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EXODUS 17-18: Yesterday we heard the wonderful victory song of Moses. Then we heard how the people of Israel grumbled against Moses, Aaron, and most importantly, the Lord. Even about something as simple as gathering manna, the people of Israel disobey repeatedly. They are not called stubborn for nothing. JOB 39: God continues for a second chapter in challenging Job. 2PETER 3: Yesterday it struck me that even in Peter's day, there were greedy false teachers. Peter's descriptions of the false teachers are some of the most colorful in the Bible. NLT Translation notes: Job 39:17 For [I/God] haves deprived her of wisdom. [I have//He has]  given her no understanding. ==== 2Ptr. 3:8 [But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: One of the Lord's days lasts a thousand years. And to the Lord, a thousand years [seems only like a day has passed.//But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.] 2Ptr. 3:17 [Newer NLT: You already know these things, dear friends. So//NLT96: Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned,] be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 3:18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ].   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 15-16: Yesterday we heard that because of the Passover plague which killed Egypt's firstborn, God claims the firstborn of Israel for all time to come. Then we heard of Pharaoh's final hardening of his heart, and the parting of the red sea. JOB 38: In the 6 chapters before this, Elihu has said that God uses multiple means of communication with humans. He maintained that God is just, and said that Job— in his despair, had gone too far in saying it doesn't make any difference if one tries to serve God. He said that God is amazing in His power, and God does notice and punish the wicked. Then it so happened that as Elihu was speaking, a storm was blowing up that showed God's awesome majesty. Then— in today's chapter, the Lord answers Job, not the last speaker, Elihu. 2PETER 2: Yesterday we heard that we can employ God's promises to supply power for godly living. This power can even enable us to share in God's own nature, thereby escaping the world's corruption. Let's review what we read yesterday starting at 1:19, as Peter's mention of the prophets are a stark contrast with the false teachers Peter will describe in chapter 2. 1:19 NLT Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.   NLT Translation notes: Gen. 15:26 He said, "If you will listen carefully to [my voice//0] the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in [my/his] sight, obeying [my/his] commands and keeping all [my/his] decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you." ==== Job 38:32 NLT96 Can you [ensure the proper sequence of//NLT07 direct the constellations through] the seasons or guide the constellation of the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? ==== 2Ptr. 2:20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way [of/to] righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 13-14: Yesterday we heard of the final plague— including the death of the firstborn and the first Passover. And we heard the rules for the Passover celebrations. Note how Christ is foreshadowed in the Passover lamb, including the detail that not a bone was to be broken. JOB 37: This is the conclusion of Elihu's speech. 2nd PETER 1: Yesterday in James 5, James railed against the rich to encourage the poor. He also told us how to be patient in our suffering. The last section teaches about prayer for the sick and finally about repentance. I add a little footnote here. So often I hear the part about praying for the sick quoted by people who do not bother to fulfill all the instructions that James gives. If we are going to claim promises in Scriptures, we need to fulfill the conditions given! This 2nd letter of Peter's was probably written not long before he was martyred in AD 68. Or it could have been written as early as AD 65. A different person with a very different vocabulary served as Peter's secretary to write this. One of the things that tells me that Peter really was the author is his consistent humility. In 1Peter 5, he spoke of himself as a fellow elder and a fellow in looking forward to the glory that will be revealed to us. And he starts this letter in a similar vein, calling his listeners those 'who share the same precious [faith/way of believing] we [apostles] have.' Constable quotes Vernon McGee: "Second Peter is the swan song of Peter, just as 2 Timothy is the swan song of Paul. There are striking similarities between the two books. Both epistles put up a warning sign along the pilgrim pathway the church is traveling to identify the awful apostasy that was on the way at the time and which in our time has now arrived. What was then like a cloud the size of a man's hand today envelops the sky and produces a storm of hurricane proportions. Peter warns of heresy among teachers; Paul warns of heresy among the laity." NLT Translation notes: Exo. 13:31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the L ORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. [At last/0] they [fully believed//put their faith] in the L ORD and in his servant Moses. ==== 1 This letter is from Simon a Peter, a slave and apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to you who share the same precious [beliefs/faith] we have. The things we fully believe were given to us//faith we have. This faith was given to you] because of the justice and fairness of [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], our God and Savior. 