Christians participate in Jesus' death and resurrection. In verse 3: Spiritual food and drink: Israel's wilderness experience is reinterpreted in light of the Lord's supper (11.23-26). In verse 6: Examples: 10.11; Rom 14.4. In verses 7-10: These verses draw four lessons from the story. In verse 7: Idolaters recall the golden calf in incident (Ex 32); the quotation is from Ex 32.6. In verse 8: Sexual immorality recalls Baal of Peor incident (Num 25. In verse 9: Putting the Lord (Yahweh, not Christ as in NRSV) to the test recalls the bronze serpent incident (Num 21). In verse 10: Do not complain recalls incidents in Ex 16; Num 14, 17. In verse 11: Ends of the ages: The "last days" has begun with Christ's resurrection (Acts 2.) In verse 13: God is faithful: 1.9; 2 Cor 1.18. In verses 14-22: Avoid worship of idols. In verse 14: Paul develops the first of four lessons (10.7). In verses 16-21: Like other sacred meals eaten in honor of a deity, the Lord's supper unites the worshippers with Christ. Christians must choose between the table of the Lord (Jesus) and the table of demons. In verse 22: Jealousy: Deut 32.21: Ex 34.14. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 2nd

 Read 1 Corinthians 9.19-27. In verses 19-23: Becoming a slave. In verse 19: Slave: Along with apostle, Paul uses slave as a self-designation (Phil 1.1). Win means to convert. In verse 20: Became as a Jew is surprising, since since Paul was born a Jew (Phil 3.5-6). Those under the law probably refers to Jewish Christians who continue to observe Torah. Paul no longer lived under the law in the same way (Gal 4-5). In verse 21: Those outside the law are gentiles. Christ's law: Rom 8.2. In verse 22: The weak are gentile Christians (8.7). In verses 24-27: Saying no to oneself. Two athletic examples-runners and boxers-illustrate the importance of self-control, the ability to limit our desires (2 Pet 1.6). In verse 27: Punish my body refers to the athlete's training. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 1st

 Read 1 Corinthians 9.1-18. In 9.1-27: Paul limits his rights as an apostle. In verses 1-14: The apostle's right to be paid. In verses 1-2: Paul experienced God's call to be an apostle in a vision of Christ (15.8; Gal 1.15-16). In verse 3: Paul's practice of refusing pay drew criticism. In verse 7: Everyday examples show that workers deserve pay. In verse 8: Scripture provides additional support (Deut 25.4). In verse 12: Others: Some ministers besides Paul have apparently received pay from the church. In verse 13: Established religious practice provides a third reason. In verse 14: Fourth, a command of the Lord Jesus supports the practice (Lk 10.7; Gal 6.6). In verses 17-18: Paul gives up his right. In verse 15: Boasting: he preached the gospel free of charge. In verse 16: Obligation: he thought his call to the gentiles required special measures. In verse 18: Reward: For Paul, preaching the gospel was it own reward. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 30th

 Read 1 Corinthians 8.1-11. In verse 1: Instructions about eating food sacrificed to idols. In 8.1-6: Balancing knowledge with love. The quotations in vv. 1 and 4 express the views of the spiritually mature (3.1). In verse 1: Love builds up: The edifying power of love ("agape") is further developed in chs. 12-14. In verse 2: Necessary knowledge: Knowing often means not knowing (13.12). In verse 6: Here Paul quotes a two-part confession acknowledging God as Creator and Christ as God's agent of creation (Rom 11.36; Col 1.16). In verses 7-13: Obligations to the weak. In verse 7: Gentile converts are in view. In verse 8: The quotation expresses the view of the spiritually mature.. Food is food. If the quotation continues, it should read, "We are no worse off if we do eat, no better off if we do not eat." In verse 9: Liberty is the freedom that the strong people have, based on their enlightened attitude. Stumbling block: Rom 14.30, 20-21. In verse 11: Knowledge without love has destructive power. In verse 12: You sin against Christ because the church limits one liberty than cause the weak Christian harm (Rom 14.20-21). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 29th

17.32-Read 1 Corinthians 7.32-40. In verses 32-35: Being free from anxiety. Paul explains the basis for his advice in vv.25-31. Marriage makes practical demands not directly concerned with the affairs of the Lord. Single people may focus exclusively on such things. In verse 35: Restraint: rather than discouraging marriage, Paul is encouraging good order and devotion to the Lord. In verses 36-38: Advice for those engaged to be married. In verse 36: Fiancee translates the Greek word for virgin ("pathenos"). It may refer to a father's engaged daughter. The Greek of vv. 36-38 is much less clear than the NRSV translation, which expresses one interpretation. In verse 38: Refrains from marriage: Paul's advice here is consistent with the rest of the chapter. In verses 39-40: Advice to widow. This extends the advice of v. 8. The death of one married partner dissolves the marriage (Rom 7.1-3). In verse 40: Remains as she is: Paul follows the principle expressed in vv. 17-24. Spirit of God: Paul claims prophetic authority for his view (14.37). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 28th

 Read 1 Corinthians7.17-31. In verses 14-24: Paul's principle: remain as you are. Vv. 17, 20 and 24 state the principle informing Paul's advice in ch. 7. In verses 17-20: Circumcision signified being Jewish. Remove the marks: Some Jewish males under went a surgical procedure to become uncircumcised (1 Macc 1.15). In verse 19: Paul's experience of Christ radically changed his view (Gal 5.6). In verses 21-24: V. 21 is ambiguous in Greek. The alternate rendering is possible, but the NRSV rendering is more consistent with his overall advice. In verse 22: Conversion to Christ redefines loyalties. In verse 23: Bought with a price: See comments on 6.20. In verses 25-31: Advice to the unmarried. In verse 25: Virgins are probably young unmarried women. No command: Paul cannot quote Jesus on the matter. Trustworthy: 4.2. In verses 26-28: Impending crises, possibly present crisis, probably refers to the soon expected return of the Lord (vv. 29,31), which would be preceded by social and cosmic upheaval (Mk. 13.4-8). In verses 29-31: Expecting the end soon created a sense of urgency that changed all relationships-domestic, personal, and economic. A world passing away does not make demands like a world thought to last forever. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 27th

 Read 1 Corinthians 7.1-16. In 7.1-40: Questions about marriage. In verses 1-7: Responsibilities within marriage. In verse 1: Again, The quotation comes from the Corinthians. They probably asked, "Should married Christian couples stop having sexual intercourse?" In verse 3: Conjugal rights: Spouses should fulfill each other's sexual needs. In verse 4:  Mutual ownership of each other's body is unusual. In verses 5-6: Command: Paul cannot quote the Old Testament or Jesus on the matter. In verse 7: As I myself am: Paul is unmarried (7.8). In verses 8-9: Advice to unmarried and widows. Self-control: if they cannot control their sexual desires, they should marry. In verses 10-11: Advice to the married. Command: Jesus spoke directly to this question (Mk 10.11-12). Separate and divorce refer to the same action, not two stages of a divorce proceeding. In verses 12-16: Advice to those with non-Christian spouses. In verse 12: Not the Lord: Jesus no where addressed this question. In verses 12-13: In view is a married couple where one spouse becomes a Christian. In verse 14: Made holy: the moral influence of the Christian spouse extends to the unbelieving spouse, thereby ensuring the spiritual welfare of the children. In verses 15-16: Compared with Jesus (Mt 19-3-9: Mk 10.10-12), Paul broadens the basis for divorce. In verse 16: The Greek is not clear as the NRSV. It can read you might not save, which would support his advice in v. 15. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 26th

 Read 1 Corinthians 6.1-20. In verses 1-11: dealing with internal disputes. In verse 1: The grievance is not specified, but being defrauded suggests lawsuits involving money, perhaps rents or loans. In verse 2: In 5.12, saints judge each other. This probably refers to future judgment, when saints will judge angels ( 2 Pet 2.4). In verse 5: The question is sarcastic (4.8-10) In verses 9-10: Sins of sex and greed are prominent here, since chs. 5-6 address them ( Rom 1.29-31; Gal 5.19-21). In verse 11: Washed (Titus 3.5), sanctified (2 Thess 2.13), and justified (Rom 3.24) are different ways of referring to their conversion. In verses 12-20: Avoiding sexual sins. In verses 12-13: The slogans in quotation marks express views of the "spiritual people" (3.1) wh emphasize their freedom and independence. Fornication ("porneia," vv. 13-18; 5.1) is sexual morality of any kind. In verse 14: God's action in Christ governs Christian conduct (Rom 14.7-9). In verses 15-16: Prostitute ("prone") is a woman who practices sexual immorality as a  profession. In verse 16: Gen 2.24. In verses 19-20: The individual's body is in view (compare 3.16-17). Temple ("naos") may be the Jerusalem Temple (Mt 25.61) or a pagan shrine ( Acts 17.24). In verse 20: Bought with a price: Christ purchased their  freedom from slavery (7.23; Rom 6.17). Comments or Questions...

