SFJ Bible Reading Plan

Judges 1

The Continuing Conquest of Canaan

1:1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the LORD, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2 The LORD said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. 4 Then Judah went up and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. 5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. 7 And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. 12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. 17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah.¹ 18 Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 And the LORD was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron. 20 And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. 21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

Failure to Complete the Conquest

27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.

31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, 32 so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. 36 And the border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

Footnotes

[1] 1:17 Hormah means utter destruction

(ESV)

Romans 16

Personal Greetings

16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant¹ of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert² to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,³ my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,⁴ and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers⁵ who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Final Instructions and Greetings

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,⁶ and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.⁷

Doxology

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Footnotes

[1] 16:1 Or deaconess

[2] 16:5 Greek firstfruit

[3] 16:7 Or Junias

[4] 16:7 Or messengers

[5] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17

[6] 16:18 Greek their own belly

[7] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen

(ESV)

Romans 11-15 (3-26-22)

Romans 12 is the turning point in Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is where Paul moves from our need for the gospel and the gift of the gospel to the application of the gospel in our lives. This chapter is chock-full of wonderful exhortation for the Christian life, especially around the topic of how Christians should love others.

To jump into our study today, read Romans 12:14-21 again.

First and foremost, we must understand that we cannot do these things if not for the Holy Spirit indwelling us, God’s grace enabling us, and Christ’s atonement for us.

To better understand the foundation Paul is building on, go back and read the opening verses of chapter 12 again, Romans 12:1-3.

It is God’s mercy that gives us access to a restored new life.

It is God’s power that transforms us from the inside out.

It is God’s grace that shapes our hearts to love others.

So, when the Apostle calls on us to do the things we read in verse 14-21, bear in mind that the Apostle himself understands that it is only God’s grace at work in us that enables us to live this way. The result of God’s work in us is found in verse 9. It says, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” With that under our feet, let’s go back to verses 14-21 and break them down more.

Love others means to love when offended.

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

The biblical principle is that Christians who are walking in Christ will love as He loved, which is to love their enemies. We are saved and set free because Christ loved His enemies.

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Jesus helps us see what truly loving others is in His teaching found in Luke.

Luke 6:32-35

If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Anyone can love that which is lovely, but it is extremely difficult to love those who are unlovely. Again, hear this clearly–you and I do not do this by our own strength. Loving our enemies is only genuine if it is out of the overflow of a life in Christ, where He is flowing through the believer to others. Loving others is a supernatural way of life; it is not a mandate to work really hard at keeping by your own power and might.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Loving others is having empathy for people by meeting them where they are. It is a real mark of Christian maturity when one can rejoice with those God has blessed, because without Christ changing our hearts, pride and jealousy are our natural responses. When God has given someone wealth or talent or some other provision, it is difficult to rejoice with him because of our selfish heart’s petty jealousy.

Make it personal. How have you had resentment for someone else as you see them experience victory or success? Do you see your flesh motivating these feelings? God’s love causes us to rejoice with others, and their victory is our victory!

The second part of verse 15 says we are to weep with each other, too. When do we typically choose not to weep with others who weep? It is a common religious response to people who hurt or struggle to look down on them and say, “You deserved that.” We keep our empathy and pity to ourselves, because they do not deserve to have people join them in crying over something they purposely did. The key to this is found in verses 3 and 16 of this chapter.

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Only by the grace of God is my heart changed to look at others differently, to have sober judgment over them, and not to elevate myself to a position where I am better than they are. This affects why and how I love people.

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Loving others means loving people who are not like you, including people who are outcast. Again, Jesus models this for us all throughout His life. We see Him charged by the Pharisees for eating with outcast sinners in Luke 15 and showing compassion toward and fellowshipping with a prostitute in Luke 7. If ever we say, “I’m not going to waste my time on that rebellious man,” we have lost the true meaning of love. The only remedy is more of Jesus which is needed to change the heart.

Love others means to reject revenge.

Romans 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

Loving others means your heart is moving from self-centered to other-centered. Our sin causes us to want to hurt those who hurt us. Christ in us causes us to want to heal relationships with those who caused hurt. We counter their evil with God-honoring good and grace. This won’t happen if left to our flesh. We are desperate for Christ to fuel us with His selfless love.

Romans 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

Evil is God-dishonoring; righteousness is God-honoring. We are to be a righteous people who do good and not evil. In this, we honor God and put His name on high.

Love others means to pursue peace.

Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Loving others means to pursue peace! Now it says, “as it depends on you,”and this is because it takes two to tango. So, the part of the relationship you can influence needs to be peaceful, but this doesn’t mean that you will have peace with everyone, because they can stir things up against you.

On this note, let’s move on to verse 19:

Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Only God can move other people’s hearts, and so we have to trust in His judgment to shape them and judge them and grow them, as He determines. Now, this rails against our flesh because the foremost trait of human nature is self-defense. If someone thrusts an object toward your face, your eyes close immediately by instinct. If an object falls toward you, your arm rises to ward off the blow. By nature, when we are offended, we automatically put up a defense mechanism and want to fight back.

In Christ, we do something contrary to our nature: We love and don’t fight back when offended. A person may ask, “Don’t I have the right to stick up for my rights?” Sometimes, the act of defending oneself or another is an act of love. But the supernatural work of Christ through us means that many times the answer is no. Christ’s love in and through you means you will not fight back.

Instead:

Romans 12:20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Loving others means loving your enemy the way God loved us when we were His enemies.

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

The only vengeance Christians can inflict on others is the red-hot coals of love.

This part of verse 20 is odd when read alone, but it makes sense when understood that it is a quote from Proverbs 25:21-22: If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

The coals on the head is a reference to a ritual in Egypt in which a person showed repentance by carrying a pan of hot burning charcoal on the head. So, when we respond with love and not hate, this can cause the other person to be repentant for his/her actions. Love is the only antidote for hate! When the Christian loves his enemies, they are either melted into repentance or hardened even more. It is up to God how they respond–not us. We are simply called to let love move—to love others!

Love others means to overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Paul is saying that in our personal relationships with the world, the cycle of evil can only be broken by good. The key to overcoming evil is to employ the good of Christ that is at work in us. The cycle of evil can only be overcome, can only be broken by good—the love of God.

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

It is the love of God that was made manifest in the flesh through the perfect life and sacrificial substitutional death of Jesus for a people that were against Him, but a people He would win over and make new. We–the church, the redeemed, the born again–are that people. May we love others as God intended every day for His glory and their good.

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC Chaplain Council

Romans 15

The Example of Christ

15:1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

  “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

10 And again it is said,

  “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

  “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again Isaiah says,

  “The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
  in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,¹ that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written,

  “Those who have never been told of him will see,
    and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,² I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing³ of Christ.

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30

[2] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit

[3] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel

(ESV)

Romans 14

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master¹ that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

  “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess² to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.³ 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.⁴

Footnotes

[1] 14:4 Or lord

[2] 14:11 Or shall give praise

[3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened

[4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27

(ESV)