Blog – Page 129 – Read Through the Bible

October 23 / Colossians 1:1-29

Colossians 1:1-29

Paul’s many parenthetical expressions often make for difficult reading. Here is what I distilled today by leaving out some of those expressions: …the gospel…in the whole world…is bearing fruit and increasing… (vv. 5b-6a) Paul is reporting on the spread of the Gospel “in the whole world”. He knows (without personal mention) that he himself has been largely responsible for that advance, but he is also seeing the Gospel move through other people – specifically in today’s reading Paul mentions Epaphras’ ministry to these Colossians. But also, we just read a few days ago of Paul’s reception in Rome, how many Christians came out to meet him – and he had never been there! So there is much truth in his statement – the whole (known) world…!

Looking at the verbs in verses 9b to 12a: …that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks… We learned early-on that verbs were action words. There’s a lot of action going on in individual lives in these few verses! How about us? It would be an interesting exercise to look at each of those verbs and see if that verb applies to our walk with the Lord.

October 22 / Philemon 1-25

Philemon 1-25

I mentioned last year in my final comment below that Mark Bruner would be visiting St. Andrew’s for his Asbury graduation in November. That visit did not happen, but as circumstances would have it, I can now report again that Mark will be visiting next month! He will be here on November 7, probably joining with the music team and sharing a bit on happenings in his mission field. Looking forward to seeing him again…!

I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for Christ’s service. (v. 6) In truth, I only learned Economics when I started teaching it. To teach the material I had to know it better than ever I needed it for an upcoming exam. It has often been said that the teacher learns more than the student and I can certainly confirm that. To the point of the verse above, I read it that Paul is saying essentially the same thing, that our sharing of our faith will strengthen our faith. There is a warm feeling that I get when I am talking with someone about Jesus or extending an invitation to St. Andrew’s. I don’t know that it strengthens my faith every time, but it does encourage me in my own behavior, in my own sharing of the Gospel.

…the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. (v. 7b, NASB) I have come to believe that Philemon was quite well off. We know that he had a servant/slave, Onesimus, and only wealthier people (or politicians or higher-ranking soldiers) had servants or slaves back then. But the verse noted above also strengthens the notion of his wealth, that the saints have been refreshed through him. Although the verse says the hearts of the saints, I can see a possibility for Philemon’s financial support for missionaries for their work in and around Ephesus and Colossae. Again, we’ve seen that in the missionaries that St. Andrew’s supports through our Mission Committee. They are truly thankful for the support the MC sends, and are even more grateful when a gift arrives “out of the blue”, an unexpected gift over and above the MC’s base contribution. So I think Philemon was doing much the same for “the saints” in Asia.

So tomorrow, another epistle directed to this same geographic area: Colossians!

October 21 / Acts 28:1-31

Acts 28:1-31

And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, having much dispute among themselves. (v.29) This verse may be new to you depending on the translation that you are reading. The NASB has it, but the ESV does not. The ESV indicates in a footnote that “some manuscripts” add this verse. But, to the point of this verse… Paul has been speaking all day to these Jews who clearly have been open to what he has been saying, even to the point of arguing among themselves – very likely to the possible truth of what Paul has been preaching. We have often heard it said that God’s word never goes out void. Here is the cited Scripture verse: …so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) So yeah, the Jews went out arguing among themselves. And there’s truth in that verse for us. If we’ve been sharing Jesus with an unbeliever, we have not wasted our words. Whatever we have said can be turned over and over in the mind of those who have listened to us – even something as simple as an invitation to church!

And so we finish Acts. On to more of Paul’s epistles…

October 20 / Acts 27:27-44

Acts 27:27-44

My comments from last year are helpful in understanding just exactly what was going on with the ship being battered from the wind and waves.

From yesterday’s reading, Paul speaking: Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete… (v. 21b) I think many of us hate it if someone says “I told you so”, but often because they were right and we were wrong – and don’t we (…I…!!) hate to admit we’re wrong!! But in this case, Paul was right and he was speaking what he had heard from an angel of the Lord. There are only a few times in my life when I could say that I “heard” something very specific and I imputed (Ben’s word!) what I had heard as possibly being from the Lord. But I’m not Paul; Paul knew specifically that an angel of the God to whom I belong had spoken to him. And as I mentioned in my 2020 comments yesterday, Luke and Aristarchus must have been comforted, but still (I’m thinking) a bit troubled when they looked around at the wind and the waves! I would be, too!!

Verse 37 says, parenthetically “(We were in all 276 persons in the ship.)” An online footnote says that some manuscripts read “76 or about 76” instead of 276. I tend to believe the correction. Having 276 aboard would have been quite a large ship! In addition, I doubt that Paul could have had so much influence with a larger crowd. Just that.

