M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Paul goes into Macedonia and into Greece. At Troas he raises up a dead body. At Ephesus he calls the elders of the congregation together, commits the keeping of God’s flock to them, warns them of false teachers, makes his prayer with them, and departs by ship.

20 After the tumult was calmed, Paul called the disciples to him and took his leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. ² And when he had gone over those parts and given the people many exhortations, he went into Greece, ³ and was there three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him as he was about to sail into Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

⁴ There accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea, and from Thessalonica, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and from Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. ⁵ These went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶ And we sailed away from Philippi after the Passover holy days, and in five days came to them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

⁷ And on the morrow after the Sabbath day, the disciples came together to break bread. Paul, who was ready to depart on the next day, preached to them, and continued preaching until midnight. ⁸ And there were many lamps in the upper chamber where they were gathered together. ⁹ And a certain young man named Eutychus sat in a window, falling into a deep sleep. And as Paul spoke on, he was the more overcome with sleep, and fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down and fell on him, and embraced him and said, Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.

¹¹ When Paul had gone upstairs again, he broke bread and ate, and talked a long while, even till the morning, and so departed. ¹² And they brought in the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

¹³ And we went on to the ship and set sail for Assos, there to take Paul on board. For so he had arranged, and would himself go afoot. ¹⁴ When he came to us at Assos, we took him in and went to Mitylene. ¹⁵ And we sailed from there and arrived the next day off Chios. And the next day we arrived at the island of Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we went on to Miletus, ¹⁶ for Paul had determined to pass by Ephesus as they sailed, because he did not want to spend the time in Asia. For he hastened to be (if he could possibly) at Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. ¹⁷ And so from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the congregation.

¹⁸ And when they had come to him, he said to them, You know how, from the first day that I came to Asia, I have been with you at all seasons, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humbleness of mind, and with many tears and trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ and how I kept back nothing that was profitable, but have shown you and taught you openly and at home in your houses, ²¹ witnessing both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

²² And now behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will come on me there, ²³ but that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and trouble await me. ²⁴ But none of those things move me. I do not count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵ And now behold, I am sure that henceforth you all (among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God) shall see my face no more. ²⁶ And so I call you as witnesses this same day, that I am clear of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have kept nothing back, but have spoken to you all the counsel of God. ²⁸ Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock whereof the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he has purchased with his blood. ²⁹ For I am sure of this, that after my departing, grievous wolves will enter in among you, who will not spare the flock. ³⁰ Moreover, from among your own selves men will rise up speaking perverse things, to draw disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore awake, and remember that for the space of three years I did not cease to warn every one of you, both night and day, with tears.

³² And now, brethren, I commit you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build further and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have desired no man’s silver, gold, or clothing. ³⁴ You know well that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. ³⁵ I have shown you in every way how, by so labouring, you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

³⁶ When he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ And they all wept abundantly, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, ³⁸ sorrowing most of all for the words that he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

The passion of Christ. Of his death and burial.

15 And early in the dawning, the high priests consulted with the elders and the scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus and led him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

² And Pilate asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? And he answered and said to him, It is as you say. ³ And the high priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So Pilate asked him again, saying, Do you answer nothing? Look how many things they lay to your charge. ⁵ But Jesus still answered never a word, so that Pilate marvelled.

⁶ At that feast it was Pilate’s custom to release to the people, at their pleasure, a prisoner – whomever they desired. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with those who had made insurrection, and in the insurrection had committed murder. ⁸ And the people called to Pilate and began to ask that he do as usual for them. ⁹ Pilate answered them and said, Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? ¹⁰ For he knew that the high priests had delivered him out of envy. ¹¹ But the high priests had moved the people to have Barabbas released to them instead.

¹² And Pilate answered again and said to them, What will you have me do then with him whom you call the king of the Jews? ¹³ And they cried again, Crucify him! ¹⁴ Pilate said to them, What evil has he done? And they cried the more fervently, Crucify him!

¹⁵ And so Pilate, choosing to appease the people, released Barabbas to them, and delivered Jesus, when had scourged him, to be crucified.

¹⁶ And the soldiers led him away into the common hall, and called together the whole company. ¹⁷ And they clothed him with purple, and they plaited a crown of thorns and crowned him with it, ¹⁸ and began to pay mock homage to him: Hail, King of the Jews! ¹⁹ And they struck him on the head with a reed, and spat upon him, and kneeled down and worshipped him.

²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. ²¹ And they compelled a man who was passing by, called Simon of Cyrene (who was coming out of the field, and was the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear his cross. ²² And they brought him to a place named Golgotha (which translated is, the place of dead men’s skulls). ²³ And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but he would not receive it.

²⁴ And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots for them, what every man should have. ²⁵ And it was about the third hour, and they crucified him. ²⁶ And the notice of his accusation was written: the king of the jews. ²⁷ And they crucified with him two thieves, one on the right hand and the other on his left. ²⁸ And the scripture was fulfilled which says, He was counted among the wicked.

²⁹ And people who were going by railed on him, wagging their heads and saying, Ah, wretch, who destroys the temple and builds it in three days! ³⁰ Save yourself, and come down from the cross!

³¹ Likewise also the high priests mocked him among themselves with the scribes, and said, He saved other men; himself he cannot save. ³² Let Christ the King of Israel now descend from the cross, so that we may see and believe.

And those who were crucified with him reviled him also.

³³ And when the sixth hour was come, darkness arose over all the earth until the ninth hour. ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, if it be translated, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

³⁵ And some of the people who were standing by, when they heard that, said, Look, he is calling for Elijah. ³⁶ And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed and gave him to drink, saying, Let him alone. Let’s see if Elijah will come and take him down.

³⁷ But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and gave up the spirit. ³⁸ And the veil of the temple did tear in two pieces, from the top to the bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion who stood before Jesus saw that he so cried out and gave up the spirit, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

⁴⁰ There were also women a good way off beholding him, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joses, and Mary Salome, ⁴¹ who also, when he was in Galilee, had followed him and ministered to him, and many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴² And now when night was come (because it was the Preparation, the day before the Sabbath), ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea came, a noble councillor, who also looked for the kingdom of God. He went in bravely to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ And Pilate marvelled that he was already dead, and called for the centurion, and asked him if Jesus was already dead. ⁴⁵ And when he knew the truth from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

⁴⁶ And Joseph bought a linen cloth, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone to the opening of the sepulchre. ⁴⁷ And Mary Magdalene and Mary Joses saw where he was laid.