Daily Bible reading and prayer, Wednesday, November 29, 2023
1 Corinthians 1-4 (chronological); Ezekiel 41-42, 2 Peter 1 (OT/NT)
A overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all edited summaries so far, can be found here.
Today we start 1 Corinthians for the second time this year. It was written during Paul’s third missionary journey, during Paul’s extended time in Ephesus, addressing sin he is aware of in the Corinthian church.
I have recently updated the summary of the book of Acts, which is relevant for context for all of these readings.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 chronological reading: 1 Corinthians 1-4
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 OT/NT readings: Ezekiel 41-42, 2 Peter 1
We’re reading Ezekiel for the second time this year. I didn’t get it outlined the first time around. I have aspirations to do that this second time. I didn’t get it done while I was traveling internationally for a mission trip, so those aspirations did not meet with reality.
Yesterday we finished 1 Peter, written by Jesus’ disciple who is so very familiar to us. He made an appeal to the wonder and promise of our salvation, which should enable us to endure trials and inspire us to live holy lives, in fear of God, and to fervently love one another. We should not be surprised by suffering. Our character, demeanor, and action in the face of it matters for our own souls, for the example it sets for others, and for the glory of God. We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, resist the devil, stand firm in our faith, and cast all our anxiety on the God who cares for us and He will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish us.
Today we start 2 Peter, written after the letter to the Hebrews (author unknown) and after the apostle Paul’s final letter, which he wrote to Timothy. It is a letter of goodbye, written to “those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1
v1-15 “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
v16-18 “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
v19-21 “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Dear Lord,
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.
Help us to marvel at what You have given us, sufficient to keep us from stumbling and to make us useful and fruitful in the true knowledge of You. Help us to be diligent to practice the things that make us certain about Your calling and choosing of us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.