BIBLE READING
First Thessalonians
Context: Paul, Silas and Timothy took the gospel to the city of Thessalonica in about A.D. 49 or 50. The city was located in the Roman province of Macedonia. Achaia was a province to the south and together this region makes up modern day Greece. Their stay was cut short due to opposition from Jews in the city, so Paul writes to them to encourage them to persevere in faith. You can read about Paul’s time in Thessalonica in Acts 17:1-10.
5 R's of Personal Bible Reading
- Rely on God by asking Him to help you understand His Word.
- Remind yourself of what you read last time.
- Read the next section of the Bible slowly and carefully.
- Reflect on the passage. Use the questions. Think about meaning and application.
- Request God’s help to apply what you learned.
Day 1: Monday 5 August
- What has been produced in the Thessalonian believers through the gospel? (look through the whole passage)
- Why is Paul confident that God has chosen them?
- What final result will their faith in the gospel bring about for them?
- How do these observations apply to you?
Pray a prayer of both thankfulness and request for help in response to what you have learned.
Day 2: Tuesday 6 August
- What observations can you take from this passage about the God’s messengers (Paul and his co-workers)?
- What observations can you make about the message?
- Work through the passage again and notice everything it says about what God does.
- What does the passage say about suffering?
- How do all these observations apply to you?
Pray, asking God to help you take on the convictions and conduct described in this passage.
Day 3: Wednesday 7 August
Remind yourself of the context (Acts 17:1-10): After planting a church in Thessalonica, Paul and his co-workers were forced to leave suddenly due to opposition from other Jews in the city who roused up a mob to riot against them. Their time in Thessalonica was anywhere from several weeks to a few months, leaving a group of very new Christians to fend for themselves amidst ongoing opposition (1 Thess 2:14).
- What goals does Paul have throughout the passage and why does he have them?
- What does he do to achieve these goals?
- How do these observations apply to you? Consider yourself in the place of the Thessalonians and in the place of Paul and his co-workers.
Pray in response to what you have learned from the passage. Consider praying for yourself and others in a similar way to Paul (1 Thess 3:11-13)
Day 4: Thursday 8 August
- What are the two areas of life discussed in which we are to please God?
- For each of these, what are we urged to put into practice and what are the reasons given?
- Think through what these instructions look like practically for yourself.
Pray, asking for God’s help to live in these ways that please Him.
Day 5: Friday 9 August
- Consider a church full of very new Christians who suddenly have some from among them die, which is what the term “fallen asleep” refers to in this passage. What concerns do you think they would have?
- What does this passage teach about death for Christians?
- What hope does this passage give you? For what reason?
- What from this passage do we need to believe and what does it tell us we should do?
Pray in response to the teaching of this passage, both with thankfulness and requests.
Day 6: Saturday 10 August
Remind yourself of the context of the previous passage.
- What is “the day” that is referred to in verses 2 and 4? What will happen on that day? (v. 3, 9)
- How do the metaphors of light/dark and day/night (v. 5), together with their associated activities (v. 6-8) teach us about how we live in light of “the day” which is coming?
(Note that the meaning of “day” and “awake” and “sleep” is not consistent throughout the passage) - What do you think living this way looks like in practical terms for you? (Consider also what kind of battles need the armor of v. 8)
- Why do you think he gives us the final instruction in verse 11? Who can you encourage and build up with these truths?
Pray, asking God to help you take on the convictions and practices that will make you ready for Christ’s return.
Day 7: Sunday 11 August
- What are the various ways you should relate to Christians in different roles and circumstances? (v. 12-15)
- What can you put into practice more to be living in God’s will for you in Christ Jesus? (v. 16-18)
- Don’t let the controversies around prophesy side track you. Prophecy is not primarily about telling the future, but about speaking God’s word, including the function of encouragement and strengthening (Acts 15:32). In a day when the church didn’t yet have the New Testament (this letter is one of the earliest written), a dependence upon prophesy for the building up of the church was more necessary. What extremes and dangers should be avoided according to verses 19-22?
- How do verses 23-25 guide or encourage you to pray?
Pray, asking God to help you put the teaching of this passage into practice.
