II Corinthians 6:11-7:16 Dear RTB’ers, Trying to piece together Paul’s relationship to the Corinthians, as we read it today. (All these verse references are chapter 7.) First, Paul had written a stern letter that caused grief among the Corinthians: For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it… (v. …
Category Archives: RTB 2024 – Search the Scriptures, Part 1
December 3 / II Corinthians 5:11-6:10
II Corinthians 5:11-6:10 Dear RTB’ers, For the love of Christ controls us … One has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him Who for their sake died and was raised. … Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, …
December 2 / II Corinthians 4:7-5:10
II Corinthians 4:7-5:10 Dear RTB’ers, There are a number of worthy verses and passages for comments today: “…treasures in earthen vessels…” (v. 4:7); “…afflicted…, but not crushed…” (vv. 4:8-9) “…momentary light affliction…” (v. 4:17). But I like Paul’s focus on the eternal. For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is …
December 1 / II Corinthians 3:1-4:6
Dear RTB’ers, Paul mentions the Spirit seven times in chapter 3. Our Men’s Group did a Holy Spirit study some years back. We looked at all occurrences of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. When you look for Him, you’ll find Him quite often in the Gospels, even more often in Acts (occasionally referred …
December 2024 Readings
Date Reading(s) Verses 01-Dec II Corinthians 3:1-4:6 24 02-Dec II Corinthians 4:7-5:10 22 03-Dec II Corinthians 5:11-6:10 21 04-Dec II Corinthians 6:11-7:16 24 05-Dec II Corinthians 8:1-15 15 06-Dec II Corinthians 8:16-9:15 24 07-Dec II Corinthians 10 18 08-Dec II Corinthians 11:1-21a 21 09-Dec II Corinthians 11:21b-12:10 23 10-Dec II Corinthians 12:11-21 11 11-Dec II …
November 30 / II Corinthians 1:23-2:17
II Corinthians 1:23-2:17 Dear RTB’ers, I am repeating below a comment that I wrote in 2020 (slightly edited), primarily to help us all understand the confusion in Paul’s letter regarding his Corinthian visits and correspondence: So, is there a lost letter or a lost visit? I sense that the majority of scholars tend to believe …
November 29 / II Corinthians 1:12-22
II Corinthians 1:12-22 Dear RTB’ers, As we near the end of this 16th year of RTB, I’m asking myself if I can apply Paul’s “boast” to myself? He says, For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace …
November 28 / II Corinthians 1:1-11
II Corinthians 1:1-11 Dear RTB’ers, Blessed be the God … of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction… (v. 3-4a). There was a time in my life (summer and fall 1981) when for seven straight months I had some major “affliction” in my life, the worst of which were my father’s death and …
November 27 / Psalm 41
Psalm 41 Dear RTB’ers, I don’t know why, but so often it seems like the first words in a psalm are the ones that hit me. Today was the case again, Blessed is the one who considers the poor! (or the “weak” or “helpless”, v. 1a) The ESV ends those eight words with an exclamation …
November 26 / Psalm 40:11-17
Psalm 40:11-17 Dear RTB’ers, I said yesterday that God’s provision is infinitely ongoing. Today’s last verse repeats that thought, As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. (v. 17a) I see “takes thought for me” as a continual thing, that the Lord is constantly taking thought of me …