Bible reading

1. Be Doers: Memory, Readiness and Christ’s ReturnNo. 2 · 1 January 1868 · 16 min read aloud · Read: James 1

   Observes that the breaking of bread directs thought to Christ, and that the Roman Question and the expected end of the Papacy’s 1260 years point to his return, as in Daniel 7.

2. The Bible’s Influence and Forbearance Among BrethrenNo. 3 · 1 February 1868 · 21 min read aloud · Read: 1 Peter 2

   Observes that the Bible has raised the character of the nation and of individuals, and that progress toward the hope depends on continual submission to the Word and on meeting with the brethren, not retiring from society.

3. Fellowship with the Father: Walking in the LightNo. 4 · 1 March 1868 · 32 min read aloud · Read: 1 John 1

   Starts from the opening of 1 John, noting that the apostles’ eyewitness testimony to Christ was written to Gentiles and so addresses present believers, and that its object is fellowship with the Father and the Son.

4. Sons of God: Submission, Training and HopeNo. 5 · 1 April 1868 · 24 min read aloud · Read: 1 John 3

   Taking 1 John 3 as its ground, the exhortation says believers are now sons of God, whom the world does not know, and that sonship means submission to God’s will, learned by continual study of the Scriptures.

5. Love in the Truth, and Doing GoodNo. 6 · 1 May 1868 · 30 min read aloud · Read: 2 John

   Taking John’s Second Epistle as a letter to an ecclesia, the speaker contrasts the ephemeral loves of the world, which rest on instinct and shared interests, with love in the truth, which begins with the truth and grows in step with love of it.

6. Righteousness, Judgment and Mercy: Present Works Decide DestinyNo. 7 · 1 July 1868 · 27 min read aloud · Read: Romans 2

   Taking Romans 2 as its subject, the exhortation says believers are called to righteousness, the doing of what God has commanded, and that the judgment will only disclose what each person’s daily life already is, so the present is what counts.

7. Paul, Grecian Wisdom and the Spirit’s RevelationNo. 9 · 1 September 1868 · 29 min read aloud · Read: 1 Corinthians 2

   Expounding 1 Corinthians 2, the speaker argues that the chapter must be read against its setting: Paul preached Jesus Christ crucified, and the kingdom with him, to Corinthians trained in Greek philosophy, which taught that virtuous men would be saved and that the soul goes to a future state.

8. Why Assemble: Fellowship, Submission, and SacrificeNo. 10 · 1 November 1868 · 35 min read aloud · Read: Romans 13

   The speaker thanks God for Christ’s command to assemble and break bread, arguing that believers are to be in the world but not of it, and that regular meeting and daily reading of the scriptures are needed to keep faith and the memory of Christ alive against the pull of worldly things.

9. Peace with God Through Justification by FaithNo. 13 · 1 October 1869 · 22 min read aloud · Read: Romans 5

   On Romans 5, the speaker explains that those justified by faith in Christ have peace and favour with God, which no one has outside Christ.

10. Charity, Vain Jangling and Unfeigned FaithNo. 15 · 1 December 1869 · 34 min read aloud · Read: 1 Timothy 1

    On 1 Timothy 1, the speaker says Paul’s commission as apostle to the Gentiles still reaches later believers and brings a responsibility with it.

11. Christ’s Humiliation, and Salt and LightNo. 18 · 1 March 1870 · 20 min read aloud

    The speaker says the breaking of bread directs the brethren to the sorrowful side of Christ’s life, which brings comfort and courage because he was tempted and suffered as they do, and which gives an example of doing good.

12. Past, Present and Future in Spiritual LifeNo. 20 · 1 May 1870 · 23 min read aloud

    The speaker says three truths, the past, the present and the future, must be realised for an active spiritual life, and that in each the appearance is contrary to the truth.

13. Doing God’s Will, Not Merely KnowingNo. 21 · 1 June 1870 · 18 min read aloud · Read: 1 Peter 4

    Starting from the griefs of this mortal state and the way sickness and death show what is of real value, the speaker urges the brethren to give themselves wholly to the truth rather than to the pursuits of the flesh.

