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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13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
11 Finally, brothers,1 rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another,2 agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
(ESV)
The other day, I received a phone call from a buddy of mine, asking me some questions about the Scriptural account of creation. After chatting about everything from theistic evolution to Augustine's interpretation of the creation account to the length of the "days" in Genesis 1, all of which are very heavily and hotly contested, we ended on a much lighter note. "Say hi to your wife for me," my buddy said. "You say hi to your wife too," I replied. And that's how our phone call ended.
My buddy and I have been friends now for over ten years. We went to college together and, as fate would have it, our wives, who attended the same college as we did, even roomed together. Hence, the extended greetings that we pass along to our respective spouses. But now, with both of us living in different towns and with all of the different duties and obligations that naturally come with adult life, we don't get to see each other very often. Our once close relationship is now a little more distant. So, greetings to and from each other often come second-hand. When our wives talk, just like when we talk, I usually get from Melody an extended greeting from my friend.
As Paul wraps up his letter to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 13, we find an extended greeting of sorts that comes through Paul to the Corinthians: "All the saints send their greetings" (verse 13). In a day before phone calls, emails, instant messaging, and Facebook, this is often the best that old friends could hope to receive: a second hand greeting via a traveling missionary. No doubt, many of "all the saints" who are saying hello through the pen of Paul were personally known to the Corinthians at one time or another. But then, just like today, these saints moved to different towns and different places and began different lives. Perhaps because of a job opportunity. Perhaps because of a missionary call. Perhaps even because of persecution. And those once close relationships are now a little more distant.
Interestingly, right before Paul passes along greetings from those who are afar, he encourages the Corinthians to "Greet one another with a holy kiss" (verse 12). The "holy kiss," of course, was no romantic gesture, but was a long standing Jewish tradition denoting fraternal affection. Indeed, the very word for "kiss" in Greek hints at this: philema, from the word phileo, meaning "brotherly love." The purpose of this "holy kiss," therefore, was not to opportunistically create love while standing under some bit of mistletoe, but rather, to demonstrate deep affection and thankfulness for the blessing of having someone near enough that you could actually kiss them. For in that day, as in ours, you never knew when a holy kiss would melt into a much more impersonal, "The saints send their greetings."
This, then, is a lesson for us. For time and circumstance have a way of separating us from those who are now near enough to kiss. Close friends move away. Kids grow up and leave the house. And yes, even spouses die. And we are left with much more impersonal second hand greetings that come to us through others or through emails or through cards during the holidays. In some instances, we are even left with only our memories. So today, don't miss out on your opportunity. For today's opportunity is a holy opportunity! Give a peck on the cheek to those you love. After all, Scripture commands it. And I have every intention of obeying. I think Melody's in the kitchen right now...
47:1 Come down and sit in the dust,
O virgin daughter of Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no more be called
tender and delicate.
2 Take the millstones and grind flour,
put off your veil,
strip off your robe, uncover your legs,
pass through the rivers.
3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
and your disgrace shall be seen.
I will take vengeance,
and I will spare no one.
4 Our Redeemer—the LORD of hosts is his name—
is the Holy One of Israel.
5 Sit in silence, and go into darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans;
for you shall no more be called
the mistress of kingdoms.
6 I was angry with my people;
I profaned my heritage;
I gave them into your hand;
you showed them no mercy;
on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
7 You said, “I shall be mistress forever,”
so that you did not lay these things to heart
or remember their end.
8 Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures,
who sit securely,
who say in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow
or know the loss of children”:
9 These two things shall come to you
in a moment, in one day;
the loss of children and widowhood
shall come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries
and the great power of your enchantments.
10 You felt secure in your wickedness;
you said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
11 But evil shall come upon you,
which you will not know how to charm away;
disaster shall fall upon you,
for which you will not be able to atone;
and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,
of which you know nothing.
12 Stand fast in your enchantments
and your many sorceries,
with which you have labored from your youth;
perhaps you may be able to succeed;
perhaps you may inspire terror.
13 You are wearied with your many counsels;
let them stand forth and save you,
those who divide the heavens,
who gaze at the stars,
who at the new moons make known
what shall come upon you.
14 Behold, they are like stubble;
the fire consumes them;
they cannot deliver themselves
from the power of the flame.
No coal for warming oneself is this,
no fire to sit before!
15 Such to you are those with whom you have labored,
who have done business with you from your youth;
they wander about, each in his own direction;
there is no one to save you.
48:1 Hear this, O house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel,
and who came from the waters of Judah,
who swear by the name of the LORD
and confess the God of Israel,
but not in truth or right.
2 For they call themselves after the holy city,
and stay themselves on the God of Israel;
the LORD of hosts is his name.
3 “The former things I declared of old;
they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are obstinate,
and your neck is an iron sinew
and your forehead brass,
5 I declared them to you from of old,
before they came to pass I announced them to you,
lest you should say, ‘My idol did them,
my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’
6 “You have heard; now see all this;
and will you not declare it?
From this time forth I announce to you new things,
hidden things that you have not known.
7 They are created now, not long ago;
before today you have never heard of them,
lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 You have never heard, you have never known,
from of old your ear has not been opened.
For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously,
and that from before birth you were called a rebel.
9 “For my name’s sake I defer my anger;
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
that I may not cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried1 you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name2 be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.
(ESV)
Isaiah's prophecy against Babylon continues, describing the nation as a young virgin, who is now disgraced, mourning in the dust, and being forced to abandon her modesty to perform the arduous work of grinding grain. Babylon's disgrace will be revealed by the LORD, Israel's Redeemer. Although it was God's plan to humble Israel by the Babylonian exile, Babylon went too far, showing no mercy even to the aged of God's people. Babylon thought she would never be overthrown. Instead, however, Isaiah warned that Babylon in one day would become like a childless widow. The sorcery and magic of Babylon could not save her. Mockingly, Isaiah tells Babylon, "Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed." Nevertheless, Babylon's efforts at divination would not save them. Instead Babylon would be like stubble for burning. Isaiah then turns his attention once again to Israel, the people who swear by God's name, but who do so falsely. God declares that He announced His plans in advance so that when Israel was rescued they could not claim that it was accomplished by their idols. And Israel's rescue came only because God deferred His anger and restrained Himself from cutting off His rebellious people—only for His name's sake.
41:1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!1
In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
2 the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.2
4 As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;
heal me,3 for I have sinned against you!”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
while his heart gathers iniquity;
when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.4
8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out5 on him;
he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!
11 By this I know that you delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever.
13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
[1] 41:1
[2] 41:3
[3] 41:4
[4] 41:7
[5] 41:8
(ESV)