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your [believing/faith] with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 14 For our Lord [and Christ Jesus//Lord Jesus Christ] has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 11-12: Yesterday we heard of the plague against the livestock, the plague of boils, and the plague of hail. We are not told how much time there was in between each plague. It seems there was enough time for many Egyptians to buy more livestock before they were again decimated by the hail. Then we heard about the plague of locusts followed by the plague of darkness. I hope you noticed Who is doing the hardening of hearts and causing the stubbornness. Paul talks about that in Romans 9. JOB 36: This is Elihu's 5th chapter. JAMES 5: In chapter 4, James preached against the way the world had infiltrated the church— and we could say, still infiltrates the church. He gave an important clue about why God doesn't answer our prayers. And he taught that we need to purify our hearts from pride and having divided loyalty between God and the world. He gave a big clue on how to be rid of Satan's influence. Finally James taught us how prideful it is to judge others, and warned about prideful planning. Note that in verses 1-6 of our reading today, James is using the rhetorical device called 'apostrophe'— where he harshly rebukes rich people who are NOT actually in his audience. He is is doing this to give comfort to his actual audience, which includes many who are poor. It is almost certainly the case that any rich people who were actually part of James' audience had not done the crimes James mentions.   NLT Translation notes: James 5:3-4 3 Your gold and silver [have become worthless//are corroded]. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This [0//corroded] treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. [The wages you held back cry out against you.//0] The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. [I moved the idea of 'rust' in verse 3 to verse 4. Literally, 'the rust of them will become a testimony against you'.] Jam. 5:11 We give great honor to those who endured under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how[-- at the end/0], the Lord was kind to him [0/at the end], for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. 15 [ [PET] And God will answer their prayers for healing which are supported by fully believing that the Lord is answering. The Lord will bring him back to health. And if his sickness was caused by his sins, through such prayers, the Lord will forgive him. //Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.]   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 9-10: The two chapters we read yesterday included the story of Aaron's staff becoming a serpent, and the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, and flies. Note verse that in our reading today: 9:19 Now give orders for your livestock and everything else you have in the open to be put under shelter. Hail will fall on the people and animals left outside unprotected, and they will all die.' " Evidently enough time had passed between the plague against the livestock so that the Egyptians were able to buy livestock, and I am sure the people of Israel profited in that! JOB 35: This is Elihu's 4th chapter preaching to Job. JAMES 4: Yesterday James preached about controlling the tongue, then he taught about the qualities of wisdom from God. NLT Translation notes: 4 You adulterers!* Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. * 4:4 Greek You adulteresses! [And this is about faithfulness to God, using human adultery as a picture of it. That is exactly how God views it.]   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 7-8: Yesterday we heard of Moses and Aaron's first disastrous meeting with Pharaoh, and Pharaoh's retaliation against the Israelite people. God spoke with Moses again reaffirming his promises and his covenant with the people of Israel. JOB 34: This is the third chapter of Elihu's six-chapter monologue. JAMES 3: Yesterday James warned that showing favoritism breaks the Law of Love that our King Jesus taught. And he talked about dead religion, which consists of easy believism with no acting out of what we believe. Here is a famous statement that sums up Biblical teaching nicely on this topic: "We are saved by faith alone (= fully believing), but saving faith will never be 'alone'." NLT Translation Notes: James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and [GNT produces a harvest//the fruit] of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 5-6: Moses has responded to God's call, returned to Egypt with Aaron, and has had a successful meeting with the leaders of the Israelite people. JOB 33: This is Elihu's second chapter of six in his speech. JAMES 2: Yesterday James told us to consider it a great joy when troubles come our way. Don't miss James' reasoning for this seeming contradiction. Then he spoke very strongly about not just being people who merely listen to God's Word. We must do it.   