Year B

Welcome to The Living Word Bible study for Sunday, June 13, TLW23B. This is a non-denominational study which lets the Bible explain the Bible, without leaning to any church’s practice or preferences. We recommend that you read the whole passage first and let the Holy Spirit begin speaking to you about it, then go deeper with the verse by verse commentary and reflections. Bible readings from the Revised Common Lectionary used by many different churches and chapels.

OT: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 — God rejects Saul as Israel’s king and instructs Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint a successor

NT gospel: Mark 4:26-34 — Jesus teaches on the hidden growth of God’s rule and reign in people’s hearts

NT letter: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17 — Knowing Christ’s love gives us the strongest motivation to live His kingdom life

Also read: Psalm 20

Theme: The heart-changing work of the hidden realm of the Spirit

• See also the article linked to this post Understanding the kingdom of God

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1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 — Saul’s demise brings the call of young David

God rejects Saul and instructs Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint a successor

34-35 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

“Ramah… Gibeah” – a few miles apart.

“The Lord regretted…” – echoes 1 Sam. 15:11 and God’s regret at the time of the flood, Genesis 6:7. Saul’s call to kingship started well, 1 Samuel 9-10, but when tested by Samuel on whether he had obeyed the Lord’s command regarding plunder from the Amalekites, he lied and tried to justify himself.

• For further study read the whole of 1 Samuel esp.  15:3, 13, 20-22 and  2 Sam. 11:27, 12:7-12, Hebrews 13:7

16:1 The Lord said to Samuel,”How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

“Jesse” — was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth, of Bethlehem.

2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

“He will kill me” — Samuel had already told Saul that God had rejected his kingship. He would have to travel through Saul’s settlement of Gibeah on the way to Bethlehem.

2-3 The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate.”

“Invite Jesse to the sacrifice” — giving Samuel a reason to go to Bethlehem and then follow what the Lord would show him next; inviting Jesse was essential because in God’s plan one of his sons would succeed Saul.

4-5 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

“Do you come in peace” — Saul’s emotionally unbalanced lack of leadership was already well known, and the people’s first response to Samuel was out of fear of Saul.

“I have come to sacrifice to the Lord” — not the whole reason, but that was what the Lord had told him to say in these adverse circumstances.

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

“Samuel saw Eliab” — he looked the part and later served in Saul’s army, but his true character came out in the David and Goliath story, 1 Samuel 17:28.

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

8-10 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then made Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

“The Lord looks at the heart” – not appearance or qualifications but character and spiritual disposition; we are more swayed by evidence than insight. Saul looked tall and impressive, 1 Sam. 9:2, but lacked the stature of character.

• For further study, a person’s actions flow from ‘heart values’ they hold, 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 51:10; Prov. 4:23; Mark 7:21–23; Luke 6:45; 1 Thess. 2:4.

11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

“Tending the sheep” — in ancient times, both human and divine rulers were often compared to shepherds, Ezekiel 34.

Samuel said,”Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

“Anoint him” — a pivotal moment, see 1 Samuel 16:14, with the transfer of anointing from Saul to David and the beginning of a long period where Saul struggles and David waits for his time of recognition.

• For further study, see 1 Samuel 16:14, Psalm 51:11.

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

“The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David” — “rushed upon David” (ESV) in an empowering for kingship. The first mention of David.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Saul has shown himself to be too ready to justify himself rather than follow God’s instructions (chapter 15) and God has regretted His choice and rejected his kingship. He tells Samuel not to dwell on the failure, and gives him a legitimate reason to visit Bethlehem, and see Jesse — with further instructions to follow. Samuel sees all of Jesse’s older sons without sensing the prompting he was expecting — until the youngest is summoned from shepherding duties. Samuel anoints the young David for future service, the Holy Spirit comes on him and begins to prepare him for a role still some 15 years ahead.

APPLICATION    The Lord knows what is going on in us, the values we hold — and also what we can become. This teaches us to rely on prayerful discernment, and to be able to set aside initial impressions.

QUESTION  Do we look for someone who ‘ticks the boxes’ or for evidence of God working through them in Christian service?

