​

​

Jesus replied, 


“Truly, truly, I tell you,

​it is not because you saw these signs that

you are looking for Me,

but because you ate the loaves and

had your fill. 

Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that

endures to eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give you.

For on Him God the Father has placed

​His seal of approval.”



The Suffering Servant

(Acts 8:26–40; 1 Peter 2:21–25)

1Who has believed our message? 
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, 
and like a root out of dry ground. 
He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, 
no beauty that we should desire Him.
3He was despised and rejected by men, 
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. 
Like one from whom men hide their faces, 
He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4Surely He took up our infirmities 
and carried our sorrows;b
yet we considered Him stricken, 
struck down by God, and afflicted.
5But He was pierced for our transgressions, 
He was crushed for our iniquities; 
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, 
and by His stripes we are healed.c
6We all like sheep have gone astray,d
each one has turned to his own way; 
and the LORD has laid upon Him 
the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, 
yet He did not open His mouth. 
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, 
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, 
so He did not open His mouth.
8By oppression and judgment He was taken away, 
and who can recount His descendants? 
For He was cut off from the land of the living;e
He was stricken for the transgression of My people.



A Grave Assigned

(Matthew 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42)

9He was assigned a grave with the wicked, 
and with a rich man in His death, 
although He had done no violence, 
nor was any deceit in His mouth.f
10Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him 
and to cause Him to suffer; 
and when His soul is made a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, 
and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11After the anguish of His soul, 
He will see the light of life and be satisfied. 
By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, 
and He will bear their iniquities.
12Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great,
and He will divide the spoils with the strong,
because He has poured out His life unto death, 
and He was numbered with the transgressors.
Yet He bore the sin of many 
and made intercession for the transgressors.



The term living stones

 in 1 Peter 2:5 is used as a metaphor to illustrate

the secure and intimate relationship

believers have with Jesus,

who is described in the previous verse as

the “living Stone” (1 Peter 2:4).


Together, these two verses picture how Christ and His followers are joined by God Himself: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”

​(1 Peter 2:4–5).

The foundation of God’s building is His Son, Jesus Christ, the “living Stone.” The “living stones,” in turn, are believers who come to Jesus and place their lives upon this foundation. The living Stone is “precious” to those who believe (1 Peter 2:7), but some men reject the living Stone in order to build their lives their own way, not God’s way (see Psalm 118:22 and Luke 6:46–49). Unbelievers cast this living Stone aside, not caring that Jesus is the only true foundation upon which they can build securely (1 Corinthians 3:11).

In a metaphor much like that of the living Stone, Jesus is described as the chief cornerstone in Ephesians 2:19–22. Peter references Jesus as the cornerstone in Acts 4:11–12, stating that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” God accepts no one who refuses to become a part of His building. And God is just like all builders—He has a foundation upon which all workers must build (Matthew 7:24–27).

Believers, then, are the “living stones” of the church that Jesus promised to build (Matthew 16:18). As living stones, we have new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). As integral parts of the building of God, we have security in Christ (John 6:37). As the Master Builder, God places His living stones just where He wants us to be (1 Corinthians 12:18).
​


The Living Stone

Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 

4As you come to Him, the livingstone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.…

​
Psalm 118:22
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

Matthew 21:42
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Acts 4:11
This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

Ephesians 2:20-22
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. / In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. / And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.

Romans 9:32-33
Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, / as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”

Mark 12:10
Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Luke 20:17
But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?

1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 8:14
And He will be a sanctuary—but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare.

John 1:11
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

John 6:37
Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.

Hebrews 4:14
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.

Hebrews 5:5-6
So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” / And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 7:26
Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, eventhe sure mercies of David.

Jeremiah 3:22
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

​Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

John 5:26
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

John 6:57
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

John 11:25,26
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: … 

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Daniel 2:34,45
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces… 

Zechariah 3:9
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall beseven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

Psalm 118:22,23
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner… 

Isaiah 8:14,15
And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem… 

Matthew 21:42
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Isaiah 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Matthew 12:18
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

​


The Parable of the Good Samaritan
​

25One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,”

he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”

27He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your strength and with all your mind’c and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

28“You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”

29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.

31Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him,
he passed by on the other side.

32So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side.

33But a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35The next day he took out two denariie and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’

36Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37“The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law. 
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

​

Martha and Mary

38As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”

41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. 42But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”

​


Remember the LORD Your God

1You must carefully follow every commandment I am giving you today, so that you may live and multiply, and enter and possess the land that the LORD swore to give your fathers. 2Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.

3He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.a4Your clothing did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.

5So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. 6Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, walking in His ways and fearing Him.

7For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; 8a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; 9a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and whose hills are ready to be mined for copper. 10When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you.

11Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day.12Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, 13and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, 14then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

15He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint. 16He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.

17You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.” 18But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.

19If you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. 20Like the nations that the LORD has destroyed before you, so you will perish if you do not obey the LORD your God.

​

Love Your Neighbor

(Romans 13:8–10)

9When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.

11You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.

12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

13You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. 
​
You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.

14You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.

15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

16You must not go about spreading slander among your people. 
You must not endanger the lifeb of your neighbor. I am the LORD.

17You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him. 18Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.c I am the LORD.


Keep My Statutes

19You are to keep My statutes. You shall not crossbreed two different kinds of livestock; you shall not sow your fields with two kinds of seed; and you shall not wear clothing made of two kinds of material.

20If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. 21The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD. 22The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.

23When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden.d For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten. 24In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD. 25But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit; thus your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.
​
26You must not eat anything with blood still in it. 
You must not practice divination or sorcery.
27You must not cut off the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
​
28You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
29You must not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity.
30You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.
​
31You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
32You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
​
33When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.34You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

35You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. 36You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah,e and an honest hin.f I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
​
37You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and follow them. I am the LORD.”


The Wedding at Cana

1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.”
​
4“Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
​
6Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons.a 7Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
8“Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.”
​
They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”

11Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
​


Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Matthew 21:12–17; Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48)

12After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

13When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courtsb He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. 15So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”

17His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

18On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”
19Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

20“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”

21But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. 22After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

23While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name. 24But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. 

 He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.



Peter and John before the Sanhedrin

1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day. 4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

5The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family. 7They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed, 10then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 

This Jesus is 

‘the stone you builders rejected, 
which has become the cornerstone.’

Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”


The Name Forbidden

13When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response. 15So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.

16“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it. 17But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”

18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. 20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

21After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. 22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.


The Believers’ Prayer

(Psalm 2:1–12)

23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: 

‘Why do the nations rage 
and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand 
and the rulers gather together 
against the Lord 
and against His Anointed One.’

27In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. 28They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. 29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, 30as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

31After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were

all filled with the

Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.


​
Sharing among Believers
​
(Acts 2:42–47)

32The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul.

No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. 


33With great power the apostles

​ continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

And abundant grace was upon them all.

34There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would

​sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, 

35and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.


36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas

(meaning Son of Encouragement), 

37sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

​

In Matthew 22 

​Jesus fields a series of questions meant to entrap Him in His words.

It’s in answer to one of those questions that Jesus says that

“at the resurrection

people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;

they will be like the angels in heaven”


(Matthew 22:30)

​

The immediate context of Jesus’ teaching that at the resurrection people will not marry is to answer a group of Jewish religious leaders called the Sadducees. The Sadducees presented a scenario where a woman was widowed seven times without any children, and each time, following the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 25:5), she married her deceased husband’s brother, who was to bear a child for his deceased brother. In the Sadducees’ scenario, the woman was married seven times to seven different brothers. They then asked Jesus, “Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” (Matthew 22:28).

The Sadducees’ question was dishonest to begin with, because they denied the reality of a future resurrection

(Matthew 22:23; Acts 23:8).

So, their question was purely for the purpose of trapping Jesus. Jesus’ response not only answered their question but also confronted their error concerning two doctrines: the future resurrection and the existence of angels.

Jesus attributes the Sadducees’ doctrinal errors to ignorance of two things: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). Jesus then reveals the truth that “at the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). He proceeds to prove, from the Scriptures, that there is life after death and there will be a resurrection. Quoting Exodus 3:6, Jesus points to God’s self-identification as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God said, “I am” their God (present tense), and since “He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Matthew 22:32), the patriarchs are still alive, and God is still their God.

Jesus does not address why people will not marry at the resurrection. Some have speculated that marriage won’t exist in the resurrected state because procreation will not be necessary. Some suggest that marriage, as a symbol of Christ and His people (Ephesians 5:22–23), will not be necessary as the reality will have replaced the symbol. Either way, Jesus is making several things clear: 1) there is certainly a resurrection; 2) this state of being will be drastically different from what humanity experiences now; 3) marriage will not occur; and 4) humanity will be like the angels, who also do not marry.

By answering the Sadducees’ question this way, Jesus was able to affirm the resurrection in the presence of many and provide the solution to the post-resurrection marriage conundrum. Existence in the resurrected state will simply be different from what we know now.

