the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Daily Bible Reading
December 6 - Straight Thru the Bible
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1 Corinthians 15:29-16:24
Chapter 15
29 Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them?[f] 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day!(am) 32 If I fought wild animals in Ephesus(an) with only human hope,[g] what good did that do me?[h](ao) If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (ap)[i] 33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."[j] 34 Come to your senses[k](aq) and stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.(ar)
The Nature of the Resurrection Body
35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?" 36 Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life(as) unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed,[l] perhaps of wheat or another grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He wants,(at) and to each of the seeds its own body. 39 Not all flesh(au) is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor(av) of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. 41 There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for one star differs from another star in splendor. 42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead:
Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption;(aw)
43 sown in dishonor,(ax) raised in glory;(ay)
sown in weakness, raised in power;(az)
44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being ;(ba)[m] the last Adam(bb) became a life-giving Spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth
and made of dust;(bc)
the second man is[n] from heaven.
48 Like the man made of dust,
so are those who are made of dust;
like the heavenly man,
so are those who are heavenly.(bd)
49 And just as we have borne
the image(be) of the man made of dust,
we will also bear
the image of the heavenly man.(bf)
Victorious Resurrection
50 Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh(bg) and blood(bh) cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. 51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery:
We will not all fall asleep,
but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye,
at the last trumpet.(bi)
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we will be changed.
53 For this corruptible must be clothed(bj)
with incorruptibility,(bk)
and this mortal must be clothed
with immortality.
54 When this corruptible is clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal is clothed
with immortality,
then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up
(bl)
in victory.
(bm)[o]
55
Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting?
(bn)[p]
56 Now the sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin(bo) is the law.(bp)
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory(bq)
through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord's work,(br) knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Chapter 16
Collection for the Jerusalem Church
1 Now about the collection(a) for the saints: You should do the same as I instructed the Galatian(b) churches. 2 On the first day of the week,[a](c) each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he prospers, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.(d) 3 When I arrive, I will send with letters(e) those you recommend to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.(f) 4 If it is suitable for me to go as well, they can travel with me.
Paul's Travel Plans
5 I will come to you after I pass through Macedonia(g)—for I will be traveling through Macedonia— 6 and perhaps I will remain with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go. 7 I don't want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows.(h) 8 But I will stay in Ephesus(i) until Pentecost,(j) 9 because a wide door(k) for effective ministry has opened for me[b]—yet many oppose me. 10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear from you, because he is doing the Lord's work,(l) just as I am. 11 Therefore, no one should look down(m) on him. Send him on his way in peace so he can come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.[c]
12 About our brother Apollos:(n) I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.
Final Exhortation
13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith,(o) act like a man, be strong. 14 Your every action must be done with love.(p)
15 Brothers, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the firstfruits(q) of Achaia(r) and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you 16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them. 17 I am pleased to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus present, because these men have made up for your absence. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit(s) and yours. Therefore recognize(t) such people.
Conclusion
19 The churches of Asia(u) greet you.(v) Aquila and Priscilla(w) greet you warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home.(x) 20 All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.(y)
21 This greeting is in my own hand[d](z)—Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Marana tha that is, Lord, come![e] 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.(aa) 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1-2
Chapter 1
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will,(a) and Timothy(b) our[a] brother:
To God's church at Corinth,(c) with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.(d)
2 Grace to you and peace(e) from God our Father(f) and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The God of Comfort
3 Praise(g) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies(h) and the God of all comfort.(i) 4 He comforts us in all our affliction,[b] so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For as the sufferings(j) of Christ(k) overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows.(l) 6 If we are afflicted,(m) it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.(n) 7 And our hope(o) for you is firm, because we know that as you share(p) in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.
8 For we don't want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in Asia:(q) we were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength(r)—so that we even despaired(s) of life. 9 Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God(t) who raises(u) the dead. 10 He has delivered(v) us from such a terrible death,(w) and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our[c] behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
A Clear Conscience
12 For this is our confidence: The testimony(x) of our conscience(y) is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly[d] wisdom(z) but by God's grace.(aa) 13 Now we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely— 14 as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride,(ab) as you are ours,(ac) in the day of our[e] Lord Jesus.(ad)
A Visit Postponed
15 I planned with this confidence to come to you first,(ae) so you could have a double benefit,[f] 16 and to go on to Macedonia(af) with your help, then come to you again from Macedonia and be given a start by you(ag) on my journey(ah) to Judea.(ai) 17 So when I planned this, was I irresponsible? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human[g](aj) way so that I say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" simultaneously? 18 As God is faithful,(ak) our message to you is not "Yes and no." 19 For the Son of God,(al) Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus[h](am) and Timothy—did not become "Yes and no"; on the contrary, a final "Yes" has come in Him.(an) 20 For every one of God's promises(ao) is "Yes" in Him. Therefore, the "Amen"(ap) is also spoken through Him by us for God's glory.(aq) 21 Now it is God who strengthens us, with you, in Christ and has anointed(ar) us. 22 He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment(as) in our hearts.(at)
23 I call on God as a witness,(au) on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.(av) 24 I do not mean that we have control of[i] your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand(aw) by faith.
Chapter 2
1 1 In fact, I made up my mind about this:[a] I would not come to you on another painful visit.[b] 2 For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me?[c] 3 I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn't have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident(a) about all of you that my joy will also be yours. 4 For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not that you should be hurt, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.
A Sinner Forgiven
5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate(b)—to all of you. 6 The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for that person. 7 As a result, you should instead forgive(c) and comfort him. Otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 I wrote for this purpose: to test your character(d) to see if you are obedient(e) in everything. 10 If you forgive anyone, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for you in the presence of Christ. 11 I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage(f) of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.
A Trip to Macedonia
12 When I came to Troas(g) to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door(h) for me. 13 I had no rest(i) in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus,(j) but I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.(k)
A Ministry of Life or Death
14 But thanks be to God,(l) who always puts us on display[d] in Christ[e] and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.(m) 15 For to God we are the fragrance(n) of Christ among those who are being saved(o) and among those who are perishing.(p) 16 To some we are an aroma of death(q) leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life(r) leading to life. And who is competent for this? 17 For we are not like the many[f] who market God's message(s) for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.
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