Daily Reading Week 5
Sunday
1 Corinthians 8:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 10:14, 19-22
DISCOVER:
Paul spends a lot of time talking about the Corinthians’ involvement in pagan worship meals (1 Cor. 8:1–10:22; about one-fifth of the book). This suggests that it was an important issue of controversy in the local church. After criticizing the practice as being unkind to other Christians and warning the Corinthians about the dangers of idolatry, the Apostle in today’s passage finally brings his argument against taking part in these pagan meals to a close. His main point is that even though the Corinthians are right that pagan gods don’t exist and that eating in itself is just a matter of personal choice (8:4–6, 8), they’re wrong in thinking that eating meals in pagan temples isn’t worshiping something other than the Lord.
So, the pagans weren’t actually worshipping Zeus, Artemis, or any of those other gods that temples were dedicated to in the first century. Those gods never existed. But they were worshipping real things - demons! This means that how we understand non-Christian religions is a bit different. Apparently, they do worship, but it’s actually the worship of demons, no matter how it looks. And Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan sometimes pretends to be an ‘angel of light.’ This suggests that demons are the real objects of worship in these false religions, and that these false religions were given to their followers by the demons themselves, at least in some cases. This seems to be true in Islam, where Muhammad said that the religion of Islam was given to him by Allah through the angel Gabriel. Can you imagine a demon, maybe even Satan himself, coming to Muhammad in the guise of a holy angel to start a religion that enslaves millions? Well, whether a non-Christian religion is monotheistic like Islam or polytheistic like Hinduism, all faiths except for biblical Christianity worship demons. So, we need to take this into account and pray against these evil spiritual forces when we share the gospel with people from other religions.
RESPOND:
1. What are some modern forms of idolatry that you might encounter in your life?
2. How can you ensure that your actions and decisions reflect your belief in the one true God?
3. In what ways can you encourage others to remain faithful to God in a world full of distractions?
Monday
John 14 (Focus on John 14:6)
DISCOVER:
It is understandable that Jesus’ disciples were worried after He revealed His impending betrayal and departure during the Last Supper. To alleviate their fears, He reassured them that His return to the Father would be for their benefit, promising to prepare a place for them. As today’s passage demonstrates, after imparting this comforting truth, Jesus affirmed that they were familiar with the path He was taking.
Considering the disciples’ apparent confusion regarding the events that would unfold concerning the Lord, Jesus’ statements might appear peculiar. In fact, they seem peculiar to Thomas, who objected that the disciples lacked knowledge of His destination. However, Jesus’ intention was not to imply that the disciples possessed complete comprehension of the events leading up to His arrest, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Instead, His point was that they knew the way to where Jesus was going because they knew Him. As the author of Hebrews points out, Jesus ascends to the Father on high as our forerunner, returning to heaven in advance to lead us there (Heb. 6:20). Nevertheless, the sole means to reach heaven, the only path to reconciliation with God, lies through Jesus. Therefore, while the disciples may not fully comprehend the exact destination, they possess the knowledge to navigate the path.
In John 14:6, we encounter an important truth about our salvation. Jesus proclaims Himself as the way, the truth, and the life—the sole path to the Father. This stands as one of the most profound statements about Christ’s exclusivity ever made. There is no alternative route to salvation except through Him. He is the only individual capable of reconciling us with the Father. John Calvin summarized this concept, stating that anyone who rejects Christ will merely wander aimlessly. Those who lack faith will attempt to find something else, but this pursuit will only lead them to emptiness and foolishness. Furthermore, those who venture further will ultimately perish instead of experiencing eternal life.
We can’t ignore this. Rejecting Jesus’ teachings here is like rejecting everything else He said about Himself and His work. Dr. R.C. Sproul wrote in his commentary on John, ‘Our friends, our community, and even many churches tell us we must deny the uniqueness of Christ. But to do that, we must deny the church’s confession of faith, and more importantly, we must deny Jesus’ own confession about Himself.’
RESPOND:
1. How does understanding Jesus as "the way, the truth, and the life" impact your daily decisions and worldview?
2. In what ways do you seek to deepen your relationship with Jesus, knowing He is the only way to the Father?
3. How can you share this truth with others in a loving and respectful manner?
Acts 17 (Focus on Acts 17:22-29)
DISCOVER:
Paul’s message to the philosophers in Athens was quite bold. He started by pointing out an idol made to an unknown god. For Greek philosophy, “Being” was all about the known and the mysterious. So, the Athenians had made idols for all the known things and another idol for the mysterious, unknown aspects of “Being.” Paul said he was going to tell them about the “unknown God”. This was a bit of a challenge, but it seems what Paul meant was that even Greek philosophy and superstition had a tiny bit of knowledge about the true God, and this memory was connected to their “unknown god.”
