Fr. Mike comments on the growing divide between Judaism and Christianity that Paul experiences on mission in Acts 21. In 2 Corinthians, Fr. Mike explains the difference between Godly grief that brings us to repentance, and worldly grief that leads us to destruction. We also learn about the importance of imitating the generosity of Christ. Today's readings are Acts 21, 2 Corinthians 6-8, and Proverbs 29:1-4. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Chapter 1: What readings are covered on Day 342?
It is day 342, and we are reading from Acts of the Apostles, chapter 21. Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, chapters 6, 7, and 8, as well as Proverbs chapter 29, verses 1 through 4. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension.
If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast to receive daily episodes and daily updates. And... I don't know, all sorts of stuff. But today is day 342. We're reading Acts chapter 21, 2 Corinthians chapters 6, 7, and 8, as well as Proverbs chapter 29, verses 1 through 4.
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 21, Paul's journey to Jerusalem. And when he had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Kos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Petara. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.
Chapter 2: What is the significance of Paul's journey to Jerusalem?
When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit, they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
And when our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and bade one another farewell." Then we went on board the ship and they returned home.
When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemaeus and we greeted the brethren and stayed with them for one day. The next day we departed and came to Caesarea and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist who was one of the seven and stayed with him. And he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied,
While we were staying for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. When we heard this, we and the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.
Then Paul answered, What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, The will of the Lord be done. After these days, we made ready and went up to Jerusalem.
And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple with whom we should lodge. Paul visits James at Jerusalem. When we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. On the following day, Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed.
They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.
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Chapter 3: How does Paul demonstrate his commitment to God?
Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them, and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled, and the offering presented for every one of them. Paul arrested in the temple.
When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.
for they had previously seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. And as they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them, and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.
Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another, and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, for the mob of the people followed, crying, away with him. Paul defends himself.
As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, may I say something to you? And he said, do you know Greek? Are you not the Egyptian then who recently stirred up a revolt and led the 4,000 men of the assassins out into the wilderness? Paul replied, I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. I beg you, let me speak to the people.
And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, The second letter of St.
Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 6.
Working together with him then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, at the acceptable time, I have listened to you and helped you on the day of salvation. Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no fault may be found with our ministry.
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Chapter 4: What is the difference between godly grief and worldly grief?
Chapter eight, encouragement to be generous. We want you to know brethren about the grace of God, which has been shown in the churches of Macedonia. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part.
For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. And this, not as we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
Accordingly, we have urged Titus that as he has already made a beginning, he should also complete among you this gracious work. Now, as you excel in everything, in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us, see that you excel in this gracious work also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter, I give my advice. It is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do, but to desire, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.
For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he has not. I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality, your abundance at the present time should supply their want so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality.
As it is written, he who gathered much had nothing over and he who gathered little had no lack. Commendation of Titus. For the glory of the Lord and to show our goodwill. We intend that no one should blame us about this liberal gift which we are administering, for we aim at what is honorable, not only in the Lord's sight, but also in the sight of men.
And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker in your service. And as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ."
So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.
The book of Proverbs chapter 29 verses 1 through 4.
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Chapter 5: What encouragement does Paul give about generosity?
And then he puts in parentheses, though I did regret it, for I see that the letter grieved you, though only for a while. I know that experience of regret. saying a word. I'm like, I don't know. I feel like I have to say this word because it's a hard word. I don't want to say it, but I have to say it. I regret it because I'm making you feel bad.
But he goes on to say, as it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. And that's the key. It's like, you know, I don't know anyone who likes making someone sad. I don't know anyone who likes, you know, correcting people. Maybe actually, I take that back. I know there's some people who really enjoy correcting people.
But most of us, we don't want to grieve people. We don't want to make people sad. But he says, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us. And he has this principle then, he says in verse 10, for godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret.
But worldly grief produces death. And that's one of the reasons why, you know, I'm sometimes torn by the idea that people say, you know, hey, live with no regrets because whatever you went through is brought you to this place, you know, made you the person you are today. Sometimes I think, well, that's fine. That's true. But maybe the person you are today is worse, right?
Maybe we should regret some of these things. But in Christ, here St. Paul is saying, but in Christ, godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret. That makes sense, because if I placed all those things in my past, all those even horrible things that I've done under God's dominion, under his lordship, allowing him to not only forgive me, but also to transform me.
Well, then, yes, all of those things have contributed to this transformation. But that doesn't mean that those were all good. And if I could go back again, I probably would not want to do those things. Does that make sense? I hope it makes sense. But St. Paul goes on to say he wants the Corinthians to be generous.
And he wants them to be generous, not because he's guilting them into this, and he even says that, but because he wants them to be like Jesus. Remember, we talked about how he wants them to be transformed from glory to glory, bit by bit, more glory and more glory, to be like Jesus.
And so he's saying in chapter 8, he's saying, basically, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor so that by his poverty you might become rich. And he's saying, just do the same thing. Be like Jesus. And that's the whole goal of the spiritual life.
The whole goal of the Christian life is not to just live decent lives or be decent people or be nicer, you know, pay your taxes on time and stay out of jail and wipe your nose. The point is to be like Jesus. So here's St. Paul saying, I need you to be generous, but not because I need you to be generous, but because you need to be like Jesus who himself was so generous. Ah, what a gift it is.
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