Blessing of Bible Reading with Someone Else

In more recent times God has blessed me abundantly with a number of men who are willing to read through various books of the Bible with me. With one I am in 1 Peter, with another in 1 Thessalonians, with another 1 John ( in Portuguese), and with two others in Hosea. We go through slowly, verse by verse, and often cross reference other verses. We look for practical application and pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Always I go away blessed by these encounters and strengthened in my faith. Usually I am with a person from an hour to an hour and a half. Recent insights include, in Hosea chapter one the astonishing reality that God told Hosea to marry a woman whom he knew would be unfaithful to him. Hosea's obedience to do this, something so against any normative human understanding, is the key to God speaking through him, not just for his era, but for all time. This morning, working our way through the end of 1 Peter 2, we came across the phrase "by his wounds ( or stripes in some versions) we are healed. First seen in Isaiah 53:5, this verse is used by many to claim physical healing. Yet in the context of 1 Peter 2, there is no reference to physical healing at all, but rather a healing from the ravages of sin. A through perusal of 1 Thessalonians persuaded a brother studying with me of the reality of the love of God as evidenced in Paul's care and concern for the saints in Thessalonica. "But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face- 1, Paul, again and again..." ( 1 Thess 2:17-18a ESV) May I encourage readers to dig into the words that are "spirit and life," with another believer. ( John 6:63)