Reading for November 6th

 Read Proverbs 16.1-33. In verse 1: The heart (mind) is the organ of planning and the tongue is the organ of speaking and execution. It is not fully in the power of a human being to put plans into effect or control their course. In verse 16: Tradition declares wisdom more precocious than gold and silver (3.14; Job 28). Gold and silver can buy many things, but wisdom invites God to give the priceless gifts of long life, wealth, and honor. In verse 20: The saying declares that sucess and hapiness depend both on God and on our own efforts. It does not explore theological issues arising from such assertion. In verses 27-30: Sayings on three types of wicked people and their speech and demeanor. The first three verses begin with the Hebrew word "ish," translated "man" or   "individual." The second line of each saying states the particular damage a villain's words inflict on others. The final saying (v. 30) sketches the facial mannerisms common to all malefactors; compare 6.12-15. In verse 33: A lot, similar to dice in giving varying results when thrown, was given a designation "yes" and "no" and cast for its answer. See 1 Sam 10.16-26; Num 26.55; Josh 14.2. The answer was believed to be from God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 5th

 Read Proverbs 15.1-33. In verse 1: In responding to angry people, one might be tempted to use harsh and violent language. The verse states the paradox that when one responds to angry people, soft is strong and harsh is weak. In verse 14: Heart (mind) and mouth are often contrasted as the organ of storage-reflection (mind) and the organ of expression (mouth). Here, the wise use their minds to seek even more knowledge, whereas fools use their mouth only to feed more folly. In verse 26: Abomination, originally a ritual term for unacceptable offering, is here used metaphorically. Pure is this usage means acceptable to God. In verse 33: As one must first be low (humility) in order to be raised up (honor), so fear of the Lord comes before wisdom. Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 4th

 Read Proverbs 14.1-35. In verse 5: How to assess a witness in court is a common concern of the book (6.19; 12.17; 19.28). The best criterion is the character of the witness: How does the person ordinarily act? In verse 13: As observed in v. 10, external behavior does not always mirror internal thought and feeling. People are too complex to be known completely from their actions. In verse 28: The glory of a king is not absolute but depends, surprisingly, on the people he rules. A witty critique of royal power. In verse 30: Passion can also be rendered "jealousy." Inner calmness has a beneficial effect on health. Comments or Questions..

Reading for November 3rd

 Read Proverbs 13.1-25. In verse 6: Righteousness and sin are personified as forces affecting those who commit themselves to them. Fundamental options determine one's course. In verse 24: The paradox is that one hates one's children by being tender with them and loves them by being strict, especially at an early age when children can readily change. What is criticized is indulging one's children. The paradoxical language cannot be invoked to justify harsh treatment of children or corporal punishment. proverbs often states the need of parental discipline: 19.18; 23.13-14; Sir 7.23; 30.1-13. Comments or Questions.

Reading for November 2nd

 Read Proverbs 12.1-28. In verse 1: Genuine wisdom is gained through conversation with the wise (discipline) and through being criticized (rebuked). To reject this educational process is to settle for an animal level of consciousness; the Hebrew word for stupid in the second line connotes brutish. In verse 14: Normally, one's mouth is sated from the fruit of the earth, but in this saying one is sated from the words of one's mouth. Words in proverbs are the prime instance of human activity. One will enjoy the benefits of one's conduct. Comments or Questions...

Reading for November 1st

 Read Proverbs 11.1-31. In verse 4: The day of wrath is any life-threatening disaster as in Job 21.30 and Ezek 7.19. In such mortal danger riches are of no use; value attaches only to that which assures ultimate protection-righteousness. In verse 9; The difference between impiety and righteousness is so great that what is expressed by the godless harms others, whereas what is not expressed (Knowledge here is what is stored in the heart) by the righteous benefits them. In verse 22: A humorous statement that wisdom is more important than beauty in evaluating a woman. Ear and nose rings were common adornments of women. The comparison to a pig seems to have been made on the basis of sound as well as humorous incongruity, for the consonant "z" predominates in the first line; "nezem zahab be'ap hazir," literally " a ring of god in the snout of a pig." In verse 27: The persistent quest for what is good is ultimately a quest that ends in gaining divine favor, perhaps human favor as well. In other words, to seek happiness, seek excellence. to seek evil ("ra'a"), on the other hand, means only that trouble ("ra'a") will seek one out. The same Hebrew word can mean "evil" and "trouble." Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 31st

