Read 2 Corinthians 1.8-14
In 1.8-14: Paul's recent despair.
Affliction ... in Asia: The circumstances of this crisis are not known.
It may refer to the riot described in Acts 19.23-41.
In verse 9: Sentence of death need not mean legal punishment.
It is probably a figure of speech for a chose shave with death.
In verse 12: Boast here and in v. 14 is used in a positive sense, meaning "source of pride" (Phil 2.16).
Frankness, sometimes rendered "simplicity," is being straight forward in one's dealings.
In verses 13-14: End ... day of the Lord Jesus refers to the time of Jesus' return (1 Cor 1.8; Phil 1.6).
Comments or Questions..
Monday, October 28, 2019
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Reading for November 4th
Read 2 Corinthians 1.1-7
In verses 1-2: Greeting.
This greeting resembles other Pauline greetings (1 Thess 1.1; Phil 1.1-2).
Timothy joins Paul in addressing the church.
He had participated in the church's founding (1.19; Acts 18.5) and was well know to the church ( 1 Cor 4.17; 16.10-11).
In verses 3-7: prayer of blessing.
Pauline letters usually open with a prayer of thanksgiving (Rom 1.8-15; 1 Cor 1.4-9).
Here Paul uses the Jewish prayer of blessing ("berakah") found elsewhere in the New testament (Eph 1.3-14; 1 Peter 1.3-9).
Paul had recently experienced great affliction and suffering in his dealings with the church.
This has given way to consolation and a sense of relief that a serve crisis has passed.
Comments or Questions..
In verses 1-2: Greeting.
This greeting resembles other Pauline greetings (1 Thess 1.1; Phil 1.1-2).
Timothy joins Paul in addressing the church.
He had participated in the church's founding (1.19; Acts 18.5) and was well know to the church ( 1 Cor 4.17; 16.10-11).
In verses 3-7: prayer of blessing.
Pauline letters usually open with a prayer of thanksgiving (Rom 1.8-15; 1 Cor 1.4-9).
Here Paul uses the Jewish prayer of blessing ("berakah") found elsewhere in the New testament (Eph 1.3-14; 1 Peter 1.3-9).
Paul had recently experienced great affliction and suffering in his dealings with the church.
This has given way to consolation and a sense of relief that a serve crisis has passed.
Comments or Questions..
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Reading for November 3rd
Read Joshua 24.29-33
In 24.29-33: Burial traditions.
In verses 29-30: Great age was a sign of exceptional faithfulness (Gen 50.26; Deut 34.7).
Timnath-serah was granted to Joshua in 19.49-50.
In verse 31: This looks forward to the book of Judges (compare Judg 2.9).
In verse 32: These traditions are reported in Gen 33.18-20; 50.24-25; Ex 13.19.
In verse 33: Eleazar has played an important role in Joshua (14.1; 17.4: 19.51;21.1).
Comments or Questions..
In 24.29-33: Burial traditions.
In verses 29-30: Great age was a sign of exceptional faithfulness (Gen 50.26; Deut 34.7).
Timnath-serah was granted to Joshua in 19.49-50.
In verse 31: This looks forward to the book of Judges (compare Judg 2.9).
In verse 32: These traditions are reported in Gen 33.18-20; 50.24-25; Ex 13.19.
In verse 33: Eleazar has played an important role in Joshua (14.1; 17.4: 19.51;21.1).
Comments or Questions..
Friday, October 25, 2019
Reading for November 2nd
Read Joshua 24.14-28
In 24.14-28: Joshua insists on religious fidelity.
In verse 14-15: Three types of gods had proved ineffective.
Abraham was taken away from the territory of the gods beyond the River (v. 3), and the gods of Egypt and of the Amorites could not protect their worshipers (vv. 5-7 and 8-13).
In verses 19--20: With a rhetorical jolt, Joshua warns Israel of the difficulties and the dangers implicit in their commitment: you cannot serve the Lord.
The obstacle is God's basic nature as a jealous God, one who is a passionately determined to be Israel's only God.
In verse 23: Incline your heart calls for personal conviction, not just outward conformity (1 Kings 8.58).
The demand to put away the foreign gods may reflect a ceremony of burying idols at Shechem (compare Gen 35.2-4).
In verses 25-26: Hoshua performed three actions to give structure and effectiveness to Israel's commitment: he made a covenant, wrote down its rules in the book of the law, and set up a witness stone under the oak (see Judg 9.6).
In verse 27: The stone is a witness int he sense of being a visible public reminder (compare 22.27, 34), but also because it was present when all the words of the Lord (that is vv. 2-13) were proclaimed.
Comments or Questions..
In 24.14-28: Joshua insists on religious fidelity.
In verse 14-15: Three types of gods had proved ineffective.
Abraham was taken away from the territory of the gods beyond the River (v. 3), and the gods of Egypt and of the Amorites could not protect their worshipers (vv. 5-7 and 8-13).
In verses 19--20: With a rhetorical jolt, Joshua warns Israel of the difficulties and the dangers implicit in their commitment: you cannot serve the Lord.
The obstacle is God's basic nature as a jealous God, one who is a passionately determined to be Israel's only God.
In verse 23: Incline your heart calls for personal conviction, not just outward conformity (1 Kings 8.58).
The demand to put away the foreign gods may reflect a ceremony of burying idols at Shechem (compare Gen 35.2-4).
In verses 25-26: Hoshua performed three actions to give structure and effectiveness to Israel's commitment: he made a covenant, wrote down its rules in the book of the law, and set up a witness stone under the oak (see Judg 9.6).
In verse 27: The stone is a witness int he sense of being a visible public reminder (compare 22.27, 34), but also because it was present when all the words of the Lord (that is vv. 2-13) were proclaimed.
