Daily Scripture

ORTHODOX BIBLE STUDY

Wednesday, December 30, 2037

Wednesday of the 32nd week after Pentecost

Fasting: FastSix-sticheraJulian: December 17

Epistle

Jas 3.11-4.6

Read in context

3:11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

3:12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

3:13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

3:14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

3:15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

3:16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

3:17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

3:18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

4:1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

4:2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

4:3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4:4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

4:5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

4:6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Gospel

Mark 8.30-34

Read in context

30And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

33But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.