Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is the second epistle
of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, chapters 1
to 3, as well as Acts, chapter 19, and the first
epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, chapters
1 and 2. Second Thessalonians, chapter 1. Paul,
Silvanus, and Timothy, to the Church of the Thessalonians,
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank
God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting,
because your faith grows exceedingly, and the
love of every one of you all abounds toward each
other, so that we ourselves boast of you. among
the churches of God for your patience and faith
in all your persecutions and tribulations that
you endure, which is manifest evidence of the
righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also
suffer. Since it is a righteous thing with God
to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,
and to give you who are troubled rest with us
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with
his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance
on those who do not know God, and on those who
do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of his power. when he comes in that day to be
glorified in his saints and to be admired among
all those who believe, because our testimony
among you was believed. Therefore, we also pray
always for you that our God would count you worthy
of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure
of his goodness and the work of faith with power,
that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be
glorified in you and you in him, according to
the grace of our God and the Lord. Jesus Christ.
Chapter 2 the son of perdition, who opposes and
exalts himself above all that is called God or
that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in
the temple of God, showing himself that he is
God. Do you not remember that when I was still
with you, I told you these things? And now you
know what is restraining, that he may be revealed
in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness
is already at work. Only he who now restrains
will do so until he is taken out of the way.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom
the Lord will consume with the breath of his
mouth and destroy with the brightness of his
coming. The coming of the lawless one is according
to the working of Satan. with all power, signs,
and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception
among those who perish, because they did not
receive the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. And for this reason God will send them
strong delusion, that they should believe the
lie, that they all may be condemned who did not
believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
But we are bound to give thanks to God always
for you. Brethren, beloved by the Lord, because
God from the beginning chose you for salvation
through sanctification by the Spirit and belief
in the truth, to which he called you by our gospel
for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord. 3.
Finally, brethren, Pray for us, that the word
of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified,
just as it is with you, and that you may be delivered
from unreasonable and wicked men, for not all
have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will
establish you and guard you from the evil one.
And we have confidence in the Lord concerning
you, both that you do and will do the things
we command you. Now may the Lord direct your
hearts into the love of God, and into the patience
of Christ. But we command you, brethren, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw
from every brother who walks disorderly, and
not according to the tradition which he received
from us. For you yourselves know how you ought
to follow us, for we were not disorderly among
you, nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge,
but worked with labor and toil, night and day,
that we might not be a burden to any of you,
not because we do not have authority, but to
make ourselves an example of how you should follow
us. For even when we were with you, we commanded
you this, If anyone will not work, neither shall
he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk
among you in a disorderly manner, not working
at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are
such we command and exhort. through our Lord
Jesus Christ, that they work in quietness and
eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren,
do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone
does not obey our word in this epistle, note
that person and do not keep company with him,
that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him
as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now
may the Lord of peace himself give you peace
always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
The Salutation of Paul with my own hand, which
is a sign in every epistle, so I write. The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Acts chapter 19 And it happened, while Apollos
was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through
the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding
some disciples, he said to them, Did you receive
the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said
to him, We have not so much as heard whether
there is a Holy Spirit. And he said to them,
Into what then were you baptized? So they said,
Into John's baptism. Then Paul said, John indeed
baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying
to the people that they should believe on him
who would come after him that is on Christ Jesus.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid
hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now
the men were about twelve in all. And he went
into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three
months, reasoning and persuading concerning the
things of the kingdom of God. But when some were
hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil
of the way before the multitude, he departed
from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning
daily in the school of Tyrannus. And he continued
for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia
heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and
Greeks. Now God worked unusual miracles by the
hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or
aprons were brought from his body to the sick,
and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits
went out of them. Then some of the itinerant
Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call
the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had
evil spirits, saying, We exorcise you by the
Jesus whom Paul preaches. Also there were seven
sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest who did
so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus
I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? Then
the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on
them. overpowered them and prevailed against
them, so that they fled out of that house naked
and wounded. This became known both to all Jews
and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell
on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was
magnified. And many who had believed came confessing
and telling their deeds. Also many of those who
had practiced magic brought their books together
and burned them in the sight of all. And they
counted up the value of them, and it totaled
fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word
of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. When
these things were accomplished, Paul purposed
in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia
and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After
I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he
sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered
to him, Timothy and Erastus. But he himself stayed
in Asia for a time. And about that time there
arose a great commotion about the way. For a
certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who
made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small
profit to the craftsmen. He called them together
with the workers of similar occupation and said,
Men, you know that we have our prosperity by
this trade. Moreover, you see and hear that not
only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia,
this Paul has persuaded and turned away many
people, saying that they are not gods which are
made with hands. So not only is this trade of
ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but
also the temple of the great goddess Diana may
be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom
all Asia and the world worship. Now when they
heard this, they were full of wrath and cried
out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
So the whole city was filled with confusion and
rushed into the theater with one accord, having
seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's
travel companions. And when Paul wanted to go
into the people, the disciples would not allow
him. Then some of the officials of Asia, who
were his friends, sent to him pleading that he
would not venture into the theater. Some therefore
cried one thing and some another, for the assembly
was confused, and most of them did not know why
they had come together. And they drew Alexander
out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward.
And Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted
to make his defense to the people. But when they
found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice
cried out for about two hours, Great is Diana
of the Ephesians. And when the city clerk had
quieted the crowd, he said, Men of Ephesus, What
man is there who does not know that the city
of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great
goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down
from Zeus? Therefore, since these things cannot
be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing
rashly. For you have brought these men here who
are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers
of your goddess. Therefore, if Demetrius and
his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone,
the courts are open. And when he had said these
things, he dismissed the assembly. 1 Corinthians
1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ
through the will of God, and Sosines, our brother.
To the church of God, which is at Corinth, to
those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called
to be his saints, with all who in every place
call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both
theirs and ours. Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank
my God always concerning you for the grace of
God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that
you were enriched in everything by him in all
utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony
of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come
short in no gift, eagerly awaiting for the revelation
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm
you to the end, that you may be blameless in
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful,
by whom you are called into the fellowship of
his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I plead with
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that you all speak the same thing and
that there be no divisions among you, but that
you be perfectly joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment. For it has been
declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by
those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions
among you. Now I say this, that each of you says,
I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of
Cephas, or I am of Christ. Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized
in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized
none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone
should say that I had baptized in my own name.
Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas.
Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any
other, for Christ did not send me to baptize,
but to preach the gospel. not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made
of no effect. For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom
of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has
not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For since in the wisdom of God the world through
wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through
the foolishness of the message preached to save
those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and
Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified. To the Jews a stumbling block, and
to the Greeks foolishness. But to those who are
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power
of God and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness
of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of
God is stronger than men. For you see your calling,
brethren, that not many wise according to the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
But God has chosen the foolish things of the
world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen
the weak things of the world to put to shame
the things which are mighty. And the base things
of the world and the things which are despised,
God has chosen. And the things which are not,
to bring to nothing the things that are. That
no flesh should glory in his presence, but of
him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us
wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. That as it is written, he who
glories, let him glory in the Lord. And I, brethren,
when I came to you, did not come with excellence
of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the
testimony of God. For I determined not to know
anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear,
and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching
were not with persuasive words of human wisdom.
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
that your faith should not be in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of God. However, we speak
wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the
wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this
age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak
the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom
which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
which none of the rulers of this age knew. For
had they known, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory. But as it is written, I have
not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into
the heart of man the things which God has prepared
for those who love him. But God has revealed
them to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yes, the deep things of
God. For what man knows the things of a man except
the Spirit of the man which is in him? Even so,
no one knows the things of God except the Spirit
of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of
the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that
we might know the things that have been freely
given to us by God. These things we also speak,
not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but
which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet
he himself is rightly judged by no one. For who
has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct
him? But we have the mind of Christ. I hope you
enjoyed today's reading as much as I did. And
I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow to
continue on our journey. God bless you and have
a great day.