NLT Translation notes: Jam. 2:1 My dear brothers and sisters, a how can you claim to [fully believe//have faith] in our glorious Lord [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] if you favor some people over others? 5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in [the area of fully believing in Christ//faith]? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren't they the ones who slander [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], whose noble nameyou bear? 10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty [of being a law breaker as the//as a] person who has broken all of God's laws. 11 For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery." HEADING: [Believing without Good Deeds Is Dead Religion//Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead] 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you [believe/have faith] but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of [believing/faith] save anyone? 17 So you see, [believing/faith] by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead [religion/0] and useless. 18 Now [I can just hear someone arguing//someone may argue], "Some people [are good at believing//have faith]; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me [that you believe//your faith] if you don't have good deeds? I will show you [that I fully believe through//my faith] by my good deeds." 19 You say you [believe//have faith], [because/for] you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe [that/this], and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can't you see that [believing/faith] without good deeds is useless? 22 You see, [believing/faith] and his actions worked together. His actions made his [believing/faith] complete [in God's sight]. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his [fully believing//faith]." He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by [believing/faith] alone. [I hope you remember why I use 'believe' instead of 'faith'. 'Faith' and 'believe' translate the same root word (pistin/pisteuw) in Greek. 1. Faith is fuzzy because the word has taken on all sorts of meanings. 2. If you tell someone to have faith, they will likely ask, "But how?" Faith is not a volitional action. But believing is. 3. And finally I make the changes above for maintaining cohesion. In a verse like 23, it is important that the two phrases use the same word: 'Abraham believed God', and … 'because of his believing'— that believing just mentioned, not some fuzzy thing Hollywood and our culture calls 'faith'.] 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also [merely believing is just dead religion//faith is dead] without good works.   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 3-4: In yesterday's beginning to Exodus, we heard of Moses' birth and his young adulthood in Egypt. He murdered a man and had to flee for his life, going to Midian. We also read of his helping the seven daughters of Reuel, a scene that I can't read without thinking of the Cecil B. DeMill movie. JOB 32: Job having finished his defense, Elihu takes the stage. HC Mears says, Eliphaz basically said, "God never makes a mistake. What have you done to bring this on yourself?" Bildad essentially said, "God is just. Confess your sin." Zophar suggested, "God is all-wise. He knows man." Elihu, God's man, said the wisest thing: "God is good; look up, and trust Him." Note that at the end of the book, Elihu is not mentioned as having misrepresented God. He does seem to speak wisely, but we can fault him for his arrogance. JAMES 1: Yesterday in 1Peter 5, Peter gave a very important encouragement to elders within the church. And among other things, he gave an important words about spiritual battle with Satan. I summarize his commands as Stay alert, Stand firm, and Remember. The letter of James is similar to 1 Peter in several ways. In the first verse of both letters, both mention that their audience is dispersed throughout the world. Both describe their audience using Jewish catch phrases. James is also similar to Peter in the way he sets out several themes and keeps returning to them. Moyer says of this book, "As soon as we read through the letter of James we say to ourselves, 'This man was a preacher before he was a writer.'" James is probably the oldest book of the New Testament, written perhaps only 15 years after Jesus' death and before the first council of Jerusalem in AD 50. This was written, not by the disciple named James, but by James the half brother of Christ. While Jesus was alive, James was not a believer. But he came to believe when Jesus appeared to him shortly after His resurrection. Some time after this and before his martyrdom in AD 62, James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. James does not call himself 'the brother of Jesus' but His slave! NLT Translation notes: Jam. 1:1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of [our Lord Christ Jesus//the Lord Jesus Christ]. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that [you fully believe that God is willing to give you that wisdom you are asking for./ /your faith is in God alone.]Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. [But unlike those heavenly lights, God//He] never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 24 You see [that you have dirt on your face, and then just//yourself,] walk away, and forget what you [looked/look] like.   