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Mark 4:26-34 — Jesus teaches on the hidden growth of the kingdom

As tiny seeds have the capacity to grow big, so does God’s rule and reign

26-29 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces corn – first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. As soon as the corn is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

“The kingdom of God is like” — most Jews of the time saw it in more or less nationalist terms as restoring a form of King David’s rule. Jesus both demonstrated and taught how God’s kingdom grows in the invisible maturing of changed hearts, among those who surrender the right to freewill independence, to welcome God’s order.

“The seed… grows, though he does not know how” — elsewhere the seed is a metaphor for God’s word and truth, which is at the heart of the kingdom’s capacity to grow and multiply. This parable is only in Mark.

• For further study, read Matthew 13:4-9,18-23.

30 Again He said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?

“Again He said” – Mark recounts some further seed parables about the hidden life of the kingdom of God which should, and will, appear, Mark 4:21, like a crop, unseen until it is growing.

31-32 “It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

“The smallest of all seeds” — the mustard seed was proverbially small, but could produce a sizeable bush. The kingdom has the capacity for huge expansion.

33-34 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when He was alone with his own disciples, He explained everything.

“With many similar parables” — Mark shows he is not giving a chronological account but a compilation of similar sayings of Jesus. He adapted His teaching to the hearers’ capacity to receive it.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Jesus uses an analogy very familiar to his rural Galilean hearers, describing the hidden capacity to reproduce, which is in the growth of every crop and the cause of every harvest. A seed so small it is hard to see, turns into a substantial bush all  by itself.

APPLICATION  The kingdom of God is designed to grow and multiply. It is the hidden work of the Holy Spirit, bringing life from the seed of God’s word, and it has the capacity to grow exponentially. From a few disciples, within a generation churches of Spirit-filled believers were springing up all around the Mediterranean area, soon to be taken further. Partnering God in what He is already doing, can be extraordinarily fruitful but the key is our awareness of, and openness to, His kingdom.

QUESTION  How would you begin to explain the kingdom of God to a friend with no Christian background or awareness?

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2 Corinthians 5:6-17 — Knowing Christ’s love changes our perspective

Made new in Him, we have the strongest motivation to live His kingdom life

6-7 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight.

“At home in the body” — spiritual life is constrained by human existence.

“Faith, not… sight” — not about being ostentatiously spiritual and believing the unbelievable, but living all of life in relationship with God, trusting Him, believing His promises, and learning to shift from immediate to an eternal view.

• For further study, review 2 Cor. 4:18-5:1.

8-10 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

“At home with the Lord” — Paul fully expects that, as a spiritual person belonging to the Lord, leaving his body on death, he will go immediately into the presence of Christ to stay with Him until the Day of Resurrection, Luke  23:43; Phil. 1:23; Heb. 12:23.

“Appear before the judgment seat” – like our phrase ‘appearing before the bench’. This was the bēma where the Roman governor sat to deliver judicial verdicts.

“Receive what is due to us” — salvation comes by God’s grace, not reward, but there is judgment in heaven where we will give account of how we have lived as part of Christ’s body on earth, 1 Cor. 3:11-15. We should keep short accounts with God and with others.

 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

“Christ’s love compels us” – Paul’s motivation is his awareness of the price paid for him by Jesus, and being held secure in that relationship of love. The revelation of how Jesus loves us through His sacrificial death is a strong motivation for us to live for Him, not for ourselves.

16-17 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” — this is a change of identity, from the old unregenerate person to the new, spiritual person. New creation also brings new perspective – we see things differently and the old, worldly point of view seems narrow and inadequate. The life of the Spirit brings a growing understanding of who we are “in Christ”, our new heavenly identity. 

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul depicts the human existence as being temporary state for heavenly people, with a heavenly perspective and destiny. There is work to do and relationships to keep up and we want to bring pleasure to our Saviour who has shown such great love for us.

APPLICATION  The difference between us and the first disciples is that we only experience Christ by faith. But if we have accepted Him personally into our hearts, the Holy Spirit brings us a growing revelation of the love he showed for us, and also who we are “in Christ” (v.17). Just two words, “in Christ”, convey a big and profound truth about how heaven sees us— recreated in new spiritually-aware way and with a whole new identity. The question is, how much we allow this to shape our faith, our relationships and our relilience in life.

