August 27 / Galatians 5:25-6:18

Galatians 5:25-6:18 Dear RTB’ers, Better late than never?? Actually, packing pre-empted posting! We have a plane to catch in six hours. Please remember to pray for us while we’re gone. Paul has a number of disparate thoughts in today’s reading – no common denominator that I could find. But what is interesting to me is …

August 26 / Galatians 5:2-24

Galatians 5:2-24 Dear RTB’ers, Every time I read today’s passage, I get hung up on this one verse: But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. (v. 11) As worded, that verse was very confusing to me. A few …

August 25 / Galatians 4:8-5:1

Galatians 4:8-5:1 Dear RTB’ers, I often look for one or two key verses for each day’s reading. Surprisingly, 4:20 is that verse for today: I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Yes, these words encapsulate Paul’s thoughts for today’s reading, especially the second …

August 24 / Galatians 3:19-4:7

Galatians 3:19-4:7 Dear RTB’ers, Although Paul spends many words and various examples to explain his theology, to me it seemed that today’s reading could be stated very simply. First, the Law was there to show the Jewish people their sin, their need for God. My NASB notes had a second translation for It was added …

August 23 / Galatians 3:1-18

Galatians 3:1-18 Dear RTB’ers, We continue where we left off yesterday, justification by faith: …we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, … because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Gal. 2:16) Let’s follow Paul’s argument in today’s reading. First, …

August 22 / Galatians 2

Galatians 2 Dear RTB’ers, Scholars disagree as to when Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written. Basically it comes down to either (1) after Paul’s first missionary journey and before his second or (2) after his second. In between his first and second missionary journeys we have the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 where the …

August 21 / Galatians 1

Galatians 1 Dear RTB’ers, Today we begin another of Paul’s epistles, our third, this one to the Galatians. To get a better handle on Galatians, we need to go back to Paul’s first missionary journey in Acts 13-14. After he and Barnabas had shared the gospel in Cyprus, they sailed north to Asia Minor and …

August 20 / Revision: Joshua 1-24

Joshua 1-24 Dear RTB’ers, Today we have no new reading; STS calls it a “Revision” day. I like the second half of the second question in STS – God’s character and His purpose for us… A couple of my own thoughts from Joshua. First, my Study Bible noted seven occasions when the Israelites set up …

August 19 / Joshua 24

Joshua 24 Dear RTB’ers, Yesterday we had two sets of three times that Joshua had reminded Israel of God’s giving them the Promised Land and of the possibility of them losing that land due to their disobedience. Again today, we have two sets of three interchanges, “And Joshua said to the people…” (vv. 2, 19, …