People will not marry or be given in marriage in the resurrected state, but that does not mean people will not remember their earthly relationships. To conclude that people will lose their memories of life before the resurrection stretches the text beyond what it says. Also, being “like the angels in heaven” does not mean that people will become angels, only that they will be like angels regarding marriage.

We should look forward to the resurrection, as it will be a glorious event and state of being:

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever

​ (Revelation 22:3–5; cf. Romans 8:18 and Matthew 17:1–3).
​

In the Gospel of John,


Jesus makes seven statements beginning with

the words I am.


Each of these “I am” proclamations

furthers our understanding of Jesus’ ministry

in the world

​ and the revelation of God.
​

In the Old Testament, God revealed His name to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). Thus, in Judaism, “I AM” is unquestionably understood as a name for God. Whenever Jesus made an “I am” statement in which He claimed attributes of deity,

He was identifying Himself as God.

Here are the seven metaphorical “I am” statements found in

​John’s gospel:

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51).

In this chapter, Jesus establishes a pattern that continues through John’s gospel—Jesus makes a statement about who He is, and He backs it up with something He does. In this case, Jesus states that He is the bread of life just after He had fed the 5,000 in the wilderness. At the same time, He contrasts what He can do with what Moses had done for their ancestors: “Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die” (verses 49–50).

“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5). This second of Jesus’ “I am” statements in John’s gospel comes right before He heals a man born blind. Jesus not only says He is the light; He proves it. Jesus’ words and actions echo Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

“I am the door” (John 10:7 and 9, ESV). This “I am” statement stresses that no one can enter the kingdom of heaven by any other means than Christ Himself. Jesus’ words in this passage are couched in the imagery of a sheepfold. He is the one and only way to enter the fold. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber” (verse 1, ESV).

“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). With this “I am” statement, Jesus portrays His great love and care. He is the One who willingly protects His flock even to the point of death (verses 11 and 15). When Jesus called Himself the good shepherd, He unmistakably took for Himself one of God’s titles in the Old Testament: “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).

“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Jesus made this “I am” statement immediately before raising Lazarus from the dead. Again, we see that Jesus’ teaching was not just empty talk; when He made a claim, He substantiated it with action. He holds “the keys of death and the grave” (Revelation 1:18, NLT). In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus showed how He can fulfill Yahweh’s promise to ancient Israel: “[God’s] dead shall live; their bodies shall rise” (Isaiah 26:19, ESV). Apart from Jesus, there is neither resurrection nor eternal life.

“I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). This powerful “I am” statement of Christ’s is packed with meaning. Jesus is not merely one way among many ways to God; He is the only way. Scripture said that “The very essence of [God’s] words is truth” (Psalm 119:160, NLT), and here is Jesus proclaiming that He is the truth—confirming His identity as the Word of God (see John 1:1, 14). And Jesus alone is the source of life; He is the Creator and Sustainer of all life and the Giver of eternal life.

“I am the true vine” (John 15:1, 5). The final metaphorical “I am” statement in the Gospel of John emphasizes the sustaining power of Christ. We are the branches, and He is the vine. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it is joined in vital union with the vine, only those who are joined to Christ and receive their power from Him produce fruit in the Christian life.

There are two more “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. These are not metaphors; rather, they are declarations of God’s name, as applied by Jesus to Himself. The first instance comes as Jesus responds to a complaint by the Pharisees. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus says, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58, NLT). The verbs Jesus uses are in stark contrast with each other: Abraham was, but I am. There is no doubt that the Jews understood Jesus’ claim to be the eternal God incarnate, because they took up stones to kill Him (verse 59).

The second instance of Jesus applying to Himself the name I AM comes in the Garden of Gethsemane. When the mob came to arrest Jesus, He asked them whom they sought. They said, “Jesus of Nazareth,” and Jesus replied, “I am he” (John 18:4–5). Then something strange happened: “When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (verse 6). Perhaps explaining the mob’s reaction is the fact that the word he has been provided by our English translators. Jesus simply said, “I am.” Applying God’s covenant name to Himself, Jesus demonstrated His power over His foes and showed that His surrender to them was entirely voluntary (see John 10:17–18; 19:11).

“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11) is the fourth of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique, divine identity and purpose. Immediately after declaring that He is “the door” in John 10:7, Jesus declares “I am the good shepherd.” He describes Himself as not only “the shepherd” but the “good shepherd.” What does this mean?

It should be understood that Jesus is “the” good shepherd, not simply “a” good shepherd, as others may be, but He is unique in character (Psalm 23; Zechariah 13:7; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 1 Peter 5:4). The Greek word kalos, translated “good,” describes that which is noble, wholesome, good, and beautiful, in contrast to that which is wicked, mean, foul, and unlovely. It signifies not only that which is good inwardly—character—but also that which is attractive outwardly. It is an innate goodness. Therefore, in using the phrase “the good shepherd,” Jesus is referencing His inherent goodness, His righteousness, and His beauty. As shepherd of the sheep, He is the one who protects, guides, and nurtures His flock.

As He did in declaring that He is “the door of the sheep” in John 10:7, Jesus is making a contrast between Himself and the religious leaders, the Pharisees (John 10:12–13). He compares them to a “hireling” or “hired hand” who doesn’t really care about the sheep. In John 10:9, Jesus speaks of thieves and robbers who sought to enter the sheepfold stealthily. In that passage the Jewish leaders (Pharisees) are contrasted with Christ, who is the Door. Here, in John 10:12, the hireling is contrasted with the true or faithful shepherd who willingly gives up his life for the sheep. He who is a “hireling” works for wages, which are his main consideration. His concern is not for the sheep but for himself. Interestingly enough, the shepherds of ancient times were not usually the owners of the flock. Nevertheless, they were expected to exercise the same care and concern the owners would. This was characteristic of a true shepherd. However, some of the hirelings thought only of themselves. As a result, when a wolf appeared—the most common threat to sheep in that day—the hireling abandoned the flock and fled, leaving the sheep to be scattered or killed (John 10:12–13).

First, to better understand the purpose of a shepherd during the times of Jesus, it is helpful to realize that sheep are utterly defenseless and totally dependent upon the shepherd. Sheep are always subject to danger and must always be under the watchful eye of the shepherd as they graze. Rushing walls of water down the valleys from sudden, heavy rainfalls may sweep them away, robbers may steal them, and wolves may attack the flock. David tells how he killed a lion and a bear while defending his father’s flock as a shepherd boy (1 Samuel 17:36). Driving snow in winter, blinding dust and burning sands in summer, long, lonely hours each day—all these the shepherd patiently endures for the welfare of the flock. In fact, shepherds were frequently subjected to grave danger, sometimes even giving their lives to protect their sheep.

Likewise, Jesus gave His life on the cross as “the Good Shepherd” for his own. He who would save others, though He had the power, did not choose to save Himself. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Through His willing sacrifice, the Lord made salvation possible for all who come to Him in faith. In proclaiming that He is the Good Shepherd, Jesus speaks of “laying down” His life for His sheep (John 10:15, 17–18).

Jesus’ death was divinely appointed. It is only through Him that we receive salvation. “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:14). Furthermore, Jesus makes it clear that it wasn’t just for the Jews that he laid down His life, but also for the “other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). The “other sheep” clearly refers to the Gentiles. As a result, Jesus is the Good Shepherd over all, both Jew and Gentile, who come to believe upon Him (John 3:16).

Sheep are totally dependent upon the shepherd who tends them with care and compassion. Shepherds were the providers, guides, protectors and constant companions of sheep. So close was the bond between shepherd and sheep that to this day Middle Eastern shepherds can divide flocks that have mingled at a well or during the night simply by calling their sheep, who know and follow their shepherd’s voice. Shepherds were inseparable from their flocks. The shepherd would lead the sheep to safe places to graze and make them lie down for several hours in a shady place. Then, as night fell, the shepherd would lead the sheep to the protection of a sheepfold.

There were two kinds of sheepfolds or pens. One kind was a public sheepfold found in the cities and villages. It would be large enough to hold several flocks of sheep. This sheep pen would be in the care of a porter or doorkeeper, whose duty it was to guard the door to the sheep pen during the night and to admit the shepherds in the morning. The shepherds would call their sheep, each of which knew its own shepherd’s voice, and would lead them out to pasture.

The second kind of sheep pen was in the countryside, where the shepherds would keep their flocks in good weather. This type of sheep pen was nothing more than a rough circle of rocks piled into a wall with a small open space to enter. Through it the shepherd would drive the sheep at nightfall. Since there was no gate to close—just an opening—the shepherd would keep the sheep in and wild animals out by lying across the opening. He would sleep there, in this case literally becoming the door to the sheep.

In this context, Jesus is telling us that He is not only the shepherd of the sheep, but also the door of the sheep. In doing so, He is vividly contrasting Himself with that of the religious leaders of His time whom He describes as “thieves and robbers” (John 10:8). When Jesus says, “I am the door,” He is reiterating the fact that only through Him is salvation possible. This is far removed from the ecumenical teachings popular in today’s liberal religious circles. Jesus makes it clear that any religious leader who offers salvation other than the teachings of Christ is a “thief” and a “robber.”