14. Pilgrims awaiting the times of refreshingNo. 26 · 1 March 1871 · 21 min read aloud · Read: Acts 2

    Taking up Peter’s call in Acts 2 and 3 to repent that sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing come, the speaker says believers will not know how they stand until the Lord comes and judges.

15. Christ’s sorrow, the Supper, and daily ScriptureNo. 28 · 1 August 1871 · 24 min read aloud

    The exhortation begins with the origin of the breaking of bread at the last passover, dwelling on Christ’s sorrow before his death and the comfort he gave his disciples.

16. Patient Continuance in Well-Doing Through TrialNo. 32 · 1 December 1871 · 19 min read aloud

    Takes Romans 2:7 and argues that patient continuance is needed because the believer’s way implies something to endure and hope is often deferred.

17. Receiving the Grace of God Not in VainNo. 38 · 1 July 1872 · 16 min read aloud · Read: Romans 6

    Takes the apostolic entreaty not to receive the grace of God in vain and says grace is favour offered with a purpose, which can be wasted, as Israel in the wilderness wasted it.

18. Children of the Day: Laodicea and Daily ReadingNo. 39 · 1 August 1872 · 28 min read aloud · Read: 1 Thessalonians 5

    Says the day of the Lord will come as a thief only upon those who cry ‘peace and safety’, not upon believers who are children of light, yet an ecclesia may contain members who fall short, as the message to Laodicea shows.

19. The Ephesian Ecclesia: Godly Edifying and First LoveNo. 41 · 1 February 1873 · 18 min read aloud

    Starting from 1 Timothy 1, Roberts explains that Timothy was left at Ephesus to check those whose teaching ministered questions rather than godly edifying, and warns against treating speculative points as matters affecting a believer’s standing.

20. Contentment Without Covetousness and the Sacrifice of PraiseNo. 47 · 1 August 1873 · 21 min read aloud

    Starting from the reading in Hebrews 13, Roberts warns against covetousness and the world’s pursuit of money, holding up Job as an example of riches rightly used and urging contentment in God’s promise never to leave or forsake His people.

21. Peter’s Comfort for Strangers Awaiting the InheritanceNo. 48 · 1 September 1873 · 22 min read aloud

    Turning from James to 1 Peter 1, Roberts presents Peter’s words as comfort for believers who are strangers and sojourners in the present world, urging them to gird up the loins of the mind, pass their sojourning in fear, be holy, and keep the Word in earnest memory.

22. Honour God by Daily Bible ReadingNo. 54 · 1 May 1874 · 22 min read aloud · Read: Romans 1

    Beginning from the saying that all that was written aforetime was written for our learning, the speaker urges daily, patient and prayerful reading of the Bible as against the occasional study of mere scholarship.

23. Reading the Word and Prayer: Rejoicing in GodNo. 59 · 1 October 1874 · 21 min read aloud · Read: Psalm 21

    The speaker urges the brethren to use the present opportunity to examine themselves, since after the Lord’s arrival judgment will be too late to amend; mere sorrow and resolution do not help unless they lead to the word of God.

24. Keeping the Things of Christ in MemoryNo. 60 · 1 November 1874 · 18 min read aloud

    The speaker says that those called by the gospel must see their present life as part of God’s long plan, and that acceptance at Christ’s coming follows from the course pursued now, as harvest follows seed-time.

25. Faithful Exhortation and the Fear of GodNo. 63 · 1 February 1875 · 20 min read aloud · Read: Psalm 38

    Urges the brethren to keep assembling and exhorting one another daily, noting the restoration of the Spanish monarchy and the Jewish Board of Deputies’ decision on Sir Moses Montefiore’s Holy Land scheme as signs of the Lord’s approach.

26. Waiting for God: Obedience, Chastening and Scripture ReadingNo. 69 · 1 September 1875 · 25 min read aloud

    Starting from Jesus’ words about the blessedness of those who see and hear, says the blessedness is yet future, that present life is brief, and that the long reign of evil teaches God’s greatness and trains the sons of God through chastisement.

27. Fruitful Truth, Not Barren Crotchets or SpeculationNo. 71 · 1 November 1875 · 25 min read aloud

    The exhortation urges the brethren to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly, by steady daily reading of the Scriptures rather than fits of intense application followed by neglect.