Paul talked about the God who made the world and everything in it. He started with the doctrine of Creation, which meant that God is a person who acts, not just an “it.” It meant that He is personally interested in His works and will call all His creation to account. Creation implies judgment, which is the last thing any sinner, including Greeks, wants to hear.
The Creator has given them a chance to find Him. But we haven’t done it. Philosophers have used words like “In Him we live and move and have our being” and “We are His offspring,” but they meant the wrong things by these phrases. They should have realized that such a God can’t be worshiped in wood and stone.
Paul said that God had been patient with their lack of understanding and foolishness in the past, but now they needed to change their ways. God, he said, would judge the world, and the proof that He means business is that He raised Jesus from the dead. The Resurrection isn’t some random event, like the Greeks would have thought, but it’s a sign from God that the new age has come, an age of judgment. They wanted to hear something fresh: well, says Paul, here it is: The age of judgment has arrived.
RESPOND:
1. How do you seek to know God more personally in your daily life?
2. What steps can you take to ensure that your understanding of God is based on His revelation rather than cultural assumptions?
3. How can you share the message of the one true God with those who may be seeking spiritual truth?
Tuesday
Wednesday
Galatians 5:16-26
DISCOVER:
In the New Testament, the apostles often talk about the struggle between our physical selves and our spiritual selves. They want us to live by the Spirit, not by our old, sinful nature.
The Bible often uses the word “flesh” to mean our sinful nature, the part of us that’s still against God. Unlike some ancient Greek philosophers, Christianity doesn’t believe that matter is inherently evil. It’s just fallen, but the Bible teaches that the physical world is still good. In fact, it’s so important that God is using it to save all things. A new heaven and earth are coming, a place that’s just as real as the spiritual world (Isaiah 65:17–25).
So, the war between flesh and spirit in Scripture isn’t a battle between our bodies and our souls. It’s a battle within ourselves—a battle between our desires and our new life from the Spirit. We have new life from the Spirit, but our old sinful nature hates it (John 3:1–8; Romans 7:7–25; Ephesians 4:17–24). But if we trust in Christ alone, we’re free from being slaves to sin and can live according to His commands. Our sinful nature is still there until we’re glorified, and it tries to stop the Holy Spirit from working in us (Ephesians 4:30; 1 John 1:8–9).
Until we’re glorified, we need to put our sinful nature to death so we can live in harmony with the Spirit. We can do this by putting on God’s armor against our sinful nature (Colossians 3:5). And when we defeat our sinful nature, we defeat the Devil, who tries to tempt us to sin.
RESPOND:
1. Which fruit of the Spirit do you find most challenging to cultivate in your life?
2. How can you actively choose to walk by the Spirit in your daily decisions?
3. What are some practical steps you can take to avoid the works of the flesh?
Thursday
Romans 1 (Focus on Romans 1:18-25)
DISCOVER:
God has shown Himself so clearly in the world around us that no one can ever say there’s not enough evidence to believe in Him and worship Him. The Bible teaches this in places like Psalm 19, and today’s passage makes it even clearer. As Paul says in Romans 1:20, God’s amazing power and nature, which we can’t see, have been clear to us since the world began, because of all the things we see around us.
Romans 1 says that God has shown Himself in nature, but there are some limits to what we can learn from it. We can know that God exists and that He’s amazing, but we don’t have enough information to be saved. In fact, Paul says that when people come into contact with God’s revelation of Himself in nature, they try to hide the truth they’ve learned. Without faith in Christ, when people study God’s creation, they can’t think clearly and their hearts become dark. They don’t honor God or give thanks to Him. And they even make up lies and worship things that aren’t God, instead of the real God. In short, people who try to understand God’s creation without God’s plan of salvation end up making God like themselves and refusing to worship the only true God.
When people receive natural revelation, they often end up worshipping nature instead of God. But that’s not the fault of natural revelation itself. It’s the fault of the sinful nature of fallen humans. Natural revelation can’t save us on its own. God never meant it to be a way to save us. Instead, as Paul explains in Romans 1–3, the purpose of natural revelation is to show people the truth about God so they can see the truth about themselves: that they’re sinners in need of salvation. But it takes more than natural revelation to be saved. We need special revelation, the truth about God’s work in history, especially the person and work of Jesus Christ, which is only available through our Lord speaking directly to His people and revealing truths that nature can’t teach. Today, this special revelation is only found in Scripture.