One who believes the gospel (Hebrews 11:6) and repents of sin (Luke 13:3) is assured of being in “the fold” and of having entered by “the door.” As followers of Christ, Jesus is both our Shepherd and the Door to the sheepfold who provides for all our needs. Knowing that the world is full of predators whose sole intent is to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8), we are always under His protection. More importantly, we are fully confident that “when the Chief Shepherd appears, [we] will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).



A Greeting from James

(Jude 1:1–2)
​
1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
​
To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion:

Greetings.



Rejoicing in Trials

(Philippians 1:12–20)


2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 



Allow perseverance to finish

its work,

so that you may be mature and

complete,

not lacking anything.



5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.


Good and Perfect Gifts

13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. 15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.b 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.


Hearing and Doing

19My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

22Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. 23For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, 24and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 27Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


The Rich Young Ruler

…21“All these I have kept from my youth,” he said. 22On hearing this, Jesus toldhim, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything 
​you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow Me.” 23But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.…


Psalm 23

  A psalm of David.1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
​

Matthew 19:21
Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Acts 2:44-45
All the believers were together and had everything in common. / Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need.

Acts 4:34-35
There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, / and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.

1 Timothy 6:17-19
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. / Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

Matthew 13:44-46
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field. / Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. / When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

Philippians 3:7-8
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. / More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.

Proverbs 11:24-25
One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. / A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Isaiah 58:6-7
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? / Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.



Warnings from Israel’s Past

(Numbers 16:41–50; Numbers 25:1–5)

1I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”a 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test Christ,b as some of them did, and were killed by snakes. 10And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.


Flee from Idolatry

(Exodus 20:22–26)

14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

18Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar? 19Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too. 22Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?


All to God’s Glory

(1 Peter 4:1–11)

23“Everything is permissible,”d but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying. 24No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,26for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”e
27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience--f 29the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.32Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God— 33as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

​
Paul’s Hardships and God’s Grace

1As God’s fellow workers,a then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.2For He says: 
​
“In the time of favor I heard you, 
and in the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.

4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities; 5in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger; 6in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;8through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine; 9unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide. 12It is not our affection, but yours, that is restrained. 13As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.


Do Not Be Unequally Yoked

14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?c Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 

​
“I will dwell with them 
and walk among them, 
and I will be their God, 
and they will be My people.”d
17“Therefore come out from among them 
and be separate, says the Lord. 
Touch no unclean thing, 
and I will receive you.”
18And: 
“I will be a Father to you, 
and you will be My sons and daughters, 
says the Lord Almighty.”


​
The Lamp of the Body

(Luke 11:33–36)

22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good,d your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad,e your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.



Jesus Our Advocate

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He Himself is the atoning sacrificea for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

3By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. 4If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: 6Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.



A New Commandment

7Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.8Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.

9If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.10Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.
13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. 
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. 
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.


Do Not Love the World

15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. 17The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.


Beware of Antichrists

18Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.

20You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.c 21I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. 23Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Remain in Christ

24As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.

26I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.27And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

28And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.

29If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

​

Do Not Love the World

14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15Do not love theworld or anything in the world. If anyoneloves the world, the love of the Father isnot in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.…

James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

John 15:18-19
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. / If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...

Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.



Paul’s First Missionary Journey Begins
​
(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)

1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.


On Cyprus

4So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.

6They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
9Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas 10and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.


In Pisidian Antioch

13After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down. 15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

16Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me! 17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land. 18He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness. 19And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance. 20All this took about 450 years. 

After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 

After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’

From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised. 


Before the arrival of Jesus,

John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

As John was completing his course, he said,

‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One.

But there is One coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that

this message of salvation has been sent. 


The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him

they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 

And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.


When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

But God raised Him from the dead,

and for many days He was seen by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem.

They are now His witnesses to our people.

And now we proclaim to you the good news: What God promised our fathers

He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: 


‘You are My Son; 

today I have become Your Father.’

In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay.

As He has said: 

‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

So also, He says in another Psalm: 

‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’


For when David

had served God’s purpose in his own generation,

he fell asleep.


His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.

But the One whom God raised from the dead

did not see decay.


Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 

Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:

Look, you scoffers, 
wonder and perish! 


For I am doing a work in your days 

that you would never believe, 

even if someone told you.’



A Light for the Gentiles

(Isaiah 49:1–6)

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to continue this message on the next Sabbath. 

After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas,

who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
​
On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 

But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.

Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 


‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, 

to bring

salvation to the ends of the earth.’

​
When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region.

The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

​Psalm 119 is a long acrostic poem dedicated singularly to honoring and proclaiming the value of God’s Word. In verse 105, the psalmist declares to the Lord, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (ESV). Just as a lamp brightens a path for our feet to walk, God’s Word provides the illumination and guidance we need to walk in this world.

The word translated “lamp” in this passage is ner in the original Hebrew. It refers to a small clay lantern with a solitary wick. The psalmist describes the Word of God as a lamp carried on his journey to distinguish the way and keep him from stumbling off course and going astray. The light of God’s Word allows us to see the right direction. It is God’s guidance for our travels through life on earth.

Only God’s Word provides the direction we need. Second Peter 1:19 describes it as a reliable lamp shining in a dark place: “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

The apostle Paul told his young protégé, Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NLT). If we study God’s Word frequently and diligently, if we give it our full attention, it will provide us with the direction, correction, and wisdom we need to succeed in life and do the Lord’s work.

God’s Word has extraordinary power, says Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The Word of God is alive because He is a living God (Hebrews 3:12; 2 Corinthians 6:16). His words are full of energy, life, power, and productivity—they cause things to happen (Psalm 33:9). If we allow it to, if we don’t ignore it, God’s Word will take an active presence in our lives. We can trust the Word of God to accomplish whatever purpose God intends for it and to prosper wherever He sends it (Isaiah 55:11). For this reason, we ought to study it (2 Timothy 2:15), meditate on it (Psalm 119:97), hold firmly to it (Philippians 2:16), and hide it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).

Christians can say to God, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” because the Word of God is the living energy that actively provides illumination, insight, direction, and guidance for our pilgrimage through

The unparalleled importance and power of God’s Word in the life of those who love, honor, and obey it is the theme of Psalm 119. In verse 11, the psalmist acknowledges, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” stressing the purifying quality of the Word of God to keep believers from straying into sin. Outward obedience comes from having the Scriptures buried deep within our hearts like a priceless treasure.

How can we have God’s Word hidden in our hearts? Let’s start by gaining a better understanding of what the psalmist is saying. The word for “hidden” in the original Hebrew means “to treasure, to regard as highly valued, to hide, keep, save up, store.” Translations range from “I have treasured your word in my heart” (CSB), to “I have stored up your word in my heart” (ESV), to “I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart” (The Message).

God’s Word is the agent of His Spirit used to cleanse the hearts of all who believe in Christ and are saved (Ephesians 5:25–27). And it is through keeping God’s Word securely planted in our hearts and living according to what it says that believers continue to walk in holiness (Psalm 37:31; 119:9).

The Lord commanded Israel, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 11:18–20). This passage mentions several of the ways we can hide, treasure, and store up God’s Word in our hearts. Let’s explore these in detail.

One of the first steps in hiding God’s Word in our hearts is reading the Bible. We get to know God and understand His plan for our lives through the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 119:105). Every Christian ought to pursue a consistent method of reading through the Bible.

Proverbs 2:1–5 conveys the benefits of listening to the Word of God: “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. . . . Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God” (NLT).

Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ” (NLT). The spoken Word of Christ—the peaching of the gospel message—has the power to produce faith and reveal Christ. In Jesus Christ’s day, Scripture was read aloud in the synagogues and recited in households. When we listen to the Scriptures, either in music or read out loud, we reinforce God’s Word in our hearts.

Proverbs 7:1–3 states, “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Writing down our thoughts as we read and listen to the Bible will help clarify and strengthen those biblical truths in our hearts (Exodus 34:27; Deuteronomy 6:6, 8–9; Habakkuk 2:2).

The Bible urges us to study the Scriptures for greater understanding (Acts 17:11). The apostle Paul told Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Use a study Bible and other resources to help you accurately apprehend what Scripture is saying, not superficially, but historically and in the proper context.

The overarching message of Psalm 119 is that great blessings belong to those who love, honor, and obey the Word of God. In the second stanza, the psalmist turns his focus to the purifying power of God’s Word, asking and answering this question: “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (Psalm 119:9, NKJV).

The New Living Translation renders this verse like so: “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.” Personal holiness is apprehended by living according to the commands and precepts found in Scripture. The passage goes on to affirm, “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:10–11). Outward obedience flows from an inward heart that seeks after God.

When we delight in God’s law and have it hidden deep in our hearts like a priceless treasure, our steps will not falter (Romans 7:22; Psalm 37:31). We will take pleasure in doing God’s will (Psalm 40:8). Our ways will be clean because God’s Word is a lamp to light our path (Psalm 119:105).

