Bible Reading Plan
Word for Today
This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
- The first reading is a chapter from the New Testament.
- The second reading is a section from Old Testament history.
- The third reading is from the books of Psalms and Proverbs.
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!
Readings for
New Testament Reading
Acts 25
Paul Appeals to Caesar
25:1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul1 that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”
Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”
Footnotes
[1] 25:3
(ESV)
Pastoral Commentary for Acts 25
Commentary from Pastor Zach McIntosh
The other day, I called a bank concerning a loan I have with them. I had a question about the fees that accompany electronic payments over their website. When I first called, the phone bank operator, apparently befuddled by my question, answered, "I'll need to check with my manager on your question." After several minutes on hold, she finally returned to the line: "I'm sorry, you'll need to talk to our electronic transaction department about your question." She then proceeded to give me the number. So I called them. This phone bank operator too had to check with her manager about my question. And then came her reply, "I'm sorry, but this is a question for our loan department. Here's the number." After a half an hour of being sent around to different departments and waiting for various phone bank operators to "check with their managers" about my question, I never did get a clear answer. It was a frustrating experience.
Whether its an operator at a bank with a tough question, a waiter at a restaurant with a disgruntled patron, or a politician in a sticky situation, many people have a tendency to "pass the buck" - to defer to someone higher up the organizational ladder to make a hard decision or give a hard answer that they don't care to make or give. And yet, as we all know, the buck has to stop somewhere. Indeed, Harry Truman proudly displayed this famous placard in his Oval Office: "The Buck Stops Here." And indeed it's true. For once a question, problem, or concern got to the president's desk, there was no one "higher up" to whom to defer. The buck had to stop with President Truman.
In our reading for today from Acts 25, Paul is in Caesarea in prison, where he has been languishing for some two years now, because the procurator of this area, Antonius Felix, in a nod to Paul's Jewish dissenters who were also Felix's constituents, has refused to free him. But now a new ruler is on the throne: Porcius Festus.
With this new ruler, Paul's enemies take the opportunity to once again present their so-called "charges" against him in the hopes of getting him transferred to stand trial in Jerusalem so that they can ambush and kill him while he is on his way (verse 4). Paul, aware of his enemies' malicious intent, defends himself before Festus: "I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well... I appeal to Caesar" (verses 10-11)! Paul, with these words, is appealing to be sent "up the ladder." He wants to talk to Festus' manager. And Festus, at a loss at how to deal with such a case, happily obliges. As he later tells his friend King Agrippa:
When Paul's accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar. (verses 18-20)
Notably, the Greek word that Festus uses for "send" in verse 20 when he speaks of sending Paul to Caesar is anapempo, meaning not only "send," but "send up." In other words, Festus is happy to pass the buck up the ladder as it concerns Paul's case. He does not want to investigate some points of dispute "about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive."
As much as Festus may have tried to send Paul and his message of Jesus' death and resurrection up the ladder to Caesar, the fact is, you can't pass the buck when it comes to Jesus. No, each person must grapple with Christ's work for him or herself. As CS Lewis famously said, "When Christ died, he died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man in the world" (Mere Christianity, IV:3). If Christ died for you as if you are the only person in the world, that means there is no one else to whom you can pass off Christ's death and say despairingly, "You deal with this." No, the buck stops with you because Christ has confronted you with his crucifixion and resurrection. Why has he confronted you? Because he loves you. My prayer for you is that, by faith, you receive his love and trust his salvation.
Old Testament Reading
Daniel 10–11:1
Daniel’s Terrifying Vision of a Man
10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.1 And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed,2 and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”
15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. 16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17 How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”
18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.
The Kings of the South and the North
11:1 “And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
Footnotes
[1] 10:1
[2] 10:8
(ESV)
Pastoral Commentary for Daniel 10:1-11:1
Commentary from Pastor Bob Nordlie
Daniel's fourth and final vision again related to the distant future. It came to him in overwhelming fashion, as visions from God often do. Think of Saul's encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, and you see a very similar picture of what happened to Daniel beside the Tigris river in the third year of King Cyrus. The word that came to Daniel was concerning a great conflict that would only take place two hundred years after Daniel's time between two generals who were successors of Alexander the Great, the "prince of Greece." The vision came to Daniel when he was engaged in penitential mourning. The divine messenger who appeared to Daniel was unnamed. Some speculate that it was the pre-incarnate Christ, while others posit that it was another visit from the angel Gabriel. There are similarities between this figure and the description of Christ in Revelation 1:13-16. On the other hand, the fact that the divine messenger was hindered by the prince of the kingdom of Persia and had to be aided by the angel Michael makes it more likely that the figure was Gabriel. Whoever the visitor was, the divine glory reflected in his appearance was enough to incapacitate Daniel, leaving him lying face down on the ground. Like Saul's companions, the men with Daniel did not see the figure but were struck with great trembling and hid themselves. Touched by a hand, Daniel was able to recover only to the point of trembling on his hands and knees. The reminder that he was "greatly loved," along with a command to rise, allowed Daniel to stand up again, but with his face toward the ground. When an angel touched Daniel's lips he spoke, "no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me." Daniel was strengthened again and reassured with words similar to those that the resurrected Christ spoke to His disciples: "O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage." The divine messenger went on to say that he would tell Daniel what was inscribed in "the book of truth." Although it described events "for days yet to come," because they were true there could be no doubt that they would come to pass.
Psalms/Proverbs Reading
Proverbs 9:1–12
The Way of Wisdom
9:1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways,1 and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction2 to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
(ESV)