QUESTION Thinking back to Samuel and sons of Jesse (OT 1 Samuel reading above), how does “we live by faith, not by sight” (v.7 above) work in everyday life?

PRAYER  O God our Father, how grateful we are that You look on the heart to see what You are making us, beyond the ‘work in progress’ that we are!
As we consider how Your kingdom realm, although unseen, is permeating the whole world, despite its persecution, equip us and give us fresh insight into the kingdom tasks You have for each of us.
And may we grow in the freedom that Jesus has secured for us, free to know His love and to love others. In His name we pray, Amen.

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PRINT EDITION  There’s a print edition that you can download as a PDF to print on A4 paper and produce a four-page Bible-size folder. Permission given to copy for your own use, your Bible study or other small group, or for inclusion in your church bulletin.

Welcome to The Living Word Bible study for Sunday, June 6, TLW22B. This is a non-denominational study which lets the Bible explain the Bible, without leaning to any church’s practice or preferences. We recommend that you read the whole passage first and let the Holy Spirit begin speaking to you about it, then go deeper with the verse by verse commentary and reflections. Bible readings from the Revised Common Lectionary used by many different churches and chapels.

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OT: 1 Samuel 8:4-20, 11:14-15 — The people ask Samuel for a king like the surrounding nations

NT gospel: Mark 3:20-35 — The Lord links the power to bind the strong man with close fellowship with Him

NT letter: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 — The power that raised Jesus from the dead is also renewing us

And also read: Psalm 138

Theme: Choosing God’s way is what empowers us in life

• See also the linked article for this week which explores further the theme Choosing God’s Way

• There is also a VIDEO which tells the story of Right and Wrong Expectations based on these Bible readings.

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1 Samuel 8:4-20, 11:14-15 — The people ask Samuel for a king

The Israelites seek security in a visible ruler like the surrounding nations

8:4-5 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

“A king to lead us” – rather than a judge directing them to Yahweh; Samuel’s sons had taken bribes, and there were continual threats from the Ammonites and Philistines. 

6-7 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.

“They have rejected Me” — the Nation of Israel was intended to be distinct from the surrounding nations in doing things differently, with the Lord as their king and prophet/judges to remind them of that. Wanting a king was not wrong in itself. The sin was wanting only the rule of a king, and not being reliant on God and His provision. 

• For further study, read Acts 3:13-15, 7:51-53.

8-9 “As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

“Let them know what the king… will claim” — with the example of the Canaanite kings surrounding them, it would be a costly move.

10-12 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: he will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plough his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

“He will take your sons and make them… run in front of his chariots” — solely for pomp and circumstance. Both Absalom and Adonijah secured chariots and horses and had “fifty men” to run ahead of them, 2 Samuel 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5.

13 “He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.

“He will take a tenth” — so doubling the tenth the Israelites were already instructed to devote to the Lord. The word “take” is used repeatedly, in contrast to the emphasis on the Lord’s covenant of generosity.

“Best of your cattle” — Saul would give his officials land and military commands, 1 Samuel 22:7.

17 “He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

“You… will become his slaves” — conscripted labour, later used widely by Solomon.

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we shall be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

“The people refused to listen” — while God wanted them to be spiritually-led and dependent on Him, as in the Exodus, the people wanted a king as a figurehead to lead them in battle, a visible match for the surrounding nations.

11:14-15 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

“The people went to Gilgal and made Saul king” —kingship was allowed (but not required) by the law, Deut. 17:14-20. The sin is not the request for a king but the attitude behind the request, seeking security other than in God and the covenant with Him. It is the start of 40 difficult years of independence from God.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Samuel is getting on in years and his sons, appointed as provincial judges, have shown lack of integrity. A successor is needed — and the word that Samuel brings is that choosing the authoritarian rule of a king will be a costly change.

APPLICATION  This looks forward to Jesus and the kingdom of God. Living under the rule of God and relying on Him is the best choice but not the easiest. The temptation of the world’s kind of security is always present.

QUESTION  What does this teach us about the kind of leadership God wants in His church?

