Tuesday, June 29

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

7that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

8whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

16because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'

17And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

18knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

11Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

12having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,

14or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

16as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.

17Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

18Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.

19For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

20For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22'Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth';

23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Feed My lambs.'

16He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend My sheep.'

17He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep.'

18Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.'

19This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, 'Follow Me.'

20Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays You?'

21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?'

22Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'

23Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?'

24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

4Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

5But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

6just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;

8Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.'

9Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

10How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,

12and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

21To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

23Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

24From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

25Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

28besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

30If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

32In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;

33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

1It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:

2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

3And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—

4how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

5Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.

6For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

9And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

15'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21'Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

13When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?'

14So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'

15He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'

16Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

17Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

19And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'