Acts 15:36-16:5 Back to Acts! I’ve always been troubled by Paul and Barnabas separating over the issue of John Mark going along. But you may recall that Barnabas was John Mark’s cousin (Colossians 4:10, translated as uncle only in the KJV), so family ties would have prompted Barnabas to have Mark along. And as I …
Category Archives: RTB 2020 – Epistles
March 24 / James 5:12-20
James 5:12-20 So today we finish James. It’s been a good ten days! Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him… (vv. 13-14) How fitting are James’ words …
March 23 / James 5:1-11
James 5:1-11 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged… (v. 9) The word “grumble” is also translated “complain” in the NASB and the NKJV. I had never noticed this before, that our grumbling/complaining against one another will be held against us, will be judged. I think James is …
March 22 / James 4:11-17
James 4:11-17 Today’s topics: Judging, boasting, “profiteering” (v. 13, “…spend a year…trade…profit…”)… Judging and boasting are fairly clear to us, I think. But this “profiteering” item made me wonder what James meant by that. I think it’s more than simply being an entrepreneur. I think it’s going off on our own, making our own plans, …
March 21 / James 4:1-10
James 4:1-10 The ESV titles today’s reading, “Warning Against Worldliness”. With that in mind, verse 5b struck me when I read it in the NKJV: The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously. This verse is translated very differently in the ESV and the NASB. Not knowing which is the more correct, I liked the …
March 20 / James 3:13-18
James 3:13-18 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. (v. 14) As I first read this verse I immediately thought of politicians (across the board, some more than others) boasting about their accomplishments and either outright lying or stretching the truth …
March 19 / James 3:1-12
James 3:1-12 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (v. 1) Often we are asked to upgrade our passwords to include an upper case letter, a lower case letter, a number, and a special character. Some time ago I found …
March 18 / James 2:14-26
James 2:14-26 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (v. 18) James is distinguishing between two kinds of faith, one without works and one with works. My Study Bible refers to the former, …
March 17 / James 2:1-13
James 2:1-13 Mercy triumphs over judgment. (v. 13) Because this is true we have hope of eternal life. Without mercy we are damned to hell because we, ourselves, can never pay the debt for the sins we have committed. Period. I mentioned two days ago about James’ discussions of the rich and the poor. Here …
March 16 / James 1:12-27
James 1:12-27 Hearing, speaking, doing. Each of these activities is mentioned more than once in today’s reading. Hearing is mentioned four times (vv. 19, 22, 23, 25); speaking is mentioned twice (vv. 19, 26); and doing is mentioned four times (vv. 22, 23, 25, 27). In addition, hearing precedes both speaking and doing (see especially …