M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Pharisees Object To Plucking Grain On The Sabbath. I Am Lord of The Sabbath

6 And it came about on a Sabbath that He was proceeding through grainfields. And His disciples were plucking^[a] and eating the heads [of grain], rubbing them in their hands. ² And some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you^[b] doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” ³ And having responded to them, Jesus said, “Did you not even read [in 1 Sam 21:1-6] this which David did when he was hungry, he and the ones being with him?— ⁴ how he entered into the house of God, and having taken the Bread^[c] of Presentation, he ate it and gave it to the ones with him, which is not lawful for anyone to eat but the priests alone? ⁵ And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath”.

Is It Lawful To Heal On The Sabbath? Jesus Heals a Man, Enraging The Pharisees

⁶ And it came about on another Sabbath that He entered into the synagogue and was teaching. And there was a man there, and his right hand was withered. ⁷ And the scribes and the Pharisees were closely-watching Him to see if He cured on the Sabbath, in order that they might find a reason to be accusing Him. ⁸ But He knew their reasonings. And He said to the man having the withered hand, “Arise, and stand into the middle”. And having stood-up, he stood there. ⁹ And Jesus said to them, “I am asking you^[d] if it is lawful^[e] on the Sabbath to do-good or to do-harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” ¹⁰ And having looked-around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch-out your hand”. And the one did it, and his hand was restored. ¹¹ And they were filled with rage^[f], and were talking-over with one another what they might do to Jesus.

After Choosing The Twelve, Jesus Stands Before a Huge Crowd To Teach Them

¹² And it came about during these days that He went out to the mountain to pray. And He was spending the night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it became day, He called to His disciples. And having chosen twelve from them, whom He also named apostles— ¹⁴ Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew, his brother, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, the one being called a Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas, the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor— ¹⁷ and having come down with them, He stood on a level place. And there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal-region of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear Him and to be healed from their diseases. And the ones being troubled by unclean spirits were being cured. ¹⁹ And all the multitude were seeking to touch Him because power was going forth from Him and healing everyone.

These Are The Ones God Considers Blessed And In Danger

²⁰ And He, having lifted-up His eyes toward His disciples, was saying— “Blessed^[g] are the poor ones, because the kingdom of God is yours. ²¹ Blessed are the ones hungering now, because you will be filled-to-satisfaction. Blessed are the ones weeping now, because you will laugh. ²² You are blessed whenever people hate you, and whenever they separate^[h] you, and reproach you, and throw-out your name as evil because-of ^[i] the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice on that day and leap-for-joy, for behold— your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers were doing it in the same way to the prophets. ²⁴ But woe to you rich ones, because you are receiving your comfort in full. ²⁵ Woe to you, the ones having been filled now, because you will hunger. Woe— the ones laughing now, because you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe— when all people speak well of you. For their fathers were doing it in the same way to the false-prophets.

Love Your Enemies. Be Compassionate And Do Good To All

²⁷ “But I say to you, the ones hearing^[j]— Be loving your enemies. Be acting commendably to the ones hating you. ²⁸ Be blessing^[k] the ones cursing you. Be praying for the ones mistreating you. ²⁹ To the one striking you on the cheek, be offering also the other. And from the one taking away your cloak, also do not withhold^[l] the tunic^[m]. ³⁰ To everyone asking you, be giving. And from the one taking away your things, do not be demanding them back. ³¹ And just as you want people to be doing to you, be doing to them likewise. ³² If indeed you are loving the ones loving you, what-kind-of credit is it to you? For even the sinners are loving the ones loving them. ³³ For if indeed you are doing-good-to the ones doing-good-to you, what kind of credit is it to you? Even the sinners are doing the same. ³⁴ And if you lend-to ones from whom you are expecting^[n] to receive, what kind of credit is it to you? Even sinners are lending to sinners to receive-back the equal^[o] amounts. ³⁵ But be loving your enemies, and be doing good, and be lending, expecting-back^[p] nothing, and your reward will be great. And you will be sons^[q] of the Most-High, because He is good to the ungrateful and evil ones. ³⁶ Be compassionate, just-as^[r] your Father also is compassionate.

Do Not Judge Or Condemn Others. Pardon And Give To Them

³⁷ “And do not be judging^[s], and you will never be judged. And do not be condemning, and you will never be condemned. Be pardoning, and you will be pardoned. ³⁸ Be giving, and it will be given to you. They^[t] will give a good measure— having been pressed down, having been shaken, running over— into your fold^[u] [of the garment]. For with what measure you measure, it will be measured-back to you”.

The Blind Cannot Guide The Blind. Correct Yourself First

³⁹ And He also spoke a parable to them— “A blind one is not able to guide a blind one, is he? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰ A disciple is not above the teacher. But everyone having been fully-trained will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ And why do you look-at the speck in the eye of your brother, but do not consider^[v] the log in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, permit me to take-out the speck in your eye’, while yourself not seeing the log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take out the log from your eye. And then you will see-clearly to take out the speck in the eye of your brother.

A Tree Is Known By Its Fruit. The Mouth Speaks From The Heart

⁴³ “For there is no good^[w] tree producing bad fruit; nor again, a bad tree producing good fruit. ⁴⁴ For each tree is known^[x] by its own fruit. For they do not collect figs from thorns, nor do they gather a grape-bunch from a bramble-bush. ⁴⁵ The good person brings forth the good thing out of the good treasure^[y] of his heart. And the evil person brings forth the evil thing out of his evil treasure. For his mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart.