Reading for September 25th

 Read 1 Corinthians 5.1- 13. In verses 1-8: A case of sexual immorality. In verse 1: Sexual immorality ("porneia") is a general term including a variety of sexual sins (6.13, 18). The Old Testament forbade sexual relations between son and stepmother (Lev 18.8). In verses 3-5: The language of these verses may indicate a formal procedure for discipling wayward members (Mt 18.20). In verse 4: The alternative translation makes the offense even more serious. In verse 5: Hand over to Satan: Paul thinks Satan is still an active force (Rom 16.20). In verses 6-7: Removing leaven in preparation for Passover provides the background for Paul's remarkshere (Ex 12.14-20). Christ's death is seen as the lamb sacrificed at Passover (Ex 12.21-27; Rom 3.25). In verse 8: Celebrate the festival: The image of Passover observance is extended to Christian worship and practice. In verses 9-13: Relating to immoral Christians. In verse 9: This previous letter is lost, unless it is preserved in 2 Cor 6.14-7.1. In verse 11: Refusing to eat with someone had great symbolic significance (Mt 9. 10-13; Acts 11.3). In verse 13: Deut 17.7. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 24th

 Read 1 Corinthians 4.1-21. In verses 1-7: How to think of God's ministers. In verse 1: More important than their personal characteristics is how ministers relate to Christ and God. Servants and stewards are roles defined by superiors. In verse 3: Some were sitting in judgment on Paul (9.3). In verse 4: The Lord establishes the true perspective for judging behavior (6.13). In verse 5: Paul expects the Lord's coming very soon (1.7; 7.29, 31). Judgment is a time of unveiling secrets (Rom 2.16; see Lk 8.17). In verse 6: The meaning of the saying is uncertain; it may refer to 1.31. Puffed up suggests an inflated self-image that leads to boasting (3.21). In verse 7: The alternate rendering makes more sense. In verse 8-13: The illusion of having already arrived. This ironic language applies to the "spiritual people" (3.1) who claim superior wisdom (6.5). In verses 9-10: Apostles are like prisoners of war, last in the victory parade, a spectacle to everyone. In verses 11-12: The missionary lives a  vagabond's existence. In verses 14-21: Paul appeals to his children. In verses 14-15: Starting churches was like having children (Gal 4.19; 1 Thess 2.11). In verse 16: As their father, Paul expected the church to imitate his behavior (11.1; Phil  3.17). In verse 17: Timothy: The alternative rendering am sending is preferred, since Timothy is apparently still with Paul (16.10-11). My way in Jesus Christ are what Paul taught and how he behaved. In verses 18-21: Arrogant behavior is a root problem in the church (5.2; 13.4) Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 23rd

 Read 1 Corinthians 3.1-23. In verse 1-9: Rightly viewing God's servants. In verse 1: Like infants, people of the flesh think only of their own needs and self-interests. In verse 2: Heb 5.12-14. In verse 3: Jealousy and quarreling are among the desires of the flesh (Gal 5.20). In verses 5-9: The emphasis throughout is on God's initiative. In verses 10-17: Paul as master builder. In verse 10: Paul experienced the grace of God when God called him (15.10-11; Rom 15.15-16). In verse 11: Eph 2.19-22; Mt 16.18. In verse 13: The Day of judgment is often envisioned as destruction of the world by fire (Mal 4.1; 2 Thess 1.8). In verses 16-17: The building metaphor now becomes specific: God temple. You refers to the congregation. in 6.19-20. The individual's body is a temple. In verses 18-23: becoming truly wise. In verse 19: Job 5.12. In verse 20: Ps 94.11. In verse 21: Rather than following human leaders who claim to be wise, belonging to Christ gives them all they need. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 22nd

 Read 1 Corinthians 2.1-16. In verses 1-5: Paul's preaching illustrates God's power. Here Paul recalls his founding visit (Acts 18.1-18). Mystery of God is not a puzzle but something hidden that God can reveal (compare Rom16.25-26). The alternate reading, testimony of God, suggests that God bears witness through Paul's preaching. Jesus Christ, and him crucified includes Paul's preaching and manner of life (compare Gal 2.19-20). Demonstration of the Spirit and of power: Paul saw himself as a channel for the Holy Spirit exerting power (1 Thess 1.5; 2.13). In verses 6-16:Wisdom for the mature. Now Paul speaks of wisdom positively. This age and the rulers of this age refers to Paul's world and those who control it, probably heavenly forces rather than earthly rulers. In verse 9: As it is written: Paul mixes several Old Testament passages (Isa 64.4; 52.15; 65.16). In verse 14: The unspiritual ("psychikos"), or "natural" person is a two dimensional figure living in a three-dimensional world. In verse 15: The spiritual ("pneumatikos") person is guided by God's Spirit ("pnemua"). In verse 16: Isa 40.13. The mind of Christ, guided by God's spirit, seeks what is truly God's (v. 11; Phil 2.5-11). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for September 21st

 Read 1 Corinthians 1.18-31. In verses 18-25: The cross, God's folly. Seen one way, the story of Christ's death, the message about the cross, seems foolish. Crucifixion was a shameful way for anyone to die, especially someone embodying God's hopes. Jews and Greeks represent two ways of knowing or relating to God-demanding signs and desiring wisdom.the one stresses dramatic displays of power by God, the other gradual, intuitive learning about God. The cross, however, locates God somewhere else, at the intersection of human foolishness and weakness. In verses 26-31: the Corinthians themselves prove God's power and wisdom.  The Corinthians own call shows God's capacity for upsetting human expectations. to boast in the presence of God suggests arrogant behavior (compare 4.6; 5.2). to boast in the Lord is to recognize God as the source of life in Christ Jesus (v. 31; compare Jer 9.24). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 20th

 Read 1 Corinthians 1.10-17. In 1.10-17: Appeal for unity. Full divisions have not yet occurred, but quarrels have. Chole's people, members of her household, are mentioned nowhere else. To belong to someone means looking only to that person for spiritual guidance. Apollos ministered to the Corinthian church after Paul's founding visit (3.5-6; Acts 18.24-19.1) and is now with Paul as he writes this letter (16.12). Whether Cephas (Peter) has actually been in Corinth or was only known by reputation is not clear. Crispus was a prominent synagogue official (Acts 18.18), and Gaius hosted Paul and the Corinthian house church (Rom 16.23). The household of Stephanas later receives high praise from Paul for devoted service to the church (16.15-18). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 19th

Read 1 Corinthians 1.1-9. In 1.1-3: Greeting. This opening greeting reflects the basic structure of greetings used in ancient letters. The writers of the letter (Paul and Sosthenes) address the church of God that is in Corinth and wish them grace and peace, standard forms of greetings among gentiles and Jews. In verses 4-9: Prayer of thanksgiving. Paul's letters usually begin with an extended prayer (see Rom 1.8-15; Phil 1.3-11). In a reassuring tone, he introduces themes developed later in the letter. All, not just a few, have enough speech and knowledge to be confident of their faith (compare 8.1). Nor do only an elite few experience spiritual gifts (Chs. 12-14). Everyone has been strengthened by the testimony of Christ,the preaching about Christ, continues to be strengthened by God. The prayer looks forward to the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, when Christ would return (ch. 15; 16.22). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 18th

 Read Esther 10.1-3. In 10.1-3: Mordecai honored. In verse 2: Like other key events of the book of Esther, Mordecai deeds are recorded in the annals of the kings of Media and Persia. In verse 3: The closing tribute to Mordecai, as opposed to Esther for whom the book is named, is sometimes considered a latter addition to the book, though Purim is called "Mordecai's Day" in 2 Macc 15.35. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 17th

 Read Esther 9.18-32. In 9.18-32: Purim celebrations. In verses 18-21: The different days  on which the fighting took place here explains why purim is celebrated for two days. In verse 22: In keeping with the book's strong emphasis on banqueting, Purim observances include gifts of food. In verses 24-26: Ironically, the festival is named after Haman's plot, first begun in 3.7 with the casting of a lot. In verses 27-28: Because Purim is not found in the Torah (Pentateuch), its acceptance would have needed explanation and support. In verses 29-32: The titles of the Jew Mordecai (as in 8.7) and Queen Esther suggest their different, though complementary, authority for sending letters. Comments or Questions.

Reading for September 16th

 Read Esther 9.1-17. In 9.1-17: The events of Adar. In verse 1: On the very day underlines the reversal of fates that has taken place in the book. In verses 5-16: Jewish self-defense begins in the citadel of Susa (vv. 6-12). Fighting in Susa (vv. 13-15) may refer to the same locale or the unfortied city; fighting spreads to other Persian provinces (v. 16). The violence of these verses is variously assessed: Is the killing justified resistance to a planned pogrom? Is it a troublesome commentary on the excesses of revenge? They did not touch the plunder (vv. 10, 15, 16), though Mordecai's edict allowed it, suggesting a religious motive for the fighting. In 1 Sam 15, Saul loses kingship because he took plunder and spared Agag. Comments or Questions.

Reading for September 15th

 Read Esther 8.1-17. In 8.1-17 Esther and Mordecai issue edicts. In verses 1-2: Yet more reversals: Esther receives Haman's house, and the signet ring that Ahasuerus gave to Haman to issue a decree (3.10) is now given to Mordecai to issue a counter-decree. In verse 3: The king has saved Esther and Mordecai, but now asks the he save the whole Jewish people. In verse 8: The irrevocability of a royal edict is both the cause and the solution to the Jews problem. In verses 9-11: Sivan (Babylonian "Simanu") was still 9 months from the execution of the original edict. Given free reign to draft the decree, Mordecai allows Jews not only to defend themselves but also to take plunder (though they do not, see 9.10). In verse 15: Mordecai's blue and white robes (as in 1.6) link him with royalty, as foreshadowed in 6.11. In verse 17: Persians professed to be Jews, suggesting that Jewish identity could be chosen for oneself. Comments or Questions,..