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Mark 3:20-35 — Jesus’ family and teachers of the law accuse Him

The Lord links the power to bind the strong man with close fellowship with Him

20-21 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

“Out of His mind” – to His family, Jesus is now acting strangely; they were familiar with the ‘previous’ Jesus, the carpenter, and were still seeing Him in a worldly way. However, the evil spirits He confronted knew exactly who He was: the Son of God, Mark 3:11.

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

“The teachers of the law… from Jerusalem” — news of Jesus’ following reaches Jerusalem and a commission is sent to Galilee to investigate the ‘unauthorised’ rabbi. Threatened by a man who could do in the power of God what they could not do, they accuse Him of the exact opposite of the plain truth. All slander is evil, but this one has grave spiritual consequences, v.28.

23-26 So Jesus called them over to Him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.

“Jesus called them over” — Mark’s gospel doesn’t mention the blind and dumb demonised man that prompted the accusation that he was in league with Satan, Beelzebub, the prince of demons. With a list of analogies, Jesus teaches the scribes to see how the kingdom of light and Satan’s kingdom of darkness oppose one another. 

• For further study, see Matt. 12:22, Luke 11:14, John 10:20.

“If a kingdom is divided” — every revival brings opposition, like this example, and Satan’s oft-repeated strategy is to sow doubts by causing division among believers.

27-29 “In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.  Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

“Plunder the strong man’s house”— Jesus was telling them that now, Mark 1:1, 7, someone stronger than Satan had come, who was able to rescue people from his power.

“Blasphemes against the Holy Spirit” — Jesus says that the one sin that puts a person beyond forgiveness is to attribute the redemptive work of God to Satan, probably because a person locked in such prejudice is unable to make the turn of repentance. Anyone who fears having committed the unforgivable sin has, by definition, showed that they need forgiveness.

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

31-32 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. A crowd was sitting round him, and they told Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Your brothers…” —  younger half-brothers, not believers at this time, not understanding Jesus’ call and identity and concerned that He was overreaching Himself. Sisters are mentioned in Mark 6:3. Joseph, not mentioned, has probably died by this time.

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He asked.

34-35 Then He looked at those seated in a circle round him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

“Whoever does God’s will” – see James 1:22. Jesus is not rejecting His natural family but teaching the high priority of the spiritual relationship that comes through believing in Him. Compare: “Who is my true mother and my true brothers?” Then looking in the eyes of those who were sitting in a circle around him, He said, “Here are My true family members. For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and my mother!” (The Passion Translation)

Reflection

SUMMARY  The deliverance of a demonised, handicapped man has provoked some blasphemous slander and a wide disquiet. Jesus uses this to teach about the tension in the opposing realms of truth and lies, and the fellowship that overcomes.

APPLICATION  We need to be prayerfully aware that every renewing move of God will bring a counter move of Satan — unless we are proactive in tying up the ‘strong man’ in prayer.

QUESTION  What does this teach us about praying for each other and for the outreach of our church?

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2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 — The power that raised from dead is also renewing us

While earthly life is tiring the Holy Spirit works His eternal purpose in us

13-15 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to Himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

“I believed… I have spoken” – from a version of Psalm 116:10, headlining a teaching about the power of exercising faith in all kinds of personal testimony stories. Paul often told the story of being changed from persecutor to missionary by his encounter with Jesus.

“The One who raised… Jesus from the dead” – the Holy Spirit’s extraordinary power that resurrected Jesus, Romans 8:11, 1 Cor. 15:20 is at work in us to transform us and present us, made holy and acceptable, to God. A trinitarian saying.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

“Being renewed” – the Holy Spirit is not a preserver of our traditions, but always seeking to do His renewing work in us as individuals (and together as church). 

17-18 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

“Light and momentary” – outward testing grows our reliance on God. Paul’s irony reminds us to keep an eternal focus, because  life is eternal.

5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

“Earthly tent” – a tent doesn’t last forever but we look forward to a heavenly life more permanent than a castle.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul reflects on the physical cost of beatings and shipwecks he has survived, pointing to God’s eternal kingdom purpose that is so much greater than the pain.

APPLICATION  Opposition and some hard knocks are part of the territory that goes with the mission — and we are called to be pioneer explorers of God’s kingdom, which endures, not settlers who enjoy it in the moment.

QUESTION  Are we prepared to agree with God about the priority of His mission and accept that it may not be popular or comfortable?