God’s Word has a purifying effect (John 17:17). The apostle Paul taught that Jesus Christ sanctifies the church “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:26). The apostle Peter attested to a purification or soul-cleansing that comes through obedience to the truth—“the living abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:22–23). When Jesus spoke about being the true Vine, He told His disciples, “You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you” (John 15:3, NLT).

The Lord’s message is His truth, His teachings, and His commands in Scripture. He reveals His Word to us that we may live by it entirely, wisely, securely, and well. The Word of God is a purifying force for both young and old. Paul instructed the Colossians to “let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16, CSB).

A young man can cleanse his way by making the pursuit of God’s Word a way of life. Scripture promises that those who are directed on the path of God from an early age will never depart from it (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 11:19). Paul told his protégé, Timothy, “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15, NLT).

God’s Word must become our counselor (Psalm 119:24), healer (Psalm 107:20), encourager (Acts 20:32), and provider of hope, faith, truth, and life (Romans 15:4; Colossians 1:5–6). Peter said, “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God” (1 Peter 1:23, NLT).

The writer of Hebrews describes the powerful and purifying influence of God’s Word in our lives: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Scripture overflows with practical wisdom for young men who wish to stay pure. The first cleansing step in our faith journey is repentance and confession of sin, not just once but whenever we fall into sin (1 John 1:9; James 5:16). 

​Purification rituals in the Old Testament were meant to help illustrate our need for forgiveness from sin. Inner purity is required to enter God’s presence. “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3–4). This set of questions and answers shows that God cares about a person’s heart, not just the outward ritual of cleansing.

Also, purification rituals were meant to deepen people’s worship of God. As David writes in Psalm 51:7, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” David understands that hyssop and water alone cannot restore him to good standing with God, because only God can cleanse him from spiritual impurity. Still, he uses imagery taken from legalistic rituals as a visible expression of inner renewal (cp. Leviticus 14:4 –7; Numbers 19:18 –19).

Further, purification rituals symbolized the way God prepares and empowers people to serve Him. One example is Isaiah’s call to ministry. As the prophet tells the story, “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for’” (Isaiah 6:6–7). By purifying Isaiah’s lips, God equipped the prophet to speak for Him.

Purification rituals were required to allow an unclean person to rejoin the community after being excluded because of defilement, disease, or impurity. An example of a rule related to purity is Leviticus 14:8, which says, “The person to be cleansed [of a skin disease] must wash their clothes, shave off all their hair and bathe with water; then they will be ceremonially clean. After this they may come into the camp, but they must stay outside their tent for seven days.”

Ultimately, all the purification rituals in the law pointed to Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews explains: “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship” (Hebrews 10:1). God never intended the law, including the purification rituals it prescribed, to take away sin. Forgiveness comes only through Jesus. He is the reality behind the law’s shadows: “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

Acts of purification were only a foreshadowing of what was to come. Only Jesus can cleanse a sinner’s heart, and He did so when He shed His blood on the cross for sin (cf. 1 John 1:9). Jesus’ death and resurrection “provided purification for sins,” and after that Jesus “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3b). Jesus’ being seated signifies that the work of providing purification for people’s sin is complete. Symbolic rituals are no longer necessary.

Consider a healthy marriage as an analogy: a husband and wife have the constant assurance that their marriage is legally valid, but, when one spouse sins against the other, the relationship suffers. Apologies and forgiveness play a vital role in restoring the intimacy. The sin did not dissolve the marriage, but it did break the fellowship for a time. Similarly, those who are in Christ possess a secure legal standing before God—we are justified; we are adopted as His children. However, when we sin, the relationship suffers, and our confession, followed by God’s forgiveness, helps us stay aligned with the relational aspect of our Christian walk.

When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He came to Peter, who objected to Jesus serving him in such menial fashion. Jesus told Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8). At this, Peter asked for a whole-body cleansing (verse 9). But Jesus said that wasn’t necessary: “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean” (verse 10). In other words, Peter had already had his “bath” (he was justified), but he still needed the smaller cleansing (forgiveness of the day-to-day sins he had committed). A bathed person walking through this world will pick up dirt and grime and thus need a foot-washing. Likewise, a saved person living in this sinful world will need periodic times of confession. And God promises to forgive His child.

When we confess our sin—that is, when we acknowledge that our actions were wrong—God is willing to cleanse us of all unrighteousness and restore our communion with Him.

Matthew 25:1-12.

And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.

The oil represents the presence of God in our life; the presence of the Holy Spirit. It's the oil that keeps the fire burning. It is mentioned in the parable that the oil is to be purchased. Which means that a price is to be paid to obtain the oil. To have a continual presence of God in our life, we are to pay a price, by spending time at the feet of Jesus. Only a substantial presence of God in our life can keep the fire burning through the dark nights. Such a person who has the fire burning in him at the time of the Bride Grooms return, will go in with Him.




Righteousness through Faith in Christ

(Romans 3:21–31)

1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself could have such confidence. 
If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

7But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ,a the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

10I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.


Pressing on toward the Goal

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
​
15All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well. 16Nevertheless, we must live up to what we have already attained.


Citizenship in Heaven

17Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you. 18For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

20But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

​
Personal Greetings and Love

1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servanta of the church in Cenchrea.2Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her with anything she may need from you. For she has been a great help to many people, including me.

3Greet Priscab and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5Greet also the church that meets at their house. 

Greet my beloved Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

6Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you.

7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow countrymen and fellow prisoners.

​They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.
10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. 
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
11Greet Herodion, my fellow countryman. 
Greet those from the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who have worked hard in the Lord. 
Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.

13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.
14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them.
15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.
16Greet one another with a holy kiss. 
All the churches of Christ send you greetings.


Avoid Divisions

(Titus 3:9–11)

 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that

are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.

 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.

By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to

be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.



Greetings from Paul’s Fellow Workers

(Colossians 4:7–14)

21Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow countrymen.
22I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23Gaius, who has hosted me and all the church, sends you greetings. 
Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you greetings, as does our brother Quartus.


Doxology

(Jude 1:24–25)

Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the

proclamation of Jesus Christ,

according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past 

but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command

of the eternal God,

in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith — 

to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.



Judging Others

(Luke 6:37–42; Romans 14:1–12)

Do not judge, or you will be judged. For with the same judgment you pronounce,

you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.



Ask, Seek, Knock

(Luke 11:5–13)

7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
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12In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.



The Narrow Gate

(Luke 13:22–30)

13Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.


A Tree and Its Fruit

(Luke 6:43–45)

15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’


The House on the Rock

(Luke 6:46–49)
​
24Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.

26But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”

The Authority of Jesus
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 29because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.



Serving with Honor

(Ephesians 6:5–9; Colossians 3:22–25)

1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited. 2Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.


Reject False Doctrines

3If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.

​

Godliness with Contentment

6Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, sob we cannot carry anything out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

9Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.10For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.



Fight the Good Fight

11But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.


13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate:14Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time. 16He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.


​
A Charge to the Rich

(Proverbs 23:1–5; James 5:1–6)

17Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. 18Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, 19treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Guard the Faith

20O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,” 21which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith. 
Grace be with you all.



A Warning against Pride

1What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?a 2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

4You adulteresses!b Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himselfc an enemy of God. 5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spiritd He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy? 6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: 


“God opposes the proud, 
​
but gives grace to the humble.”



Drawing Near to God

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?


Do Not Boast about Tomorrow

(Proverbs 27:1)

13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” 14You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”16As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.


Matthew 6:24

No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.


Paul’s Greeting to the Galatians

1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me, 

To the churches of Galatia:

3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,a 4who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.


No Other Gospel

6I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.
8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!


Paul Preaches the Gospel

10Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11For I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man.b12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

18Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas,c and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.
21Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.



Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

1 Thessalonians 2:4
Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.

1 Corinthians 10:33
as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,

Romans 2:29
No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

2 Corinthians 5:9
So we aspire to please Him, whether we are at home in this body or away from it.

Ephesians 6:6
And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

1 Corinthians 4:3-4
I care very little, however, if I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. / My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.

John 12:43
For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.

1 Samuel 15:24
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

Isaiah 51:12
“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?

Jeremiah 17:5
This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.



The LORD Is Exalted

1Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, 
O traitor never betrayed! 
When you have finished destroying, 
you will be destroyed. 
When you have finished betraying, 
you will be betrayed.
2O LORD, be gracious to us! 

We wait for You. 
Be our strength every morning 
and our salvation in time of trouble.
3The peoples flee the thunder of Your voice; 
the nations scatter when You rise.
4Your spoil, O nations,a is gathered as by locusts; 
like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.
5The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; 
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6He will be the sure foundation for your times, 
a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. 
The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.
7Behold, their valiant ones cry aloud in the streets; 
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.