Reading for September 14th

 Read Esther 7.1-10. In 7.1-10: Haman's downfall. In verses 3-4: Esther strategically heaps up deferential comments to the king and focuses on his loss ((damage to the king) in her death. In verse 8: Reclining was a common posture for banqueting. Haman's act of supplication is interpreted by Ahasuerus as a sexual attack on Esther. In verse 9: A eunuch "happens" to be on hand and suggests a "measure for measure" punishment for Haman. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 13th

 Read Esther 6.1-14. In 6.1-14: Royal insomnia benefits Mordecai. In a comic scene, the king passes a sleepless night listening to royal annals. In keeping with the theology of the book, "it just happened" to be the same night Haman "happens" to be in the court; and Haman's desire for royal treatment "happen" to be given to the very man he wished to hang. In verse 10: The Jew Mordecai: The king makes no connection between Mordecai's ethnicity and the people he had condemned to death in ch. 3. In verse 13: If Mordecai ... is of the Jewish people: Since Haman had already revealed this in 5.13, the statement is likely intended as a preview of what is to come. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 12th

 Read Esther 5.9-14. In 5.9-14: Haman's mood swings. In good spirits after the queen has shown him honor, Haman is infuriated by Mordecai's repeated refusal to bow. In verse 11: Haman's bragging to people who already know him suggests an ego out of control. In verse 14: Because the pogrom is still months from its execution, the plan to kill Mordea immediately on a gallows 50 cubits high (75 ft) leaves Haman in good spirits once again. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 11th

 Read Esther 5.1-8. In 5.1-8: Esther requests two banquets. In verse 1: Esther, while bold, shows (respect for the king). In verse 3: Half of my kingdom: Another example of Ahasuerus' impulsive style. In verses 4-5: A clear strategist, Esther feeds the ego of both the king (throwing him a banquet) and Haman (honoring him with an invitation). In verses 6-8: Esther requests another banquet, the seventh of the book. By postponing her ultimate request, she leaves the reader in suspense and puffs up Haman, preparing him for a yet more dramatic fall. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 10th

 Read Esther 4.1-17. In 4.1-17: Mordecai petitions Esther. In verse 1: Torn clothes, sackcloth, and ashes are typical gestures of mourning and distress. In verses 4-5: Why Esther was distressed is not explained: did she fear for Mordecai's safety. In verse 11: Despite her status as queen, Esther remains under the authority of the king and of the ever present Persian law. In verses 12-14: Mordecai is the face of Esther's Jewishness. His speech reminds her that she shares the fate of her people. Another quarter may be veiled reference to God, who is not named explicitly in the book. Perhaps ... for just such a time as this summarizes the book's theme: Esther rise to power just in time to save the Jewish people. In verses 16-17: For the first time, Esther commands Mordecai, and he does everything she says (compare 2.20). The fast is one of the few religious observances in the book and prepares the people for the danger Esther is to face. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 9th

 Read Esther 3.1-15. In 3.1-15: Mordecai angers Haman. In verse 1: Haman's Agagite identity puts him in tension with the Benjamite Mordecai (1 Sam 15.7-9). In verse 2: As in the case of Vashti's refusal, Mordecai's refusal to bow down is not explained. In verses 4-6: Mordecai having revealed his identity, Haman hatches a plan against all Jews. In verses 7-11: Nisan: As in other post-exilic books, month names are based on the Babylonian calendar. Pur: Akkadian for "lot" (singular, unlike the English usage of "lots"). The date chosen for the pogrom is 11 months hence. In verse 8: Haman does not identify the rebellious people, but argues their danger to the empire. In verse 10; Signet ring: Sign of royal authority. In verse 11: As it seems good to you: As usual, the king lets others decide. In verses 12-15: The edict, which bears the all the royal trappings, allows destruction and plunder of the Jewish people. Coldly, the men drink after issuing a decree of death. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 8th

 Read Esther 2.12-23. In 2.13-23: Esther and Mordecai's successes. The elaborate procedures portray Esther's chances as a longshot. In verses 15-18: Why savvy Esther follows the instructions of the eunuch who has favored her. Her victory is celebrated by the fourth banquet of the book. In verses 19-23: Mordecai's protection of the king, while not yet rewarded, will serve as his salvation from Haman's plot in ch. 6. In verse 21: Threshold: of the king's private room Greek sources relate that Ahasuerus died from this type of conspiracy. Mordecai's access to the eunuchs may indicate that he held some official position. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 7th

 Read Esther 2.1-11. In 2.1-11: Esther and Mordecai. In verses 2-4: While according to Herodotus the Persian king could only marry from seven noble families, this  account explains how a commoner, a Jewish one at that, could marry into royalty. In verses 5-6: The name Mordecai is similar to that of the Babylonian god Marduk. Shimei, Kish, and Benjaminite provide verbal links to King Saul (1 Sam 9.1; 2 Sam 16.5-8). The Hebrew reads that Mordecai was carried away by the Babylonians, making him over  100 years old. The NRSV suggests, instead, that Kish was carried into exile. In verse 7: Hadassah, the Jewish name, means "myrtle." Esther sounds similar to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. In verses 8-11: Like Joseph (Gen 39.3) and Daniel (Dan 1.9), Esther wins favor in the royal court and is aided by a royal servant. Apparently Jewish identity was not obvious, and there is no mention of Esther's attempts at religious observances like kosher food regulations. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 6th

Read Esther 1.10-22. In 1.10-22: Vashti refuses. In verse 10: Throughout the book, eunuchs (royal servants often castrated) bridge the gaps between men and women, royals and commoners, insiders and outsiders. In verse 12: The author gives neither the reason for Vashti's refusal nor a judgment on her decision. The king was enraged: Ahasuerus (and later Haman) has a quick temper. In verses 13-19: The importance and permanence of Persian laws are themes of the book. As elsewhere, the king does not make his own decisions but defers to advisers and documents. Memucan the eunuch, not the king, makes the Vashti affair into a forum on women's subordination. In verse 19: While biblical tradition indicates that Persian law could not  be altered (Dan 6.8), such a strategy would have been impractical. In verse 22: In its own language: the Persians generally accepted the ethnic diversity of their kingdom. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for September 5th

 Read Esther 1.1-9. In 1.1-9: In the royal court. In verse 1: Ahasuerus is usually identified with Xeres (486-465 BCE). "Strapies" is the more usual description of Persian administrative units than provinces. One hundred twenty-seven does not correspond to any reckoning known outside the Bible. In verse 2: Susa, at the foot of the Zagros mountains, was one of three royal residences. It consisted of a citadel, or fortified city (enclosed with gates), and an unfortified lower city. In verse 3: Media was a large province of the Achaemenid Persian empire. In verses 4-8: The extended period of Banqueting, as well as the extensive list of furnishings, paints a picture of a lavish, extravagant gentile (non-Jewish) court. Vashti is not mentioned in Persian literature. Although the Greek historian Herodotus reports that Persian men and women banqueted together, Vashti's separate banquet explains to the reader why she must be summoned, and the heavy drinking of the all-male audience may suggest that danger Vashti faced in appearing before them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 4th

Read Romans 16. 17-27. In verses 17-20: Warnings against trouble makers. In verse 18: Their own appetites, literally "their own belly,"are their own desires (Phil 3.19). Smooth talk and flattery: False teachers often have a way with words (Eph 5.6; Col 2.4). In verse 19: Paul's advice echoes Jesus' teaching (Mt 10.16). In verse 20: Paul expect God's final triumph soon (1 Cor 15.24). In verses 21-23: Paul's co-workers send greetings.  In verse 21: Timothy was Paul's long-time co-worker (Acts 16.1; 1 Cor 16.10-11). In verse 22: Tertius was Paul's secretary. In verse 23: Most likely, this is the Gaius of Corinth whom Paul baptized (1 Cor 1.14). In verse 25-27: Benediction. How the letter originally ended is unclear. In verse 25-26: The mystery... kept secret for long ages is God's vision of a universal community composed of both Jews and gentiles who live in obedient faith (Eph 3.1-6). Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 3rd

 Read Romans 16.1-16. In 16.1-23: Concluding personal greetings and exhortations. In verses 1-2: Phoebe commended. In verse 1: Deacon (Gk., "diakonos"), or minister is the same term used of Christ (15.8) and Paul (1 Cor 3.5). Cenchrea was a suburb of Corinth (Acts 18.8). In verses 3-16: Paul sends his greetings. In verses 3-5: Priscilla and Aquilla: Acts 18.2-3; 1 Cor 16.19. In verse 5: Asia: western Asia Minor. In verse 7: The feminine form of Junia is preferred over the masculine form Junias. She is the only woman among the apostles inthe New Testament. My relatives probably means fellow Jews. In verses 8-16: All the names listed are mentioned only here in the New Testament. Another Rufus is mentioned in Mk 15.21. The number of people Paul knows byname in the Roman church is remarkable. In verse 16: The holy kiss possibly originated in early Christian circles (1 Cor 16.20; 2 Cor 13.12). The churches of Christ in Achaia, where Paul was writing, are meant. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 2nd