Don’t Just Call Me Lord. Be a Doer of My Words

⁴⁶ “And why are you calling Me ‘Lord, Lord^[z]’, and you are not doing the things which I say? ⁴⁷ Everyone coming to Me and hearing My words and doing them— I will show you to whom he is like. ⁴⁸ He is like a man building a house who dug, and went down deep, and laid a foundation on the bed-rock. And a flood^[aa] having come about, the river broke-against^[ab] that house. And it was not strong-enough to shake it, because it had been built well. ⁴⁹ But the one having heard and not having done My words is like a man having built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river broke-against. And immediately it collapsed, and the breakage of that house became great”.

Answers To Your Questions:

7 Now concerning the things which you wrote—

Concerning Marriage And Singleness: Live According To Your Gift From God

It is good^[a] for a man not to touch^[b] a woman. ² But because of sexual-immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband give-back to his wife her due^[c], and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have-authority^[d] over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise also the husband does not have-authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵ Do not be depriving one another— except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote-yourselves to prayer and [then] be together again— in order that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack-of-self-control. ⁶ But I am saying this by way of concession, not by way of command. ⁷ And I wish that all people were as^[e] indeed myself! But each has his own gift from God— one in this manner and another in this manner. ⁸ And I say to the unmarried and the widows— it is good for them if they remain as I also am. ⁹ But if they do not have-self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burning^[f].

But Do Not Divorce Your Christian Spouse

¹⁰ But to the ones having married I command (not I, but the Lord), that a wife not be separated from her husband— ¹¹ but if indeed she is separated, let her remain unmarried or let her be reconciled to her husband— and that a husband not leave^[g] his wife.

Do Not Divorce an Unbelieving Spouse Who Chooses To Stay

¹² But to the rest I say, not^[h] the Lord— if any brother has an unbelieving wife and this one consents to dwell with him, let him not leave her. ¹³ And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and this one consents to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified^[i] by his wife. And the unbelieving wife has been sanctified by the brother. Otherwise then your children are unclean, but now^[j] they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving one separates, let such a one separate. The brother or the sister has not been enslaved by such^[k] things, but God has called you in peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? ¹⁷ Except that^[l] as the Lord apportioned^[m] to each one, as God has called each one, in this manner let him be walking. And thus I am directing^[n] in all the churches.

In General, Remain With God In The Life Context In Which You Were Saved

¹⁸ Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not conceal^[o] it. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. ²⁰ Each in the calling in which he was called— in this let him remain. ²¹ Were you called as a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if also^[p] you are able to become free, rather make-use-of the opportunity. ²² For the one having been called in the Lord as a slave is a freedperson of the Lord. Likewise the one having been called as a free one is a slave of Christ. ²³ You were bought with a price; do not become slaves^[q] of people. ²⁴ Each in what he was called, brothers— in this let him remain with God.

Concerning The Unmarried: In General, It Is Good To Remain As You Are In Life

²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I do not have a command from the Lord, but I am giving an opinion as one having been shown-mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy. ²⁶ I think then that this^[r] is good because of the present necessity^[s], that it is good for a person to be so^[t]. ²⁷ Have you been bound^[u] to a woman? Do not be seeking a release^[v]. Have you been released^[w] from a woman? Do not be seeking a wife. ²⁸ But even if you marry, you did not sin. And if the virgin marries, she did not sin. But such ones will have affliction in the flesh, and I am sparing^[x] you.

We All Must Keep Our Earthly Life In Eternal Perspective

²⁹ And this I say, brothers— the time^[y] is shortened, so that henceforth even the ones having wives should be as-though not having, ³⁰ and the ones weeping as-though not weeping, and the ones rejoicing as-though not rejoicing, and the ones buying as-though not holding-on-to^[z], ³¹ and the ones making-use-of the world as-though not making-full-use-of it. For the form^[aa] of this world is passing away.

Single People Can Be Solely Devoted To God; The Married Have a Dual Concern

³² Now I want you to be free-from-concern. The unmarried man is concerned-about the things of the Lord— how he may please the Lord. ³³ But the man having married is concerned-about the things of the world— how he may please his wife, ³⁴ and he has been divided^[ab]. And the unmarried woman^[ac], and the virgin, is concerned-about the things of the Lord— that she may be holy both in the body and in the spirit. But the woman having married is concerned-about the things of the world— how she may please her husband.

Do What You Think Is Honorable For Your Virgin Daughter

³⁵ Now I am saying this^[ad] for the benefit of you yourselves— not that I may throw a noose^[ae] on you, but toward good-order and devotion^[af] to the Lord, undistractedly. ³⁶ But if one^[ag] thinks that he is behaving-dishonorably^[ah] toward his virgin daughter— if she is beyond-the-bloom-of-youth^[ai], and it ought^[aj] to be so— let him do what he wants. He is not sinning. Let them marry. ³⁷ But he who stands steadfast^[ak] in his heart, not having a necessity^[al], and has authority^[am] concerning^[an] his own will, and has determined this in his own heart, to keep^[ao] his virgin daughter— he will do well^[ap]. ³⁸ So then, both the one giving his virgin daughter in marriage is doing well, and the one not giving-in-marriage will do better.

Widows Are Free To Remarry, But May Be Happier Remaining As They Are

³⁹ A wife has been bound for as much time as her husband lives. But if her husband falls-asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes— only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains thus^[aq], according to my opinion; and I also think that I have the Spirit of God.