8The highways are deserted; 
travel has ceased. 
The treatyb has been broken, 
the witnessesc are despised, 
and human life is disregarded.
9The land mourns and languishes; 
Lebanon is ashamed and decayed. 
Sharon is like a desert; 
Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
10“Now I will arise,” says the LORD. 
“Now I will lift Myself up. Now I will be exalted.
11You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble. 
Your breath is a fire that will consume you.
12The peoples will be burned to ashes, 
like thorns cut down and set ablaze.
13You who are far off, hear what I have done; 
you who are near, acknowledge My might.”
14The sinners in Zion are afraid; 
trembling grips the ungodly: 

“Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? 
Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”
15He who walks righteously 
and speaks with sincerity, 
who refuses gain from extortion, 
whose hand never takes a bribe, 
who stops his ears against murderous plots 
and shuts his eyes tightly against evil--
16he will dwell on the heights; 
the mountain fortress will be his refuge; 
his food will be provided 
and his water assured.
17Your eyes will see the King in His beauty 
and behold a land that stretches afar.
18Your mind will ponder the former terror: 
“Where is he who tallies? Where is he who weighs? 
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19You will no longer see the insolent, 
a people whose speech is unintelligible, 
who stammer in a language you cannot understand.

20Look upon Zion, 
the city of our appointed feasts. 
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, 
a peaceful pasture, a tent that does not wander; 
its tent pegs will not be pulled up, 
nor will any of its cords be broken.
21But there the Majestic One, our LORD, 
will be for us a place of rivers and wide canals, 
where no galley with oars will row, 
and no majestic vessel will pass.
22For the LORD is our Judge, 
the LORD is our lawgiver, 
the LORD is our King. 
It is He who will save us.
23Your ropes are slack; 
they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. 
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, 
and even the lame will carry off plunder.
24And no resident of Zion will say, “I am sick.” 
The people who dwell there 
will be forgiven of iniquity.


The Bible tells us that the mystery of God is Jesus Christ: “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2–3).

A “mystery” in the New Testament is something that had at one time been hidden but is now revealed to God’s people. Jesus spoke of “the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11, NAS) that He was at that point revealing to His disciples. The apostle Paul used the word mystery 21 times in his Epistles. In each case, the “mystery” involved a wonderful declaration of spiritual truth, revealed by God through divine inspiration. A mystery is that “which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5).

The mystery of God’s will is that “which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1:9–10; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:7; Revelation 10:7). The mystery of God is the consummation of God’s plan in bringing His kingdom in Christ to fulfillment. The kingdom had long been prophesied, but the how and the when and the by whom was not clear until the time of Christ. It is in Christ that God has been manifested to all of mankind. As Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Paul said that he had been commissioned to preach “the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people” (Colossians 1:25–26). That is, it is through the apostles that we have been given the capstone of Scripture; their writings, all of which point to Christ—represent the final disclosure of God’s Word to mankind. 

There is no understanding of God apart from a personal relationship with His Son (Matthew 12:50; John 14:23; 2 John 1:6). Christ is the “mystery” revealed to those who believe—as is the mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The key to having the “full riches of complete understanding” (Colossians 2:2) is to be born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). 

Paul tells us that, “beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great.” Then he records what may be an early hymn of the church: “He [Jesus] appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

In that short paragraph, the Bible

​reveals the

heart of the gospel, the mystery

of “true godliness.”

The secret of being godly was hidden but is now revealed. It is to those who believe in Christ that the mystery is made known (1 Corinthians 2:7–14; Colossians 1:27). We come to learn that we of our own volition cannot please God; we must depend on Christ (2 Corinthians 3:5). As a man, Jesus lived a perfect life (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:21), and so He is a perfect example of how to live. As God, Jesus gives us the power to do what is right. It is possible to live a godly life—through the power of Christ (Philippians 4:13).

God has revealed His complete Word to His saints (Colossians 1:26) who have “heard and learned” the gospel (John 6:45; cf. Romans 10:17 and John 3:16–18), and it is they alone who fathom “the glorious riches of this mystery” (Colossians 1:27). In its fullest sense, the “mystery of God” is God’s plan of salvation through Jesus.
​

We would never have been able to comprehend

the way

​to eternal life without the coming of Jesus,

His death and resurrection.


John 17:12 is referring to Judas Iscariot, while 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is referring to the “man of lawlessness”—the Antichrist--
​who will appear in the end times before Christ’s return.

The word perdition means “eternal damnation” or “utter destruction.” It can also be used as a synonym for hell. When a person is called “son of perdition,” the connotation is that of a person in an unredeemable state, someone who is already damned while he is still alive. Jesus mentions the “son of perdition” in His high priestly prayer in John 17. While praying to the Father for His disciples, Jesus mentions that He “protected them and kept them safe” and that none of them were lost except the “son of perdition,” that is, the one who was already in a damned state. The fact that the phrase is used again to describe the Antichrist shows us that forgiveness was not planned for Judas. God could have saved Judas—moved his heart to repentance—but He chose not to. He was indeed “doomed to destruction.”

A good picture of a person who is a “son of perdition” appears in Hebrews 6:4–8, which describes a person who, like Judas, has experienced a certain closeness to God and has a good understanding of salvation, but then denies it. Instead of bearing good fruit, he bears “thorns and thistles.” This is a person who sees the path to salvation, which is trusting in God’s grace to cover sin (Ephesians 2:8–9), and instead either flatly denies the existence of God or denies God’s gift of salvation, preferring to pay his own debt. Judas chose the second path, punishing himself by suicide instead of accepting grace.

However, Judas and the Antichrist are extreme cases. It is never right for a human being to label another person a “son of perdition” because only God knows the ultimate future of each human soul. Only with these two individuals did God choose to reveal His plan for their eternal damnation. With every other person, no matter how lost or evil he may seem, we are to hope and pray for his redemption (1 Timothy 2:1).

Paul referred to the Word of God (ton logon tou theou) as the mystery that had been hidden from the ages and generations but has now been revealed (Colossians 1:25–26). Paul adds that the mystery had been revealed not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. That mystery, Paul says, is “Christ in you—the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). A bit further into the context, Paul refers to God’s mystery as Christ Himself (Colossians 2:2). Throughout his letter to the Colossians, Paul identifies the mystery as Christ and His relationship to believers being revealed in a way not previously communicated. The identity of the Christ had not been revealed in any detail in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), though there were, of course, many prophecies anticipating His earthly ministry. From the various theophanies (appearances of God in physical form) in the Hebrew Scriptures, it is evident that the one called Yahweh would later come to earth as a man—Jesus.

Recall Jesus’ claim in John 8:56–58 that He had preceded Abraham. This Yahweh—the preincarnate Christ—had always existed, but at the right time in God’s plan, this Messiah came to earth, born of a virgin. The mystery that is Christ, who had been previously unrevealed, was now clearly manifested in the sight of all. Further, this One not only existed, but He came to earth to express His love by His sacrifice (see John 3:16; Philippians 2:1–11), to have a brotherly kind of relationship (Romans 8:29), and to be intimately known by those who have believed in Him (John 17:3).

As Ephesians is a similar letter written by Paul around the same time, it is helpful to consider Paul’s use of the word mystery in that context as well. He mentions “the mystery“ in Ephesians 1:9, 3:3, and 3:9, but he doesn’t offer any definition in those verses. However, in Ephesians 3:4 Paul refers to the “mystery of Christ,” which he identifies in Ephesians 3:6: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.“ In Colossians 4:3 Paul adds that the mystery of Christ was a cause of his own imprisonment (cf. Ephesians 6:19–20).

While Paul uses the term mystery on a number of occasions in his other letters, the reference isn’t always to the mystery of Christ and His relationship with people, as it seems to be in Colossians and Ephesians. Paul recognizes that he is stewarding the mysteries (plural) of God (1 Corinthians 4:1). In Romans 11:25 the mystery is that there would be a partial hardening of Israel. In 1 Corinthians 15:51, the resurrection—and the rapture, more specifically—is referred to as a mystery. There is even a mystery of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:7). While Paul stewards and communicates several of God’s mysteries, he speaks of none in such detail and repetition as he does the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:3). What a joy to know that Jesus loves us and that His grace toward us was part of God’s plan from the very beginning.


​Spiritual Gifts

1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people.

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.


The Body of Christ

12The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

14For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be?20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
​
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty,24whereas our presentable parts have no such need. 

But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.


The Greater Gifts

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire the greater gifts. 

And now I will show you the most excellent way.


​
The Lord of the Sabbath

(1 Samuel 21:1–7; Matthew 12:1–8; Mark 2:23–28)

1One Sabbatha Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them. 2But some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
​
3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, took the consecrated breadb and gave it to his companions, and ate what is lawful only for the priests to eat.”
5Then Jesus declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”


Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

(Matthew 12:9–14; Mark 3:1–6)

6On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.
8But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand among us.” So he got up and stood there.
9Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10And after looking around at all of them, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and it was restored.
11But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.


The Twelve Apostles

(Matthew 10:1–4; Mark 3:13–19)

12In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God. 13When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles: 14Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;15Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zealot;16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.