 Read Romans 15.14-33. In 15.14-33: Paul's plans and anxieties. In verse 14-29: Paul reflects on his own ministry. In verse 14: Paul affirms his confidence in the Roman church's (1.8; 1 Cor 1.5). In verses 15-16: Grace given me refers to Paul's call to be an apostle to the gentiles (1 Cor 15.10-11). Referring to his ministry as priestly service is unusual. In verse 19: Signs and wonders accompanied Paul's mistry (2 Cor 12.12). Illyricum was a Roman province across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. In verse 21: Isa 52.15. In verse 22: What hindered Paul is not know (1.13). In verse 23: These regions were probably the areas bordering the Aegean Sea. In verse 24: Hospitality would also include financial provision for his mission to Spain (see v. 28; 1 Cor 16.6). In verses 25-26: Ministry to the saints refers to the financial collection Paul had gathered for poor Christians in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16.1-4; 2 Cor 8-9). In verse 27: Paul applies the principle of reciprocity stated in Gal 6.6. In verses 30-33: Paul's anxiety about the collection. In verse 31: Unbelievers in Judea are probably non-Christian Jews (1 Thess 2.15). Acts 21.17-36 relates Paul's arrival in Jerusalem and the controversy it causes among Jews, but omits the collection. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 1st

 Read Romans 15.1-13. In 15.1-13. In verses 1-6: Helping the weak. In verses 1-2: The previous discussion is summarized well here. In verse 3: Ps 69.9. In verse 4: Whatever was written in former days refers to the previously quoted psalm, but applies to the Old testament Scriptures generally (1 Cor 10.11). In verse 5: The concluding prayer for harmony echoes earlier advice (12.16; Phil 2.2). In verses 7-13: Concluding appeal. In verses 7-8: Christ's example influences Christian behavior (3.26; 2 Cor8.9). In verse 8: Servant of the circumcised indicates Christ's service to the Jews (Gal 4.4-5), whose patriarchs received the promises that gentiles would receive God's blessing (4.13; 9.4). The following Old Testament quotations include gentiles in God's purpose. In verse 9: Ps 18.49; 2 Sam 22.50. In verse 10: Deut 32.43. In verse 11: Ps 117.1. In verse 12: Isa 11.10. In verse 13: Paul prays for the vision of 14.7 to be realized. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 31st

 Read Romans 14.10-23. In 14.10-23: Learning not to judge each other. In verse 10: To judge others is to assume God's unique role (2 Cor 5.10). In verse 11: Isa 49.18; Jer 22.24; Ezek 5.11; Isa 45.23. In verse 13: This conclusion follows from vv. 11-12; see Mt 18.6-7. In verse 14: In the Lord Jesus may mean fidelity to Jesus' teaching (Mt 15.11; Acts 10.15). In verse 15: Paul echoes the advice he gives in 1 Cor 8.11-15. In verse 17b: These characterize life in the Spirit (Ch 8). In verse 19: Peace and mutual upbuilding 1 Cor 14.12, 26. In verses 20-22: Paul consistently advises placing limits on personal liberty for the sake of others (1 Cor 8.9-13). In verse 22-23: Acting from faith requires clear convictions, free from lingering doubts and feelings of self-condemnation. A right act wrongly felt is wrong. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 30th

 Read Romans 14.1-9. In 14.1-15.13: Dealing with differences. Here Paul offers instructions about what is required when people from different backgrounds with strongly held opinions try to live together as a community of faith (1 Cor 8-10). In verses 1-6: What to eat and what holidays to observe. In verses 1-2: The weak, those with stricter views about what to eat, may be Jews or gentiles. In verse 2: Those willing to eat anything reflect Paul's more open view about food laws (14.14; 1 Cor 8.8). In verse 3: God's acceptance of weak and strong requires mutual respect from both. In verse 4: Their own lord may be the principle they hold dear, or the way they understand what God requires. In verse 5-6: The day may be the sabbath or other Jewish holidays gentiles did not observe (Gal 4.10; Col 2.16). For  gentiles who did not observe the sabbath, all days were alike. Everyday was a work day. In verse 6; Devotion to God can produce opposite religious practices. In verses 7-9: Living for the Lord not for ourselves. Being the Lord's makes living in isolation impossible. Christ's death and resurrection is a shared reality linking all Christians together, both dead and living (1 Coor 12.27). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 29th

 Read Romans 13.1-14. In verse 1-7: Duties to governing authorities. Paul's positive view of civil authority is paralleled in 1 Pet 2.13-17. In verses 1-4: In jewish teaching, rulers ultimately derive their authority from God (Wis 6.1-3). In verses 8-10: Love's obligation. In verse 8: Following the decalogue's commands expresses love (Gal 5.14). In verse 9: Deut 5.17; Ex 20.13-17. In verse 9b: Lev 19.18; Mt 22.34-40. In verses 11-14: Being alert. Such advice is usually given when the Lord's coming is expected soon. In verse 11: Time: 1 Cor 7.29; 1 Thess 5.6. In verse 12: In apocalyptic thought darkness and light define types of behavior (1 Thess 5.1-5; Eph 5.8-11). In verses 13-14: Preparation for the end requires moral living. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 28th

 Read Romans 12.9-21. In verses 9-13: Building community.  These pieces of moral advice sketch a profile of sincere behavior tempered by genuine concern for others, both saints and strangers (1 Thess 4.9-12). In verse 9: Am 5.15. In verse 12: Hope and suffering: 5.1-5. In verses 14-21: Controlling our impulses. This advice echoes Jewish morality and Jesus teaching. In verse 14: Mt 5.44. In verse 15: Sir 7.34. In verse 16: Living in harmony is threatened by haughty attitudes; it ultimately occurs as a gift from God (15.5). In verse 19: Deut 32.35. In verse 20: Prov 25.21-22. In verse 21: Mt 5.39-41. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 27th

 Read Romans 12.1-8. In 12.1-15.13: Moral exhortation: living by faith. In 12.1-2: renewed minds. In verse 1: Living sacrifice recalls Christ's example (3.25; 8.3). In verse 2: A changed outlook makes for a clear moral vision ( (Col 3.1-4). In verses 3-8: Viewing ourselves properly. In verse 3: This caution against pride recalls earlier warnings (2.17; 3.27; 1 Cor 4.6) In verses 4-7: Now Paul suggests a remedy: An inflated self-image is offset by recognizing mutual need of each other's gifts (1 Cor 12.4-11). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 26th

 Read Romans 11.25-36. In 11.25-32: How Israel will be saved. In verse 25: Part of Israel implies the obedience of some Jews (11.5). In verse 26: The gentiles' acceptance will prompt the full response of Israel. In verses 26-27: Isa 59.20-21; 27.9; Jer 31.33-34. In verse 28: Enemies: By refusing to submit to God 's righteousness, Israel is at cross purposes with God (10.3-4). In verse 30: Just as gentiles benefited from Israel's bad fortune, now Israel should benefit from gentiles' good fortune. In verse 32: 3.9. In verses 33-26: Concluding prayer: God's wisdom. The mystery of God's workings 911.25) prompts this exuberant prayer acknowledging the depth of God's wisdom (1 Cor 2.7). In verse 34: Isa 40.13. In verse 35:  See Job 41.11, Hebrew text. In verse 36: 1 Cor 8.6; Col 1.16. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 25th

 Read Romans 11.13-25. In 11.13-32: Paul speaks to gentiles. The previous discussion has been an ongoing conversation with Israel about Israel. In verses 13-16: Effect of Paul's ministry on Israel. In verse 13: Apostle to the Gentiles: Paul so defines himself (1.5; Gal 2.8) In verse 14: Provoking Israel to jealousy fulfills Deut 32.21 (10.19). In verse 15: Israel's rejection can become the occasion for universal reconciliation. Israel's acceptance would show God's creative power (4.17). In verse 16: Both images emphasize the solidarity between Israel and the gentiles. In verses 17-24: Lessons from the olive tree. In verse 17: Gentiles are the wild olive shoot, Israel the root. In verse 18: Jews earlier, now gentiles, are forbidden to boast. (2.17-21). In verse 20: Unbelief is refusal to acknowledge Jesus as messiah. In verse 21: Both Jews and gentiles can experience God wrath (2.9-10). In verse 22: Kindness and severity represent God's two sides (9.22-24). In verse 23: Of Israel is an acceptable expansion, since Israel's unbelief is clearly in view. In verse 24: Paul holds out hope for Israel.  Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 24th

 Read Romans 11.1-12. In verse 1-6: A remnant chosen by grace. In verse 1: The objective of 3.1 is started more emphatically. Paul offers himself as an example of an obedient Israelite (2 Cor 11.22). In verse 2: 1 Sam 12.22. In verse 3 : 1 Kings 19.10, 14. In verse 4: 1 Kings 19.18.. In verse 5: A portion of Israel has experienced God's righteousness as gift (5.15; 11.27). In verses 7-12: Israel's refusal enables gentiles' obedience.  In verse 7: The elect as the faithful remnant of responsive Jewish Christians. In verse 8: Deut 29.4; Isa 29.9-10. In verse 9-10: Ps 69.22-23. In verse 10: Backs forever bent: The blind walk stooped. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 23rd

 Read Romans 10.14-21. In verses 14-17: Hearing the gospel of Christ. In verses 14-15: Being summoned is ultimately traceable to proclamation. In verse 15: Isa 42.7; Nah 1.15. Proclaimers of God's good news are like messengers announcing battle victories. In verse 16: Isa 53.1. In verse 17: Abraham maybe in view if word of God is read. In verses 18-21: Israel's refusal to hear. The law and the prophets, and writings attest Israel's disobedience. In verse 18: Ps 19.4. In verse 19: Deut 32.21. In verse 20: Isa 65.1. In verse 21: Isa 65.2. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 22nd