Romans 1-8
Context: Paul had not yet visited Rome at the time he wrote to them from Corinth between AD 55 and AD 58. He tells them of his plans to go to Spain (Rom 15:23-24) and his intention to visit them on the way. His letter explains his gospel and the teachings that flow from it with at least two main goals. He wants to strengthen and encourage them and he wants them to partner with him in his mission to Spain.
5 R's of Personal Bible Reading
- Rely on God by asking Him to help you understand His Word.
- Remind yourself of what you read last time.
- Read the next section of the Bible slowly and carefully.
- Reflect on the passage. Use the questions. Think about meaning and application.
- Request God’s help to apply what you learned.
Day 8: Monday 12 August
Note: There may be parts of these verses that you will not quite be sure what they mean. Do you best to try to understand the trickier parts in their context but don’t get bogged down on them. Focus more on what you can understand now.
- What do you learn about the gospel from this passage? You will especially find it in verses 1-4 and 16-17.
- What are Paul’s plans and purposes in verses 5-15?
- From these observations, what beliefs and convictions of Paul do you think you should seek to hold yourself?
Pray asking God to help you grow in these beliefs and convictions?
Day 9: Tuesday 13 August
- What are the reasons God’s wrath is being revealed against humanity? (verses 18-22)
Note that the wrath is present tense, not future. - What repeated phrase do you notice in verses 24, 26 & 28? What point do you think is being made? How does it connect to verses 18-22?
- Note how verse 18 begins and think about how it connects to what has come before it in Rom 1:16-18.
Pray in confession and repentance for how this passage might reveal some of your own failures. In your prayer, glorify God and show Him gratitude (verse 21) for all He’s done both in creation and for salvation through the gospel.
Day 10: Wednesday 14 August
Often in Romans, there will be a comparison or contrast between the Jews and Greeks or Gentiles (all the other nations). We’ve seen it already in Romans 1:16 and it occurs here again in chapter 2. Remind yourself of Romans 1:18-31 which is the context for this passage. Paul knows that a Jew reading or hearing the description of human idolatry and wickedness in chapter one would be all too ready to judge, so he turns to warn them too in chapter 2.
- What observations can you make about judgement – both human judgement and God’s judgement. Look throughout the passage.
- If God repays according to each person’s works (verse 6), how many people do you think will be in the group who persist in doing good (verse 7)?
- On what basis will God’s judgement come for those who have the law (Jews) and those who don’t have the law (Gentiles)?
- What is the way to escape God’s judgement according to these verses?
- Is there any of your thinking that needs to adjust based on the teaching of this section? What warnings can you take from this section?
Pray in response to what you have learned.
Day 11: Thursday 15 August
Background: God gave circumcision as a sign of the covenant to Abraham in Genesis 17:10-14. The command was restated in the Law of Moses (Lev 12:3). Circumcision was a marker of those who were included in the covenant people of God and came to identify those who were under the law.
- What is the ultimate problem for anyone who preaches or teaches law? (verses 17-24)
- What is the main point being made about circumcision? (verses 25-29)
Have a read of Deut 10:16 and Deut 30:6 for some additional background. - Note that Paul’s arguments in this section firstly address Jews. What principles can you draw from the teaching here about how you should or shouldn’t relate to God? Or what you should or shouldn’t rely on, and why?
- Is there anything taught here about circumcision that still relates to you as a (Gentile) Christian today? What marks someone out as part of the covenant people of God according to this passage? What, if anything, could the principle here about circumcision teach us about how we view baptism?
Pray in response to what you’ve learned from this passage.
Day 12: Friday 16 August
- What do you learn about God’s character here, even in judgement?
- What do you learn about humanity?
- What do you observe about the extent of sin’s effects upon and power over humans?
- What benefit does the law have?
Pray in confession and praise for His righteousness. Ask Him to help you believe what this passage teaches.
Day 13: Saturday 17 August
- We were told in Romans 1:16-17 that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. What do you learn about God’s righteousness from these verses?
- What benefit can we, who are sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory, gain? On what basis can we gain it?
- Think about what it means to be justified and how it comes about.
- Think through the reason why boasting is excluded.
