This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don’t worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you’ve missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
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2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits1 of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities2 and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.3
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,4 puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
[1] 2:8
[2] 2:15
[3] 2:15
[4] 2:18
(ESV)
To date, it has sold 80 million copies, been translated into 44 languages, and been made into a major motion picture. It has also raised the ire of many. Whatever else may be said for or against Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code, this much is certain: a lot of people paid attention to it.
I'll never forget watching readers react to Dan Brown's book on cable news shows, as his novel shot to blockbuster status. One reviewer's comments especially struck, as well as disturbed, me: "I always knew there was something wrong with Christianity," this young man said. "Now I know that the Christian faith is nothing more than an ancient ploy for power. It all makes sense now!" And even though countless rebuttals to Dan Brown's portrayal of Christianity have been published by both Christians and non-Christians alike, I can't help but wonder if that young man still believes that Dan Brown's novel actually makes honest intellectual sense of Christian history.
Such attacks on Christianity, of course, are nothing new. Christianity has sustained countless affronts from its countless enemies over what has been a nearly countless number of years. Even when Christianity was in its nascent stages in the first century, it was attacked. Indeed, the apostle Paul confronts one such attack in our reading for today from Colossians 2.
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, the Christian church at Colossae had been infiltrated a proto-Gnostic heresy which taught that the incorporeal was inherently good while the physical was inherently evil. The goal of this proto-Gnosticism, then, became to escape the physical and rise to the spiritual. But Paul is not impressed or persuaded by this faith system, and he warns that the Colossian Christians should not be either:
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (verses 2-4,8)
Two words in these verses are especially notable. In verse 4, Paul warns his readers not to be persuaded by "fine-sounding arguments." The Greek word behind this phrase is pithanlogia, pithan meaning "persuasive" and logia meaning "speaking." Paul's admonishes the Colossian Christians not to be persuaded by false doctrine, no matter how pithy it might sound. The second word of note comes in verse 8 when Paul exhorts his readers: "See to it that no one takes you captive." The phrase "takes you captive" is regularly used to describe the taking of spoils in battle. Thus, those who are seeking to persuade the Colossians with their pithy arguments are really treating the Colossians as nothing more than spoils of war. They do not truly care about the Colossians. They merely want to conquer them and carry them into their heretical theological camp as prisoners of war, bound for hell.
Today, as in Paul's day, there are many "fine sounding arguments" which seek to persuade us away from true faith in Christ and into a false set of beliefs, like those presented in the Da Vinci Code. But remember that these false beliefs are nothing more than satanic tricks, meant to take you captive as a prisoner of hell's war against truth. Don't fall for it. Rather, "continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
1:1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.1
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be2 great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
[1] 1:1
[2] 1:11
(ESV)
Malachi was the final writing prophet that God sent to His people in the Old Testament. The only other voice of repentance to be heard after him was John the Baptist. Malachi's call to repentance was issued to both the priests and the people. It was needed because many expected the Messianic age to appear immediately after Zechariah's prophecy. When it did not, there was disappointment, and neglect of things spiritual. God reminded His people, "I have loved you," but their only response was a bitter, "How?" since they did not see the Messianic Kingdom present in their midst. God reminded them of how He had not allowed their enemy Edom, the descendants of Esau (Jacob's brother), to triumph over them. He reminded them of how His power was at work for His people all over the world. Thus, they could say, "Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel." God confronted His people, reminding them that even though a son honors his father and a servant his master, that God was not being honored as He should be. The priests had been guilty of offering "polluted food" on the altar of the LORD. They were offering the worthless animals, the blind, sick and lame to the LORD, while keeping the best for themselves. Since they wouldn't treat an earthly ruler with such disrespect, how could they treat the LORD that way and expect to receive His grace and favor? God wished that someone would have the courage just to shut the doors to the temple to prevent such evil offerings. God warned that He would not accept an offering from Israel, but He would be honored by incense and offerings "among the nations" where His name would be great. God pronounced curses on "the cheat" who vowed a strong male animal as a sacrifice to the LORD, and then substituted a blemished offering. Each of us ought to examine our heart and life and ask in what way we might be cheating the LORD out of what He is due from us. We cannot cheat God and get away with it!
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under three things the earth trembles;
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is filled with food;
23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
24 Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 Three things are stately in their tread;
four are stately in their stride:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and does not turn back before any;
31 the strutting rooster,1 the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.2
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth.
33 For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.
[1] 30:31
[2] 30:31
(ESV)