Isaiah 42:1-43:13 Dear RTB’ers, For the remainder of our readings in Isaiah I recommend that you first read the STS introduction, then the text, then the introduction again and the text again, then my comments, then the 2023 posts. It’s not easy to follow Isaiah when you just read his words; it requires a bit …
Author Archives: Fred
December 16 / Isaiah 41
Isaiah 41 Dear RTB’ers, The STS intro refers to today’s reading as a “magnificent chapter” in which “the supremacy of the God of Israel is further demonstrated” – further demonstrated, in that yesterday’s Isaiah 40 had already established His greatness. I have suggested many times that you read through the links to prior posts that …
December 15 / Isaiah 40
Isaiah 40 Dear RTB’ers, We return to Isaiah and will be with him for the rest of this year and into 2026. In fact, we will not finish Isaiah until January 4, the date of our first RTB gathering of the new year. So, three weeks, get it on your calendars! [NOTE: Carol and I …
December 14 / II John & III John
II John 1-13 & III John 1-15 Dear RTB’ers, Two more (short) letters from the apostle John, one written to an “elect lady and her children” (possibly [even likely?] to a church and its members), the other to a person, Gaius. I see a common theme in these two letters – discernment. In the first …
December 13 / I John 5:4-21
I John 5:4-21 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these …
December 12 / I John 4:7-5:3
I John 4:7-5:3 Dear RTB’ers, “Love.” Each day in I John one word jumps out. Today that word is “love”. I counted 33 occurrences of the word “love” or “loved” in today’s 18 verses. And in these few verses we have a number of “memory verses”, especially I John 4:10,11,16b,18a,19. Pick one and add it …
December 11 / I John 3:11-4:6
I John 3:11-4:6 Dear RTB’ers, “World”. That one word is mentioned eight times in today’s reading, six of those in the first six verses in chapter 4, three times in just one verse (I John 4:5). For the most part, John applies the “world” to this earthly realm that is not of God, that is …
December 10 / I John 2:28-3:10
I John 2:28-3:10 Dear RTB’ers, The devil. He is featured today in John’s letter, in unglowing terms (I John 3:8, 10)! We also saw him in yesterday’s reading, where he is mentioned as “the evil one” (I John 2:13-14) and we’ll see him again in I John 5:18-19, again mentioned as “the evil one”. As …
December 9 / I John 2:3-27
I John 2:3-27 Dear RTB’ers, Love one another, keep His commandments, and be careful that you are not led astray by wrong teaching. Am I missing anything from today’s reading? I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, …
December 8 / I John 1:1-2:2
I John 1:1-2:2 Dear RTB’ers, Today and for the next week we have an elderly apostle John writing circular letters to believers, presumably those living in Asia (modern Turkey), Greece and Italy (Rome). That is, in contrast to Hebrews, he does not appear to be writing to Jewish believers in Jerusalem/Israel. He does not address …