- What point is being made about how God deals with Jews (circumcised) and Gentiles (uncircumcised)? (verses 29-31)
Day 14: Sunday 18 August
First, Paul uses Abraham as an example from Scripture (Genesis 15:4-6) to prove his point about justification. Secondly he uses Abraham to prove his point about circumcision from Scripture (Genesis 17:1-27).
- What can you learn about justification (declaring someone righteous) from verses 1-8? What is it? On what basis? etc
- Consider the historical sequence of the two Genesis passages above to make sense of Paul’s argument about circumcision. (verses 9-12)
- Who are the children of Abraham according to these verses?
- How does the teaching of these verses relate to you personally?
Pray in response to what you learn about your own status before God from these verses.
Day 15: Monday 19 August
- What do you observe about the contrast between the law and faith in verses 13-15?
- What do you learn about faith and about God from the example of Abraham’s faith in verses 16-25?
- How does this Paul apply his examples to you? How should you respond to these truths?
Pray in thankfulness for promise and grace of God, and ask God to strengthen your faith.
Day 16: Tuesday 20 August
Romans 1-4 has established that God’s wrath is revealed against human wickedness and ungodliness and that all who have faith like Abraham are justified.
- What relationship does a believer now have with God?
- In Rom 3:27 we were told boasting on the basis of works is excluded. What things can a believer still boast in and why?
- How can we know for sure that God loves us? How can that help you practically when you face afflictions (troubles in life)?
- How can we know for sure that we will be saved according to this passage?
Pray, thanking and praising God for the wonderful benefits of justification by faith.
Day 17: Wednesday 21 August
- What are the results of what Adam has done in verses 12-14?
- Observe the contrast between what Adam and Christ have done and how that has affected others (verses 15-19).
- What is the gift?
- Read through the passage again and note what and who reigns. There are multiple things. Think about what their reign means.
- If you put all the details of this passage into a table with everything under Adam on the left and everything under Christ on the right, which side does the law fit into it?
Pray, asking God to help you believe what this passage teaches, and thank God for what Christ has brought.
Day 18: Thursday 22 August
The question in verse 1 arises from Romans 5:20, which says “where sin multiplied (due to addition of the law), grace multiplied even more.”
- Why should we not continue in sin, despite grace being able to fully deal with sin?
- What is this saying has happened to us now in Christ and will happen in the future?
- What kind of baptism can bring about our union into Christ’s death and resurrection?
- In Romans 5:21 we were told that sin reigned in death. What is our relationship to sin now according to this passage?
- Have a think about what verse 13 can look like practically for yourself each day.
Pray, thanking God for setting us free from sin. Ask for His help to live with the mindset and actions spoken of in this passage.
Day 19: Friday 23 August
Verse 14 said something astonishing. The reason sin will not rule over you is because you are not under law but under grace. Most people would think not being under law would result in more sin, not less. That’s the reason for the question in verse 15.
- What is the key word that runs through this whole passage (8 times) and is referred to as a human analogy in verse 19.
- Read through it again observing the different ways the passage describes the two masters.
- What are the possible outcomes for serving either master and on what basis do they come to us? (verses 22-23)
- What is it that God has done for us in this passage?
- What is the passage urging you to do in response?
Pray, thanking God for setting us free from slavery to sin. Ask Him to help you offer yourself – all the parts of you – in service to God and to righteousness.
Day 20: Saturday 24 August
- What principle is taught about a person’s relationship to the law in verses 1-3?
- How is the principle taken from the example of marriage applied to you and your relationship to the law in verse 4?
- What problem with law is identified in verse 5?
- Observe carefully the extra information we given about the law in verses 7-13 that should guide our view of it?
- What is the way Christians are expected to live their lives in service to God and how has it come about? (verse 6) Compare Romans 6:4.
Pray, thanking God for the goodness and holiness of the law that reveals sin in us. Thank God for setting us free and enabling us to serve in the new way according to this passage.
Day 21: Sunday 25 August
- What is the battle described in this passage and why does it exist?
- Will trying harder to do what is good solve this situation? Why or why not?
- What definition of sin can you draw from this passage?
- How is it that we can be rescued from this situation?
