M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

In Thessalonica Paul Reasons From The Scriptures That The Christ Had To Suffer

17 Now having traveled-through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And in accordance with the thing having become-a-custom with Paul, he went-in to them. And on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ opening them, and putting-before them that the Christ had-to suffer and rise-up from the dead, and that “This One is the Christ— the Jesus Whom I am proclaiming to you”. ⁴ And some of them were persuaded and were allotted-to^[a] Paul and Silas— both a large number of the worshiping Greeks, and not a few of the leading women. ⁵ But the Jews— having become-jealous, and having taking along some evil men from the marketplace, and having formed-a-crowd— were throwing the city into-a-commotion. And having suddenly-come-upon the house of Jason, they were seeking them^[b] to bring them forth to the public-assembly. ⁶ But not having found them, they were dragging Jason and some brothers before the city-authorities^[c], shouting that “The ones having upset the world— these ones are also present here, ⁷ whom Jason has received^[d]. And these ones all are acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that Jesus is another king”. ⁸ And they stirred-up the crowd and the city-authorities hearing these things. ⁹ And having received the bond^[e] from Jason and the others, they released them.

In Berea, The People Examine The Scriptures With Paul And Silas

¹⁰ And the brothers immediately sent-away both Paul and Silas during the night to Berea— who, having arrived, were going into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these ones were more-noble^[f] than the ones in Thessalonica— who^[g] received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things might hold so. ¹² So indeed many of them believed— and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. ¹³ But when the Jews from Thessalonica came-to-know that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there also, shaking^[h] and stirring-up the crowds. ¹⁴ And at that time the brothers immediately sent Paul away, that he might go as-far-as to the sea. And both Silas and Timothy remained there.

In Athens, Paul Reasons With The Philosophers In The Marketplace

¹⁵ Now the ones conducting Paul brought him as far as Athens. And having received a command for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as they could, they were going away [to them]. ¹⁶ And while Paul was waiting-for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked^[i] within him while observing the city being full-of-idols. ¹⁷ So indeed he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the ones worshiping, and in the marketplace every day with the ones happening-to-be-there. ¹⁸ And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. And some were saying, “What would this scavenger^[j] be intending to say?” And others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities^[k]”— because he was announcing-the-good-news as to Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And having taken-hold-of him, they brought him to the Areopagus^[l], saying, “Can we know what this new teaching being spoken by you is? ²⁰ For you are bringing-in some things being strange to our ears. So we want to know what these things mean”. ²¹ Now all Athenians and the strangers residing there were finding-an-opportunity^[m] for nothing other than to say something or to hear something newer.

Paul Proclaims To Them The Creator-God And What He Wants From Mankind

²² And Paul, having been stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, “Men, Athenians, I see how you are very-religious in all respects. ²³ For while going-about and looking-carefully-at^[n] your objects-of-worship, I also found an altar in which it had been inscribed, ‘To a not-known god’. Therefore what you are worshiping while not-knowing, this I am proclaiming to you: ²⁴ God, the One having made the world and all the things in it— this One, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made-by-human-hands. ²⁵ Nor is He served by human hands, [as if] being-in-need of something^[o]— He Himself giving life and breath and all things to all people. ²⁶ And He made from one man every nation of mankind, that they should dwell upon all the face of the earth, having determined the times^[p] having been appointed^[q] for them and the boundaries of their dwelling-places^[r]; ²⁷ that they should seek God— if perhaps indeed they might grope-for^[s] Him and find Him, though indeed He being not far from each one of us. ²⁸ For in Him we live and move and exist, as also some of your poets^[t] have said— ‘For we are indeed the One’s offspring^[u]’. ²⁹ Being then offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone— a work of human craft and thought. ³⁰ So indeed, having overlooked^[v] the times of ignorance, God, as to the present things, is commanding people that everyone everywhere should repent. ³¹ Because He set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man Whom He designated, having granted^[w] a proof ^[x] to everyone— having raised Him up from the dead”.

At The Mention of a Resurrection From The Dead, Some Scoffed

³² Now having heard-of a resurrection of the dead, some were scoffing, but others said, “We will indeed again hear you concerning this”. ³³ So Paul went out of their midst. ³⁴ And some men having joined him believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite^[y]; and a woman— Damaris by name; and others with them.

You Priests Are Like Farmers Who Killed The Owner’s Messengers And His Son

12 And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit [for a wine press] and built a tower. And he rented it to farmers and went-on-a-journey. ² And he sent forth a slave to the farmers at the harvest time in order that he might receive from the fruits of the vineyard from the farmers. ³ And having taken him, they beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ And again he sent-forth another slave to them. And that one they struck-on-the-head, and dishonored. ⁵ And he sent forth another— and that one they killed— and many others, they beating some and killing others. ⁶ He was still having one to send: a beloved son. He sent him forth to them last, saying that ‘They will have-regard-for my son’. ⁷ But those farmers said to themselves that ‘This one is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours’. ⁸ And having taken him, they killed him and threw him outside of the vineyard. ⁹ Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and give the vineyard to others.