 Read Romans 10.1-13. In verses 1-4: Paul's prayer for Israel. In verses 1-2: Paul speaks of Israel (9.31-33). In verse 3: Righteousness that comes from God: 1.16-17. In verse 4: The end of the law: Christ either abolishes the law or is it goal, probably the latter (3.21-22). In verses 5-13: Righteousness through faith. In verse 5: Lev 18.5. The emphasis here is on living by doing. In verse 6a: Deut 9.4. In verse 6b: Deut 30.12. In verse 7: Ps 107.26; see Deut 30.13. In verse 8: Deut 30.14. Faith does not try to locate Christ  "out there," but rather expresses an inner conviction with the heart and expressed with your lips. In verse 10: What the heart believes, the mouth confesses. In verse 11: Isa 28.16. In verse 12: No distinction: Jews and gentiles are justified the same way (3.30). In verse 13: Joel 2.32. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 21st

 Read Romans 9.27-33. In verse 27-29: A  remnant will be saved.  In verse 27: Isa 10.22. In verse 28: See Isa 28.22. In verse 29: Isa 1.9. In verses 30-33: Gentiles succeeded where Israel failed. Faith, the capacity to trust God, not performance, is the critical difference (4.5). In verse 33: Isa 28.16; Isa 8.14. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 20th

 Read Romans 9.14-26. In 9.14-26: God's freedom to choose. In verse 14: Paul anticipates criticism of his logic (3.3-5). In verse 15: Ex 33.19. In verse 16: God does not require human will or exertion to show mercy. In verse 17: Ex 9.16. In verse 19: Paul's imaginary dialogue partner responds. In verses 20-21: The image of the potter and clay (drawn from Isa 29.16; 45.9) emphasizes God's sovereign power. In verses 22-23: God can show wrath or mercy. In verses 25-26: From both Jews and Gentiles God can form a newly beloved people. In verse 25: Hos 2.25. In verse 26: Hos 1.10. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 19th

 Read Romans 9.1-13. In 9.1-11.36: God's purpose for Israel. In 9.1-5: Blessings belonging to Israel. In verse 5: Here the NRSV retains the ambiguity of the Greek. Ordinarily, Paul uses such language of God rather than Christ (1.25; 2 Cor 11.31). In verses 6-13: Abraham true descendants. In verses 6-7: The earlier distinction (2.28-29) between physical and spiritual pedigree is now stated differently. In verse 7: Gen 21.12. In verse 8: Children of the promise are gentiles and Jews who, like Abraham live by faith (4.16). In verse 9: Gen 18.10. In verse 12: Gen 25.23. Like Abraham, Rebecca lived by faith. In verse 13: Mal 1.2-3. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 18th

 Read Romans 8.26- 39. In verses 26-27: The Spirit as intercessor. In verse 26: Our weakness is being unable to say what we need. Intercedes: the Spirit pleads our case before God ( Heb 7.25): Here God knows the Spirit as thoroughly as the human heart (Ps 139.1-6). Praying "in the Spirit" recognizes the Spirit's mediating role (Eph 6.18; Jude 20). In verses 28-30: Being part of God's larger purpose. In verse 28: The alternative readings yield significant differences. The most believable of the three is: In all things God works for good. In verses 29-30: The people of God rather than individuals are in view. In verses 31-39: More than conquerors. Central tit his triumphant finale is what God did in Christ (vv. 32, 34, 37, 39), apply summarized in the final line: The love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. In verse 32: Christ as God's sacrifice is in view (8.3). Everything else includes protective care from suffering (v. 35) and cosmic threats, present and future (vv. 37-39). In verse 33: God's elect are God's people (8.28-30). In verse 36 : Ps 44.22. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 17th

 Read Romans 8.12-25. In verses 12-17: Living as God's children. In verses 12-13: Living according to the flesh leads to various forms of self-gratification, deeds of the body. In verse 14: This is especially true of Christ (8.3; Lk 4.1-13). In verses 15-17: The ability to cry "Abba! Father!" derives from the spirit of adoption. The Spirit's co-testimony does not result from prayer, as it does in the NRSV text. The prayer preserves the Aramaic language of Jesus ((Mk 14.36; Gal 4.6). In verse 18-25: Present suffering and future glory. In verse 18: Sufferings and  glory develop 8.17. Believers share both experiences with Christ. In verses 19-25: The creation is the whole created order. In verse 20: Subjected to futility: The creation story is in view as a woman in labor, giving birth to new life (Gal 4.19). In verse 23: First fruits of the Spirit: In the Older Testament, what was harvested first were the "first fruits," an indication of more to come (Ex 23.26). Similarly, the Spirit is understood here as a foretaste of the future glory. In verse 24: 2 Cor 4.18. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 16th

 Read Romans 8.1-11. In verses 1-8: Life inthe Spirit. In verse 1: No condemnation: Those in Christ no longer feel doomed (Jn 5.24). In verse 2: God life-giving Spirit unleashed in Christ becomes a liberating law, replacing the Mosaic law that sin uses to produce death (7.5, 11). In verses 3-4: By sending Christ as a sin offering, God met the requirement of the law (Lev 4-5). Recognizing what the law ... could not do, however, God  dealt with humans in (sin in the flesh) with a human sacrifice (in the likeness of sinful flesh) with a human sacrifice (in the likeness or sinful flesh). In verses 5-8: Flesh and Spirit represents opposing outlooks, with different lifestyles and consequences: death versus life and peace (Gal 5.16-26). In verses 9-11: God, Christ, Spirit. Paul now uses the plural form of you (8.2). His main focus maybe group rather than individual identity. In verse 9: Having the Spirit of Christ becomes the distinguishing mark of Christian identity. In verse 10: If Christ is in you: Christ's pattern of "dying and rising" becomes part of us (Gal 2.19-20). Our body may be mortal because of Adam's sin, yet our spirit lives because of God's righteousness shown through Christ (5.18). In verse 11: God's Spirit living with in us links our experience of the risen Christ with our hope of resurrection life. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 15th

 Read Romans 7.14-25. In verses 14-20: The struggle to do good. I am of the flesh: Paul may be speaking of his own morals struggle or using "I" to express everyone's experience. Sin that dwells within me (vv. 17, 20) suggests an alien presence wreaking havoc in an unwilling host. In verses 21-25: The war within us. In verse 21: A law here means "a rule." In verse 22:The law of God maybe the Mosaic law (vv. 14, 16). In verse 23: Elsewhere the opposition is between the flesh and Spirit (Gal 5.17). In verse 25: As before, sin and God are enemies (6.22). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 14th

 Read Romans 7.1-13. In verses 1-3: Marriage and the law. Whether the Jewish law (Ex 20.14; Duet 5.18) or Roman law is in view is not clear. The same principle holds for both: Laws governing marriage presuppose two living partners. The death of one partner (here, the husband) invalidates the law, leaving the other partner (the wife) free to marry. In verses 4-6: Christ's death and the law. The law of Moses is the first husband, the risen Christ the second husband. Paul's readers are the wife now discharged from the obligations of the old written code. Newly married to Christ, they belong to another and enjoy the new life of the Spirit. Generally, the analogy makes sense, but seems forced. V. 4 is difficult. In verses 7-13: The value of the law. In verse 7: V. 5 seems tos upport this objection. Bynaming the sin, the law raises the sinner's consciousness.To covet is to want something that belongs to someone else (Ex 20.17; Deut 5.21). In verses 8-11: Sin takes on personal qualities, having power to seize and manipulate people and laws. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 13th

 Read Romans 6.15-23. In verses 15-19: Choosing whom to obey. In verse 15: For Paul's critics, exchanging law for grace encourages sin (3.8). In verses 16-19: The widespread practice of slavery in antiquity informs Paul's discussion: Living as slaves meant obedient submission (Eph 6.5-9; Col 3.22-4.1). In verses 20-23: Thinking long term. In verse 20: To be free is to be without obligation to righteousness. In verse 21: Sin can cause physical death and ultimate separation from God (8.6, 13). In verse 22: With change loyalties comes a purer life, sanctification ( 1 Thess 4.3), and eventually eternal life with God (5.21). Comments or Questions.

Reading for August 12th

 Read Romans 6.5- 14. In verses 5-11: Dying and living with Christ. In verses 5-8: With him: Believers "enter" Christ's experience as co-participants (Gal 2.19-20). In verse 10: He died to sin: In dying, Christ yielded to sin's power to kill. Christ's death occurred once; his new life with God is ongoing: He lives to God. In verse 11: Sin and God represent opposing realities and Loyalties. In verses 12-14: Shifting loyalties. Sin may be an impersonal force, but it seriously competes with God for dominion over mortal bodies. In verse 13: Those ... brought from death to life have re-lived Christ's experience (v. 8). In verse 14: Christ's death also represents a shift from law to grace (Jn 1.17). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 11th

 Read Romans 6.1-4.In 6.1-4: Dying to sin. In verse 1: Paul now answers his critics more fully (3.8). In verse 2-4: Through baptism, believers ritually reenact Jesus' death and resurrection, experiencing the radical shift from death to life as moral renewal: Death to sin and newness of life (Col 2.11-12). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 10th

