M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The spirit and the world
16 “I’ve said these things to you,” Jesus went on, “to stop you from being tripped up. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will suppose that they are thereby offering worship to God. 3 They will do these things because they haven’t known the father, or me. 4 But I have been talking to you about these things so that, when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.
“I didn’t say these things to you from the start, because I was with you. 5 But now I’m going to the one who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I’ve said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 However, it’s the truth that I’m telling you: it’s better for you that I should go away. If I don’t go away, you see, the helper won’t come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you.
8 “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong on three counts: sin, justice and judgment. 9 In relation to sin—because they don’t believe in me. 10 In relation to justice—because I’m going to the father, and you won’t see me anymore. 11 In relation to judgment—because the ruler of this world is judged.”
Your hearts will rejoice
12 “There are many things I still have to say to you,” Jesus continued, “but you’re not yet strong enough to take them. 13 When the spirit of truth comes, though, he will guide you in all the truth. He won’t speak on his own account, you see, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will announce to you what’s to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what belongs to me and will announce it to you. 15 Everything that the father has is mine. That’s why I said that he would take what is mine and announce it to you.
16 “Not long from now, you won’t see me anymore. Then again, not long after that, you will see me!”
17 “What’s he talking about?” some of his disciples asked each other. “What’s this business about ‘not long from now, you won’t see me, and again not long after that you will see me’? And what’s this about ‘going to the father’?”
18 They kept on saying it.
“What is this ‘not long’?”
“What’s it all about?”
“We don’t know what he means!”
19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him.
“You’re discussing with each other what I meant, aren’t you?” he said. “You want to know what I meant by saying, ‘Not long from now, you won’t see me; and then again, not long after that, you will see me.’ That’s it, isn’t it? 20 Well, I’m going to tell you the solemn truth.
“You will weep and wail, but the world will celebrate. You will be overcome with sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth she is in anguish, because her moment has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering, because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 In the same way, you have sorrow now. But I shall see you again, and your hearts will celebrate, and nobody will take your joy away from you.”
Ask, and you will receive
23 “On that day,” Jesus went on, “you won’t ask me for anything. I’m telling you the solemn truth: whatever you ask the father in my name, he will give you. 24 Up to now, you haven’t asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full!
25 “I’ve been saying all this to you in picture-language. The time is coming when I won’t speak in pictures anymore. Instead, I’ll tell you about the father quite plainly. 26 On that day you will ask in my name. I won’t say I will ask the father on your behalf, 27 because the father himself loves you! That’s because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the father, and I’ve come into the world. Now I’m leaving the world, and going back to the father.”
29 “Ah!” said his disciples. “Now you’re speaking plainly! You’re not talking in pictures. 30 Now we know that you know all things, and you don’t need to have anybody ask you anything. This makes us trust that you came from God.”
31 “So you do now believe, do you?” replied Jesus. 32 “Look here: the time is coming (in fact, it’s now arrived!) when you will be scattered, each of you to his own place. You will leave me alone—though I’m not alone, because the father is with me. 33 I’ve said these things to you so that you can have peace in me. You’ll have trouble in the world. But cheer up! I have defeated the world!”
Children, parents, slaves and masters
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord. This is right and proper. 2 “Honor your father and your mother”—this is the first commandment that comes with a promise attached!— 3 “so that things may go well with you and that you may live a long life on earth.”
4 Fathers, don’t make your children angry. Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your human masters, with respect and devotion, with the same single-mindedness that you have towards the Messiah. 6 You must get on with your work, not only when someone is watching you, as if you were just trying to please another human being, but as slaves of the Messiah. Do God’s will from your heart. 7 Get on with your tasks with a kind and ready spirit as if you were serving the master himself and not human beings. 8 After all, you know that if anyone, slave or free, does something good, they will receive it back from the master.
9 Masters, do the same to them! Give up using threats. You know, after all, that the master in heaven is their master and yours, and he is no respecter of persons.
God’s complete armor
10 What else is there to say? Just this: be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on God’s complete armor. Then you’ll be able to stand firm against the devil’s trickery. 12 The warfare we’re engaged in, you see, isn’t against flesh and blood. It’s against the leaders, against the authorities, against the powers that rule the world in this dark age, against the wicked spiritual elements in the heavenly places.
13 For this reason, you must take up God’s complete armor. Then, when wickedness grabs its moment, you’ll be able to withstand, to do what needs to be done, and still to be on your feet when it’s all over. 14 So stand firm! Put the belt of truth round your waist; put on justice as your breastplate; 15 for shoes on your feet, ready for battle, take the good news of peace. 16 With it all, take the shield of faith; if you’ve got that, you’ll be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is God’s word.
Prayer and peace
18 Pray on every occasion in the spirit, with every type of prayer and intercession. You’ll need to keep awake and alert for this, with all perseverance and intercession for all God’s holy ones— 19 and also for me! Please pray that God will give me his words to speak when I open my mouth, so that I can make known, loud and clear, the secret truth of the gospel. 20 That, after all, is why I’m a chained-up ambassador! Pray that I may announce it boldly; that’s what I’m duty-bound to do.
21 It’s important that you should know how things are with me, and what I’m up to; so our dear brother Tychicus will tell you about it. He is a loyal servant in the Lord. 22 I’ve sent him to you with this in mind, so that you may know how things are with us, and so that he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the whole family, and love with faith, from God the father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord, Messiah Jesus, with a love that never dies!
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.