November

Some use Sunday to catch up on Bible reading missed during the week. Others prefer to double up on their reading on Saturday in order to set aside the Sabbath for church and fellowship. Either way, if you consistently read Scripture in the 15 or 20 minute increments shown above for an entire year, you will read all of Scripture in just one year.

This Month's Reading

In this month's reading of Scripture, we find the following books of the New Testament:

John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Gospel of John

The Gospel of John contains some of the most renowned verses of Scripture:
"Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44).

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though He may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25).

"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).

The Church in Acts

The Church didn't start in Acts, it merely expanded its covenant community beyond the Jews. As we read through Acts, we will see that the offer of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ was now offered to those outside of Israel. Christ's final commission before his ascension states this clearly: "and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

This principle can be further understood in light of the story in Acts 10 concerning Cornelius. Cornelius was a devout centurion who had an angelic visitation in which he was instructed to send for the Apostle
Peter. Peter meanwhile had a vision and was instructed to go with the delegation that Cornelius had sent to get him. After going to Cornelius' house and hearing his story, Peter concluded:

"In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:34-35).

Thus we see that the work of Christ extends beyond the people of Israel, to all those that He has called from every nation.

In the very next chapter, Peter is called before the leadership to explain his actions. After hearing his testimony, the apostles and elders come to the conclusion that "God has also granted the Gentiles repentance to life" (Acts 11:18).

In conclusion, the book of Acts speaks of Paul's missionary endeavors to spread the Gospel as far and wide as possible. As a result, the message of hope and salvation became available to people from every nation.

Book of Romans

Those using All Scripture Advocate as a systematic guide for reading all of Scripture by now recognize its theme from 2 Timothy 3:16-17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Every book of the Bible contains divinely authored, infallible truth. All of Scripture has Its proper place and all proclaim the character and will of the Author. All of Scripture should be studied.

However, it is not blasphemous to recognize some portions of Scripture as more important than others. The book of Psalms contains a summary of the Old Testament's most important instructions and most comforting exhortations.

Paul's epistle to Romans is to the New Testament what the book of Psalms is to the Old: a summary of its most important doctrines and principles.

Justice cannot possibly be done to such an important and profound book of Scripture in the space of this brief guide for the systematic reading of Scripture. Hopefully the following outline (taken from the New Geneva Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers) will underscore the comments above with regard to the book of Roman's significance.

I. Paul's Greetings and Personal Introductions (1:1-15)

II. The Righteousness of God for Jew and Gentile (1:16,17)

"The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17 ).

III. Mankind's Universal Sinfulness (1:18-3:20)

IV. God's Righteousness for Justification (3:21-5:21)

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19).

V. Grace Reigns Through God's Righteousness (chs. 6 - 8) "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death"
(Romans 8:2).

VI. God Demonstrates His Righteousness in Jew and Gentile (chs. 9 - 11)

"if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

VII. God's Righteousness Grasped and Expressed in His People's Lives (12:1 - 15:13)

"put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans13:14).

VIII. Paul's Plans and Concluding Greetings (15:14 - 16:27)

Communion

Paul's account of the institution of the Lord's Supper (Communion) in the 11th chapter of 1st Corinthians is essentially the same as that which is presented in the Gospels (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25 and Luke 22:17-20).

1 Corinthians 11 is a chapter on which 100 sermons could be preached. It is most often quoted by clergy when the Lord's Supper is observed by believers. Focus, however, is usually devoted wholly to verses 23-34, with verses 1-22 scarcely being mentioned in the same context.

In the first verse, Paul exhorts believers to imitate him "just as I also imitate Christ." This sets the precedent for his exhortations following that charge. Paul then spends several verses explaining how a man and woman are to approach the worship of God. Men are to pray and worship with their heads uncovered (verses 4 & 7). Women, as a sign of submission and respect, must cover their heads (verses 5-10).

Paul later explains that a woman's long hair is "her glory" and "given to her for a covering" (verse 15).

Although seemingly unrelated, these verses have everything to do with Communion. Paul does not separate the regular worship service from Communion. The two are inseparable. In verses 20-21, Paul laments the Corinthians' disrespect of Communion, "when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk." These verses indicate that Communion was observed every time the church in Corinth met.


Paul declares that "whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord" (verse 27).

In summary, Paul treats Communion as a regular part of the worship service and exhorts the Church to observe it with proper respect and reverence.

"Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you" (I Corinthians 11:2).

2 Timothy 3:16-17

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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.