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EXODUS 1: Yesterday we wrapped up Genesis with Jacob's very prophetic blessings for each of his sons. Then we heard of the conclusion after Jacob was buried and finally Joseph died. Exodus is clearly a continuation of the story of Genesis, since the first word in the Hebrew text is 'And'. Tradition holds that Moses is the author. The name Exodus derives from the name that was given by the Septuagint translators— which is the translation of the OT into classical Greek made three hundred years before Christ. Here are two perceptive summary statements about Exodus— quotes by Durham (from Constable's Notes): "No other biblical book surfaces elsewhere in the OT as frequently as the Book of Exodus does; in the NT only the Books of Psalms and Isaiah are cited more, and that for the fairly obvious reasons of liturgy and messianism." "The story of the first half of Exodus, in broad summary, is Rescue. The story of the second half, in equally broad summary, is Response, both immediate response and continuing response. And binding together and undergirding both Rescue and Response is Presence, the Presence of Yahweh from whom both Rescue and Response ultimately derive." Here is a quote by J. Daniel Hays: "The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt by Yahweh in the Old Testament is parallel in importance to the resurrection of Christ in the New Testament. The historicity of these events is a critical foundation for a proper understanding of the rest of the Bible." And finally, Henrietta Mears in her handbooks says this: "Exodus is connected to Genesis in much the same way that the New Testament is connected to the Old Testament. Genesis tells of humanity's failure under every test and in every condition. Exodus is the thrilling epic of God rushing to the rescue. It tells of the redeeming work of a sovereign God." JOB 31: In the NLT, this is Job's sixth chapter of his long speech, and in the GNT it is his third. No matter how you divide the discourse, it is the final chapter of this long speech, in which he makes his final protest that he is innocent. After this, Elihu struts his stuff.  1PETER 5: Peter finished chapter 4 talking about proudly bearing the name of 'Christ'— which is part of the word 'Christian', and being patient under suffering, if that is included in God's will for you. GNT Translation notes: Gen. 2:11 When Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Hebrews, and he saw how they were forced to do hard labour. He even saw an Egyptian [strike//beating//attaching//kill] a Hebrew, one of Moses' own people. ==== Job 31:12 [Such a sin//It] would be like a destructive, hellish fire, consuming everything I have. ==== 1Ptr. 5:9 Be firm in [fully believing in Christ//your faith] and resist him, because you know that your fellow-believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings. NLT Translation notes: 1Ptr. 5:5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for [the Scriptures say,] "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your [fully believing in Christ//faith]. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 49-50: In yesterday's reading, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Joseph lead powerfully during the worst of the famine, and Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh— putting the younger Ephraim above his older brother. (And if you remember Jacob's story, you'll know where he got that idea.) JOB 30: In the GNT, this is the 2nd of Job's three chapters stating his complaints. In the NLT, this is the 5th chapter of his monologue. Yesterday Job spoke of his previous blessed life and high position. In this chapter he tells of his anguish. 1PETER 4: Yesterday in chapter 3 he gave instructions to wives, husbands, and all Christians— particularly when we suffer. NOTE: The final verses of chapter 3 having to do with Noah's day and spirits in prison have caused much debate. I agree with the maxim that states that in interpretation "Context is king." It is therefore best to let the ending verses of chapter 3 be interpreted for us by what Peter says in chapter 4, verse 6. Let's begin by re-reading 1PETER 3:17-22. NLT Translation notes: Job 30:9 "And now [even] they mock me with vulgar songs! They taunt me! ==== 1Ptr. 4:1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have [have made the decision to be] finished with sin. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead —so although they were destined to die like all people, they [could//might//now] live forever with God in the Spirit. 18 And also [the Scripture says], "If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?"   