 Read Probers 10.16-32. In verse19: Ordinarily, abundance is good as in vv. 4, 21 and 27, and scarcity is bad, as in vv.15 and 21. But where words are concerned the situation is reversed. words should be few and well chosen (see 17.27). In verse 26: A lazy person is a common type in Proverbs (mentioned fourteen times in the book) and is often the object of scorn or humor. The lazy are as sure to pain an employer as vinegar and smoke are sure to pain taste buds and eyes, by an almost chemical necessity. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 29th

Read Proverbs 9.1-18. In 9.1-18: The banquets of the two women, plus some aphorisms. Woman Wisdom completes her palace and issues an invitation to the dedicatory banquet (1-6). In vv. 13-18, Woman Folly issues a counter-invitation. verses 7-12 are individual sayings, which echo some verses in ch. 1 (compare 1.7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge," and 1.22, "How long, O simple ones will you love being simple?") and also point ahead to chs. 10-22, where the same two types, the wise and the righteous, are vividly contrasted. In verse 6: Lay aside immaturity, and live: To partake of the banquet creates a bond between Wisdom and her guests, requiring guests to leave behind immaturity and ignorance and to become wise. The imperative verb live here implies enjoyment of such gifts from Wisdom as a family, riches, and reputation. In verse 11: For me your days will be multiplied: Originally, this verse probably immediately followed v.6, for by me has no antecedent in the immediately preceding verses. In verses 16-17: Folly's invitation begins with the same words as Wisdom's (see. v. 16 and v. 4), but in v. 17 diverges radically. In verse 17: In the phrase stolen water, water has the erotic meaning it has in 5.15-16, "Drink water from your own cistern,/flowing water from your own well," that is sexual relations. Stolen implies clandestine and adulterous sex. in secret evokes the furtive meeting of ch 7. In verse 18: The dead in habit the underworld. as in 2.16-18; 5.3-5; 7.24-27, the woman promises life but kills instead. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for October 28th

 Read Proverbs 8.1-36: In 8.1-36: Woman Wisdom and her blessings for her loyal disciple. The speech of personified Wisdom promising blessings balances her first speech (1.20-33). Threatening those who left her. She appears in the busiest part of the city (vv. 1-3), and addresses the entire populace there, but singles out the simple (vv. 4-5). She establishes her credibility (vv. 6-11), promises her hearers skills in governing along with riches and honor (vv. 12-21), explains her high status by her closeness to God at creation (vv. 22-31), and asks her followers to wait at her door as disciples (vv. 32-36). Unlike the seductive woman in ch.7 who speaks to a single youth in the dark of night, Wisdom addresses everyone in broad daylight, speaks trustworthy words, and grants life rather than death. In verses 22-31: The verses are a cosmogony or creation account, which used in ancient literature to explain and validate important aspects of reality. The first half of the cosmogony (vv. 22-26) emphasizes the birth of Woman Wisdom before all else, thus underlining her unique priority. The second half (vv. 27-31) stresses her presence with God, I was there (v. 27) and I was beside him (v. 30). In verses 30-31: I was daily his delight ... delighting in the human race: The repetition of the words delight and rejoicing establishes a correspondence between Wisdom's delighting in the Lord and her delighting in the human race. She bestows on the human race the wisdom and goodness that God put into creation. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 27th

 Read Proverbs 7.1-27. In 7.1-27: An example of seduction by words. The tenth and final instruction is also the fourth of the four warnings against the seductive woman (2.16-19, 5.1-23; 6.20-35). The preface (vv. 1-5) urges the disciple to become a lover of Wisdom rather than a foolish victim of the lying woman who typical wiles are narrated. The woman is active and aware, speaking and acting decisively, whereas the youth is passive and naive, led in silence like a lamb to slaughter. The images are darkness and night, animals of sacrifice or the hunt, and death. In verse 4: You are my sister: A designation for the beloved used in love poetry (Son 4.9, 10,12; 5.1, 2). Other love terms are let us take our fill of love (v. 18; see Song 5.1) and and the theme of finding and seeking (v.10-15; see Song 3.1-4). In verse 14: Today I have paid my vows: An ambivalent statement, which the youth takes as an invitation to a feast of meat offered in fulfillment of a vow, but which the woman intents as the sacrifice of the youth. Comparison with Jephthah's vow (Jug 11.30-31) is illuminating, for Jephthah also sacrifices an unsuspecting victim. In verse 20: He took a bag of money with him: The wife knows from the amount of money her husband took that he will be good long enough for her to dally with the youth. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 26th