PRAYER  Father God, help us to rely on You as our Lord and King and to choose to join You in what You are doing — even if that is uncomfortable at times. Forgive us for too easily reverting to what we want or the path of least resistance. What You have planned is so much greater and more enduiring. Come, Holy Spirit, and revive us again! Amen.

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PRINT EDITION  A booklet edition of this post can be downloaded as a PDF from the link below. Prints on A4 paper to produce a 4 -page Bible size folder. Permission given to copy for your own use, for your Bible study or other small group, or for inclusion with your church bulletin.

WELCOME to this week’s The Living Word, a non-denominational Bible study on the set readings for May 30 listed in the Revised Common Lectionary and used by many churches and chapels:

Isaiah 6:1-8 — Isaiah in a glimpse of heaven hears God asking, “Who will go for us?”

John 3:1-17 — Jesus tells Israel’s renowned teacher that even he needs spiritual renewal

Romans 8:9-17 — The old selfish life is contrasted with the life of the Spirit: we should choose to follow His leading

And also read: Psalm 29

Theme: Made spiritually alive in Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• See also the related article exploring this theme Made New and Still Being Renewed

• And there’s a video God’s New for Old Exchange which tells the story through the three perspectives of Old Testament, New Testament gospel and New Testament letter and explains why we need to be born again spiritually, and being renewed day by day, and how good this undeserved offer by God through Jesus really is!

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Isaiah 6:1-8 — Isaiah hears God asking, “Who will go for us?”

Isaiah receives his call from the enthroned Lord in a glimpse of heaven

1-2 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

“The year that King Uzziah died” — a time of national disaster in 740 BC when the Assyrians were becoming dominant, and a God-honouring reign of more than 50 years had just ended

“I saw the Lord” – although no one has ever seen God, because God is Spirit, John 1:18, 4:24, at times He clothes Himself with visibility, as here in Isaiah’s vision, or Joshua’s challenge, Joshua 5:13-15

“Seraphim” – the word suggests that they looked like flames. “Covered their faces” – even heavenly creatures could not look upon holy God.

3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“Holy, holy, holy” — the triple phrase emphasises the Lord’s absolute separateness.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

“Unclean lips” – the light of the glory of heaven makes Isaiah aware of attitudes which were less than holy.

“The King” – the earthly ruler has died and Isaiah becomes more aware of the Almighty King.

6-7 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

“Live coal… from the altar” – taken from the place of sacrifice and symbolic of the final, perfect atoning sacrifice later to be provided by God in Jesus.

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Reflection

SUMMARY  Isaiah has a vision of heaven, and the glory of God convicts him of his own unsuitability to speak for God. An angel takes a live coal from the altar, touches his lips and proclaims him free from guilt. He can respond to the question “Who will go for us” hearing his call from Father, Son and Holy Spirit together.

APPLICATION  None of us will give prophecies so far-reaching they become part of God’s word, but we all have a call to be God’s partners to go, serve and speak for Him.

QUESTION  What remedy do we have when we become aware of our unholiness?

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Psalm 29

A psalm of David

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the splendour of His holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.

And in His temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King for ever.

11 The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.

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John 3:1-17 — Even Israel’s renowned teacher needs spiritual renewal

Through His encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus gives us the most important statement of the gospel

1-2 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with Him.”

“He came… at night” — a cautious private visit after dark (John hints at his spiritual darkness) showed Nicodemus’ genuine desire to discover who Jesus was.

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“No one can see” — we enter the world by physical birth and enter into spiritual awareness through spiritual birth. This was a challenge to Nicodemus who believed he qualified for the kingdom of God through being a correctly-religious Jew. 

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5-6 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

“Born of water and the Spirit” – water cleanses from impurity, the Spirit transforms hearts.This cannot refer to Christian baptism —  Nicodemus would not have understood that — but must refer to what he knew well, the Scriptures. Water in the OT is often symbolic of renewal and cleansing, Ezekiel 36:25-27.

“The Spirit gives birth to Spirit” — the presence of God’s Spirit which is born in the human spirit of someone who believes.

7-8 You should not be surprised at My saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“You” – not just Nicodemus, everyone.