Jesus Heals the Multitudes

(Matthew 4:23–25; Mark 3:7–12)

17Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed. 19The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.


The Beatitudes

(Psalm 1:1–6; Matthew 5:3–12)

20Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: 
“Blessed are you who are poor, 
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who hunger now, 
for you will be filled. 
Blessed are you who weep now, 
for you will laugh.

22Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.


Woes to the Satisfied

(Amos 6:1–7)

24But woe to you who are rich, 
for you have already received your comfort.
25Woe to you who are well fed now, 
for you will hunger. 
Woe to you who laugh now, 
for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, 
for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.


Love Your Enemies

(Matthew 5:38–48)

27But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
​
32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.


Judging Others

(Matthew 7:1–6; Romans 14:1–12)

37Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
​
39Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

41Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 42How can you say, ‘Brother,c let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while you yourself fail to see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.


​
The Sermon on the Mount

​teaches that people cannot serve both God and money, which is often referred to as mammon. Jesus instructs followers to lay up "treasures in heaven" instead of "treasures on earth," meaning priorities should be on spiritual wealth over material possessions.


​Matthew 6:19-34 belongs to the larger literary unit of Matthew 6:19-7:12, where Jesus teaches people about righteousness—a way of relating rightly with both God and neighbor. In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus focuses specifically on wealth and possessions. He opens with three statements about the difference between generosity and stinginess. In the second half of this section (vs. 25-34), Jesus gives two analogies that demonstrate God’s endless, abundant generosity. The whole section closes with an exhortation to trust in God’s provision and acknowledge the futility in worrying about having enough stuff.

Notice what Jesus does in the Sermon on the Mount: He contrasts and compares: storing up treasures on earth and in heaven, light and darkness. Now if you were in the audience when Jesus came to speaking about two masters and he states, "You cannot serve both God and____________" What would you expect him to say?


I would expect him to say "God and Satan."

But Jesus turns the table;

he pulls the mental rug from under his hearers.

When Jesus said, "You cannot be slaves of God and of money"

(Matt. 6:24).


Notice, the word money is capitalized. Money or as the King James Version translates it Mammon. Jesus is personifying money as a rival god. Jesus is making unmistakably clear that money is not some impersonal medium of exchange. Money is not something morally neutral, a resource to be used in good or bad ways depending solely upon our attitude toward it. Money is a power that seeks to dominate us. Money is godlike.

You don't think money is powerful? Why do we refer to money as purchasing power? Why do we attach symbols to money - like prestige, status, glamour, and worth? Why do we refer to currency as the "Almighty Dollar"?

Money in modern society is godlike. It is a substitute God. And, if we aren't careful, it will rule and ruin our lives. Henry Fielding was right, "If you make money your god, it will plague you like the devil."
What do we need to dethrone money? How can we take it off its pedestal and break its control over our lives? Here are four truths we need to understand.

I. Money is God'sMany people don't think we should bring God into our finances. One reason for this thinking is that money is too "worldly," that it's tainted. Well, money is tainted: 'Tain't yours, and 'tain't mine! Money is God's. "The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD" (Psalm 24:1). It's God's money that we're dealing with, and there is nothing too worldly for the One who created the world in the first place.

II. Money is to be managedOnce we understand that God is the owner, and then we understand our role to his money, his possessions, and his talents. From the very outset God placed humans in charge of his possessions. God said to Adam, "'Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth'" (Gen. 1:28). Jesus' speaks in Matthew 6 in the language of a master to his servant, an owner to his steward, a CEO to his manager. The Biblical word for management is stewardship. It means a person who manages things that belong to someone else. A trustee of an estate is a good example. The estate is not theirs - they don't own it - they are simply to manage the estate for the owner.
Since we are managers of all that God has entrusted to us, we offer God:

• An open hand - An owner has rights and a manager has responsibilities. God has the right to whatever he wants.
• An open mind - In other words, every spending decision is, in reality, a spiritual decision. Giving
• An open checkbook - Stewardship can't be faked. Our checkbook reveals our money management.

III. Money is a means, never an endSometimes we get caught up in net worth statements and checkbook balances and how much is in the retirement account. We are bottom line people. So is God. But the bottom line for God is not how much money we have. It is how we use the money he entrusted to us to expand his kingdom. A little later in this text Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" (Matt. 6:33).

IV. Money is to be given awayOnce we understand God's role in money - it is his. And, our role - we are managers of his money. And, money's role - a tool, a test, and a testimony. Now we return to the all important question. How is it possible to break the substantial power money holds over us? Very simple - give it away. There is a greater power than money and that power is giving it away. French sociologist Jacques Ellul explains, "There is one act par excellence which profanes money by going directly against the law of money, an act for which money is not made. This act is giving."

Think about it this way. How do you gain more energy in your life? You expend energy. You give it away through exercise. How do you gain control over sin? You walk away from sin. You give up the pleasure and in doing so you gain power over it. So how do you gain power over money? Simple. You give it away.

Appropriate spiritual stewardship shows the Christ is first in our lives.

​It shows our faith is in God.

It shows that Jesus is in control of our lives.
​

Matthew 6:24

No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

​
1 Kings 18:21
​
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.

​
An alarming epidemic of spiritual adultery and “friendship with the world” ran rampant in the early church (James 4:4). James passionately told his readers to repent from their wicked ways and return to the Lord: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, ESV).

God desires His followers’ wholehearted loyalty and devotion (Exodus 34:14; Mark 12:29–31). Believers who stray from the Lord must submit themselves to God and draw near to Him again through repentance.

“Purify your hearts, you double-minded” was James’ clear and distinct call to inner purification—to recognize and confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. His language closely resembles that of the psalmist: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Psalm 24:3–4).

James branded the believers “double-minded” because they continued to live with one foot in the world while claiming to love and worship God. Their vacillating was dividing their loyalties. A similar charge was issued against the people of Isaiah’s time: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Earlier, James noted that double-minded people are “unstable in all they do” (James 1:8).

The apostle John acknowledged that the true children of God who look forward to Christ’s return “purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). The Lord Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). The term pure here indicates the absence of impurity, contamination, or filth. It suggests a single-mindedness of purpose that is free of distractions.

Double-minded people lack purity of heart. The Lord desires His followers to be laser-focused in heart, mind, and purpose (Matthew 6:33). The greatest commandment, Jesus said, is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

In reality, humans are incapable of purifying their own hearts. David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). God is the only one who can make us pure in heart and single in mind. It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ His Son that “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that cleanses our lives (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 1:2). Christ provided the necessary sacrifice for sin so that we could receive God’s forgiveness (John 1:29; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12–22; 1 Peter 1:18–19).

God’s Word commands us: “Purify your hearts, you double-minded.” And God’s Word—the Logos, who is Jesus Christ—makes the command possible. Since we can enter God’s presence “by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19–22, ESV).

How should we respond if we realize we've been living according to worldly wisdom, driven by envy and selfish ambition to get what we want? What should we do if we want to get back to living according to heaven's wisdom, trusting God to provide all the good we need and focusing ourselves on serving others? 

Beginning in the previous verse, James describes how we should repent. First, he wrote that we should quit blindly chasing what we want. Instead, we should submit to God. Next, we should resist the devil, instead of continuing to cooperate with him. James promised that when we resist Satan, he will leave. 

Here in verse 8, James calls us to draw near—to move closer—to God. This comes with an additional promise: God will respond by moving closer to us. That's an incredible act of mercy on God's part. The God of the universe owes us nothing, including His closeness. What grace on His part to come in our direction at all! This is especially gracious as a response to our step in His direction. 

Next, James calls us sinners to clean our hands. He calls us double-minded people: trying to serve both self and God. James pleads with us to purify our hearts. For James's Jewish readers who had grown up under the law, these commands would have called to mind ceremonial washings. The idea here is to completely turn from our sin, to resolve that we will serve God, and to begin again. 

That is what true repentance is.
​
James 4:1–12 builds on the end of chapter 3, describing how living according to the world's wisdom has led to great conflict among James's Christian readers. They were fighting with each other because they couldn't get what they wanted. James says that living that way is adultery. It's ''cheating'' on God. He calls them to quit their friendship with the world, humble themselves, repent from their sin, and receive God's grace. God is the Lawgiver and Judge, not man.

​

​Job 11:17

Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be

​like the morning.

​

Proverbs 4:18

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining brighter and brighter until

midday.




Paul charges Titus, “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Such a mandate makes it obvious that sound doctrine is important. But why is it important? Does it really make a difference what we believe?

Sound doctrine is important because our faith is based on a specific message. The overall teaching of the church contains many elements, but the primary message is explicitly defined: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures [and] . . . he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is the unambiguous good news, and it is “of first importance.” Change that message, and the basis of faith shifts from Christ to something else. Our eternal destiny depends upon hearing “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13; see also 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).