28. Seeking Wisdom Against the Senses’ False ImpressionsNo. 74 · 1 February 1876 · 22 min read aloud

    Starting from the weekly breaking of bread as a needed reminder, the exhortation rejects the theories that man has a light within or a permanent store of knowledge, and says that light comes from without, through the gospel believed and obeyed.

29. Solomon’s Proverbs as the Oracles of GodNo. 76 · 1 June 1876 · 28 min read aloud

    Taking Peter’s rule to speak “as the oracles of God”, the speaker argues that Solomon’s Proverbs carry apostolic authority and that they supply correctives against extremes: diligence against shiftless trust, warnings against haste to be rich, firmness towards fools and false brethren alongside kindness, and knowledge against the dangers of pride.

30. The Goodness of God: Nineveh and CalvaryNo. 81 · 1 February 1877 · 18 min read aloud · Read: Jonah 4, Hebrews 9

    Beginning with the way the Scriptures never lose their interest, the exhortation takes the two chapters read, Jonah 4 and Hebrews 9, as showing the goodness of God.

31. Finding Christ through the Word and BreadNo. 82 · 1 March 1877 · 22 min read aloud

    Christ is not found in daily surroundings or in nature, but through the preaching of the apostles’ written word and the breaking of bread, by which faith in him is created.

32. The Wedding Garment: Personal Righteousness Required of GuestsNo. 83 · 1 April 1877 · 20 min read aloud

    Taking the parable of the marriage feast, the speaker shows that the Gentiles of the highways and hedges are invited through Paul’s word, but that being called is not enough: the guest without a wedding garment is cast out.

33. The Enduring Word, Damascus and Spiritual WorshipNo. 86 · 1 July 1877 · 29 min read aloud · Read: Isaiah 17

    Taking the statement that “the word of the Lord endureth for ever”, the exhortation says it assures the stability of the universe and, more importantly, the certainty of what God has said to individuals.

34. Walking Worthy of God: Constant ExhortationNo. 87 · 1 August 1877 · 27 min read aloud

    Pointing to Paul’s practice of exhorting the brethren constantly, the exhortation says the matters needing constant repetition are not the first principles but our moral relation to God and to the world, summed up in the command to “walk worthy of God”.

35. Why the Wicked Prosper: Jeremiah’s AnswerNo. 88 · 1 October 1877 · 24 min read aloud · Read: Jeremiah 12

    Starting from Jeremiah’s question why the way of the wicked prospers, and the same complaint in David and Habakkuk, the exhortation says the answer is that their prosperity is only for a season and will end when the kingdoms of this world become Christ’s.

36. A Rebellious House: Understanding and WitnessingNo. 89 · 1 November 1877 · 21 min read aloud · Read: Ezekiel 12

    Starting from the reading of the prophets, the exhortation says believers now understand what Israel and the churches around us do not, and that this shows them, like Ezekiel, living in the midst of a rebellious house whose ways, not only its opinions, are contrary to the Scriptures.

37. Zephaniah’s Warning: Deism, Pride and PatriotismNo. 92 · 1 February 1878 · 24 min read aloud · Read: Zephaniah 2

    From the oracle of Zephaniah 2, the exhortation says that Scripture written about ancient peoples is for our instruction, and that the ‘men settled on their lees’ who think God does nothing, good or evil, hold what is now called Deism.

38. Remembering Christ Together with the FatherNo. 95 · 1 May 1878 · 23 min read aloud

    At the breaking of bread we are to remember Christ in all his aspects, including as the manifestation of the Father, who dwelt in him and whose love Christ himself declared.

39. Guided by God’s Counsel in the ScripturesNo. 96 · 1 June 1878 · 26 min read aloud

    Taking ‘Thou wilt guide me by Thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory,’ the speaker says believers are guided now by the written word, which makes the man of God thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

40. Not Sleeping as Others: Watching and EnduringNo. 98 · 1 August 1878 · 26 min read aloud

    Taking Paul’s call not to sleep as others do but to watch and be sober in view of the day of the Lord, the speaker likens the world’s unawareness to a sleeper robbed by a burglar.