• For further study: The Bible uses “born again”, “born of God” and becoming a “child of God” to talk about the same thing.

• For further study, read John 1:12-13, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:3 and 23, 1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, 5:1 and 4 and 18.

“The wind blows” — ‘wind’ or ‘spirit’, which with ‘breath’ and ‘breathe’ are all the same word group in Hebrew. Jesus is reminding Nicodemus of the ‘life into dry bones’ prophecy of Ezekiel 37:1-14 and saying that He is its reality.

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“Nicodemus asked”— it was shocking for him, a renowned Scripture teacher, to be told he could not enter the kingdom of God on his merit as a Jew and his good works.

10-11 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, We speak of what We know, and We testify to what We have seen, but still you people do not accept Our testimony.

“We speak of what We know” —Jesus, one of the Trinitarian godhead, ironically answers Nicodemus saying “We know… We testify” as if to say “We are God and We really do know…” 

12 “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man.

14-15 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him.”

“Lifted up” – it would be some years before Nicodemus could make the connection with the Cross. The bronze “snake in the wilderness”, Numbers 21:4-9, was raised up as a symbol of judgment, and a means of deliverance. The crucifixion of Jesus is a picture both of judgment for our sin, and the means of deliverance from it; God grants spiritual, eternal life through Jesus who, unlike the effigy, has life in Himself, John 1:4, 5:26.

16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

“To condemn… to save” – The holiness and righteousness of Jesus shows up the selfishness and independence of the world, not to further condemn, but to provide another way: believe, and live. Faith is not about doing, but believing.

Reflection

SUMMARY  An esteemed Jewish religious teacher makes a cautious, night-time visit to meet Jesus who is not a formally trained rabbi and has the calloused hands of a carpenter/builder. He asks a question — essentially “Who are you really, and how is it that these signs and wonder accompany You?” Jesus tells him that this is the kingdom of God, apparent to those who enter it by a spiritual awakening or birth from above. His reply is the most direct and profound explanation of how we are transformed by receiving the Good News.

APPLICATION  The key is the change of heart that believes and fully trusts who Jesus is, and what He has done, so that we, deserving of condemnation, can walk free in new and eternal life. The absolute requirement for every person to be born again spiritually is often contested — but only by those who have not yet come into that experience.

QUESTION  What is your story of coming to know Jesus personally?

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Romans 8:9-17 — The life of the Spirit contrasted with the old life

With the Holy Spirit active in us, we should choose to follow His leading

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

“Have the Spirit of Christ… belong to Christ” – being dedicated as an infant, brought up by Christian values, or attending church, does not make one a Christian, any more than frequenting the gym for coffee makes one a gymnast. To “belong” to Christ is a decision we take, to believe and invite the Spirit of God to live in us and renew us.

10-11 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you. 

“Spirit of God… Spirit of Christ… Christ in you” – the Trinity (God in three persons who are one) is not stated directly but is taught by a number of Bible passages like this one.

12-13 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

“To the flesh…by the Spirit” – the selfish human nature is contrasted with the Spirit-led nature which grows out of the new birth. Paul is referencing what he wrote earlier.

• For further study, read Romans 8:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:16-17.

14-15 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 

“Abba, Father” – Jesus used this form of address, Mark 14:36, which shocked religious Jews with its informality and intimacy.

“Fear…adoption to sonship” – slaves, having no rights, lived in fear of arbitrary punishment. In Greek-Roman practice, adoption conferred the full rights and authority of a son of the family.

16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.

“We are heirs” – which transform the way we pray relate to God as a Father.

For further study, read John 1:12, Galatians 3:26, Philippians 2:15, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 5:19. 

SUMMARY  Paul is writing to born-again Christians who knew the Holy Spirit’s empowering. But they too easily fall back on the familiar habits of their old way of life. He reminds them of their new identity as children of God and says — live up to it!

APPLICATION  The understanding of new life with a new identity is central to growing in Christian maturity. Seeing ourselves as sinners, captive to our selfish and independent desires,  will lead us to sin. The good news is, the opposite is equally true.

QUESTION  How do Paul’s assumptions about the people he is writing to speak to us today?

