Day 15
Matthew 15
15:1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,
15:2 "Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat bread."
15:3 He answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?
15:4 For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,'{Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16} and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'{Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9}
15:5 But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"
15:6 he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.
15:7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
15:8 'These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
15:9 And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"{Isaiah 29:13}
15:10 He summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand.
15:11 That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."
15:12 Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"
15:13 But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted.
15:14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."
15:15 Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."
15:16 So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand?
15:17 Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?
15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.
15:19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
15:20 These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn't defile the man."
15:21 Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.
15:22 Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely demonized!"
15:23 But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us."
15:24 But he answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
15:25 But she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me."
15:26 But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
15:27 But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
15:28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that hour.
15:29 Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.
15:30 Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,
15:31 so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing--and they glorified the God of Israel.
15:32 Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."
15:33 The disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?"
15:34 Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."
15:35 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;
15:36 and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
15:37 They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
15:38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
15:39 Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.
Romans 1
1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,
1:2 which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
1:3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
1:4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
1:5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake;
1:6 among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;
1:7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,
1:10 requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.
1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established;
1:12 that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.
1:13 Now I don't desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
1:14 I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.
1:15 So, as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.
1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
1:17 For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, "But the righteous shall live by faith."{Habakkuk 2:4}
1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
1:19 because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.
1:20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.
1:21 Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
1:23 and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.
1:24 Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves,
1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
1:26 For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.
1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.
1:28 Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers,
1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
1:31 without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;
1:32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 2
2:1 Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things.
2:2 We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
2:3 Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
2:5 But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God;
2:6 who "will pay back to everyone according to their works:"{Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12}
2:7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life;
2:8 but to those who are self-seeking, and don't obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation,
2:9 oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2:10 But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
2:13 For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified
2:14 (for when Gentiles who don't have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves,
2:15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them)
2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.
2:17 Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God,
2:18 and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
2:19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
2:20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth.
2:21 You therefore who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn't steal, do you steal?
2:22 You who say a man shouldn't commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
2:23 You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God?
2:24 For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,"{Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22} just as it is written.
2:25 For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
2:26 If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won't his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision?
2:27 Won't the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law?
2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh;
2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.
