There is no one who does good - Psalm 53

Now Psalm 53 is another epic one. "There is no one who does good" appears here but also on Psalm 14. Until now, I did not know these two Psalms are very similar, in fact the only difference I can spot is on the verse 5 and 6. And above all, this was referenced by Jesus himself in Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19.

2 Corinthians 10-11

And this is another of today's reading that stuck with me. Paul's authority is being challenged here. In fact the authority in world's view and apostolic view are very different: "did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted" That is certainly a problem that most of us have experienced. 

The world does not value meekness, it expects authority to be established by a certain way of conduct and swagger which is not a Christian virtue: "Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge".  And to counteract his eloquent writings: "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account".

And then he defends himself by listing his sufferings. You cannot help but feel compassion for him; he has been under so much pressure, leaving him no choice but to brag about his qualifications and suffering: "I am talking like a madman". No matter what you think about Paul, you must give him real credit for his integrity, steadfastness, and perhaps his sense of humour :)