 Read Proverbs 6.20-35. In 6.20-35: The dangers of adultery. The teaching of one's parents, once memoried, becomes a lamp that exposes the danger of an adultress (v. 23). Unlike a liaison with a prostitute, whose hire is only a matter of money, an affair with a married woman can destroy one's life, bringing upon one shame, physical beatings, and an enraged husband. The instruction focuses more on the practical consequences of adultery rather than on its theoretical immorality. In verse 30: Thieves are not despised: A comparison is drawn between getting caught for satisfying one's appetite for food (a euphemism for sexual appetite) and getting caught for adultery. In the first case, a monetary payment makes things right. in the second, money cannot repair the loss of one's position in the community or protect one from the vengeance of a deceived husband. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 25th

 Read Proverbs 1.1-19. In 6.1-19:Four short pieces. The section is often judged to be an addition on the grounds that its topics and style are very different from the surrounding instructions. It is possible, however, that the editors wanted to insert related but miscellaneous material at this point. Thematically, the section is concerned not with external obstacles to acquiring wisdom, such as violent men and seductive women, but with internal obstacles, such as poor judgement (vv. 1-5) and laziness (vv. 6-11). It also sketches an evil character (vv. 12-15), which is wholly unacceptable to the Lord (vv. 16-19). In verses 1-5: Pledge: Proverbs is entirely negative on the legal custom of a third party guaranteeing a loan (11.15; 17.18; 22.26), probably because it endangers the guarantor. In verses 6-11: Lazybones: Proverbs look with disdain, and often humorously, on the lazy person (for example, 10.4; 12.24; 24.30-34), preferring instead the energetic and responsible person. In verses 12-15: A scoundrel and a villian: A proverbs type, who is here described as corrupt externally (mouth or speech, eyes feet, fingers) and internally (perverted mind). An evil destiny hangs over such a type. In verses 16-19: Proverbs often declares certain behavior "an abomination to the Lord" (see 11.1). Six and seven are an instance of ascending parallelism of numbers, like "three" and "four" in 30.18-19, 21-23. The organ such as the eye stands for the entire activity of seeing, an example of metonymy. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 24th

 Read Proverbs 5.1-23. In 5.1-23: Choose the right woman! The teacher exhorts a youth to avoid adulterous liaisons (the "wrong" woman, vv. 3-14) and to enjoy the company of his wife (the "right" woman, vv. 15-19). The poem has four sections (vv. 1-6, 7-14, 15-19, and 20-23), each of the which begins with "my child" (implicit inv. 15). Adulterous consorting with the wrong woman leads to loss of health (v. 9), dissipation of family wealth (v. 10), ruined reputation (vv. 9, 14), and bitter regret (vv. 11-13). The context of Proverbs suggests a metaphorical level of meaning: Seductive and lying word lead one away from one's primary commitment to the tradition and to wisdom. In verse 16: Should your springs be scattered abroad? A disputed phrase. Most probably water is a metaphor for sexual pleasure, as in Song 4.15. The man should exercise his sexuality exclusively with his wife in the context of the household. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 23rd

 Read Proverbs 4.10-27. In verses 10-19: The two ways. The process of gaining wisdom is essentially the same in all instructions: One begins by memorizing the teaching and putting it into practice, then one receives wisdom as a gift. The passage develops the doctrine of the two ways, in which the moral life is dramatized as two competing paths, the way of wisdom and the path of the wicked. Each has its inherent destiny, represented here by the symbols of light and darkness (vv. 18-19). The two ways are not static; one must struggle to stay on the right path. It is possible to leave one path and walk on the other. In verses 20-27: Heed my words. This lecture emphasizes the vigor and sincerity necessary for the pursuit of wisdom. The poem offers a psychological picture of discipleship. One perceives the teacher examples and words through listening and seeing (vv. 20-22) and stores the perceptions in the heart (by memorizing them) where they are pondered (v. 23). One then puts into practice who one "knows," that which is in one's heart or mind. Practicing wisdom means always speaking the truth (v. 24) and acting justly (vv. 25-27). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 22nd

 Read Proverbs 4.1-9. In 4.1-9: The teacher's life as an example of wisdom. The teacher draws parallel between his teaching his sons now and his father's teaching him as a youth. The authority of the teacher comes from the obedience he showed to his father. The teacher now is a model of the blessings that come with reverence and obedience. In verses 4-9: get wisdom: In vv. 4-6, the disciple is to take in the teacher's words and get wisdom. In vv. 6, 8-9 wisdom herself becomes active, guarding and honoring the disciple. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 21st