 Read Romans 5.12-21. In verses 12-14: Sin, death, and law. Tracing sin and death to one man, Adam, is based on Gen 3. Universal sin brings universal death (Rom 3.9). In verses 13-14: Adam's sin preceded the Mosaic law chronologically, but law makes sin and it consequences specific, thus easier to deal with. Adam is seen as a type (a figure with important similarities of Christ), the one who was to come (1 Cor 15.45-47). In verses 15-17: Adam and Christ. Free gift translates different Greek words ("Charisma," vv. 15a, 16b; "dorea," vv. 15b, 17; "dorema," v. 16), but they all refer to God's free gift of Christ, which is contrasted with one man's (Adam's) trespass. Both events are alike because they show how one person can affect many people. But they have very different effects. Adam's trespass brought condemnation (v. 16) and death (v.17), whereas God's free gift of Christ brought justification (v. 16) and life (v. 17). In verses 18-21: Law and grace. In verses 18-19: These verses summarize and extend the contrast of the previous section. In verses 20-21: The Mosaic law came in and made sin and its consequences clear (4.15). Trespasses multiplied because awareness of sin increased. yet, the lethal effects of sin were exceeded by God's grace shown through Jesus Christ our Lord. This event revealed God's righteousness by providing God reliable and making real the prospect of eternal life (6.23). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 9th

 Read Romans 5.1-11. In verses 1-5: Peace with God through Christ. In verse 1: Gal 2.16. Peace results where justice and righteousness prevail (Isa 32.16-18). In verse 2: To experience salvation as gift not reward, is to stand in God's grace (1 Pet 5.12; Rom 4.4-5). In verses 2-3: Boast is used positively here, meaning "take pride in " (Rom 3.27; 1 Cor 1.29). In verses 3-4: Suffering is properly understood within the larger perspective of resurrection hope (Ps 22.3-5). The Holy Spirit given to believers is the tangible expression of God's love (Titus 3.6). In  verses 6-11: Christ died for sinners. In verse 6: The ungodly live against God (Rom 4.5). In verse 7: It is hard enough to die for a generous, good-hearted person.  In verse 8: Christ's death for sinners who are neither good nor righteous shows God's unusual love (Jn 3.16; 1 Jn 4.10). In verse 9: His blood: Jesus' death is understood as atoning sacrifice (Rom 3.25). In verses 10-11: Those yielding to the power of sin become enemies of God (Rom 3.9-18). Christ's death reconciles sinful humanity with God (2 Cor 5.18-19; Col 1.21-22); through his resurrection life, believers experience similar hope of being saved. In verse 11: God now becomes the proper object of pride (1 Cor 1.31). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 8th

 Read Romans 4.16-25. In 4.16-25: Abraham's ability to trust. In verse 16: The promise of God's blessings is given in grace and received in faith to all his descendants, both Jews (adherents of the law) and gentiles (those who share the faith of Abraham). In verses 17-19: God's creative power is shown by giving life to Abraham's "dead" body and Sarah's barren womb. In verse 17: Gen 17.5. In verse 18: Gen 15.5. In verse 19: Hundred years old, Gen 17.17. In verses 20-21: Unwavering trust characterizes the faith of Abraham (v. 16). In verse 22: Gen 15.6. In verses 24-25: To believe that God raised Jesus ... from the dead requires faith like Abraham and Sarah. For them, receiving God's righteousness meant experiencing God as utterly reliable, as someone whose promises come true. God can be similarly experienced by those who believe that God gave life to the crucified Jesus. The language handed over and raise suggests a two-part confession. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for August 7th

 Read Romans 4.1-15. In verses 1-8: The example of Abraham. In verse 3: Gen 15.6. In verses 14-15: Righteousness may be seen as an earned wage given to one who works or as a gift freely bestowed to the one who trusts in God who accepts sinners. In verses 7-8: Ps 32.1-2. In verses 9-12: When Abraham received God's blessing. The sequence of events in Genesis is critical to Paul's argument. Which was the more defining moment for Abraham? Faith (Gen 15.6) or circumcision (Gen 17.1-14)? Faith since it came first. Thus Abraham is better seen as the ancestor of all who believe (Jews and gentiles) rather than the ancestor of the circumcised (Jews only). In verses 13-15: God promise through faith, not Mosaic Law. In verse 13: The promise of many descendants through Isaac experienced through righteousness of faith is given in Genesis (15.1-6; 18.18; 22.15-18). It did not come through the law of Moses, which came much later. Since The promise is linked more closely to faith than it is to the law, it is best experienced not by adherents of the law but by those living in the faith. In verse 15: Without law, there is not sense of violation (Gal 3.19). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 6th

 Read Romans 3.21-31. In verses 21-26: Experiencing God's righteousness through Christ. In verse 21: The righteousness of God: God's integrity and ability to set things right. Verses 22, 26: To have faith in Jesus Christ means Christ is the object of faith: Believers regard him as God's agent or redemption (v. 24). To have the faith of Jesus means Christ is the example of faith: His fidelity reveals God's integrity and displays the type of faith for which believers should strive (Gal 216, 20; 3.20). In verses 27-31: Faith and law. In verse 27: Boasting putting confidence inhuman achievement instead of divine power (1 Cor 1.29, 31). In verse 28: Those verses compactly summarizes Paul's position (Gal 2.16). In verses 28-30: Two waves of being religious, or relating to God, are contrasted: Through works of the law (of Moses) and the law (principle) of faith. Paul insists that Jews (the circumcised) of gentiles (uncircumcised) relate to God the same way: Through ... faith (v. 30). In verse 31: Overthrow the law probably expresses the view of Paul's critics. His claim to uphold the law is developed in ch. 4. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 5th

 Read Romans 3.1-20. In verses 1-8: Answering Jewish objections. In verse 2: Scripture contains the oracles of God, what God has spoken to Israel (Deut 4.7-8; Ps 147.15, 18-20). In verses 3-7: God's reliability is variously described as faithfulness, justice, truthfulness. In verse 4: One psalm finds humans unreliable (Ps 116.11), another regards God as an honest judge (Ps 51.4). In verse 8: This criticism is answered more fully in ch. 6. In verses 9-20: No one has the moral advantage. In verse 9: Jews and Greeks include everyone (1.16). In verses 10-18: Various biblical quotations are grouped together to show that all ... are under the power of sin. In verses 10-12: Eccl 7.20; Ps 14.1-3. In verse 13: Ps 5.9; 140.3. In verse 14: Ps 10.7. In verses 15-17: Isa 59.7-8: Prov 1.16. In verse 18: Ps 36.1. In verse 20: Ps 143.2; Gal 2.16. Comments or Questions.

Reading for August 4th

 Read Romans 3.17-29. In verses 17-24: Inconsistent behavior condemned. In verses 17-18: Jewish identity is closely linked to Torah observance. In verse 19: Isa 42.6-7. In verses 21-23: These rhetorical questions directly indict those who boast in the law yet flagrantly violate its teachings. Stealing and committing adultery as forbidden in the Decalogue (Ex 20.1-17; Deut 5.1-21). In verse 24: Them quotation is based on the Greek version of Isa 52.5. See Ezek 36.20. In verses 25-29: What really defines a person. In Gen 17.1-14 required male circumcision as a sign of God's covenant with Israel. It indicated willingness to observe Torah (Gal 5.3). Uncircumcised gentiles who fulfill the moral requirements of Torah are, in a spiritual sense, circumcised, and more commendable than Jews who violate Torah. Circumcision ... of the heart suggests an obedient spirit (Deut 10.16; 30.6). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 3rd

 Read Romans 2.1-16. In verses 1-11: God's wrath against religious people. The language shifts to direct address, from they and them in 1.18-32 to you. Whoever you are (vv. 1, 3), literally, "O man!," is an open-ended charge against religious people who do the very things they condemn in others. Such people think God's kindness gives them slack rather than reason to change their lives (repentance, v. 4). Like those whom they condemn (1.18), they too will experience God's wrath and fury (v. 8; see 5.9; 12.19). Day of wrath , see Zeph 1.14-16; Rev 6.17. At the final judgment, God will render impartial judgement. V. 6 quotes Ps 62.12: see Prov 24.12. Good and evil cut across ethic lines (vv. 9-10). In verses 12-16: Doing what the law requires. In verse 12: Experiencing the harsh effects of sin and developing a sense of moral accountability before God do not derive exclusively from the law of Moses. This is something all people experience, both gentiles who live apart the law and Jew who live under the law. In verse 16: The day of judgment, 2 cor 1.14; Phil 1.6, 10. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 2nd

 Read Romans 1.18-32. In 1.18-8.39: God purpose and character revealed in Christ. In 18.18-32: God's wrath against sinful humanity. Gentiles are nor mentioned specifically in 1.18-32, but they appear to be in view (see 1.30; God-haters; 2.14; 3.9). Paul thinks humanity can know God through creation. Yet rather than honoring God properly as creator, people devised in appropriate forms of worship: images of humans and animals (v. 23). Such worship is misguided because it gives honor to mortal things rather than exclusive honor to the immortal God (v. 23). Worshiping creatures instead of the creator is here seen as the ultimate lie. Closely associated with idol worship were sexual practices regarded by Jews as impure and degrading to the body (vvv. 24-25). Failure to acknowledge God leads to debased thinking and immoral behavior that destroys meaningful relationships among friends and family, leading to chaos within society (1 Cor 6.10-11; Gal 5.19-21). Paul repeatedly emphasizes that God gave them up ... (vv. 24, 26, 28), suggesting God's disgust with such arrogant, socially destructive behavior. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 1st