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 47-48: In yesterday's reading, Jacob arrived in Egypt with his family. Excluding more extended family, the whole group numbered 70 people at that time. JOB 29: Yesterday we heard the chapter in praise of God's wisdom, which GNT attributes to Zophar. Today Job speaks of his former blessings, in the first of three chapters which are the final statement of his case. 1PETER 3: Peter packed each sentence with meaning. I encourage you to take time to read the first two chapters slowly and think about Peter's descriptive words. Yesterday, for instance, we read the wonderful "Living Stones" passage— which pictures deep meaning about our spiritual identity because of our being built upon (or, joined as one with) Christ, the Cornerstone. At the end of chapter 2, Peter taught about submitting to governmental leaders, and slaves submitting to their masters. NLT Translation notes: Job 29:12 For I assisted the poor in their need and the orphans who [needed/required] help. 18 "I thought, 'Surely [my death will come after a good, long life//I will die surrounded by my family after a long, good life] and I will be surrounded by my family. 24 When they were discouraged, I [had only to smile//smiled] at them. My look of approval was precious to them. ==== 1Ptr. 3:15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about [where you have placed your hope//your Christian hope], always be ready to explain [about Christ/it]. 1Ptr. 3:20 those who disobeyed [God] long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 46: In yesterday's two chapters, Joseph's brothers went back to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother. Joseph contrived a creative way to reveal his identity. When Pharaoh heard about Joseph's brothers, he helped provide for Jacob's family to come to Egypt. JOB 28: Did you notice in yesterday's reading of Job 27 that my voice suddenly turned sarcastic sounding? In some translations, one of them being GNT, the second part of chapter 27 (beginning at verse 13) is assigned to Zophar. Actually, that idea, proposed by several commentators, has gone out of fashion. NLT goes strictly with the assignments of speakers as in the Hebrew, where all of chapters 27-28 are assigned to Job. The reason that commentators proposed Zophar as the speaker is that the second part of chapter 27 sounds mighty like things Job's opponents have already said. By my tone of voice, I attempted to show that Job is sarcastically repeating his opponents' arguments. 1PETER 1:22—2: Peter addressed his letter to "To God's chosen people who live as [refugees/foreigners] scattered throughout" various provinces. But it is clear that Peter also has a spiritual meaning in mind, as the song says, "This world is not my home." In chapter 2, Peter again comforts us and gives wonderful descriptions of our identity because of being joined to Christ. The first verse of chapter 2 starts with 'then/So', so let's start out by reviewing the last verses of chapter 1, starting at v22. NLT Translation notes: Job 28:6 [Down there/Here] the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold. 16 [Wisdom is//It's] worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli. 19 Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for [wisdom/it]. ==== 1Ptr. 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As [God says in the Scriptures// the Scriptures say], "I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who [believes/trusts] in him will never be [disappointed/disgraced]." [Both meanings for this word are good. I simply prefer 'disappointed'. I think the idea is that No one who trusts in Him will find out that they have believed a lie. See Biblewebapp.com.] 7 Yes, you who [believe/trust] in him recognize [how precious that Cornerstone is!//the honor God has given him.] But for those who reject him, [the Scriptures say,] "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone." [In 7a, NLT is not wrong. (Almost always when I make changes, it is not correcting mistakes, but simply choosing an alternative.) The Greek is very terse: "For you who believe therefore is the honor," And the choice of meaning may be conditioned on what choice the translator has made at for  disgraced /disappointed' above. I totally do not like ESV here: "So the honor is for you who believe," Such a translation takes the focus off Christ and puts it on us. It seems to me that NIV is much better: "Now to you who believe, this stone is precious."] 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. [As the Scriptures say,/0] 11 Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" [in this world] to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 13 For the Lord's sake, respect all human authority— whether [that be/0] the king as head of state, 16 [You//For you] are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 21 For God [has/0] called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 44-45: Yesterday we heard of Joseph's brothers on their first and second trips to Egypt. [GNT only: Regarding my comment in yesterday's podcast about Joseph giving wine without limit, it is likely that He was showing the normal generosity of a wealthy host. I very much doubt that under these circumstances his brothers would have allowed themselves to become drunk.] We pick up the story, still in Joseph's palace on the second trip. JOB 27: In the NLT, this chapter is the 2nd chapter of Job's six-chapter-long speech. But in the GNT Zophar interrupts and carries on through chapter 28. FIRST PETER 1: In the last chapter of Mark's Gospel, we read about the resurrection of Jesus. Since Mark very likely wrote his gospel based on Peter's information, it seems fitting that we move to Peter's two letters now. Evidently Peter spent the last decade of his life in Rome, where he was martyred around the year 64. Mark (whom Peter