 Read Proverbs 3.13-35. In verses 13-20: Wisdom's benefits and prestige. Some scholars believe the poem consists of vv. 13-26 rather than 13-20. The poem praises wisdom by listing her benefits to the human race and explains her power by describing her role in creation. Since the world is made by wisdom, all those who follow wisdom will live well in the world. In verse 18: Tree of life: The tree of life occurs in the Hebrew scriptures only in Proverbs and Gen 2-3. In both books the tree is associated with wisdom. its fruit gives life and prosperity. It is also found in Rev 2.7 and 22.2, 14, 19, where it has been influenced by the picture of the health-giving tree in Ezek 47.12. In verses 21-35: Kindness to the neighbor brings blessing to oneself. Treating others well rings life to oneself. The blessings are portrayed as accruing to one's very body-eyes (sight), throat (soul:The thoat is the source of life-breath), neck, and foot. To put wisdom into practice brings her gifts, life (v. 22a), honor (adornment, v. 22b), and protection from crime and violence (vv. 23-25). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 20th

 Read Proverbs 3.1-12. In 3.1-12: Trust in God makes one prosperous. The lecture consists of four-line exhortations of a father (or teacher) to a son (or disciple), in each of which a reward is promised. the teacher invites the disciple to memorize the teaching (vv. 1-2) and to be loyal (vv. 3-4), which leads to trust in God, the great teacher (v. 5). Such trust means not relying on oneself (v. 7), honoring God with due worship, and allowing God to become one's teacher and father (vv. 11-12). Considerable trust is necessary, for God reproves when educating disciples, there may be suffering. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 19th

 Read Proverbs 2.1-22. In 2.1-22: Seek wisdom and the lord will keep safe. This form is an acrostic poem of twenty-two lines (the number of consonants in the Hebrew alphabet). The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet ("aleph") dominates the first half (vv. 1-11; "aleph" is the initial letter in vv. 1, 3,4, 5, and 9). The middle letter of the Hebrew alphabet ("Lamed") dominates the second half (vv. 12-22; "lamed" is the initial letter of vv. 12, 16, 20). The main point of the poem is that if you seek wisdom with all of your strength, the Lord will give it to you, and wisdom will safeguard you from wicked men and seductive women with the result that you can walk on the blessed path. Wisdom  will be given to anyone who earnestly seeks it. However, one cannot directly take it, it must be given as a gift. In verses 16-19: The loose woman ... the adultress. Loose is literally "foreign." The figure of the dangerous and seductive woman appears again in 5.1-6; 6.20-35; 7.1-27; 9.13-18. Elsewhere in the Bible, a "foreign woman" can be a woman outside the community who is forbidden as a marriage partner, a prostitute or a woman otherwise dangerous to a man. Proverb's focus is not only on her sexuality but also on her seductive and deceitful speech. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 18th

 Read Proverbs 1.20-33. In 1.20-33: The consequences of not heeding Wisdom. Woman Wisdom warns the simple (who seem to have previously rejected her teaching) that she will not be there when the inevitable disaster comes upon them (vv. 22-32). She nonetheless gives them a last chance to accept her (v. 33). Verses 24-27 and 28-31 are parallel sections. Each gives a reason (because, vv. 25, 29) and announces a disaster, the first section employs the grammatical second person, and the second section employs the grammatical third person. In verses 20-21: The entrance of the city gates is the entrance to the upper city, which was the place of business and government. In verses 22-23a: The best solution to the textual confusion is to drop v. 22b-c as a later insertion and to translate: How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? Its parallel verse is best rendered (differently from the NRSV) "Will you turn away from my reproof?" The translation "Turn away" is preferable to NRSV give heed to and is based on the meaning of the same root in v. 32a (waywardness) and on Hebrew idiom. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 17th

Read Proverbs 1.8-19. In 1.8-19: Parental advice on leaving home.  The opening scene of a youth leaving parents and home to establish his own household sets the scene for the entire book. Every reader must establish a household in the sense of learning to live well as an adult, accepting traditional wisdom, and discerning where true life is to be found. In verses 10-14: A group of sinners invites the youth not simply to commit a violent crime but to share in their violent life (Come with us ... Throw your lot among us). In verses 16-17: verse 16: is a gloss from Isa 59.7 to explain the enigmatic v. 17, which is a parable about sinners not seeing the divine retribution that works invisibly. The evil they plan for other s will come upon them instead (vv. 18-19). Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 16th