Sound doctrine is important because the gospel is a sacred trust, and we dare not tamper with God’s communication to the world. Our duty is to deliver the message, not to change it. Jude conveys an urgency in guarding the trust: “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3; see also Philippians 1:27). To “contend” carries the idea of strenuously fighting for something, to give it everything you’ve got. The Bible includes a warning neither to add to nor subtract from God’s Word (Revelation 22:18-19). Rather than alter the apostles’ doctrine, we receive what has been passed down to us and keep it “as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13).

Sound doctrine is important because what we believe affects what we do. Behavior is an extension of theology, and there is a direct correlation between what we think and how we act. For example, two people stand on top of a bridge; one believes he can fly, and the other believes he cannot fly. Their next actions will be quite dissimilar. In the same way, a man who believes that there is no such thing as right and wrong will naturally behave differently from a man who believes in well-defined moral standards. In one of the Bible’s lists of sins, things like rebellion, murder, lying, and slave trading are mentioned. The list concludes with “whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:9-10). In other words, true teaching promotes righteousness; sin flourishes where “the sound doctrine” is opposed.

Sound doctrine is important because we must ascertain truth in a world of falsehood. “Many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). There are tares among the wheat and wolves among the flock (Matthew 13:25; Acts 20:29). The best way to distinguish truth from falsehood is to know what the truth is.

Sound doctrine is important because the end of sound doctrine is life. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). Conversely, the end of unsound doctrine is destruction. “Certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4). Changing God’s message of grace is a “godless” thing to do, and the condemnation for such a deed is severe. Preaching another gospel (“which is really no gospel at all”) carries an anathema: “let him be eternally condemned!” (see Galatians 1:6-9).

Sound doctrine is important because it encourages believers. A love of God’s Word brings “great peace” (Psalm 119:165), and those “who proclaim peace . . . who proclaim salvation” are truly “beautiful” (Isaiah 52:7). A pastor “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).
​
​

The Calling of Matthew is a significant event

in the New Testament,

​
illustrating Jesus Christ's mission to reach out to sinners and those marginalized by society. This event is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, specifically in Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, and Luke 5:27-32.

​Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector, a profession often despised by the Jewish people due to its association with Roman oppression and corruption.
​

​Ignoring the greater things of the law" refers to 

focusing on minor, outward rules while neglecting the more important ethical principles, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. This concept comes from a passage in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for meticulously following small details of the law (like tithing even tiny herbs) while committing major sins like hypocrisy and injustice. 

• The "greater things": These are the fundamental principles of the law. Jesus identified them as "justice, mercy, and faithfulness" (or faith).
• The "lesser things": These are the more literal, detailed rules, like tithing even the smallest herbs.
• The problem: The issue is not that the lesser things are wrong, but that they are being prioritized over the more important, weightier matters. The Pharisees were careful with the details but had a corrupt inner life, which is why Jesus called them "blind guides".
• An analogy: Jesus's analogy of straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel illustrates this point. It's absurd to be extremely careful with a tiny insect while disregarding a much larger, more serious transgression.
• The solution: The solution is to prioritize and correct the inner, moral issues first, which will then lead to properly addressing the outward details without hypocrisy. Jesus said they should have done the weightier things without neglecting the others

Biblical Account

In the Gospel of Matthew, the account is succinctly described: "As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. 'Follow Me,' He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him"

(Matthew 9:9).

This simple yet profound invitation from Jesus highlights His authority and the transformative power of His call. Matthew's immediate response,

leaving behind his lucrative position, signifies a radical change and commitment to discipleship.

The Gospel of Mark provides a similar account, emphasizing the setting by the sea and the crowd that followed Jesus: "Once again Jesus went out beside the sea. All the people came to Him, and He taught them. As He was walking along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth. 'Follow Me,' He told him, and Levi got up and followed Him" (Mark 2:13-14). Here, Matthew is referred to as Levi, indicating his Jewish heritage and possibly his previous life before following Christ.

Luke's Gospel adds further detail, noting the feast that Levi hosted in Jesus' honor: "After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. 'Follow Me,' He told him, and Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him. Then Levi hosted a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them" (Luke 5:27-29). This banquet becomes a setting for Jesus to teach about His mission to call sinners to repentance.

The calling of Matthew underscores several key theological themes.

First, it demonstrates Jesus' authority to call individuals into a new life of discipleship, regardless of their past. Matthew's profession as a tax collector made him an outcast among his people, yet Jesus saw beyond societal labels and extended grace and acceptance.

Second, this event highlights the inclusivity of Jesus' ministry. By associating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus challenged the religious norms of His time, emphasizing that His message was for all people, not just the righteous or socially acceptable. This is further illustrated in Jesus' response to the Pharisees' criticism: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17).



Lastly, the calling of Matthew serves as a model for

Christian conversion and discipleship.



Matthew's willingness to leave everything behind and follow Jesus exemplifies the cost of discipleship and the transformative impact of encountering Christ. His subsequent role as one of the twelve apostles and the author of the Gospel of Matthew attests to the profound change that Jesus' call can effect in a person's life.

In the first-century Jewish context, tax collectors were often viewed as traitors and sinners.


They were employed by the Roman authorities to collect taxes from their fellow Jews,


and it was common

for them to exploit this position for personal gain.

​

This made them socially and religiously ostracized.

Jesus' choice to call Matthew, a tax collector,

as one of His disciples

was a radical act that defied cultural

expectations and demonstrated the boundless

reach of God's grace.


The feast that Matthew hosted for Jesus and his fellow tax collectors further illustrates the social dynamics of the time. It provided an opportunity for Jesus to engage with those considered outcasts and to

teach about the nature of

God's kingdom,

which welcomes all who are willing

to repent and follow Him.

The Calling of Matthew is a powerful narrative that encapsulates the essence of Jesus' ministry: a call to repentance, the breaking down of social barriers, and the transformative power of grace.

Through this event, the Gospels convey the message that no one is beyond the reach of God's love and that true discipleship requires a willingness to leave behind the old life and embrace the new.


​Philippians 4:19 speaks of God’s abundant provision for believers. Paul writes, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Here, the phrase riches of his glory is a testament to God’s gracious ability to meet the needs of His children.

In the immediate context of Philippians 4:19, Paul expresses gratitude to the Philippians for their financial support during his imprisonment. The support was sent through Epaphroditus, a partner with Paul in the ministry of the gospel. Because of their generosity, Paul assures the Philippians that God will not overlook their good deed: “My God will meet all your need according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). This assurance is a wonderful reminder that God’s provision for believers is not limited to human resources but flows from God’s infinite storehouses of glory.

In Scripture, God’s glory is associated with His majesty (Psalm 8:1), power (1 Chronicles 29:11), and presence (John 1:14). The glory of God is manifested in all His attributes together. It is the beauty of His nature, eternal and excelling in splendor.

In Ephesians 3:16, Paul prays that “according to the riches of [God’s] glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (ESV). Likewise, in Romans 9:23, Paul mentions “the riches of his glory [made] known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory.” In both passages, God’s glory involves His nature and His active engagement with believers. The glory of God provides a spiritual treasury of blessings for those who trust in Him.

The “riches of his glory,” according to Paul, are found “in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). This suggests that the riches of God’s glory are made possible through the finished work of Christ. In Christ, believers have access to every spiritual blessing from the Father. Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3, ESV). Through the finished work of Christ, believers have access to an overabundant supply of blessings that are more than sufficient to meet our needs.

God’s abundant grace is part of the riches of His glory. Paul writes, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9, ESV). Here, the word rich refers not to material wealth but to the spiritual riches that come through the sacrificial death of Christ. He became an earth-bound pauper so we could know the abundant fulness of heaven.

In short, the “riches of his glory” in Philippians 4:19 refers to the abundant resources with which God meets the needs of believers. He possesses all things, and He has an inexhaustible ability to supply their needs. Because God is infinitely glorious and infinitely gracious, He is able and willing to provide for every need. This assurance is rooted in the person and work of Christ, who is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV).

The narrow gate, also called the narrow door, is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. Jesus compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What exactly is meant by this? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”? 

First, we need to understand that Jesus is the Door through which all must enter eternal life. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).

While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd. The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10). 

Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort. But we must be clear here. No amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it. But entering the narrow gate is still difficult because of the opposition of human pride, our natural love of sin, and the opposition of Satan and the world in his control, all of which battle against us in the pursuit of eternity.

In biblical times, the needle was a small, slender tool used for sewing and mending garments. It is mentioned in the context of Jesus' teachings, specifically in the synoptic Gospels, where it serves as a metaphor to illustrate spiritual truths.

The most notable reference to a needle in the Bible is found in the teaching of Jesus regarding wealth and the kingdom of God. In Matthew 19:24, Jesus states, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" . This metaphor is also recorded in Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25. The imagery of a camel passing through the eye of a needle is used to emphasize the difficulty for those who are attached to their wealth to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The phrase "eye of a needle" has been the subject of much interpretation and discussion. Some scholars suggest that Jesus was referring to a small gate in Jerusalem known as the "Needle's Eye," through which a camel could only pass if it was stripped of its load and knelt down. This interpretation underscores the necessity of humility and the shedding of material burdens to enter God's kingdom. However, there is little historical evidence to support the existence of such a gate, and many conservative scholars maintain that Jesus was using hyperbole to convey the impossibility of salvation through human means alone, emphasizing the need for divine intervention.

