M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Mission and magic
13 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen from the court of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So they fasted and prayed; and then they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
4 So off they went, sent out by the holy spirit, and arrived at Seleucia. From there they set sail to Cyprus, 5 and when they arrived in Salamis they announced God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their assistant. 6 They went through the whole of the island, all the way to Paphos. There they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He called Barnabas and Saul and asked to hear the word of God. 8 The magician Elymas (that is the translation of his name) was opposing them, and doing his best to turn the governor away from the faith. 9 But Saul, also named Paul, looked intently at him, filled with the holy spirit.
10 “You’re full of trickery and every kind of villainy!” he said. “You’re a son of the devil! You’re an enemy of everything that’s right! When are you going to stop twisting the paths that God has made straight? 11 Now see here: the Lord’s hand will be upon you, and you will be blind for a while; you won’t even be able to see the sun!”
At once mist and darkness fell on him, and he went about looking for someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he believed, since he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Address in Antioch
13 Paul and his companions set off from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 But they came through from Perga and arrived in Antioch of Pisidia, where they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and sat down. 15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the ruler of the synagogue sent word to them.
“My brothers,” he said, “if you have any word of exhortation for the people, let us hear it.”
16 So Paul stood up and motioned with his hand for attention.
“Fellow Israelites,” he said, “and the godfearers among you: listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, and he raised the people up to greatness during their stay in the land of Egypt. Then he led them out from there with his outstretched hand, 18 and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert. 19 He drove out seven nations from the land of Canaan, and gave them the land as their inheritance 20 for about four hundred and fifty years. After that, he gave them judges, up until Samuel the prophet. 21 After that, they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. He ruled for forty years, 22 and after God had removed him he raised up for them David as king. He is the one to whom God bore witness when he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will accomplish all my purpose.’
23 “From this man’s offspring, in accordance with his promise, God has produced a savior for Israel: Jesus! 24 Before he appeared, John had announced a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. 25 As John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose I am? I am not the one. But look: someone is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’ ”
The messianic challenge
26 “My brothers and sisters,” Paul continued, “children of Abraham’s family, and the godfearers among you: it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent! 27 The people who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, didn’t recognize him, and they fulfilled the words of the prophets which are read to them every sabbath by condemning him. 28 Even though they found no reason to condemn him to death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29 When they had completed everything that had been written about him in prophecy, they took him down from the cross and put him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and he was seen for several days by those who had come with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people.
32 “We are here now to bring you the good news which was promised to our ancestors, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to us, their children, by raising Jesus. This corresponds, indeed, to what is written in the second Psalm:
You are my son; this day I have begotten you.
34 “That he raised him from the dead, never more to return to corruption, conforms to what was written:
I will give you the holy and faithful mercies of David.
35 “Because, as it says in another place,
You will not hand over your holy one to see corruption.
36 “Now David served his own generation, and in the purposes of God he fell asleep and was gathered to his fathers. He did experience corruption. 37 But the one God raised up did not experience corruption. 38,39 “So let it be known to you, my brothers and sisters, that forgiveness of sins is announced through him.
“Everyone who believes is set right in relation to all the things which the law of Moses could not put right.
40 “Beware, then, lest what the prophets foretold comes true of you:
41 Look out, you scoffers—be amazed, and disappear!
I am doing something in your days, a work which you wouldn’t believe
even if someone were to explain it to you.”
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, they begged them to come back the next sabbath and tell them more about these things. 43 Many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed them once the synagogue was dismissed. They spoke to them some more, and urged them to remain in God’s grace.
A light to the Gentiles
44 On the next sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with righteous indignation, and spoke blasphemous words against what Paul was saying.
46 Paul and Barnabas grew very bold.
“God’s word had to be spoken to you first,” they declared. “But since you are rejecting it, and judging yourselves unworthy of the life of God’s new age, look! We are turning to the Gentiles! 47 This is what the Lord has commanded, you see:
I have set you for a light to the nations,
so that you can be salvation-bringers to the end of the earth.”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were thrilled, and they praised the word of the Lord. All those who were marked out for the life of God’s new age became believers. 49 And the word of the Lord spread through the whole land.
50 But the Jews incited the devout aristocratic women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 They, however, shook the dust off their feet and went on to Iconium. 52 The disciples were filled with joy and with the holy spirit.
The feeding of the four thousand
8 Once again, about that time, a large crowd gathered with nothing to eat.
Jesus called the disciples.
2 “I’m really sorry for the people,” he said. “They’ve been with me three days now, and they haven’t got anything to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they’ll collapse on the way. Some of them have come from miles off.”
4 “Where could you get food for all this lot, out here in the wilderness?” answered his disciples.
5 “How many loaves have you got?” he asked. “Seven,” they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples to share around, and they gave them to the crowd. 7 They had a few small fish, which he also blessed and told them to distribute. 8 They ate; they were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets of leftover bits. 9 There were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.
10 At once Jesus got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanoutha.
The leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
11 The Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Jesus. They were asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him out.
12 Jesus groaned deeply in his spirit. “Why is this generation looking for a sign?” he said. “I’m telling you the truth: no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 He left them again, got into the boat, and crossed over to the other side.
14 They had forgotten to get any bread, and had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 “Beware!” said Jesus sternly to them. “Watch out for leaven—the Pharisees’ leaven, and Herod’s leaven too!”
16 “It must be something to do with us not having any bread,” they said to each other.
17 “Why are you grumbling about not bringing bread?” said Jesus, who knew what they were thinking. “Don’t you get it? Don’t you understand? Have your hearts gone hard?
18 Can’t you see with your two good eyes?
Can’t you hear with your two good ears?
“And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken bits were left over?”
“Twelve,” they said.
20 “And the seven loaves for the four thousand—how many baskets full of bits were left over?”
“Seven,” they replied.
21 “You still don’t get it?” he asked.
Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ messiahship
22 They arrived at Bethsaida. A blind man was brought to Jesus, and they begged him to touch him. 23 He took his hand, led him off outside the village, and put spittle on his eyes. Then he laid his hands on him, and asked, “Can you see anything?”
24 “I can see people,” said the man, peering around, “but they look like trees walking about.”
25 Then Jesus laid his hands on him once more. This time he looked hard, and his sight came back: he could see everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him back home.
“Don’t even go into the village,” he said.
27 Jesus and his disciples came to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who are people saying that I am?”
28 “John the Baptist,” they said, “or, some say, Elijah; or, others say, one of the prophets.”
29 “What about you?” asked Jesus. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter spoke up. “You’re the Messiah,” he said.
30 He gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus predicts his death
31 Jesus now began to teach them something new.
“There’s big trouble in store for the son of man,” he said. “The elders, the chief priests and the scribes are going to reject him. He will be killed—and after three days he’ll be raised.” 32 He said all this quite explicitly.
At this, Peter took him aside and started to scold him. 33 But he turned round, saw the disciples, and scolded Peter.
“Get behind me, Accuser!” he said. “You’re thinking human thoughts, not God’s thoughts.”
34 He called the crowd to him, with his disciples. “If any of you want to come the way I’m going,” he said, “you must say ‘no’ to your own selves, pick up your cross, and follow me. 35 Yes: if you want to save your life, you’ll lose it; but if you lose your life because of me and the message you’ll save it. 36 After all, what use is it to win the world and lose your life? 37 What can you give in exchange for your life? 38 If you’re ashamed of me and my words in this cheating and sinning generation, the son of man will be ashamed of you when he ‘comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels.’
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.