Comments or Questions..
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Reading for November 1st
Read Joshua 24.1-13
In 24.1-13: The saving acts of God.
In verse 1: A long list of participants emphasizes that all the tribes of Israel appeared before God, that is at the sanctuary of Shechem.
In verse 2: Thus says the Lord indicates that Joshua is speaking as a prophet.
In verse 3: The River is the Euphrates.
In verse 7: This protective darkness is mentioned in Num 22-24.
In verse 11: The detail that the citizens of Jericho fought relies on a tradition different from that of Joshua 6.
In verse 12: Hornet (Deut 7.20) may be a metaphor for panic (compare 10.10).
In verse 13: This description of the land reflects Deut 6.10-11.
Comments or Questions..
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Reading for October 31st
Read Joshua 23.1-16
In 23.1-16: Joshua's farewell.
In verse 1: Joshua's great age (13.1) motivates an exhortation to faithfulness and a warning about the future.
Rest signals the end of the conquest (21.44; 22.4).
In verse 4: In spite of many victories, some enemy nations remain.
They represent both opportunities for further success (v. 5) and dangerous enticements to infidelity (vv. 7, 12-13).
In verse 6: Future success requires that the whole nation show the same undeviating obedience to the book of the law (Deuteronomy) that was enjoined on Joshua in 1.7-8.
In verse 12: Intermarriage would establish complex relationships between families resulting in religious disloyalty (Deut 7.3-4).
In verse 13: The metaphors of a snare and a trap signify loss of freedom, and a scourge communicates political oppression (1 Kings 12.11).
Exile from this good land is threatened three times (vv. 13, 15, 16).
In verses 14-15: The Lord has been trustworthy in keeping past promises (see 21.45), but this means that the Lord's threatened punishments are equally certain to take place.
Comments or Questions..
In 23.1-16: Joshua's farewell.
In verse 1: Joshua's great age (13.1) motivates an exhortation to faithfulness and a warning about the future.
Rest signals the end of the conquest (21.44; 22.4).
In verse 4: In spite of many victories, some enemy nations remain.
They represent both opportunities for further success (v. 5) and dangerous enticements to infidelity (vv. 7, 12-13).
In verse 6: Future success requires that the whole nation show the same undeviating obedience to the book of the law (Deuteronomy) that was enjoined on Joshua in 1.7-8.
In verse 12: Intermarriage would establish complex relationships between families resulting in religious disloyalty (Deut 7.3-4).
In verse 13: The metaphors of a snare and a trap signify loss of freedom, and a scourge communicates political oppression (1 Kings 12.11).
Exile from this good land is threatened three times (vv. 13, 15, 16).
In verses 14-15: The Lord has been trustworthy in keeping past promises (see 21.45), but this means that the Lord's threatened punishments are equally certain to take place.
Comments or Questions..
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Reading for October 30th
Read Joshua 22.10-34
In 22.10-34: he altar of witness.
In verse 10: The story presupposes that only one altar for sacrifice is permissible.
Dissension focuses on whether this altar by the Jordan is evidence of apostasy (vv. 16-20) or actually a token of loyalty (vv. 22-29).
Its great size relates to its intended function as a visible witness (vv. 27-28, 34).
In verse 12: The story is told from the perspective of the western tribes, describing them as the Israelites to the exclusion of the eastern tribes ( also vv. 32, 33).
In verse 17: The incident as Peor is reported in Num 25.
In verse 18: The principle of collective responsibility means the whole nation is endangered by the rebellion of some (compare v. 20).
In verse 19: Territory outside of Canaan might be ritually unclean, a place where loyalty to the Lord would be impossible.
In verse 22: The eastern tribes begin with confessional exclamation (compare 1 Kings 18.19) and a hypothetical self-condemnation that asserts their fidelity in the strongest terms.
In verse 27: The eastern tribes repeatedly cite lists of sacrifices (vv. 23, 26, 29) to deny that they intend to offer them at the newly built altar.
Here they use a similar catalog to affirm their loyalty.
In verse 28: The altar's purpose is finally revealed.
It is only a copy, a replica pointing to loyal service at the legitimate altar at Shiloh.
In verse 34: The altar's name does not appear in the Hebrew text.
What is important is it function as a witness between us, that is, between the eastern and western tribes.
Comments or Questions..
In 22.10-34: he altar of witness.
In verse 10: The story presupposes that only one altar for sacrifice is permissible.
Dissension focuses on whether this altar by the Jordan is evidence of apostasy (vv. 16-20) or actually a token of loyalty (vv. 22-29).
Its great size relates to its intended function as a visible witness (vv. 27-28, 34).
In verse 12: The story is told from the perspective of the western tribes, describing them as the Israelites to the exclusion of the eastern tribes ( also vv. 32, 33).
In verse 17: The incident as Peor is reported in Num 25.
In verse 18: The principle of collective responsibility means the whole nation is endangered by the rebellion of some (compare v. 20).
In verse 19: Territory outside of Canaan might be ritually unclean, a place where loyalty to the Lord would be impossible.
In verse 22: The eastern tribes begin with confessional exclamation (compare 1 Kings 18.19) and a hypothetical self-condemnation that asserts their fidelity in the strongest terms.
In verse 27: The eastern tribes repeatedly cite lists of sacrifices (vv. 23, 26, 29) to deny that they intend to offer them at the newly built altar.
Here they use a similar catalog to affirm their loyalty.
In verse 28: The altar's purpose is finally revealed.
It is only a copy, a replica pointing to loyal service at the legitimate altar at Shiloh.
In verse 34: The altar's name does not appear in the Hebrew text.
What is important is it function as a witness between us, that is, between the eastern and western tribes.
Comments or Questions..
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