M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Paul is converted & confounds the Jews. Peter raises Tabitha.

9 And Saul, still breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, so that if he found any who were of this Way, whether they were men or women, he could bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ But as he journeyed and came near to Damascus, suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven. ⁴ And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ⁵ And he said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. It is hard for you to kick against the prick. And he, both trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what will you have me to do? And the Lord said to him, ⁶ Arise and go into the city, and it will be told you what you must do.

⁷ The men who journeyed with him stood amazed, for they heard a voice, but saw no one. ⁸ And Saul arose from the ground and opened his eyes, but saw no one. Then they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias! And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go to the street that is called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For he is praying, ¹² and has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in to him and putting his hands on him, so that he may receive his sight.

¹³ Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and here he has authority from the high priests to arrest all who call on your name.

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, Go your way. For he is a chosen vessel of mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

¹⁷ Ananias went his way and entered into the house, and put his hands on him and said, Brother Saul, the Lord who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent me, so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received sight and arose, and was baptized, ¹⁹ and took food, and was comforted.

Then Saul spent some days with the disciples who were at Damascus. ²⁰ And straightaway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he was the Son of God. ²¹ All who heard him were amazed and said, Is this not the man that ravaged those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and came here intending to bring them as prisoners to the high priests?

  ²² But Saul increased in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, affirming that Jesus was the very Christ.

²³ And after a good while the Jews took counsel together, to kill him. ²⁴ But Paul knew they were laying in wait. And they watched at the gates day and night, to kill him. ²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night, and put him through the wall and let him down in a basket.

²⁶ And when Saul got to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself with the disciples. But they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and explained to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and had spoken with him, and how bold he had been at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ And Saul had his intercourse with them at Jerusalem, ²⁹ and acquitted himself boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. And he spoke and disputed with the Greeks, and they went about to kill him. ³⁰ But when the brethren knew of this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus.

³¹ Then the congregations had rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were strengthened, and walked in the fear of the Lord, and multiplied by the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

³² And it chanced that, as Peter walked throughout all the country, he came to the saints who dwelt at Lydda. ³³ And there he found a certain man named Eneas, who had been confined to his bed sick for eight years, paralyzed. ³⁴ Then Peter said to him, Eneas, may Jesus Christ make you whole! Arise, and make your bed. And he arose immediately. ³⁵ And all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and turned to the Lord.

³⁶ There was at Joppa a certain woman, a disciple named Tabitha (which, translated, is Dorcas). She was full of good works and alms-deeds that she did. ³⁷ And it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a chamber. ³⁸ Because Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent to him, imploring him not to be grieved to come to them.

³⁹ Peter arose and went with them. And when he arrived, they brought him into the chamber. And all the widows stood round about him, weeping and showing the coats and the garments that Dorcas had made while she was with them. ⁴⁰ And Peter put them all out, and kneeled down and prayed, and turned to the body and said, Tabitha, arise! And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, sat up. ⁴¹ And he gave her his hand and lifted her up, and called the saints and widows, and showed her alive.

⁴² And this was known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. ⁴³ And it came about that Peter stayed many days in Joppa with one Simon, a tanner.

The parable of the sower. Take heed to God’s word. Christ stills the tempest of the sea, which obeyed him.

4 And he began again to teach by the sea side. And there gathered together unto him crowds of people, so greatly that he entered into the boat and sat in it in the sea, and all the people were by the sea side on the shore. ² And he taught them many things in similitudes, and said to them in his lesson: ³ Hearken to! Behold, there went out a sower to sow. ⁴ And it happened as he sowed that some seed fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. ⁵ Some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and quickly sprang up because it did not have depth of earth; ⁶ but as soon as the sun was up, it caught heat, and because it did not have rooting, withered away. ⁷ And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, so that it gave no fruit. ⁸ And some fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit that sprang up and grew, and brought forth: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold. ⁹ And he said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the similitude. ¹¹ And he said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those who are outside, all things shall be done in similitudes, ¹² and when they see, they will see but not discern, and when they hear, they will hear and not understand, lest at any time they should turn; and their sins would be forgiven them.

¹³ And he said to them, Do you not understand this similitude? How then will you understand any other similitudes? ¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ And those who are by the wayside where the word is sown are those to whom, as soon as they have heard it, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. ¹⁶ And likewise, those who receive the seed on the stony ground are those who, when they have heard the word, at once receive it with gladness, ¹⁷ yet have no roots in themselves. And so they endure but a time, and once trouble and persecution arise for the word’s sake, they fall immediately. ¹⁸ And those who receive the seed among the thorns are such as hear the word, ¹⁹ but the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the hunger for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it is made unfruitful. ²⁰ And those who received the seed in good ground are those who hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold.

²¹ And Jesus said to the people, Is the candle lighted to be put under a bushel or under the table, and not rather to be put on a candlestick? ²² For there is nothing so hid that it will not be revealed, nor so secret but that it may become clear. ²³ If any person has ears to hear, let him hear.

²⁴ And he said to them, Attend with care to what you hear. With the same measure you give, it will be measured back to you. And to you who hear, more will be given. ²⁵ For to him who has, it will be given, but from him who has not shall be taken away even what he has.

²⁶ And he said, The kingdom of God is like this: it is as if a man sows seed in the ground, ²⁷ and sleeps, and rises up night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows up, he knows not how. ²⁸ For the earth brings forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ears, after that the full grain in the ears. ²⁹ And as soon as the fruit is brought forth, immediately the man thrusts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.

³⁰ And he said, To what may we liken the kingdom of God? or what comparison can we use? ³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is the least of all seeds that are in the earth. ³² But after it is sown, it grows up and is greatest of all shrubs, and bears great branches, so that the birds of the air may dwell under the cover of it.

³³ And with many such similitudes he preached the word to the people, as they were able to hear it. ³⁴ And without similitude he spoke nothing to them. But when they were apart, he expounded all things to his disciples.

³⁵ And the same day, when evening was come, he said to them, Let us pass over to the other side. ³⁶ And they left the people and took him just as he was in the boat. And there were also with him other boats. ³⁷ And there arose a great storm of wind, and it dashed the waves into the boat so that it was full. ³⁸ And he was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care if we perish?

³⁹ And he rose up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, and be still! And the wind allayed, and there followed a great calm. ⁴⁰ And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly and said to one another, What manner of man is this? For both wind and sea obey him.