M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Timothy—and new developments
16 Paul went on further, to Derbe and then Lystra. There was a disciple there by the name of Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but with a Greek father. 2 The Christians in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to go with them, so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews in those regions, since they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 When they went through the cities, they handed on to them the decisions which had been taken by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, so that they could observe them. 5 The churches were strengthened in faith, and grew in number every day.
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, since the holy spirit had forbidden them to speak the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus didn’t allow them to do so. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 Then a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from Macedonia was standing there, pleading with him, and saying, “Come across to Macedonia and help us!” 10 When he saw the vision, at once we set about finding a way to get across to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the good news to them.
Preaching and prison in Philippi
11 So we sailed away from Troas and made a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. 12 From there we went on to Philippi, a Roman colony, the chief city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in this city for some days.
13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate to a place by a river where we reckoned there was a place of prayer, and there we sat down. Some women had gathered, and we spoke to them. 14 There was a woman called Lydia, a godfearer, who was a seller of purple from Thyatira. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. 15 She was baptized, with all her household.
“If you have judged me faithful to the Lord,” she begged us, “please come and stay at my home.”
So she persuaded us.
16 As we were going to the place of prayer we were met by a girl who had a spirit of divination. She and her oracles made a good living for her owners. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us.
“These men are servants of God Most High!” she would shout out. “They are declaring to you the way of salvation!”
18 She did this for many days. Eventually, Paul got fed up with it. He turned round and addressed the spirit.
“I command you in the name of Jesus the Messiah,” he said, “come out of her!”
And it came out then and there.
19 When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of profit had vanished, they seized Paul and Silas, dragged them into the public square before the authorities, 20 and presented them to the magistrates.
“These men,” they said, “are throwing our city into an uproar! They are Jews, 21 and they are teaching customs which it’s illegal for us Romans to accept or practice!”
22 The crowd joined in the attack on them, and the magistrates had their clothes torn off them and gave orders for them to be beaten with rods. 23 When they had thoroughly beaten them, they threw them into prison, and gave orders to the jailer to guard them securely. 24 With that instruction, he put them into the innermost part of the prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Earthquake and salvation
25 Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a huge earthquake, which shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open, and everyone’s chains became loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all still here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and rushed in. Trembling all over, he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “will you please tell me how I can get out of this mess?”
31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus,” they replied, “and you will be rescued—you and your household.”
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, with everyone who was in his house. 33 He took them, at that very hour of the night, and washed their wounds. Then at once he was baptized, and all his household with him. 34 Then he took them into his house, put food on the table, and rejoiced with his whole house that he had believed in God.
Publicly vindicated
35 When day broke, the magistrates sent their officers with the message, “Let those men go.” 36 The jailer passed on what they said to Paul.
“The magistrates have sent word that you should be released,” he said. “So now you can leave and go in peace.”
37 But Paul objected.
“We are Roman citizens!” he said. “They beat us in public without a trial, they threw us into prison, and now they are sending us away secretly? No way! Let them come themselves and take us out.”
38 The officers reported these words to the magistrates. When they heard that they were Roman citizens, they were afraid. 39 They went and apologized, brought them out of the prison, and requested that they leave the city. 40 So when they had left the prison they went to Lydia’s house. There they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and then they went on their way.
The triumphal entry
11 So they approached Jerusalem. They got as far as Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, when Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead with a specific task.
2 “Go to the village over there,” he said to them, “and as soon as you enter it you will find a colt tied up—one that nobody has ever ridden before. Untie it and bring it here. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing that?’ then say, ‘The master needs it, and he will return it at once.’ ”
4 They went off and found the colt tied up beside a door, out in the street; and they untied it.
5 Some of the bystanders said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 6 They gave the answer Jesus had told them, and they let them carry on. 7 So they brought the colt to Jesus and laid their cloaks on it, and he mounted it. 8 Several people spread out their cloaks in the road. Others did the same with foliage that they had cut in the fields. 9 Those in front, and those coming behind, shouted out, “Hosanna! Welcome in the Lord’s name! 10 Here comes the kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem, went into the Temple, and looked all round. It was already getting late, and he returned to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus cleanses the Temple
12 The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 From some distance away he saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and hoped to find some fruit on it; but when he came up to it he found nothing but leaves. (It wasn’t yet the season for figs.)
14 He addressed the tree directly. “May no one ever eat fruit from you again,” he said. And his disciples heard.
15 They came into Jerusalem. Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out the traders, those who bought and sold in the Temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of the dove-sellers. 16 He permitted no one to carry any vessel through the Temple. 17 He began to teach: “Isn’t this what’s written,” he said,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer
for all the world to share’?
“But you’ve made it a brigands’ den!”
18 The chief priests and the legal experts heard, and looked for a way to get rid of him. But they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
19 When evening came, they went back out of the city.
20 As they were returning, early in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots.
21 “Look, Teacher!” said Peter to Jesus, remembering what had happened before. “The fig tree you cursed has withered.”
22 “Have faith in God,” replied Jesus. 23 “I’m telling you the truth: if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be off with you—get yourself thrown into the sea,’ if they have no doubt in their heart, but believe that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 That’s why I’m telling you, everything that you request in prayer, everything you ask God for, believe that you receive it, and it will happen for you.
25 “And when you are standing there praying, if you have something against someone else, forgive them—so that your father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
The authority of Jesus is questioned
27 Once more they went into Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the Temple he was approached by the chief priests, the legal experts and the elders.
28 “By what right do you do these things?” they asked. “Who gave you the right to do them?”
29 “I have one question for you, too,” replied Jesus, “and if you tell me the answer I shall tell you by what right I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or was it a human invention? What’s your answer?”
31 “Well now,” they muttered to each other, “if we say it was from heaven, he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say it was a human invention . . .” They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone regarded John as a prophet.
33 “We don’t know,” they said to Jesus.
“Nor will I tell you,” replied Jesus, “by what right I do these things.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.