Pray, confessing to God your sin and helplessness. Thank God for His rescue through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Day 22: Monday 26 August
- Meditate on verse 1. What implications can you draw from it?
- How do verses 2-4 explain how verse 1 has been achieved? (Don’t get stuck on how the word law is being used in verse 2)
- If you believe these truths how will it affect your relationship to God and to sin, or to feeling shame and guilt for your sin?
Pray thanking God for the truth of these verses. Ask Him to help you believe them deep down and live in response to them.
Day 23: Tuesday 27 August
Verse 4 finished by referring to those who walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
- Observe the contrast between the two ways of living. (verses 5-8)
- What observations can you make about yourself and the Spirit? Are there any principles you can derive? (verses 9-11)
- What are we obligated to? How will you do it? What will living according to the Spirit look like for you practically?
Pray, thanking God for giving you the Spirit. Ask Him to help you live according to the Spirit.
Day 24: Wednesday 28 August
This passage expands on what was said in Romans 5:2-4. Two of the key words throughout the passage are ‘suffering’ and ‘glory’.
- Observe and reflect on what verses 14-17 say about your relationship with God.
- Think about what status verses 14-17 say you have and what it actually means for your future.
- Reflect on the “sufferings of the present time” that all humans go through in various ways through all stages of their life. Reflect on your own sufferings to this point in your life.
- What do verses 18-30 say to help us deal with the problem suffering and weakness?
Pray, in response to the passage with thankfulness and requests.
Day 25: Thursday 29 August
The previous section (Romans 8:18-30) talks about our present sufferings and God’s plans to bring us through to glory.
- Think about why Paul asks the rhetorical questions: “who is against us?” (verse 31); “who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?” (verse 33); and “who is the one who condemns?” (verse 34). Does he mean “nobody” or is there another purpose for the questions?
- Reflect on the reasons we can be sure God will bring us through to glory and that all possible opposition will fail? (verses 31-34)
- Reflect on the reasons we can be sure about God’s love for us? (verses 35-39)
Pray, thanking God for these truths.
Ephesians
Context: Paul spent at least two years in Ephesus preaching the gospel there and to the surrounding region (Acts 19:8-10). A few years later, he write to them from prison, probably either in Rome (about AD 61) or in Caesarea before he is sent to Rome (about AD 58). It is taken to Ephesus (and possibly to other churches in the region) by a man named Tychicus (see 6:1)
5 R's of Personal Bible Reading
- Rely on God by asking Him to help you understand His Word.
- Remind yourself of what you read last time.
- Read the next section of the Bible slowly and carefully.
- Reflect on the passage. Use the questions. Think about meaning and application.
- Request God’s help to apply what you learned.
Day 26: Friday 30 August
- What blessing can you list from this passage that God give us? What do they mean?
- Have a look back through the passage and observe who all these blessings come through?
- How is it that we get included into these blessings? (verse 13)
Spend time praising God in prayer for His glory and grace (v. 6, 12, 14). Thank God for the blessings that come through Christ.
Day 27: Saturday 31 August
- Paul reports his prayer for the Ephesian church. What does he specifically ask God to provide? (verses 15-19)
- What knowledge does he specifically want us to have according to his prayer? (verses 15-19)
- How do you think a deep sense of knowing these things will help you live the Christian life?
- The last item of knowledge (the greatness of his power) causes Paul to explain how that same power has already been exercised for Christ (verses 20-23). Observe carefully what he says has happened to Christ.
- How can knowing this help you to live the Christian life?
Praise God in prayer for what He has done in Christ. Ask God to give you knowledge of the things spoken of in this passage.
Day 28: Sunday 1 September
- Reflect on the description of what we are like before salvation. (verses 1-3) Observe especially the way we lived and why.
- How do verse 4-5 relate to back to what our condition was in verses 1-3?
- In what sense do you think it means that “you were dead…” (verse 1) and “made alive” (verse 5)?
- What do you think it means to be saved according to this passage? Saved from what?
- Observe and reflect on how we are saved and what it means? (verses 4-10)
Pray in thankfulness for the truths about God’s mercy, love, kindness and grace and for your salvation.