fondly refers to as 'his son' in chapter 5) was with him in Rome when this was written. Silas— whom we will hear of later in Acts, was the secretary for writing this letter. Scholars do not doubt that this letter is from Peter. For those who want to delve deeper in studying this short letter, I encourage you to search out and mark every occurrence of these repeated words: trials/suffering, hope, joy, grace, and glory. You will note that whenever the NLT has written 'Jesus Christ', I read it as 'Christ Jesus'. Most English Bible translations simply follow the order that the Greek has, which sometimes has 'Christ Jesus' and other times 'Jesus Christ'. In Greek it doesn't matter which order is used. However for English, it does matter which order is used. Now, I realize that saying 'Jesus Christ' sounds natural to our ears, but it is not really grammatical. English puts titles first. Let me give an example using 'Doctor Jones'. If I say, "Jones Doctor is going to Egypt next week," then everyone will say that that ordering is unnatural. I stubbornly insist that it would be better for English speakers to use the grammatical order, 'Christ Jesus', because that makes it clear that 'Christ' is His title, not His last name. The title of Christ— by the way, comes from Greek and means the same as Messiah, which comes from Hebrew. Both terms mean 'the anointed one'. NLT Translation notes: Job 27:13 [You say//0], "This is what the wicked will receive from God; [I also added 'You say" to verses 16, 18, and 22.] 14 They may have many children, [(you say,)] but the children will die in war or starve to death. 16 "Evil people [(you say)] may have piles of money and may store away mounds of clothing. 20 Terror[s] overwhelm[0/s] them like a flood,  [(you say,)] and they are blown away in the storms of the night. ==== 1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of [Christ Jesus*//Jesus Christ].   [and this change will be made everywhere.] [*Even though the Greek has the order as 'Jesus Christ' and that order sounds natural to our ears, it is not grammatical. This is shown if I put some other title and name in that order. If I say, "Obama President is going to Egypt next week," then everyone will say that that ordering is unnatural. We never say, "Obama President" but "President Obama..." By using the grammatical order for "Christ Jesus" it makes it clear that a title is being used. The title of Christ, by the way, means the same as the same title from the Hebrew language, Messiah. Both terms mean 'the anointed one'.] 5 And through your [fully believing//faith]* in Christ, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. [*As I have discussed in other footnotes before, the word 'faith' in English has developed many meanings, and because of that it makes the meaning unclear to use the word 'faith' in Bible translations in English. In Greek, 'faith' and 'believe' are just the verb and noun form of the same word.] 7 These trials will [prove//show] that [you truly believe//your faith is genuine]. [Your believing//It] is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your [believing//faith] is far more precious than mere gold. So when [you continue strong in your believing in spite of many trials//your faith remains strong through many trials], it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] is revealed to the whole world. 8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you [fully believe in//trust] him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for [believing in//trusting] him will be the salvation of your souls. [It greatly damages the cohesion of a passage when the translators sometimes translate the same Greek word as 'believe' and the noun form as 'faith'. Now the NLT translators went even further by using 'trust' instead of 'believe'. I urge us to use 'believe/fully believe' everywhere, so we can see the cohesion that centers on this term. One might say that the New Testament writers were harping on it! If people are afraid of the error of easy-believism, then I wouldn't mind using the word 'trust' everywhere. But my main point is, let the cohesion be seen.] 14 So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. [Back then you didn't know any better.//You didn't know any better then.] 16 For [God says in//0] the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." 21 Through Christ you have come to [believe//trust] in God. You believe that God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. [The result is that you fully believe//And you have placed your faith] and hope in God. [moved to the front→ because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.] 25 But the word of the Lord remains forever." And [included in the word of the Lord that remains forever //that word] is the Good News that was preached to you!   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