PRAYER  Father, we reflect that Isaiah knew You as Almighty God, Nicodemus met You in Jesus and the Early Church had experience of You through being filled with Your Spirit.
May we be made ever more aware of our relationship with each Person,
as we seek, like Isaiah, to be available to You,
conscious of our human weakness,
but rejoicing that we are counted as Your children and empowered to serve.
With humble thanks we praise You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

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PRINT EDITION  TLW is available as a PDF to print on A4 paper and create a four-page Bible-size folder. Permission given to copy for your own use, for your home Bible study or other small group, or for inclusion with your church bulletin.

Welcome to The Living Word Bible study page for May 23, Pentecost. The Living Word is a non-denominational resource that uses the Bible to explain the Bible without leaning to any church’s liturgical preferences.

Theme: Revival Spirit

Ezekiel 37:1-14 — The dry bones restored to life depict God’s hope for all who seek Him for renewal

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 — Jesus teaches what to expect when He goes and the Spirit of Truth and Advocate comes

Acts 2:1-21 — The Holy Spirit is poured out on the gathering, and now every believer can know His presence

• See also the linked article How to speak life into dry bones.

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Ezekiel 37:1-14 — Vision of an expanse of dry bones coming to life

Ezekiel’s word of hope for all who seek God for renewal and restoration

1-3 The hand of the Lord was on me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me to and fro among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”’

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

“The hand of the Lord was on me” — Ezekiel’s third and best-known vision is preceded by his word against harsh, ungodly leaders who provoked the nation’s defeat and exile, Ezek. 34:1-7, then a word of hope with God’s promise of resettlement, Ezek. 36:8-11. The return of the scattered exiles would be in a new heart and spirit imparted by the Holy Spirit, Ezek. 36:24-28.

“Can these bones live” – can this picture of such devastating defeat that no one was left to bury the corpses, become living people with a new hope in God? The bones can live if God decrees it; the real question is whether this is God’s will.

• For further study, see Ezekiel 36:26-27, 33, 35, 37-38.

4-6 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ “

“Breath enter you” – a word play where ruach conveys spirit and breath and wind.

• For further study see Spirit, Ezek. 37:1,14; breath, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10; and wind or winds, 9. The same three meanings are in the Greek word pneuma of John 3:8.

7-8 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

“So I prophesied” – I declared in faith. Ezekiel is instructed to speak God’s truth and life into the slain.

“There was no breath” – connected bones and tendons and muscle require respiration to show life. 

9-10 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet — a vast army.

 “From the four winds” — from every direction, a complete and powerful renewal.

11-12 Then He said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

“Our bones are dried up” – Israel’s hope had gone. From their perspective, there was no hope of being God’s own people again.

13-14 “Then you, My people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.”

“I will put My Spirit in you and you will live” – the hope comes from the essential spiritual dimension, added to a political and geographical restoration.

Reflection

SUMMARY The deported Jews had been in Babylon for about ten years when the exile prophet Ezekiel received this picture.

APPLICATION The hope and prayer of every growing church, is that God will bestow the new life of His Spirit as a witness and attraction for others. This word is grounds for us to pray His will done, v.14.

QUESTION Can you think of ‘unlikely’ places that have known historic revival?

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John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 — The Spirit of Truth or Advocate is promised

Jesus teaches what to expect when He is gone and the Holy Spirit comes

26-27 “When the Advocate comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father — the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father — He will testify about Me. And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning.

“When the Advocate comes” — the Holy Spirit is a person like the Father and the Son: the Spirit of God, Matthew 3:16, the Spirit of Christ, 1 Peter 1:11, and the revealing voice of Christ, vv. 14-15 below.

“Goes out from the Father” — of the same essence as the Father, sent out to do the Father’s work on earth.

4b-6 “I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to Him who sent Me. None of you asks Me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.

“None of you asks” — this was now a timely question that should be asked.

7 “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

“Unless I go away” — Jesus clearly taught that His saving work was necessary before the sending of the Spirit.

• For further study: on the Holy Spirit, a gift awaiting Jesus’ glorification, John 7:37-39; 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:12-14.

8-11 “When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in Me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“Prove the world to be in the wrong” – the NT emphasises the work of the Spirit in believers but this shows how He works more widely to bring awareness of the nature of sin i.e. the difference between self-righteousness and God’s righteousness, both in believers and in the world.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.