October 19 / Acts 27:1-26

Acts 27:1-26

Not much to add to today’s reading that I did not already cover below. However, I am intrigued by what it must have been like back then to be a sailor or a passenger on a ship, totally at the mercy of the winds and the waves. No wonder Paul went overland as much as he could, even when the time and distance were much greater. Truly, we live in a pampered world!

October 18 / Acts 26:1-32

Acts 26:1-32

Yesterday Ben preached from Isaiah 53:4-6, one of the “suffering servant” passages: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Today’s reading reminded me of that passage: …and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer… (vv. 22b-23a). I can imagine Paul quoting these verses or verses from Psalm 22 directly in his speech before Festus and King Agrippa, testifying to all the Jews present that the Jesus whom he has been peaching was that “suffering servant” foretold by Isaiah. Paul’s defense, Ben’s sermon, and our reading today… Another divine echo!

October 17 / Acts 25:1-27

Acts 25:1-27

I’m amazed at the Jewish leaders’ persistence in bringing their case against Paul: When he [Paul] 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. (v 7) Paul has been in “prison” (possibly “house arrest”) in Caesarea for approximately two years. That is, he has been away from the mission field for all that time. Still, the Jewish leaders bring charges against him.

So, why this intense focus on the part of the Jews? I’m guessing that his mere presence in the area generated that much activity, that much enthusiasm among the Christians in Jerusalem and nearby cities that he was still regarded by the Jewish leaders as their number-one enemy!

And what if – I’m going out on a limb here – what if Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews while he was in prison in Caesarea? What if…? That letter, widely circulated in and around Jerusalem would have set the Jewish leaders aflame!! The arguments in that letter are so strong that many average Jewish followers could have been led to follow Jesus. Wait’ll we get to Hebrews and let’s chat about this possibility! What a powerful legacy Paul left!

October 16 / Philippians 4:1-23

Philippians 4:1-23

I comment on verse 18b in the second link below, but it is worth repeating the end of that comment: “Our small gifts – our time, treasure and talent – are seen by God and they accrue to our account with Him. Our tithes and offerings do not go unnoticed! Christians need to get out from under the burden of required giving and move to the glory that comes from cheerful giving (II Corinthians 9:7).”

Paul comments extensively in verses 10 to 19 on the Philippians’ support for his ministry, acknowledging substantial thanksgiving for what they do for him but also recognizing that they are also blessed by the Lord in their donations. I was thinking of our own church. St. Andrew’s has been enormously financially blessed during its 17+ years. And during that time we have consistently donated every month a tithe of our projected annual Pledged and Non-Pledged offerings. And as one of the larger congregations in ADOTS I know that our pledge to the Diocese is greatly appreciated. We are blessed and they are blessed. That’s how it is with our donations to the Lord’s work. He sees what we do and blesses us for it.

October 15 / Philippians 3:1-21

Philippians 3:1-21

…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on… (vv. 13b-14a) I already commented on these verses in the second link below, but it is worth re-stating. Paul does not want us to sit idly by enjoying our position as believers in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, and our acceptance of His forgiveness for all that we have ever done. All that is “what lies behind”. It’s good, but Paul asks us to “press on”. I keep remembering that beyond salvation there is sanctification, our growing in the Lord. So how do we “press on”, how do we become more sanctified? I suggest three things, without further comment: our prayer life, our evangelism, and our service. In each of these areas, “press on”!

October 14 / Philippians 2:1-30

Philippians 2:1-30

For the second day in a row, I report that our Men’s Group two days ago called up today’s verses 10 and 11: …at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. We were discussing I Corinthians 12:3 – …no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. I mention in my first comment in the first link below that the refrain, “He is Lord” runs through my head every time I read these verses from today’s reading. Our bottom line from that discussion is that anyone saying (or singing!) “Jesus is Lord” with meaning, with feeling, does so by the Holy Spirit within. So if you say it or sing it and mean it, then no doubt the Holy Spirit is residing in you. What a wonderful thought!!

…so that … I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (v. 16b) I can relate to what Paul is saying here. Carol and I have been blessed to see a number of people have their faith strengthened, in some measure through our relationship with them – many of these in the “Read Through the Bible” groups we have formed over the years. Just in the past week we saw a married couple reunited with their daughter – our Godchild – after a couple of hard years between them. We had been praying daily for the parents and our Godchild; we even visited with our Godchild a few months back doing what we could to heal that breach. And now that they have renewed their relationship, …we rejoice; yes, we rejoice! (v. 1:18) But one modification to verse 16b – it’s not pride that we feel, it’s a humble thanksgiving for God through His Holy Spirit working in the lives of parents and child to bring them back together. Glory!