Day 29: Monday 2 September
One of the keys to understanding this passage is the relationship between Jews (the circumcised) and Gentiles (the uncircumcised). Jews would avoid associations with Gentiles because they were “sinners”. Our application however may need to go beyond the Jew-Gentile issue once we’ve drawn principles from the passage.
- Observe how the Ephesian Christians are described in verses 11-12.
- What has been done now, not only for the Ephesian Christians, but believers in both groups (Jews and Gentiles) according to verses 13-18?
- Observe how the Ephesian Christians are described in verses 18-19 and compare it to verses 11-12.
- Think about the metaphor used to describe the church in verses 20-22. What do some of the details teach about the church? (e.g. What does built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets mean in practice for a church? And likewise with the other details.)
- Can you work out a central attribute or characteristic that should be true of the church (God’s people) from this passage? (Considering repetition may help)
Pray, thanking God for the truths you have observed from this passage. Ask God to make them true of our church.
Day 30: Tuesday 3 September
It may be harder to see the relevance of this passage for us today. It places us within the cosmic and eternal purposes of God.
Paul prepares to report his prayer for them but he cuts himself off to explain something else first. That’s why most translations will have a hyphen ‘—’ at the end of verse 1. He gets back to what he was going to say at Eph 3:14 (“For this reason I kneel before the Father”).
The “something” that he wants to explain is to do with the fact that he is “the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles”.
- Why does Paul say that his current situation (prison) is “on behalf you Gentiles”? (See verse 2, 7-8) For extra background you can look at what Jesus says when He appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:15-18; Acts 9:11-16).
- What is the insight Paul was given into the mystery of Christ? (verse 4-6) Reflect on what verse 6 means and how it relates to you.
Note: The mystery just means something hidden. The gospel (Christ’s death, resurrection & reign) was taught in the OT, but hidden from their understanding of how it would all be accomplished. - Reflect on the “incalculable riches of Christ” (verse 8). What value do you put on Christ and what He has accomplished?
- Reflect on the meaning and significance of verse 10.
Pray, in response to what you have learned or been encouraged by in this passage.
Day 31: Wednesday 4 September
- Observe the various things Paul prays for here. What is the ultimate thing he seems to want for them? (verse 14-19)
- Meditate on the love of Christ. Can you grasp the extent of what He has done for you?
- What do you think being filled with all the fullness of God means?
- Paul finishes with giving glory to God for His power which he works in us. How do you think glory will come to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus?
Pray, asking God to give you an increasing knowledge of His love in Christ. Pray that He will be glorified in our church through the love of Christ toward us.
Day 32: Thursday 5 September
- What ‘calling’ is verse 1 referring to? (See verse 4)
- What does walking worth of the calling you have received looked like practically? (verses 1-3)
- Why do you think the virtues of verse 2 and effort (verse 3) are required to keep unity in the church? Consider what can, or typically does, break the unity of a church.
- Look at the reasons given in verses 4-6 for unity. Think about what each one means. What is the ‘one body’? Which/who is the ‘one Spirit’? What is the ‘one hope’? Who is the ‘one Lord’? What is the ‘one faith’? What is the ‘one baptism’?
- Do these provide you any motivation to strive for unity within the church? Why/why not?
Pray, asking for God’s help to walk worthy of your calling. Thank God for the unity of our church and pray for continued unity.
Day 33: Friday 6 September
- Make observations about the gifts Christ gives here. What are they? What are they for? (verses 7-12)
- Who serves for the building up of the body of Christ? (verse 12)
- What is the goal for the church and why is it important? (verse 13-14)
- Think about the picture of the church as Christ’s body given in verses 15-16. From what is described, how do you think that works out in practice in a church? What parts are you involved in for the growth of the body?
Pray, asking God to grow our church in maturity as the body of Christ, and ask God to equip you and help you serve as part of the body.
Day 34: Saturday 7 September
- Observe how the walk of the Gentiles is described. What do you need to focus on to avoid living that way? (verse 17-19)
- What is the pattern of Christian living that we learn from Christ Jesus and from knowing Him? (verses 20-24)
- What do you think it looks like practically?
Pray, asking God to help you put off the old self and put on the new self, day by day. Ask Him to help you battle deceitful desires and to renew your mind so that you can live His way.