I Peter 3:13-4:6 Dear RTB’ers, Some challenging verses today, especially … in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison… (3:19) and For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead… (4:6) These verses have confused me every time I have read them and again today. So I …
Monthly Archives: May 2025
May 28 / I Peter 3:1-12
I Peter 3:1-12 Dear RTB’ers, In yesterday’s reading Peter spoke of slave-master relationships and of our subjection to government authorities. Today he covers wives and husbands (vv. 1-7), then all of us (vv. 8-12). In those last three verses he quotes Psalm 34:12-16. Let’s look at a few more verses from that Psalm. I’m sure …
May 27 / I Peter 2:18-25
I Peter 2:18-25 Dear RTB’ers, The word “suffer” (and its endings) occurs four times in today’s eight verses, Peter quickly tying Christian sufferings to Jesus. And in so doing, he reminds his audience of Isaiah’s prophecy: He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire …
May 26 / I Peter 2:4-17
I Peter 2:4-17 Dear RTB’ers, Yesterday I commented on the word “exile”, which the NASB had translated as “stay on earth”. Peter continues that analogy today, Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles… (v. 11a) The NASB has foreigners and strangers in place of sojourners and exiles. All four words suggest temporary residence. I …
May 25 / I Peter 1:13-2:3
I Peter 1:13-2:3 Dear RTB’ers, …conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed … with the precious blood of Christ (vv. 1:17b-19a). Exile. [NOTE: The NASB translates “exile” as “stay on earth”.] Peter sees our born-again life here on earth as an “exile”, a time when we are …
May 24 / I Peter 1:1-12
I Peter 1:1-12 Dear RTB’ers, Back to the New Testament, the first of Peter’s two epistles. It’ll be a long while before we see the second! I have two general reflections on Peter writing these two letters. The first is that many scholars have argued that Mark’s gospel could well be called Peter’s gospel, that …
May 23 / Judges 21
Judges 21 Dear RTB’ers, Today we end Judges on a happier note that we’ve had the past two days. Although Israel has conjured up a plan to save the tribe of Benjamin, in the process they are losing a “sub-tribe”, a family from across the Jordan River, in their destruction of all the men and …
May 22 / Judges 20
Judges 20 Dear RTB’ers, Civil war in Israel, this time clearly involving all of Israel, eleven tribes from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead… (v. 20b) arrayed against their “brother”, Benjamin. Apparently this incident from yesterday and the battle today occurred early in the days of Judges, since we still have Phineas, the …
May 21 / Judges 19
Judges 19 Dear RTB’ers, If you are reading the book of Judges for the first time (or maybe the first time in a long time), rest assured that this “story” is not yet ended. We still have two more chapters to go. So, read ahead if you must, but don’t expect much of a happy …
May 20 / Judges 17-18
Judges 17-18 Dear RTB’ers, Two chapters today, two independent sets of activities – neither of which is praiseworthy – that come together and leave us wondering where God is in these activities, or more correctly, why the characters in these activities are not seeking the Lord in what they do. So first, Micah and his …