But As The Psalm Says, The Stone The Builders Rejected Became The Cornerstone

¹⁰ Did you not even read this Scripture [in Ps 118:22-23]: ‘The stone which the ones building rejected, this became the head of the corner^[a]. ¹¹ This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” ¹² And they were seeking to seize Him. And^[b] they feared the crowd. For they^[c] knew that He spoke the parable against them. And having left Him, they went away.

The Pharisees Try To Snare Jesus: Shall We Pay Taxes To Caesar?

¹³ And they send forth some of the Pharisees and the Herodians^[d] to Him in order that they might catch Him in a statement. ¹⁴ And having come, they say to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful. And You are not concerned about [pleasing] anyone^[e], for You do not look^[f] at the face of people, but You teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to give a poll-tax^[g] to Caesar, or not? Should we give it, or should we not give it?” ¹⁵ But the One, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius^[h] in order that I may see it”. ¹⁶ And the ones brought it. And He says to them, “Whose is this image^[i] and inscription?” And the ones said to Him, “Caesar’s”. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Give back^[j] the things of ^[k] Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God”. And they were marveling-greatly at Him.

Sadducees Question Jesus About The Resurrection of a Wife With Seven Husbands

¹⁸ And Sadducees come to Him, who say that there is not a resurrection. And they were questioning Him, saying ¹⁹ “Teacher, Moses wrote to us [in Deut 25:5] that if a brother of someone dies and leaves-behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife, and raise-up-from her a seed^[l] for his brother. ²⁰ There were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and dying, did not leave a seed. ²¹ And the second took her, and died, not having left-behind a seed. And the third similarly. ²² And the seven did not leave a seed. Last of all, the woman also died. ²³ In the resurrection when they rise up, of which of them will she be the wife? For the seven had her as wife”. ²⁴ Jesus said to them, “Are you not mistaken^[m] because of this— not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise-up from the dead, they neither marry nor are they given-in-marriage, but they are like angels^[n] in the heavens. ²⁶ And concerning the dead, that they are raised, did you not read in the book of Moses at the [place about the burning] bush, how God spoke to him, saying [in Ex 3:15] ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ²⁷ He is not God of dead ones, but of living ones. You are greatly mistaken”.

A Scribe Asks, Which Is The Foremost Commandment?

²⁸ And having come to Him, one of the scribes— having heard them debating, having seen that He answered them well— asked Him, “Which is the foremost^[o] commandment of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered that “Foremost is: ‘Hear, Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength’ [Deut 6:4-5]. ³¹ Second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Lev 19:18]. There is not another commandment greater than these”. ³² And the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher! In accordance with [God’s] truth, You said^[p] that He is one. And there is not another except Him. ³³ And the statement ‘to love Him from the whole heart, and from the whole understanding, and from the whole strength’, and the statement ‘to love the neighbor as himself’, are more [important] than all the whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices”. ³⁴ And Jesus, having looked-at him because he responded thoughtfully, said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”.

Jesus Asks How The Messiah Can Be The Son of David Since David Calls Him His Lord

And no one was daring to question Him any more. ³⁵ And having responded, Jesus was saying while teaching in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself said by the Holy Spirit [in Ps 110:1], ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Be sitting on My right side until I put Your enemies under Your feet”’. ³⁷ David himself calls Him ‘Lord’. And in what^[q] way is He his son?”

Jesus Warns The Crowds To Beware of The Scribes

And the large crowd was listening-to Him with-pleasure. ³⁸ And in His teaching He was saying, “Beware of the scribes— the ones delighting to walk around in robes, and to receive greetings in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and seats-of-honor in the synagogues, and places-of-honor at the banquets. ⁴⁰ They are the ones devouring^[r] the houses of the widows, and praying long for a pretense^[s]. These ones will receive greater condemnation”.

Jesus Uses The Widow’s Offering To Illustrate True Giving

⁴¹ And having sat-down opposite the treasury^[t], He was observing how the crowd throws money into the treasury. And many rich ones were throwing much money. ⁴² And one poor widow having come threw two leptos^[u], which is a quadrans^[v]. ⁴³ And having summoned His disciples, He said to them, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow threw more than all the ones throwing into the treasury. ⁴⁴ For they all threw out of the money abounding^[w] to them. But this one, out of her need^[x], threw all that she was having— her whole living^[y]”.