GENESIS 42-43: Yesterday in chapter 41, we heard of Pharaoh's dream, and what happened to Joseph as a result of his correctly telling the interpretation. Note also that Joseph was careful to give the glory to God for that interpretation. JOB 26: Yesterday in chapter 25, Bildad only had a six verse response, because Job interrupted him with the speech we will read today. Bildad implied Job's guilt in more than one way, including this most obvious rhetorical question: 4 Can anyone be righteous or pure in God's sight? MARK 16: Yesterday we heard of the death and burial of Jesus. That chapter was full of fulfilled prophecies. GNT Translation notes: Mrk. 16:1 After the Sabbath was over, Mary [— the one from the village of Magdalene//Magdalene], Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. 17 Believers will be given the power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in my name; they will speak in [unlearned languages//strange tongues]; NLT Translation notes: Gen. 42:5 So Jacob's a sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine [extended to//was in] the land of Canaan as well. 43:9 I personally guarantee his safety. You [can//may] hold me responsible if I don't bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. 22 We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money [back/0] in our sacks."     Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Today I will do my best to convince you that the last 12 verses of Mark 16 shouldn't have brackets around them or footnotes that cast doubt on their authenticity. I believe that they are authentic Scripture inspired by God. Now, I try to stay away from saying anything controversial in the Daily Bible Reading Podcast series, and it kind of bothers me that here in this first extra podcast of the year, I will say things that quite a few people with seminary training will consider leaning too much to the conservative side of the scale. But I feel constrained to be controversial now so I will come right out and say it: I believe what Moses (Deut. 8:3) and Jesus (Luk. 4:4) said: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word of God." If we are to live by 'every word', then it makes sense to me to believe that God would preserve every word for us. Please remember that all Bible translations were made by humans. This means that there is no such thing as a perfect Bible translation, as almost all good versions state in their prefaces. Even the KJV translators admitted this in their Preface. So I ask for your patient understanding as I set out a weakness in the NLT. The NLT has this at Mark 16:8: 8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.[c] c The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end at verse 8. Other manuscripts include various endings to the Gospel. A few include both the "shorter ending" and the "longer ending." The majority of manuscripts include the "longer ending" immediately after verse 8. Then with a sub-heading in bold and italic font: [The most ancient manuscripts of Mark conclude with verse 16:8. Later manuscripts add one or both of the following endings.] [Shorter Ending of Mark] Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen. [Longer Ending of Mark] verses 9-20 … When you get to Day 26 you will note that I didn't read the shorter ending for the podcast. That ending has extremely thin support in ancient manuscripts, and where the words occur, the manuscripts often also have the longer ending, verses 9-20.   Some experts today think that Mark intended to end his Gospel with the words, "they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened." But this defies imagination! I don't think authors started using the type of endings where you leave-the-audience-hanging until centuries later, like perhaps just two centuries ago. Remember that Mark starts with the words, "This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God." Mark shows a pattern of telling the outcome for every miracle. He is not about to leave the main thesis of his story without its fulfillment. The fulfillment of the starting thesis is found in the next to last verse (16:19), which says, "19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand." That verse is also an important doctrinal statement, since no other Gospel includes those words as part of the story of Jesus' resurrection. And the same verse very appropriately links Mark's Gospel with Peter's teaching in 1Peter 3:22. I believe that God has preserved His Word for us. Therefore it is unacceptable to me to say that the Holy Spirit would leave a whole book of the NT without a clear ending. We have two choices for the ending: One says the ladies didn't tell anyone because they were afraid. The other ends with Jesus at the right hand of God. Which one seems to be the proper ending to you?! The NLT has words in bold italics before Mark 16 verses 9-20 which say, "[The most ancient manuscripts of Mark conclude with verse 16:8. Later manuscripts add one or both of the following endings.]" Well, how many manuscripts are we actually talking about with the words 'The most ancient manuscripts'? Then the footnote says 'later manuscripts add' the last 12 verses. What are the real numbers? Two of the very oldest manuscripts plus one other do not have the last 12 verses of Mark. But the manuscripts that include the last 12 verses number more than 1,650! 99.99% of ancient manuscripts contain the longer ending of Mark. The NLT also has a footnote that starts with "The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark end at verse 8." But this statement is, in my opinion, totally false.  