Reading for January 11th

 Read Galatians 2.11-21. In 2.11-14: Paul opposes Peter at Antioch. In verse 11: When the Antioch visit occurred is not known. In verses 12-13: This hypocrisy: Eating with gentiles indicated full acceptance. refusing to do implied their "uncleanness" before God. For Paul, gentile Christians were accepted by God. Their status before God did not change with the coming and going of conservative Jews. The circumcision faction literally "those of the circumcision," require gentile Christians to be circumcised (5.2-6). In verse 14: "How can you meet gentiles half way (not keep food laws), then require them to go the whole way (be circumcised)?" In verses 15-21: Paul's gospel: we are justified through Christ, not the law. In verse 15: Gentile sinners: 1 Thess 4.5. In verse 16: Reckoned as righteous (by God) well expresses justified; see Rom 3.21-26. Faith in Jesus Christ: Christ is the object of our faith; we trust him as God's agent of redemption.  Faith of Jesus Christ: Christ own faithfulness to God enables our salvation (Rom 3.22, 26). In verse 17: Does Christ serve sin's purpose by exposing us sinners? In verse 18: What Paul tore down was torah observance as the only basis for relating to God. In verse 19: Paul found the demands of the law suffocating (Rom 7.9-10). In verses 19b-20: Crucified with Christ: Paul reenacted Christ's death as a coparticipants. Like Christ, he experienced a death of the self (Rom 6.10). Now filled with the living Christ, his life exhibits faith defined by Christ-either trust placed in Christ or the pattern of faithfulness Christ himself displayed before God. Christ's death exemplies love for others (1.4; 2 Cor 5.14). In verse 21: This briefly states Paul's position. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 10th

 Read Galatians 2.1-10. In 2.1-10: The Jerusalem summit meeting. In verse 1: Acts 15 reports Paul and Barnaba's visit to Jerusalem conference, but not the visits of Titus. The content of that meeting differs substantially from what Paul reports here. In verse 2: Revelation; Paul felt compelled by God to go. In verse 3: As an uncircumcised gentile, Titus serves as the test case. In verse 4: These false brothers remained unidentified. "Brothers" suggests they are Christians (Acts 15.5). In verse 6: Acknowledged leaders: The Greek reads, "those who were supposed to be something." They appear to be different from those named in vv. 7-9. In verses 7-8: How Paul came up with this division of labor is not clear. Acts presents Peter preaching both to Jews and gentiles, although Paul is mainly responsible for the gentile mission outside of Palestine. V. 8 refers to Paul's call (1.15-16). In verse 9: James is probably the brother of Jesus, not the apostle (Acts 15.13-21; 12.1-5). Cephas is Peter (v. 7). John is nowhere else mentioned by Paul; he is probably the apostle (Acts 3-4; Mt 4.21). James and Peter are mentioned in Acts 15; John is not. Acknowledged pillars my be sarcastic;"supposedly pillar." It nonetheless indicates their status as leaders. In verse 10: Acts 15 does not mention the collection (see Acts 11.27-29). It figures prominently in Paul's letters (1 Cor 16.1-4; 2 Cor 8-9; Rom 15.25-27). Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 9th

 Read Galatians 1.13-24. In 1.13-24: Paul recalls his past. In verse 13: His role as persecutor was a key memory informing Paul's understanding of his apostleship (1 Cor 15.9; Acts 8.3). In verse 14: His formal training as a Pharisee is in view (Phil 3.5-6; Acts 22.3). In verse 15: The language recalls Old Testament prophetic calls (Isa 49.1; Jer 1.5). In verse 16: The experience changed Paul into the apostle to the gentiles (Rom 15.15-16; Acts 9.15). In verse 17: Paul's autobiographical accounts differs slightly from the story of his call in Acts 9. In Acts 9.26-30; 22.17-21, Paul returns to Jerusalem immediately after his conversion. Arabia was a nearby region. The return to Damascus locates the events of v. 15 (Acts 9; 2 Cor 11.32-33). In verses 18-19: This visit is sometimes identified with Acts 9.26-30, although Acts 9 mentions neither Cephas (Peter) nor James. In verse 20: 2 Cor 11.31. In verse 21: Syria is the region of Damascus; Cilicia is eastern Asia Minor. In verses 22-23: This is difficult to harmonize with Acts 9.26-30. Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 8th

 Read Galatians 1.1-12. In verse 1-5: Greetings. In verse 1: Paul's strong denial of the human origin of his apostleship (1.11-12) is a hint of the controversy that drives the letter. In verse 4: Gave himself Christ's death is understood as a sin offering for others (Eph 5.2; Lev 4-5). In verses 6-12: Paul defends his gospel. Paul omits his normal opening prayer of thanksgiving for his readers, showing how angry he is with them (contrast 1 Cor 1.4-9). In verses 6-7: Different gospel refers to the view Paul opposes in the letter; mainly, that God God requires gentile Christians to observe the Mosaic law (4.21; 5.2-4). In verses 8-9: The use of a double curse is especially emphatic (1 Cor 16.22). In verse 10: The perspective of Paul's critics. In verses 11-12: Human origin renders "kata anthropon," literally "according to man," thus human. Revelation of Jesus Christ: Paul's understanding of the gospel occurred through a revelation whose content was Jesus Christ (v. 16). Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 7th

 Read Ecclesiastes 12.9-14. In 12.9-14: Epilogue. Likely added by an editor, these verses speak in third person and make the book more pious. In verse 13: Fear of God, keep commandments: while not the opposite of previous ideas (5.6), this advice ends the book on a traditional note. In verse 14: The body of the book has been clear about the distinct rewards of good and evil (8.13-14). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for January 6th

 Read Ecclesiastes 12.1-8. In 12.1-8: A vision of aging and death. God as creator: Job 38, Prov 20. In verses 2-5: A description of aging and the approach of death. One option is to read the images allegorically: Guards of the house are arms; strong men are legs; women who grind are teeth; daughters of song are birds; grasshopper is the image of one walking on crutches. In verses 6-7: Human death compared to items at the end of their usefulness; perhaps images of a well (cord, bowl, cistern). In verse 7: Breath returns: A contradiction or development beyond 3.21. In verse 8: The body of the book ends with the same phrase with which it began (1.2). Comments or Questions..

Reading for January 5th

 Read Ecclesiastes 11.1-10.  In verses 1-2: Likely refers to a trade venture. See Isa 18.2. In verses 3-6: Adapt to events that are beyond your control (v. 3) and work while you can (v. 6) In verses 8-10: Enjoy life when possible, always remaining aware that death awaits. Comments or Questions..