 Read Proverbs 1.1-7. In 1.1-9.18: Speeches and instructions. In 1.1-7: introduction and purpose of the book. In verse 1: Egyptian and biblical wisdom books, contrary to the customary anonymity of ancient literature, give the name of the author, who was normally a king or prominent courtier advising his son or disciple. Solomon, famed for his wisdom, is named as the author, or, as we might say, patron of the entire book. In verses 2-7; There are fourteen (two times seven) different nouns for wisdom or wise sayings in order to show totality. Verses 2-3 are concerned with learning, v. 4 with teaching, v. 5 with the teacher or age, v. 6 with understanding wisdom writings, and v. 7 (in climatic position) with fear of the Lord. In verse 4: The simple are naive or uninstructed people, either because of their youth or sometimes, because of their carelessness. In the later case the term has a negative connotation. In verse 7; The verse is the climax of the introduction, for the Lord is the source of blessings for the wise. The phrase wisdom and instruction reprises the same phrase inv. 2a. Fear of the Lord is the traditional (and not fully satisfactory) translation of 'yir'at YHWH," literally "revering the Lord." The phrase means giving to one's God what is due, knowing and accepting one's place in the universe. It primarily designates neither an emotion (fear) nor general reverence, but rather a conviction that one should honor and serve a particular god. Comments or Questions..

Reading for October 15th

Read 1 Corinthians 16.1-24. In verses 1-4: Answering questions about the collection.  In verse 1: Collection for the saints: This was a major project for Paul during his ministry in the Aegean (2 Cor 8-9; Rom 15.25-29; Gal 2.10). In verse 2: When I come: In vv. 5-9 Paul explains his plans to visit them. In verse 3: Jerusalem: the collection was for the poor Christians in Jerusalem (Rom 15.26). In verses 5-9: Travel plans. V. 8 confirms that Paul is writing from Ephesus. The churches he began in Philippi and Thessalonica were located in Macedonia (Acts 16-17). Send me on my way suggests hospitality and financial assistance (Rom 15.22). Pentecost occurred in the spring, fifty days after Passover (Lev 23.15-21). In verses 10-12: Paul's co-workers. In verses 10-11: Timothy was with Paul on his founding visit to Corinth (Acts 18.5). He may be the one delivering the letter to Corinth (see 4.17). The identity of the brothers is not known. In verse 12: Apollos was an important figure within the Corinthian church (1.12; 3.4-6, 22: 4.6). This picture confirmed  by Acts (18.27-19.1). At the time of this writing, he is with Paul in Ephesus. In verse 13-14: Concluding advice. Thee brief injunctions are all defined by love (ch. 13). In verse 15-18: Commending valuable co-workers. Paul himself baptized the household of Stephanas (1.16). Their conversion apparently preceded that of Crispus and Gailus (1.14). In verse 16: Leadership derives from service. In verse 17: They may have been the source of Paul's information for various issues (see 5.1). In verse 19-24: Final greeting. Inverse 19: Churches of Asia-would include Ephesus primarily (Acts 19). As usual, Aquila and Prisca have established a house church in Ephesus (Acts 18.2; Rom 16.3-5). In verse 20: Holy kiss: This practice of greeting at worship may have originated in Christian circles (Rom 16.16; 2 Cor 13.12). In verse 21: Paul's remark implies his use of a secretary for writing (or copying) the rest of the letter (Gal 6.11; Col 4.18). In verse 22: These words seem harsh, especially linked with love for the Lord. Our Lord, come! indicates Paul's eagerness for the end. In verses 23-24: The benediction while brief expresses important Pauline sentiments (see 2 Cor 13.13; Rom 16.20; 1 Thess 5.28). Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for October 14

 Read 1 Corinthians 15.50-58. In 15.50-58: A vision of the future. In verse 50: Kingdom of God refers to the heavenly reign Christ turns over to God (v. 24). It differs radically from the life as we know it. In verse 51: Mystery signifies a hidden truth being unveiled (4.1). We will not all die: Those alive at the resurrection escape death but not change. In verse 52: Trumpets summon God's people to worship (Num 10.2-10), to return from exile (Isa 27.13), and to gather for the end time (Mt 24.31; 1 Thess 4.16). In verses 54-55: The quotation comes Isa 25.8 and Hos 13.14. V. 55 speaks to the living and the dead respectively. The living escape death; by rising the dead overcome death's sting. In verse 56: Sin, death, and the law: Adam's sin introduced humanity to death's sting (Rom 5.12). The sin that began with Adam continued to exercise it power through the Mosaic law (Rom5.20; 7.6). Christ's death and resurrection broke the stranglehold of all three- sin, death, and the law (Rom 8.2) In verse 58: Not in vain: Living in hope fuels life (Col 1.23). Comments or Questions..

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..