The two manuscripts they are talking about (Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) cannot be said to be 'reliable'. They are, however, recognized as the very earliest, dated at 325 and 345. However, for Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus to be considered reliable, one would hope they would be reasonably consistent with one another. Instead they differ from one another in 3,036 places. I believe that early scribes recognized that they were defective, and this offers a plausible explanation for why there are no extant copies made from them. Many old-school 'experts' (by that I mean seminary teachers from the mid-20th century) will say that the two oldest manuscripts outweigh all of the 1,650 other ancient manuscripts. But an increasing number of today's informed experts will not agree with the people I just called the 'old-school experts'. Here are some points to consider: Both of the two oldest manuscripts I just mentioned have an odd blank space at the end of Mark, showing that the scribe realized the manuscript he was copying had something left out. This is called a 'memorial space'. Such memorial spaces are found in various places in other ancient manuscripts. So even though the two manuscripts do not have the last 12 verses of Mark, the scribes telegraphed to us that they knew such an ending existed. Remember that Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus are from the early 4th century.  There are quotes of verses from Mark 16:9-20 by church fathers that predate those two manuscripts. Earlier support for the longer ending of Mark include "four second-century witnesses, and 99.9% of the [other ancient] Greek manuscripts, and 99.99% of the [ancient] Latin manuscripts, and 99.5% of the [ancient] Syriac manuscripts, and 40 Roman-era patristic writers." (These statistics are quoted from Dr. James Snapp's article: https://www.thetextofthegospels.com/2013/08/robert-stein-and-ending-of-mark.html) Codex Sinaiticus was discovered in 1844. This touched off a lot of excitement, and a revolutionary new text of the NT was published by Westscott and Hort in 1881. Please consider that there are multiple examples in history where excitement over new discoveries resulted in mistaken theories. For example, Darwin's theory of evolution from the same time period is now discredited. Just like you have university teachers still bone-headedly holding on to the theory of evolution, so the theories of Westscott and Hort are no longer upheld by many of today's experts but are still being repeated by seminary teachers. Westscott and Hort's faulty decisions about what verses are not authentic are still seen in today's Bibles. I'm sure that you will hear someone claim that the last 12 verses of Mark contain non-Markan vocabulary, but that assertion has been repeatedly disproved. Please see the resources for the podcast that I link at the end of today's episode notes. According to one ancient writer, Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome. It is likely that Mark or one of his friends made several copies of the first manuscript. Let's say that one stayed in Rome and was copied, and let's say that four other copies were sent toward the north, south, east and west. Each copy was painstakingly copied by hand over and over again and sent to an ever-widening circle of locations until the Gospel arrived all over the ancient world. Each scribe worked independently to copy the text of an earlier manuscript. 1650 manuscripts could not have the last 12 verses of Mark if the verses had not come from the first papyrus copy written by Mark. The Greek text of the New Testament that is the direct descendant of the Westscott and Hort 1881 text is published now in various editions of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, and also published as the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament. There are, of course, slight changes in these editions coming down to the present day. But even today, the main text is still remarkably similar to the 1881 text by Westscott and Hort. These texts are referred to collectively as the Critical Text or the Eclectic Text. Most of our English Bible translations of the last century have been based on that text, including NASB, GNT, NLT, NIV, and ESV. It is for that reason that you will find faith-destroying footnotes in them. By 'faith-destroying', I mean that thinking readers ask, "If whole verses could disappear and marr the conclusion of Mark's Gospel, how many other corruptions might there be in the New Testament?" Opponents of Christianity seize on such things to say that the Bible text is not reliable. Islamic people frequently repeat that criticism. It is for that reason that our New Testament translation into the Indonesian language is based on the Majority or Byzantine Text. The Majority Text is not the same as the text that was the basis of the KJV, but it is similar to it. I am so pleased that I can announce that at the end of 2022 Adam Boyd published his Text Critical English New Testament, which is an English translation of the Majority/Byzantine Text. (You can get this for free. I have included links to this and other resources at the end of the episode notes.) This is a real game changer because at last modern scholarship is able to give us accurate statistics about the percentage of manuscript support for variants in the Greek text. (The collating of manuscripts is still in process, and the percentages will continue to increase in accuracy.) Let me give you two