“The Spirit of Truth… will guide… into… the truth” – see John 14:26. The thrust of the gospel comes, not just by information but by revelation of truth (or reality). Jesus relied on this, John 5:19-20 and in the same way that Jesus could do only what He saw His Father doing, the Holy Spirit will only speak what He hears.

14 -15 “He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what He will make known to you.”

“All that belongs to the Father is Mine” — the relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit is intimate, and they work in perfect unity.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Jesus sets out how it will work for His disciples when He goes and the Holy Spirit comes — steering them towards truth, and working in the world as well.

APPLICATION  The Holy Spirit is our indispensable partner to make church dynamic, attractive and effective in its mission. As we pray the kingdom of God over others, He is released to work in their lives.

QUESTION  How much does your worship, your outreach and your prayer draw on a balanced awareness of Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

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Acts 2:1-21 — The Holy Spirit is poured out on the gathered believers

Formerly an anointing for individuals, now every believer can know His presence

1-4 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

“Pentecost” – the fiftieth day after Passover was a festival to remember the covenants with Noah and Moses and the Giving of the Law.

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

“A sound like… wind… and… tongues of fire” – the Spirit came with audible and visible signs, Exodus 19:16-18; 1 Kings 19:11- 12; Ezekiel 37:9 (above)

“All of them” – not just the Twelve but the bigger group, men and women, see v.18 below

“Tongues” – languages; the spiritual gift of an unlearned praise and prayer language often accompanies being filled with the Holy Spirit today.

5-6 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

“Each one heard” — in the public gift of tongues today, sometimes a person of different ethnicity will hear words of praise, often personal to them, in their own language.

7-12 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs — we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

“Each of us hears” — Jerusalem was a city population of seven nations and three languages, visited by “God-fearing Jews from every nation”, v.5, for the festival.

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

“Some, however” — local Judeans, who didn’t receive the sign of the dialects, rather than the Hellenic Jews from further afield, who did.

14-16 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!

“Fellow Jews” —  particularly the Judeans and Jerusalem dwellers.

16-18 “No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

“Pour out My Spirit on all people” — in the OT the Holy Spirit anointed individuals as righteous kings, prophets, craftsmen etc. The promise being fulfilled here, was for Spirit-filled people, male and female, young and older, all gaining a Holy Spirit-inspired confidence in God’s guidance and ways.

18 ” ‘Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

“They will prophesy” – speaking out for God, more forth-telling than foretelling.

19 ” ‘I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

“Wonders… and signs” — of the future consummation of the kingdom.

21 ” ‘And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ”

“Everyone who calls will be saved” – anyone can turn to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit adds to their good intent the faith for salvation, Matt. 7:21.

Reflection

SUMMARY  On the fiftieth day after Passover the Twelve and their friends were together, probably in the temple courts, when a roar like a storm and a manifestation of flames drew a crowd. The Spirit on the disciples provoked ecstatic praise in unlearned languages, so that Jews visiting from around the Mediterranean heard God being extolled in their own dialects. Peter then explains how this fulfils what Joel foretold as a sign of the beginning of the Last Days.

APPLICATION  With Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross and His Resurrection to new life, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit without distinction of race, gender or religious standing, is the mark of Christian believers. The Cross defines our redemption, the Resurrection defines the new life under Jesus’ ever-present lordship and the outpouring of the Spirit defines our inclusion and empowering for ministry and mission. It’s not a choice — we need it  all.

QUESTION  Thinking about the crowd that gathered, very mixed and not all Jews, what is the significance of Pentecost for not-yet-Christians?

PRAYER  Father God, You gave Yourself in Jesus, and You poured out Yourself in the giving of Your Spirit,
not selectively but for all who would receive.
In this Pentecost season, may we be ever open to receive more of Your Spirit in a refreshing,
and to be giving away more of Your  love, and life, and light in our daily interactions.
Honouring Jesus we pray, Amen.

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PRINT EDITION  TLW is available in a print edition to copy on A4 paper and for m a four-page Bible-size folder. Permission given to copy for your own use, for your home Bible study or other small group, or for ionclusion with your church bulletin. ©2021 Living Word Publishing UK