Week 25, June 14–20: 1 Corinthians 8–16; Isaiah 1–12

• Sun      Jun 14 1 Cor. 8–10
• Mon     Jun 15 1 Cor. 11–13
• Tue      Jun 16 1 Cor. 14–16
• Wed     Jun 17 Isa. 1–3
• Thu      Jun 18 Isa. 4–6
• Fri        Jun 19 Isa. 7–9
• Sat       Jun 20 Isa. 10–12

We have seen the real-life questions and issues addressed in 1 Corinthians, and Paul’s message is deeply theological too. In chapter 13, we read the famous and beautiful poem that defines and expounds upon Christian love. Within the context of 1 Corinthians, this passage functions to capture the heart behind Paul’s appeal for unity in in Christ. Then, chapter 15 contains one of the Bible’s clearest synthesis statements defining the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1–4), as well as the most comprehensive treatment of the theology of the resurrection in all of Scripture (1 Cor. 15:12–58).

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:53–58)

After finishing Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, we move back to the OT, where we left off after finished 1–2 Kings. In our English Bibles, 1–2 Chronicles comes right after 1–2 Kings. However, in the canonical order of the Hebrew Bible, the book immediately following Kings is Isaiah. This is the first time our reading plan encounters a major departure from the canonical order of our English Bibles.

The Hebrew Bible is divided into three major sections. The terms for these three sections are Torah, Nebi’im, and Ketubim (the “b” in Nebi’im and Ketubim is pronounced like a “v”). Torah means “Instruction” or “Teaching” or “Law” and it refers to the Pentateuch, Genesis–Deuteronomy. (Note again that the Torah—sometimes referred to as “the Law”—includes many laws but it is mostly narrative. It also includes the teaching, or instructions, that accompanies the story of the Torah, which goes from God’s creation, to the calling of Abraham, to the time God’s people are about to enter the Promise Land.)

Nebi’im means “Prophets,” and this second section of the Hebrew Bible has two parts. The first part of the Prophets is referred to as the Former Prophets and it covers the historical books we have been reading for the past several weeks: Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Samuel, and 1–2 Kings. (The only variation from our English Bibles in this section is the omission of Ruth. Ruth is in the Ketubim/Writings section of the Hebrew Bible, and we will discuss that more when we get there.) The Former Prophets are followed by the Latter Prophets, which is the section made up of the books we typically think of as the prophetic books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea–Malachi).

The third section of the three-part Hebrew canon is the Ketubim, which means “Writings”. This section consists of the rest of the books, with Psalms as the main book at the beginning and 1–2 Chronicles ending the section and concluding the Hebrew canon. The order of books in this third section differs significantly from the order of our English Bibles.

Jewish people and other Hebrew Bible readers often use the term Tanak to refer to what we call the Old Testament. This is because… well first of all it is because Jewish people do not see their Bible as part one of the whole canon, like we do as Christians. They do not have a New Testament, so referring to their Bible as the Old Testament would not make sense. And the reason it is called the Tanak is based on the acronym for the three sections. T(orah) + N(ebi’im) + K(etubim) = TaNaK.

Here is a table of the sections and books

There are a number of things we could consider about the order of books, but we will just mention a couple things briefly for now. First, there is good evidence both in the NT and outside the Bible that this three-part Hebrew Bible was probably what Jesus and the Apostles were familiar with and read from. In Luke 24:44 Jesus says, “Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (“The Psalms” here is likely just another way of referring to the Ketubim/Writings.

The order of books in our English Bibles is based on the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (called the Septuagint), which is ordered in a sequence that is more roughly chronological than the Hebrew Bible order. There is nothing wrong with the Greek or English order, nor is there necessarily something superior about the Hebrew Bible order. It is just worth considering the difference. And if there is any significance in the way the books of the Bible are arranged, then it would be good to take note of the differences and reflect a little on the implications. This year’s read thru follows the Tanak order so we can get a sense of the difference and think about any fresh observations or insights we might see as we read in this order.

In the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah follows right after the historical account of Israel’s time in the Land, the split of the kingdom, and the decline and eventual exile of both Israel and Judah. By following this reading sequence, we come to the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets with the historical narrative leading up to exile still fresh in our minds. The prophets give important theological explanations for Israel and Judah’s fall. Their forthtelling proclamations of God’s judgement against his people’s sin, their calls for repentance, and their foretelling predictions of coming restoration all resound with a heightened sense of clarity and immediacy when we read them right after the historical accounts of 1–2 Kings.

We will be in these books of the Latter Prophets for the next several weeks, with some reading in the Psalms and some NT reading mixed in too. Next week we will touch on a couple general principles for reading biblical prophetic books, but for now, be thinking of the connections between what the prophets are declaring in their writings and what we have been reading in 1–2 Kings. Themes of judgement and exile are prominent here in the Prophets, but the themes of hope in future restoration come through as well. In fact, against the dark backdrop of sin and its consequences, we see more clearly the anticipation of a future when God’s Messiah will come and his people will return to him.