M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

He writes that through the abundant mercy of God, we are begotten again to a living hope, and how faith must be tried. How the salvation in Christ is nothing new, but a thing prophesied of old. He exhorts them to lead godly lives, since they are now born anew by the word of God.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that dwell here and there as strangers throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Asia, and Bithynia, ² elect by the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying of the Spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Grace be with you, and peace be multiplied.

³ Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through his abundant mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death, ⁴ to enjoy an inheritance immortal and undefiled, and that does not perish, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Which salvation is prepared all ready to be shown in the last time – ⁶ in which time you will rejoice, though now for a season (if need require) you are in heaviness ⁷ through manifold trials, so that your faith, once tried, being much more precious than gold that perishes (though it be tried with fire), may be found to laud, glory, and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ – ⁸ whom you have not seen, and yet love him; in whom even now, though you see him not, yet you do believe, and rejoice with joy inexpressible and glorious, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰ Of this salvation have the prophets enquired and searched, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching when or at what time the Spirit of Christ that was in them was signifying – which Spirit foretold the sufferings that would come to Christ and the glory that would follow after. ¹² To these prophets it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us, they would minister the things that are now shown to you by those who, by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, have preached to you the things which the angels desire to behold.

¹³ Therefore gird up the loins of your minds, be sober, and trust fully on the grace that is brought to you by the declaring of Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ as obedient children – not fashioning yourselves to your old lusts of ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy, in all manner of conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written: Be holy, for I am holy.

¹⁷ And if it be so that you call on the Father, who without respect of person judges according to each one’s works, see that you pass the time of your pilgrimage in fear. ¹⁸ For you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible silver and gold from the vain ways that you received from the fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb undefiled and without spot. ²⁰ He was ordained before the world was made, but was shown in these last times for your sakes – ²¹ you who, by means of him, have believed on God, who raised him from death and glorified him so that your faith and hope may be in God.

²² And inasmuch as you have purified your souls through the Spirit, in the obedience of truth with brotherly love unfeigned, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. ²³ For you are born anew, not of mortal seed, but of immortal: by the word of God, which lives and lasts forever.

²⁴ For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls away, ²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel was preached among you.

Christ, with his apostles, goes from town to town and preaches, explains the parable of the seed, says who is his mother and his brother, and stills the raging of the sea. He delivers the possessed man and drives the devils into the herd of swine, and helps the sick woman and Jairus’ daughter.

8 And it happened after that, that he went throughout cities and towns, preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, ² and also certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them from their substance. 

⁴ When crowds of people were gathered together, having come to him out of all places, he spoke by a similitude: ⁵ A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under foot, and the fowls of the air devoured it up. ⁶ And some fell on stone, and as soon as it had sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸ And some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold.

And as he said these things, he called: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

⁹ His disciples asked him, saying, What manner of similitude is this? ¹⁰ And he said, To you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others they remain in similitudes, so that when they see, they will not see, and when they hear, they will not understand.

¹¹ The similitude is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those who are beside the way are the people that hear, but afterward the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the stones are people who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But these have no roots, and for a while believe, but in time of trial go away. ¹⁴ As for that which fell among thorns, this is those who hear and go forth, but are choked with cares, and with riches and voluptuous living, and bring forth no fruit. ¹⁵ As for that in the good ground, this is those who with a good and pure heart hear the word, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

¹⁶ No man lights a candle and covers it under a vessel, neither puts it under the table, but sets it on a candlestick, so that those who enter in may see the light. ¹⁷ Nothing is in secret that may not become clear, nor anything hid that may not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Take heed therefore how you hear. For whosoever has, to him will be given, and whosoever has not, from him shall be taken even that same which he supposes that he has.

¹⁹ Then Jesus’ mother and his brethren came looking for him, but could not come in to him because of the press of people. ²⁰ And they told him, saying, Your mother and your brethren are standing outside and want to see you. ²¹ He answered and said to them, My mother and my brethren are these who hear the word of God and do it.

²² And it happened on a certain day that he got into a boat, and his disciples also, and he said to them, Let us go over to the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. ²³ And as they sailed, he fell asleep. And there arose a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy. ²⁴ And the disciples went to him and awoke him, saying, Master, Master, we are lost! Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the tempest of water, and they ceased, and it became calm. ²⁵ And he said to them, Where is your faith?

They feared and wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this? For he commands both the winds and water, and they obey him.

²⁶ And they sailed to the region of the Gadarenes, which is across from Galilee. ²⁷ And as he went out to land, there met him a certain man from the place, who had for a long time had a devil. And he wore no clothes; neither did he live in a house, but among graves. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the God Most High? I beseech you, torment me not! ²⁹ For Jesus commanded the foul spirit to come out of the man. For it often affected him violently, and he was bound with chains and kept with shackles, but he broke the bonds, and was carried by the fiend into wilderness areas.

³⁰ And Jesus asked him, saying, What is your name? And he said, Legion (because many devils were entered into him). ³¹ And the devils besought Jesus not to command them to go out into the deep. ³² There was nearby a herd of many swine feeding on a hill, and the devils besought him to suffer them to enter into the swine. And he suffered them. ³³ Then the devils went out of the man and entered into the swine. And the herd took their course and ran headlong into the lake, and were drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the town and in the villages. ³⁵ And people came out to see what had been done, and came to Jesus, and found the man out of whom the devils were departed sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those also who had witnessed it told them how the demon-possessed man was healed. ³⁷ And all the whole population from the country of the Gadarenes besought Jesus to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear.

And he got into the boat and turned back again. ³⁸ Then the man from whom the devils were departed asked him if he could be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ Go home again into your own house, and show what great things God has done for you.

And the man went his way, and preached throughout all the city about the great things Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰ And it came to pass that, when Jesus arrived back again, the people received him gladly, for they were all awaiting him. ⁴¹ And behold, there came a man named Jairus (and he was a leader of the synagogue), and he fell down at Jesus’ feet and besought him to come to his house. ⁴² For he had but a daughter only, about twelve years of age, and she lay dying.

And as he went, the people thronged him. ⁴³ And a woman who had for twelve years had an issue of blood (who had spent all her substance on physicians, but could not be helped by any) ⁴⁴ came behind him and touched the hem of his garment, and immediately her issue of blood was stanched. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, Who is it that touched me? When everyone denied it, Peter and those who were with him said, Master, the people throng you and crowd you, and you say, Who touched me? ⁴⁶ And Jesus said, Somebody touched me. For I can tell that power has gone out of me.

⁴⁷ When the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling and fell at his feet, and told him before all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, Daughter, be of good comfort. Your faith has made you whole. Go in peace.

⁴⁹ While he was yet speaking, a person from the house of the synagogue leader came and said to him, Your daughter is dead; don’t trouble the Master. ⁵⁰ When Jesus heard that, he spoke to the father, saying, Fear not; only believe, and she shall be made whole.

⁵¹ And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. ⁵² Everybody wept and sorrowed for her. And he said, Weep not, for she is not dead, but sleeping. ⁵³ And they laughed him to scorn, because they knew that she was dead. ⁵⁴ And he put them all out, and took her by the hand and called, saying, Maiden, arise! ⁵⁵ And her spirit came back, and she rose up straightaway. And he said to give her food. ⁵⁶ And her father and mother were astonished. But he charged them to tell no one what had been done.