RESPOND:
1. How do you guard against the temptation to worship created things rather than the Creator?
2. In what ways can you cultivate a heart of worship and gratitude towards God?
3. How can you help others recognize the truth of God in a world that often rejects Him?
Friday
Philippians 2 (Focus on Philippians 2:5-11)
DISCOVER:
The word “lord” can be a bit tricky to understand. In the original Greek, it can mean a few different things. Sometimes, it’s just a polite way of saying “sir” to someone. Other times, it can refer to a slave master or someone who has a lot of servants.
Some of the people in the New Testament might have used these meanings when they talked to Jesus. But the third meaning of “lord” is the one we’re most interested in. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, the Greek word “kurios” (lord) was used to translate the Hebrew word “Yahweh” (Adonai). Both Hebrew words mean “Lord God,” so the Greek “kurios” became the most important title for God in the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
When we use the word ‘kurios’ in this way, it means ‘one who is absolutely sovereign.’ It’s a majestic title, showing God’s sovereignty and power. So, the question is, does the New Testament use this word ‘kurios’ to talk about Jesus? Well, the answer is yes! This passage gives us a clear example of how it’s used. In Philippians 2, Paul is talking about how God the Son had to suffer a temporary humiliation to become human and take on our sins. Because of this, God the Father honored Him, giving Him a name that’s above every other name.
The name given to Jesus here isn’t his birth name, ‘Jesus.’ Instead, it’s a name that shows his sovereignty and power, which belong to God alone. This sovereignty is shown by the title ‘Lord,’ which is mentioned in verse 11. The point isn’t that the Son wasn’t worthy of this title before he became human. The point is that now, at his incarnation, the Son is fully human in the person of Jesus Christ, and he’s become even more worthy to bear the divine title after temporarily giving up his glory to take on our sins.
Reflection Questions:
1. How can you emulate the humility and selflessness of Christ in your relationships and daily interactions?
2. What are some ways you can serve others and reflect the love of Christ in your community?
3. How does the exaltation of Christ inspire you to live a life that honors God?
Saturday
Hebrews 1
DISCOVER:
The writer of Hebrews goes to lengths to convince his original audience of the superiority of Jesus over everything that came before Him. The author gets straight to the point in the opening verses of his epistle. In Hebrews 1, we have a rich expression of the greatness of our Savior, focusing especially on Jesus as our Prophet, Priest, and King.
Verses 1–2 emphasize Jesus as the final and perfect Prophet, drawing a contrast between the way God has spoken to His people in “these last days” with the way He spoke before. Before the Son of God came in the flesh, our Creator revealed Himself “at many times and in many ways”. Of course, the author is talking about how our Lord spoke under the old covenant. He communicated “at many times”—during the time of the patriarchs, in the day of Joshua and the judges, under the rule of the monarchy, and while the people were in exile and immediately after their return. And God spoke “in many ways”—through direct speech, through dreams and visions, through the prophets’ prophecies, through angelic messengers, and even at one point through a donkey (for example, Gen. 12:1–3; 37:1–11; 46:1–4; Num. 22:22–30; Josh. 1:1–9; 2 Kings 19:1–7; Ezra 5:1–2; Dan. 7).
Back in the day, those ways of speaking were enough for their time, but they weren’t the best, most glorious, or final way that God has ever spoken. In these last days, God “has spoken to us by his Son". With Jesus came a new and better way of speaking. This way is better not because Jesus’ teachings are somehow more inspired or more important than the words of the old covenant prophets. Instead, God’s speaking in Jesus is better because Christ is the final word from our Creator about salvation, the One in whom God’s love for His people is most clearly shown, and the One who has shown us exactly what it takes to be reconciled to God. Earlier prophets pointed the way to God; Christ is the only Prophet who is the way to God (John 14:6).
Jesus is better revelation from our Creator because He’s also the One through whom God created the world. He’s the heir of all things. He’s inherited everything and shares it with believers, who are also his heirs.
RESPOND:
1. How does understanding the supremacy of Christ influence your faith and worship?
2. In what ways can you deepen your relationship with Jesus, knowing He is the ultimate revelation of God?
3. How can you share the truth of Christ's divinity and authority with others in your life?