41. Paul as Model: Recognition of GodNo. 103 · 1 January 1879 · 22 min read aloud

    Taking up the apostle Paul as the model Christ has set before disciples, the exhortation dwells on his constant, practical recognition of God in all he did, shown in his use of “if the Lord will”, his appeals to God as witness, and his habit of prayer.

42. Gentile Believers Stand Conditionally: Israel’s WarningNo. 104 · 1 February 1879 · 25 min read aloud

    Beginning with the privilege and present comfort of knowing the truth in a time of gathering tribulation, the exhortation recalls that the Gentiles were called when Israel declined the invitation.

43. Christ’s Temptation: Scripture as Our DefenceNo. 105 · 1 March 1879 · 33 min read aloud

    Starting from the purpose of the weekly breaking of bread, the exhortation considers the temptation of Christ as part of his moral preparation as a sinless but tempted brother.

44. Praise, Hardness of Heart, and Daily ReadingNo. 106 · 1 April 1879 · 25 min read aloud · Read: Psalm 95

    On Psalm 95, the exhortation says praise is reasonable because the Lord is a great God and Creator, notes why “the deep places of the earth” are mentioned, and describes the full praise that will be offered when Christ and his brethren are manifested.

45. Judgment on Moab and the Love of ChristNo. 109 · 1 July 1879 · 29 min read aloud · Read: Isaiah 15, Isaiah 16

    The speaker commends fixed Scripture readings as the basis of exhortation, then draws from the burden of Moab the lesson that pride and contempt of Israel bring judgment, which the world’s like sins will bring at Christ’s coming, so that believers must not be one with the world.

46. Israel’s Restoration and the Believer’s FightNo. 110 · 1 August 1879 · 32 min read aloud · Read: Isaiah 43, Revelation 2, Revelation 3

    Beginning with the privilege of hearing God’s voice in the readings, the speaker says Isaiah shows that Israel’s calamities were God’s doing and not merely human prowess, and that the next chapter promises restoration.

47. God’s Mercy and the Forgiven Believer’s ConductNo. 111 · 1 September 1879 · 19 min read aloud

    Begins from the wisdom shown in creation and argues that the Bible, which makes everything of God, answers the self-evolution theory and settles the question of the Creator.

48. Growing in Christ’s Priesthood and the HopeNo. 115 · 1 January 1880 · 25 min read aloud · Read: Hebrews 3

    Starting from the reading in Hebrews 3, the speaker urges believers to grow in the truth, saying growth depends on daily companionship with the word and the avoidance of worldly company.

49. God-Centred Wisdom: Proverbs, Moses and ChristNo. 118 · 1 April 1880 · 22 min read aloud · Read: Proverbs 1, John 14

    With no appointed readings, the speaker takes Proverbs 1 and John 14, saying that Proverbs is a book of revelation whose wisdom differs from Gentile philosophy in being centred on God.

50. Daniel’s Prayer: God’s Greatness, Seventy WeeksNo. 126 · 1 December 1880 · 33 min read aloud · Read: Daniel 9

    Taking the Daniel 9 reading, notes that Babylon’s fall shows God’s purpose standing sure and that reading the Scriptures together relieves the feeling that present evils must last.

51. Waiting Patiently and Watchfully Until He ComeNo. 129 · 1 March 1881 · 27 min read aloud

    Taking the words “until he come” from Paul’s remark on the breaking of bread, the speaker contrasts the first disciples, who had known Christ personally, with believers now, and says the Lord’s return is more nearly due than ever, though the exact time has been withheld.

52. Self-Examination: Weakness, Will and Daily ReadingNo. 133 · 1 September 1881 · 27 min read aloud · Read: Romans 7

    Invites the brethren to review the past six days. Using Romans 7, he distinguishes the unavoidable weakness of the flesh, which will be forgiven through Christ’s intercession, from deliberate, wilful sin, which excludes from the kingdom, illustrating the two with Peter and Judas.

53. The Rechabites and Obedience to CommandmentsNo. 134 · 1 October 1881 · 27 min read aloud · Read: Jeremiah 35

    From the interview between Jeremiah and the Rechabites, who obeyed their father’s command to drink no wine while Israel disregarded God’s, the speaker draws the lesson that the words of a man are obeyed and the words of God are not.

54. Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians: Knowledge and FruitfulnessNo. 136 · 1 January 1882 · 25 min read aloud · Read: Colossians 1

    Taking the first chapter of Colossians, the exhortation says Paul gave thanks for the brethren because of their love to all the saints on account of the hope laid up for them, and that this is the love believers should have, not an attachment to personal qualities.

55. Wisdom Begins with the Fear of the LordNo. 139 · 1 May 1882 · 30 min read aloud

    Starting from the praise of wisdom in Proverbs, the speaker says wisdom is the right adaptation of means to good ends, seen in nature and revealed to man in the Scriptures, where God makes known how free will should be used.

56. Doing God’s Will: Mercy, Works and ForgivenessNo. 142 · 1 August 1882 · 29 min read aloud

    Starting from the frequency of ‘the will of God’ in the apostolic writings, the speaker takes the reading in Isaiah, where a ceremonially religious Israel is reproved for lacking mercy and kindness to others.

57. Putting On the Whole Armour of GodNo. 143 · 1 October 1882 · 30 min read aloud

    Taking Paul’s exhortation to put on the whole armour of God, the exhortation says believers are in a life-and-death battle against the inherited sentence of death, the carnal mind, unbelief, ignorance, and the love of the world.

58. Waiting for God: Manna Instead of Flesh-potsNo. 148 · 1 September 1883 · 23 min read aloud · Read: Matthew 9

    The speaker asks the hearers to look at their lives as they will appear in retrospect, and urges them to live now so that the judgment seat of Christ will find them faithful, taking the Scriptures alone as guide.

59. Prophecy’s Delay and the Parable of the SowerNo. 150 · 1 November 1883 · 23 min read aloud · Read: Ezekiel 12

    Taking Peter’s call to desire the sincere milk of the word, the speaker turns to Ezekiel 12, where the proverb ‘the days are prolonged and every vision faileth’ was rebuked, and compares it with the scorn now met at the delay of Christ’s coming.

60. Ezekiel’s Coming Glory and Abiding in ChristNo. 156 · 1 May 1884 · 24 min read aloud · Read: John 15

    Joins the morning’s two readings: Ezekiel’s vision of the restored land, temple and city, which is the ‘heavenly country’ and ‘city having foundations’ Abraham looked for, and Christ’s discourse in John about the vine and the branches.

61. Equal with the Angels: Confidence, Joy and DoingNo. 157 · 1 June 1884 · 26 min read aloud

    Starts from the prospect of being made equal to the angels and notes that Christ says not all who are called will be chosen.

62. Overcoming the Old Man by Reading the ScripturesNo. 162 · 1 November 1884 · 22 min read aloud

    The speaker says the apostolic call to ‘overcome’ is a war in the mind between the old man, the natural state, and the new man, formed by divine ideas.

63. Light from Job, Jonah and HebrewsNo. 175 · 1 February 1887 · 27 min read aloud

    Taking the morning’s three readings as the “words” of God that give light, the speaker finds in Job a rich man who used wealth faithfully and a pattern of patience toward God in unexplained trouble, which God uses to teach dependence and which is the preliminary discipline of those who will inherit the kingdom.

64. The Nearness of Death and the Lord’s ComingNo. 176 · 1 March 1887 · 29 min read aloud · Read: Psalm 53, Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Romans 7, Romans 8

    The speaker defends the commanded meeting and urges that its order and exhortation aim at edification, then argues that the Lord’s coming is nearer than supposed, since death, as with a young brother lately dead at 27, would bring it for any of us in a moment.

65. Praising God: the Psalms and His PurposeNo. 177 · 1 April 1887 · 24 min read aloud · Read: Psalm 107

    Starting from the refrain of Psalm 107, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness”, the speaker argues that praise of God is reasonable, since the universe shows a Maker, and that revelation lets us praise Him knowing His purpose with us in Christ.

66. Three Windows: Israel’s Camp, Proverbs, ZaccheusNo. 178 · 1 May 1887 · 26 min read aloud · Read: Luke 19

    Beginning from the refreshing sameness of the things of God and the commanded means of preparation (breaking of bread, prayer, reading), the speaker treats the day’s three readings as windows on the divine work.

