M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Is circumcision necessary?
15 Some people came from Judaea to Antioch and, on arrival, began to teach the Christians that they could not be saved unless they were circumcised according to the custom of Moses. 2 This caused considerable uproar and dispute between them and Paul and Barnabas, and the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas, and some others from their fellowship, to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, to try to sort out the problem. 3 So they were sent off by the church. They traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling people as they went about the conversion of the Gentiles. They brought great joy to the Christian communities.
4 When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church, the apostles and the elders, and they told them all the things that God had done with them. 5 But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up.
“They must be circumcised,” they said, “and you must tell them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders gathered together to see what to do about this matter. 7 After considerable argument, Peter got up.
“My brothers,” he said, “you know that from our early days together God chose that it should be from my mouth that the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness, by giving them the holy spirit just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, but he purified their hearts through faith. 10 So now, why are you putting God to the test, by placing a yoke on the disciples’ neck which neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 Rather, we believe that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we shall be saved, just like them.”
The judgment of James
12 The whole company was silent, and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders which God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they had finished, James replied.
“My dear brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Symeon has explained how, at the beginning, God graciously favored the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his own name. 15 This, indeed, is in accordance with the words of the prophets, which say,
16 After this I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which had collapsed,
and I will build the ruins again, and set them straight,
17 so that the rest of the human race may seek the Lord,
and all the nations upon whom my name has been called.
Thus says the Lord, who has made these things 18 known from of old.
19 “Therefore this is my judgment: we should not cause extra difficulties for those of the Gentiles who have turned to God. 20 Rather, we should send them a message, warning them to keep away from things that have been polluted by idols, from fornication, from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 Moses, after all, has from ancient times had people proclaiming him from city to city, since he is read in the synagogues sabbath after sabbath.”
The letter to the churches
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole assembly, decided to send people from their number, Judas Barsabbas and Silas (men well thought of by the Christian community) to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. 23 They sent a letter with them, which read as follows.
“The apostles and elders send greetings to our Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. 24 Since we have heard that some of our number (not, however, sent by us) have been saying things which have troubled you, causing you distress of heart, 25 we resolved unanimously that it would be best to send to you men whom we have chosen, together with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the name of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. 27 So we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will tell you the same things face to face. 28 For it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us not to lay any burden on you beyond the following necessary things: 29 that you should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what has been strangled, and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So they went off and came down to Antioch, where they gathered the people together and presented the letter. 31 When they read it, they were delighted with the message it contained. 32 Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said a good deal to encourage the brothers and sisters, and they gave them strength. 33 When they had spent some time there, they left the family in peace and returned to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others as well.
A huge row
36 After some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in all the various cities where we preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”
37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them. 38 But Paul reckoned that it was not a good idea to take with them someone who had left them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the rest of the work. 39 There was a huge row, which resulted in them splitting up. Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus. 40 Paul chose Silas, and went off, having been commended by the church to the grace of the Lord. 41 They went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Teachings on divorce
10 Jesus left the region, and went to the districts of Judaea across the Jordan. A large crowd gathered around him, and once more, as his custom was, he taught them.
2 Some Pharisees approached him with a question. “Is it permitted,” they asked, “for a man to divorce his wife?” They said this to trap him.
3 “Well,” answered Jesus, “what did Moses command you?”
4 “Moses permitted us,” they replied, “to write a notice of separation and so to complete the divorce.”
5 “He gave you that command,” said Jesus, “because you are hardhearted. 6 But from the beginning of creation
male and female he made them; 7 and that’s why the man must leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife; 8 so that the two become one flesh.
“There you are, then: they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 What God has joined, humans must not split up.”
10 When they were back indoors, the disciples asked him about this.
11 “Anyone who divorces his wife,” said Jesus, “and marries someone else commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries someone else she commits adultery.”
13 People brought children to Jesus for him to touch them. The disciples reprimanded them. 14 But Jesus was angry when he saw it, and said to them, “Let the children come to me! Don’t stop them! The kingdom of God belongs to people like that. 15 I’m telling you the truth: anyone who doesn’t receive the kingdom of God like a child will never get into it.”
16 And he hugged them, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
The rich young ruler
17 As he was setting out on the road, a man ran up and knelt down in front of him.
“Good teacher,” he asked, “what should I do to inherit the life of the age to come?”
18 “Why call me ‘good’?” replied Jesus. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments:
Don’t kill.
Don’t commit adultery.
Don’t steal.
Don’t swear falsely.
Don’t defraud.
Honor your father and your mother.”
20 “Teacher,” he said, “I’ve kept all of them since I was little.”
21 Jesus looked hard at him, and loved him.
“One more thing,” he said. “Go away, and whatever you possess—sell it, and give it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven! Then: come and follow me.”
22 At that, his face fell, and he went off sadly. He was very wealthy.
23 Jesus looked slowly around. Then he said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were astonished at what he was saying. So Jesus repeated once more, “Children, it’s very hard to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.”
26 They were totally amazed, and said to each other, “So who then can be saved?”
27 “It’s impossible for mortals,” Jesus said, looking hard at them, “but it’s not impossible for God. All things are possible for God.”
28 “Look here,” Peter started up, “we’ve left everything and followed you.”
29 “I’ll tell you the truth,” replied Jesus. “No one who has left a house, or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children, or lands, because of me and the gospel, 30 will fail to receive back a hundred times more in the present age: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands—with persecutions!—and finally the life of the age to come. 31 But plenty of people at the front will end up at the back, and the back at the front.”
The request of James and John
32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and the people following were afraid.
Again he took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “Look,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem. The son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the legal experts, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the pagans. 34 They will taunt him and spit at him and flog him and kill him—and after three days he will rise again.”
35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him.
“Teacher,” they said, “we want you to grant us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” asked Jesus.
37 “Grant us,” they said, “that when you’re there in all your glory, one of us will sit at your right, and the other at your left.”
38 “You don’t know what you’re asking for!” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I’m going to drink? Can you receive the baptism I’m going to receive?”
39 “Yes,” they said, “we can.”
“Well,” said Jesus, “you will drink the cup I drink; you will receive the baptism I receive. 40 But sitting at my right hand or my left—that’s not up to me. It’s been assigned already.”
41 When the other ten disciples heard, they were angry with James and John. 42 Jesus called them to him.
“You know how it is in the pagan nations,” he said. “Think how their so-called rulers act. They lord it over their subjects. The high and mighty ones boss the rest around. 43 But that’s not how it’s going to be with you. Anyone who wants to be great among you must become your servant. 44 Anyone who wants to be first must be everyone’s slave. 45 Don’t you see? The son of man didn’t come to be waited on. He came to be the servant, to give his life ‘as a ransom for many.’ ”
Jesus heals a blind beggar
46 They came to Jericho. As Jesus, his disciples and a substantial crowd were leaving the town, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out: “Son of David! Jesus! Take pity on me!”
48 Lots of people told him crossly to be quiet. But he shouted out all the louder, “Son of David—take pity on me!”
49 Jesus came to a stop. “Call him,” he said.
So they called the blind man.
“Cheer up,” they said, “and get up. He’s calling you.”
50 He flung his cloak aside, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus saw him coming. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
“Teacher,” the blind man said, “let me see again.”
52 “Off you go,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved you.” And immediately he saw again, and he followed him on the way.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.