 Read Romans 1.1-17. In 1.1-15: Greeting and prayer of thanksgiving. In 1-7: Greeting. The writer Paul identifies himself and his mission as they relate to Christ and God. Grace and peace combine standard forms of gentile and Jewish address. This greeting is longer than most because Paul is writing to a church he has not yet visited and he wants to align himself with early Christian belief (vv. 2-6). In 8-15: Prayer of thanksgiving. Opening thanksgivings in Pauline letters often set the mood for the rest of the letter and signal key themes. Paul's mission to the Gentiles reflects a central concern of the letter (v. 13). There is no hint that he will reach Rome as a prisoner, as in Acts depicts (Acts 28). In verses 16-17: Purpose. These verses, which actually concludes the prayer of thanksgiving, summarize the main themes of the letter. I am not ashamed means "I have confidence in." The gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ, tells a story about God's saving activity. It stems from God and expresses God's power to transform human lives. It also reveals the righteousness of God, either God's character as on who is reliable and trustworthy or what is given by God who sets things right. The proper response to God's action in Christ is faith, which is both the means (through faith) and the end (for faith) of life before God. The Older Testament quotation is a distinctive Pauline rendering based upon on Hab 2.4. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 31st

 Read Nehemiah 13.23-31. In verse 27: This great evil; Just as in Ezra, the intermarriage of the community with the surrounding peoples is portrayed in graphic terms a most serious violation of divine order. The discovery of intermarriage was contrary to the pledges of the community in 10.30. While in ch 10 the community voluntarily takes on an oath, here Nehemiah made them take an oath, with a strong public display of anger. In verse 28: One of the sons of Jehoiada: Just as Tobiah's relationship to certain priests presented a problem at the beginning of this section, now Sanballat's relationship to a member of the high priestly family presents another challenge. In verse 30: I cleansed them from everything foreign: The community, as a "house of God," has been cleansed of patterns that would pull them away from their strict observance of the law. Just as David and Solomon made specific provisions for the care of the Temple personnel, Nehemiah places himself in the same company for establishing the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work. In verse 31: For good, that is, all the good that Nehemiah has accomplished on behalf of the community. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 30th

 THE POSTLOGUE

13.4-31: Having described the communal confession of sin, the entry into a solemn covenant, the dedication of the walls, and the redefinition of the community as the "house of God," it remains for the author to clarify what happened to Nehemiah. This postlogue offers a sort of conclusion to Nehemiah's mission, showing the reformer forcefully addressing a number of wrongs in the community. The section as a whole is based on the covenant contents of ch 10, but in reverse order. For example, where the covenant begins with a vow to end intermarriage (10.30), the present section ends with the same issue (vv. 23-27). Nehemiah's efforts are aimed at  trying to get the community to live up to its own promises.

Read Nehemiah 4-22. In verse 5: Prepare for Tobiah a large room in the Temple precinct: Tobiah was not only one of Nehemiah's primary adversaries, but was an Ammonite, a group to be excluded from the Temple (13.1-2). They had previously put grain offering suggests that the offerings are not coming in as they had been, allowing for the room to be put to other uses. In verse 6: I was not in Jerusalem: Nehemiah apparently was called back to the court for reasons not directly relating to his governance of the district. The thirty-second year of Artaxerxes would be 432 BCE. In verse 8: I was very angry: By making such a public show, Nehemiah may have been hoping to bring the priest Eliashib, an relative of Tobiah, under control. This entire incident is followed up to the actions of the community in 13.1-3. In verse 10: The portions of the Levites had been given to them: This contrary to the pledge made in 10.35-39 not to "neglect the house of God." It also specifically violates the pledges made in 12.44-47 to ensure the singers could remain at their posts. In verse 17: Profaning the sabbath day? This is contrary to the pledges made in 10.31 to keep the sabbath, even if foreign merchants come with goods to sell. In verse 19: I set some of my servants over the gates, apparently to ensure that Nehemiah's orders to shut the city gates at the beginning of the sabbath were fulfilled. Cordoning off the city on the sabbath makes the entire city a holy precinct on that day. In verse 22: This  explains why Nehemiah commands the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates. With the entire community turned into a "house of God" the Levites should guard the entryways just as they had previously guarded the entrances in the the Temple precincts. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 29th

 Read Nehemiah 13.1-3. In 13.1-3: The separation of foreigners. Slipping back into a first-person form, this brief notice highlights again the now sacred character of the community as a whole. In verse 1: On that day is unclear, but in context it must mean on the day of the dedication of the walls. No Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God refers to Deut 23.3-6, where "the assembly of God" is the worshipping community appearing in the Temple. In verse 3: They separated from Israel all those of foreign descent, presumably including non-Ammonite and non-Moabite persons. The Deuteronomic law is being extended to the community as a whole, not just the worshipping body, and to all foreigners, not just Ammonites and Moabites. This marks a further redefinition of the community as a sacred body. Not that intermarriage is not raised here. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 28th

Read Nehemiah 12.44-47. In 12.44-47: The community ensures Temple service. Shifting back to a third-person narrative, this section recounts efforts the community made to ensure that the contributions to the Temple stores were properly accounted for. The focus is exclusively on the community and its support for the Temple personnel. In verse 44: Men were appointed: The appointment was by the consenus of the community, not not by an individual. Being over the stores included the inventorying and redistribution of offerings. Such care was taken because Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. Taking care over the offerings that support these persons was an act of Thanksgiving for the joy worship provided to the community. In verse 47: The daily poritons:The offering that provided daily rations to the Temple personnel. Paralleling Zerubbabel, who rebuilt the Temple, and Nehemiah, who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, serves the same function as Ezra 1-6 served mixing  the two efforts together: The rebuilding of the walls and subsequent solemn covenant reformed the house of God just as the physical rebuilding of the building did. To speak of Nehemiah in this manner makes it sound like his term as governor is over. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 27th

 Read Nehemiah 12.27-43. In 12.27-43: The dedication of Jerusalem's walls. This section briefly returns to a first-person style, similar to the other sections of the "Nehemiah memoir." It recounts the elaborate dedication ceremony, with the community divided into two large portions processing along the walls until they meet by the Temple. The dedication is given a religious dimension with priests and Levites actively participating in the ceremony. In verse 27: They sought out the Levites in all their place: The Levites, who lived in common villages, were needed to ensure the full complement of music and praise. In verse 30: Purified themselves: A necessary preparatory step for a religious ceremony. Also necessary was the purification of the people, though purifying the gates and walls represents a new level of concern for correctness. Such an act extends the area of God's presence from the Temple to the entire walled city. In verse 36: And the scribe Ezra went in front in recognition of the importance of his contributions to the community. In verse 40; Both companies ... stood in the house of God. No formal entry into the Temple itself has preceded this point. This makes more sense if the entire walled city is being considered "house of God." In verse 43: The joy of Jerusalem was heard: This offers a conclusion to the rejoicing and jubilation the community had experienced. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 26th

 Read Nehemiah 12.1-26. In 12.1-26: Lists of priests and Levites. Though the list appears fairly well organized (priests and Levites from the time of the return, vv. 1-9; high priests and Levites from the generation after the return, vv. 12-25; and a chronological summary, v. 26), these is evidence the lists have been expanded over time. While the question of sources and historicity are highly debated, the list in its present position serves to emphasize the sacred character of the newly populated holy city. In verse 24: According to the commandment of David: See the account in 1 Chr 23.30, where David sets several families of Levites aside for this purpose. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 25th

 Read Nehemiah 11.25-36. In 11.25-36: A note about villages outside Jerusalem. This brief account touches on some of the settlements outside Jerusalem that constituted the territory of Judah. Several of the places on the list were not settled by Jews until the Hellenistic period, so this list may be an idealized fiction, approximating the settlements of Judah as described in the tribal allotments of the book of Joshua (Jos 15.1-12). In effect, this makes the same point as the notice of the Festival of Booths earlier (8.17). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 24th

 11.1-24. In 11.1-24: The community repopulates Jerusalem. Further focusing on the community's dedication to the law, this section depicts the repopulation of Jerusalem, ending with another lengthy list of those who moved into Jerusalem. In verse 1; One out of ten: This applies the tithe (Deut 12.17) to the community's total population. This is the first time Jerusalem is called the holy city,  an extension of the temple precinct's sacredness to the entire city now that it is marked by the completed walls. In verse 2: The people blessed ... live in Jerusalem: The community's desire to undertake this task is emphasized. The listing that follows offers leaders (divided into those of Judah and Benjamin, priests, Leveites, and gatekeepers. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 23rd

Read Nehemiah 10.1-39. In 10.28-39: The terms of the covenant.  Having made an extensive confession before God, the community now offers a solemn covenant that covers a wide range of obligations. All of these will reform the community and bring it into accord with the law of God. In verse 28: The rest of the people, that is, other than the named signatories. In verse 30: We will not give our daughters ... take their daughters: The first major commitment is to oppose intermarriage and cease its practice. The dissolution of existing ethically mixed marriages is not called for. In verse 31: We  will not buy ... on the sabbath or on a holy day: This involves observing the sabbath with new rigor, since the law does not prohibit buying on the sabbath, though selling on the sabbath may have been customarily forbidden (Am 8.5). Forego the crops of the seventh year: Crop land is to receive a sabbath (Lev 25.1-7), combined with rules regarding the release of debts (Deut 15.1-18). These rules had not previously been linked. In verse 32: On-third of a shekel: This was the annual temple tax that continued into the Roman period (Mt 17.24-27). The Temple tax was instituted after the exile since there was no source of regular royal underwriting of temple functions. In verse 34: The community also commits to supply the wood offering to support the temple service. In verse 35: First fruits: While the fist cuttings pf grain are specified in the law (Deut 26.1-11), no provision is required for the produce of fruit trees. The remaining obligations commit the community to support of various aspects of Temple service, In verse 39: The main thrust of this covenant extends the coverage of the law, placing a larger sphere of life into the realm of the holy as part of service for the house of God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 22nd