67. Philemon’s Clues: Paul, Prisoner of Jesus ChristNo. 180 · 1 July 1887 · 27 min read aloud · Read: Philemon

    Using the picture of a scrap of paper from which a finder could infer a paper mill, a pen and a living writer, the exhortation reasons from the opening words of Philemon (“Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ”) to the facts behind them.

68. Isaiah 40: Comfort for God’s PeopleNo. 181 · 1 August 1887 · 28 min read aloud · Read: Isaiah 40

    Taking the morning’s reading of Isaiah 40, the exhortation argues that the comfort addressed to Jerusalem is for believers, who as Gentiles taken out for his name are now God’s people through believing and obeying the gospel.

69. Jeremiah 14: Forgetting God and False ProphetsNo. 182 · 1 September 1887 · 27 min read aloud · Read: Jeremiah 14

    From the drought described in Jeremiah 14, the exhortation says Israel’s calamities came because they forgot God and neglected His law, and that this is written for our learning, so that the world’s forgetfulness of God and the risk of drifting with it are warned against.

70. Ezekiel’s Three Visions of God’s GloryNo. 183 · 1 October 1887 · 26 min read aloud

    Taking the book of Ezekiel read that morning, the exhortation says it has a beginning, middle and end, in each of which the prophet witnesses the glory of the Lord: first in the vision by the river Chebar, then in the glory’s departure from Jerusalem, and finally in its return to the future temple.

71. Daniel 8, Rome and the Coming ChristNo. 185 · 1 December 1887 · 22 min read aloud · Read: Acts 8, Daniel 8

    Beginning from Philip preaching Jesus to the eunuch out of Isaiah, the exhortation takes the eighth chapter of Daniel and shows its connection with Christ: the ram, the he-goat and the little horn are explained as Persia, Greece and Rome, and Rome is said to complete the prophecy by standing up against the Prince of Princes at Christ’s coming.

72. Zechariah’s Candlestick Vision and the KingdomNo. 250 · 1 February 1894 · 22 min read aloud · Read: Zechariah 4

    Taking the morning’s reading from Zechariah 4, the speaker says prophecy is deliberately given in dark figures that must be searched out, and reads the waking of Zechariah as a figure of resurrection.

73. The Return of Christ Rooted in ScriptureNo. 251 · 1 March 1894 · 25 min read aloud

    Beginning from the command to break bread “until he come”, the speaker imagines a stranger reading Revelation’s “Surely I come quickly” and tracing who Jesus is back through the New Testament to the Old: the promises to Abraham, Israel and the law, and the prophets’ foretelling of a son of David.

74. Looking Up: Signs of Christ’s ReturnNo. 253 · 1 May 1894 · 22 min read aloud

    Answering the charge that believers live in the past or future, the speaker says the table of the Lord links the first century to the present, and urges reading the New Testament as true eye-witness record.

75. The Word’s Permanence and Jeremiah’s Faithful TestimonyNo. 257 · 1 September 1894 · 22 min read aloud · Read: Jeremiah 26

    The speaker marvels that the truth can be talked of week after week without loss of interest, while worldly pursuits fade like the flower of the field, because the Word of the Lord meets man’s real needs.

76. Learning From Jehoram, Daniel, and AnaniasNo. 260 · 1 December 1894 · 24 min read aloud

    The speaker urges reading the apostolic narratives in the settled conviction that they are true, and then draws a lesson from each of the three portions read.

77. David’s Humble Origin, Trial and CovenantNo. 305 · 1 February 1899 · 22 min read aloud Printed after his death

    The exhortation says the meeting helps us see beyond our present surroundings, backward and forward, and that the Scriptures supply the material for this.

78. Readiness for Christ’s Summons Through Bible ReadingNo. 308 · 1 July 1899 · 13 min read aloud · Read: James 1 Printed after his death

    The exhortation considers Jesus as shown in the emblems and expects the aspect in which the world sees him to change soon, judging from the state of Europe and the coming end of Papal supremacy.

79. The Purpose of God and Children of PromiseNo. 310 · 1 October 1899 · 22 min read aloud · Read: Romans 9 Printed after his death

    The speaker says the truth is for every-day use and is given in varied form so that it can be handled daily without weariness.

← All topics · All exhortations by year