 Read Nehemiah 9.9-38. In verse 32: Keeping the covenant and steadfast love emphasizes God's enduring relationship with Israel. Do not treat lightly all the hardship that has come upon us is an appeal that God not add to the community's burden but accept the deep contrition being expressed. In verse 36: Here we are, slaves to this day: Though it is a bound condition under imperial constraints. In verse 38: We make firm agreement: The confession has noted the community's present predicament, which now calls for a response that takes the law very seriously, not repeating the sins of the past. To commit to the agreement in writing further affirms the serious intent here. The author has made this intent more apparent by listing the names of the community leadership affirming this covenant in 10.1-27. Surprisingly, Ezra is absent from this list. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 21st

 Read Nehemiah 9.1-8.  In 9.1-10.27: A day of community confession. This account explains a solemn covenant to which the community will bind itself. Most of the section is a lengthy prayer, possibly offered  by Ezra, which implores God to see the sufferings of the community in the present. The people hope that seeing how they have suffered, God will spare them any additional hardship in spite of their failure to observe the law. The account closes with the names of those who affirmed the covenant. Many have suggested that all or parts of the account fit best after the materials of Ezra 10. In 9.1: The twenty-four day of this month: Following the author's chronology, the Feast of Weeks, lasting eight days, would have ended on the tenth day of the month. The community had clearly prepared for the expression of grief by fasting and being dressed in sackcloth. In verse 2: Separated themselves: Possibly a reflection of the "sending away" of the foreign wives of Ezra 10, though the wording here clearly relates to foreign men as well. Since the confession is rooted in the particular experiences of Israel, the wording may simply mean that only those who have continuity with pre-exilic Israel continued with the confession, while converts to Judaism did not participate. In verse 6: Ezra said: This reading follows the Greek translation of Nehemiah. The Hebrew text implies the prayer is offered by the congregation as a whole. The prayer goes on the recount God's special kindness to Israel and the coming into the land of Israel. The prayer also notes the problem of idolatry that led to judgment, though characterizing these transgressions by the more general casting of the "law behind their backs" (v. 26). Of particular note is the emphasis on God as a "gracious and merciful God" (v. 31). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 20th

 Read Nehemiah 8.13-18. In 8.13-18: The community keeps the Festival of Booths. One of the specified holy times of the seventh month was the Festival of Booths (Lev 23.33-43), slated to be observed for a week beginning on the fifteenth day of the month. Along with the celebration of the deliverance from Egypt that is the prime focus of the festival, this account continues the reading, and presumably explanation, of the law. In verse 13: On the second day keeps the chronology of 8.2, even though it technically does not observe the festival specifications of the law. This may be an indication that the precise limits of the festival had not yet been set in the Persian period. In  place of the community as a whole, this gathering consists only of the leadership. In verse 17: All the assembly ... made booths: the whole community is involved. From the days of Jeshua is a reference to the period of conquest and Israel's inheritance of the land. The completion of the city walls and the reformation of the community are parallel to israel's beginnings. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 19th

 Read Nehemiah 7.18b-8.12. In 73b-8.12: The community gathers to hear the law. This section brings back into the narrative the figure Ezra, of whom nothing has been said since the close of the book of Ezra. This sudden reemergence of Ezra and the focus on the importance of the law has led many scholars to conclude that this narrative was originally part of the account of Ezra and was moved to its present position by the editor who has brought Ezra-Nehemiah into its present form. The focus, however, remains on the community's request for the reading of the law, and the way the section is placed makes it clear that the goal is to reform itself into a more obedient community on the eve of the dedication of the city's walls. This ceremony also forms the backdrop to the conclusion of this larger section in 13.1-13. In 73b: When the seventh month came: The walls were completed in the month of Elul (6.15), the sixth month of the year. A rough chronological sequence is maintained by the placement, though there is some question if enough time is allowed for the people to return to be settled in their town before reassembling in Jerusalem. The seventh month was traditionally the time of the Day of Atonement (on the tenth day) and the Feast of Tabernacles (for a week starting on the fifteenth day). Several scholars have noted that this was also the month specified in Deut 31.10-13 for an assembly of the people to hear a reading of the law every seven years. This is apparently the model on which the account is structured. In 8.1: They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book: The way Ezra is portrayed as  subservient to the wishes of the "assembly,"rather  than the forceful leader of the community as in the book of Ezra tends to weigh against the idea that this narrative was originally part of the book of Ezra. In the account of this gathering, Ezra is variously termed the scribe (vv. 1, 4), the priest (v. 2), and the priest and scribe (vv. 9), both being roles attributed to him in the book of Ezra. In verse 7: The levites helped the people to understand: One of the traditional roles of the levites was to teach the meaning of the law to Israel (Deut 33.10), and this may have involved a brief exposition of the passage. The Levities may have moved about the crowd answering queries since the people remained in their paces. In verse 9: Nehemiah ... and Ezra: This on of only two places in the Hebrew text of Ezra-Nehemiah where the two reformers appear together. This day is holy: The day of the assembly is a specific sacred occasion. While the specified time of the reading of the law could be considered a holy day, the account may imply that the day is the Feast of Trumpets, set on the first day of the seventh month, which was sacred day (Lev 23.23-25), although no reading of the law is connected witht he Feast of Trumpets. Possibly recognizing how far they had strayed from the law, the people wept. In verse 10: Then he said to them: The he may be Ezra. The specified foods are typical of a festive meal celebrating a sacred occasion. The phrase the joy of the Lord is your strength uses an unusual term for joy, one that occurs here and 1 Chr 16.27, "where strength and joy are in his place." In verse 12: All the people went their way ... to make great rejoicing: Unlike 1 and 2 Chronicles, where the rejoicing takes place in great corporate scenes, this account portrays the people retiring to their homes to rejoice. Their ability to understand the law provides the opportunity to live in accord with the divine will (Ps 119.34-35). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 18th

 FORMING THE HOUSE OF GOD

In 7.6-13.3: This section drops the first-person style of the "Nehemiah memoir" and the concern with opponents to the rebuilding efforts. Instead the focus is on the community's concerns and corporate commitments. These are presented by means of several large gatherings of the "assembly" of the people interspersed with lengthy lists of people involved. The culmination is an extended description of the dedication of the city walls and the separation of "Israel" from all those of "foreign descent ," Thus paralleling the physical separation of the city from the surrounding peoples. 

Read Nehemiah 7.6-73a. In 7.6-73a: The list of those who returned from Babylon. In verse 6: These are the people of the province: largely repeats the list found in Ezra 2.1-70. Variations between the two lists are minor, but often this list represents a slightly fuller version of the list in Ezra 2. The The focus is clearly on the people, and the reduplication of the lists  shows the author's concern to focus on the community's efforts. In verse 7: Nehemiah: Notice that this is in the third person, rather than the first person accounts of the "Nehemiah memoir." Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 17th

 Read Nehemiah 7.1-5. In verse 1: The gate keepers, the singers, and the Levites: The addition of the singers and Levites is unexpected, though since these groups were well organized they may have served as supplementary help to the gatekeepers, who would have to undertake their duties without prior experience. In verse 3: The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot, perhaps as an additional security measure. In verse 5: The book of the genealogy: There is no explanation for where or how the book was found. Those who were the first to come back: perhaps those who first returned from Exile, or those who first returned with one of the subsequent waves of exiled peoples who migrated to Jerusalem. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 16th

 Read Nehemiah 6.15- 19. In 6.15-7.5: The walls are completed. This section, which recounts the completion of the physical work of refortifying the city, ends with a note on the relatively few people in the city. The rebuilding of the walls is not the final completion of the formation of the "house of God." In 6.17: The nobles of Judah are an indefinite group, but presumably related to a traditional aristocracy. In verse 18: For many in Judah were bound by an oath to him: The reasons are not specified. presumably their support of Tobiah results not from opposition to Nehemiah as much as being bound by their oaths. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 15th

 Read Nehemiah 6.1-14. In 6.1-14: Nehemiah's life is threatened. While the account of ch. 4 deals with threats against the community, this section continues a focus on Nehemiah as an individual, revealing a series of plots by the "adversaries" to destroy him. Nehemiah's persistence in directing the rebuilding effort preserved him from being entrapped by their plots. In verse 2: The plain of Ono lay to the northwest of Jerusalem it may have been in a boundary area between Sanballat's district and Nehemiah's. They intended to do him harm: The account provides no reason for this conclusion. In verse 6: You and the Jews intent to rebel: In general, walled cities were not built in the Persian empire. The refortification of Jerusalem would provide an opportunity to defy the empire. Sanballat uses the threat of reporting this to the king (v. 7) to draw Nehemiah out. In verse 10: Shemaiah ... was confined to his house: Though the account is not clear on the timing, there seems to be sometime between Sanballat's efforts to get Nehemiah to meet with him, and this plot. It is not certain why Shemaiah was closed in his house, not why Nehemiah went to see him. Tonight they are coming to kill you: perhaps Shemaiah had sent word to Nehemiah that he had an important message to convey. His advice to meet in the Temple and close the doors because the adversaries were coming to kill Nehemiah would have made the governor look cowardly. In verse 13; He was hired for this purpose: It takes Nehemiah time to see through the plot, but Shemaiah may have been a reputable prophet, making the deception difficult to detect. In verse 14: Remember ... O my God: one of Nehemiah direct appeals to God to keep something before him. here Nehemiah wants his opponents be repaid according to their deeds, as well as the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who may have engaged in the same kinds of deceit as Shemaiah. Comments or Questions..