The metaphor of the needle highlights the broader biblical theme of the dangers of wealth and the spiritual peril it can pose. Throughout Scripture, wealth is often portrayed as a potential obstacle to faithfulness and reliance on God. In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul warns, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" . The needle, therefore, serves as a vivid illustration of the need for believers to prioritize their spiritual well-being over material possessions.

For Christians, the teaching of Jesus about the needle and the camel serves as a call to examine one's own life and priorities. It challenges believers to consider whether their attachment to material wealth hinders their relationship with God and their ability to fully commit to His purposes. The metaphor encourages a lifestyle of generosity, humility, and dependence on God's grace rather than on worldly riches.

In summary, the needle in biblical teaching is a powerful symbol used by Jesus to convey the challenges of wealth in relation to spiritual life and the kingdom of God. It serves as a reminder of the need for humility, reliance on divine grace, and the prioritization of eternal values over temporal wealth.

Used only in the proverb, "to pass through a needle's eye" (Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). Some interpret the expression as referring to the side gate, close to the principal gate, usually called the "eye of a needle" in the East; but it is rather to be taken literally. The Hebrew females were skilled in the use of the needle (Exodus 28:39; 26:36; Judges 5:30). 

1. (n.) A small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, -- used in sewing.2. (n.) See Magnetic.

3. (n.) A slender rod or wire used in knitting; a knitting needle; also, a hooked instrument which carries the thread or twine, and by means of which knots or loops are formed in the process of netting, knitting, or crocheting.

4. (n.) One of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees. See Pinus.
5. (n.) Any slender, pointed object, like a needle, as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
6. (v. t.) To form in the shape of a needle; as, to needle crystals.
7. (v. i.) To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The word "needle" occurs only 3 times, namely, in the reference to Christ's use of the proverb: "It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24Mark 10:25 Luke 18:25). This saying ought to be accepted in the same sense as Matthew 23:24, "Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!" Christ used them to illustrate absurdities. A rabbinical parallel is cited, "an elephant through a needle's eye." Some writers have attempted to show that rhaphis referred to a small gate of a walled oriental city. No evidence of such a use of the word exists in the terms applied today in Biblical lands to this opening. "Rich man" here has the connotation of a man bound up in his riches. If a man continues to trust in his earthly possessions to save him, it would be absurd for him to expect to share in the spiritual kingdom where dependence upon the King is a first requisite.
​
Paul warns Timothy, an elder of the church in Ephesus, that there will come a time when people “will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3, NKJV); instead, “they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” The idea of “enduring” sound teaching has to do with “tolerating” it or putting up with it. In other words, people will refuse to listen to what is good and right. They will be intolerant of the truth.

Prior to the warning, Paul establishes the source and utility of the Scriptures. The Scriptures are from the mouth of God, or God-breathed, and are beneficial for teaching, among other things, which leads to the maturing and equipping of the Christian (2 Timothy 3:16–17). This maturing and equipping has the purpose of allowing the believer to complete every good work that God has ordained.

Paul exhorts Timothy to be ready to proclaim the Scriptures at all times (2 Timothy 4:1–2), exhorting and correcting others by using the Word of God. Timothy is to study, practice, and then teach the Scriptures (cf. Ezra 7:10). In 2 Timothy 4:3, Paul provides the reason for urgency in such a task: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.”

The Greek word translated “doctrine” is simply referring to “teaching” or “instruction.” Often, teaching and instruction systematized is understood as doctrine. The Greek word translated as “sound” can also be understood as “healthy” or “free from error.” Paul is warning Timothy that there will come a time when people will not desire to hear true or correct teaching—teaching that accords with reality. Instead, “they will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3, NLT).

Usually, understanding sound doctrine requires the individual to change his actions. If it is something he does not want to do, he may reject the teaching. At first, Peter did not want to preach the gospel to the Gentiles due to an improper understanding of what God desired for him to do (Acts 10). However, God patiently corrected his understanding and prepared Peter to proclaim the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile leader. Peter responded to the sound doctrine and moved forward without fear.

It is important that we, as teachers and learners, heed the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:3. As teachers, we must teach sound doctrine, holding to the truths of Scripture regardless of the consequences. As learners, we must seek sound doctrine and receive it, if we are to live according to the truth. The learner’s desires must take a back seat to the truths of Scripture. Prayerfully, as the learner matures and is transformed by the renewing of the mind, his or her desires align more and more with the sound doctrine of Scripture.

It is beneficial for the learner to desire sound doctrine. It is also important for the learner to test what is being taught. During Paul’s second missionary journey, he travelled across Greece, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to all. Many believed in the gospel (Acts 17:4). Paul eventually reached the town of Berea where he also presented the gospel. The Bereans notably received Paul with eagerness, and they “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (verse 11). The Bereans are a perfect example of how the learner ought to desire sound doctrine and examine the Bible to test whether an unfamiliar doctrine is truly sound.

In the prosperity gospel, also known as the “Word of Faith Movement,” the believer is told to use God, whereas the truth of biblical Christianity is just the opposite—God uses the believer. Prosperity theology sees the Holy Spirit as a power to be put to use for whatever the believer wills. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a Person who enables the believer to do God’s will. The prosperity gospel movement closely resembles some of the destructive greed sects that infiltrated the early church. Paul and the other apostles were not accommodating to or conciliatory with the false teachers who propagated such heresy. They identified them as dangerous false teachers and urged Christians to avoid them.

Paul warned Timothy about such men in 1 Timothy 6:5, 9-11. These men of “corrupt mind” supposed godliness was a means of gain and their desire for riches was a trap that brought them “into ruin and destruction” (v. 9). The pursuit of wealth is a dangerous path for Christians and one which God warns about: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (v. 10). If riches were a reasonable goal for the godly, Jesus would have pursued it. But He did not, preferring instead to have no place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20) and teaching His disciples to do the same. It should also be remembered that the only disciple concerned with wealth was Judas.

Paul said covetousness is idolatry (Ephesians 5:5) and instructed the Ephesians to avoid anyone who brought a message of immorality or covetousness (Ephesians 5:6-7). Prosperity teaching prohibits God from working on His own, meaning that God is not Lord of all because He cannot work until we release Him to do so. Faith, according to the Word of Faith doctrine, is not submissive trust in God; faith is a formula by which we manipulate the spiritual laws that prosperity teachers believe govern the universe. As the name “Word of Faith” implies, this movement teaches that faith is a matter of what we say more than whom we trust or what truths we embrace and affirm in our hearts.

A favorite term of prosperity gospel teachers is “positive confession.” This refers to the teaching that words themselves have creative power. What you say, prosperity teachers claim, determines everything that happens to you. Your confessions, especially the favors you demand of God, must all be stated positively and without wavering. Then God is required to answer (as though man could require anything of God!). Thus, God’s ability to bless us supposedly hangs on our faith. James 4:13-16 clearly contradicts this teaching: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Far from speaking things into existence in the future, we do not even know what tomorrow will bring or even whether we will be alive.

Instead of stressing the importance of wealth, the Bible warns against pursuing it. Believers, especially leaders in the church (1 Timothy 3:3), are to be free from the love of money (Hebrews 13:5). The love of money leads to all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). In sharp contrast to the prosperity gospel emphasis on gaining money and possessions in this life, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). The irreconcilable contradictions between prosperity teaching and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is best summed up in the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve both God and money.”
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​

​Unity in the Body

(Psalm 133:1–3; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17)


As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
​
Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

This is why it says:


“When He ascended on high, 

He led captives away, 

and gave gifts to men.”


What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descendedc to the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
​
11And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. 16From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.



New Life in Christ 

(Colossians 3:1–17)

17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
​
20But this is not the way you came to know Christ. 21Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus— 22to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;23to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. 26“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.

28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

29Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
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31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.



Alive with Christ

(Colossians 2:6–23)

1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.

4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.



One in Christ

(Philippians 2:1–4)

11Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision (that done in the body by human hands)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

14For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace 16and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.

17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.



Christ Our Cornerstone

(Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

19Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit

Jesus cleansed the temple of the money-changers and sellers of merchandise because of His disgust at what they had made of God’s house of prayer and His zeal to purify it from the abuse of ungodly men. Judea was under the rule of the Romans, and the money in current use was Roman coin. However, the Jewish law required that every man should pay a tribute to the service of the sanctuary of “half a shekel” (Exodus 30:11–16), a Jewish coin. It became, therefore, a matter of convenience to have a place where the Roman coin could be exchanged for the Jewish half shekel. The money-changers provided this convenience but would demand a small sum for the exchange. Because so many thousands of people came up to the great feasts, changing money was a very profitable business and one that resulted in fraud and oppression of the poor.

Also, according to the Law, two doves or pigeons were required to be offered in sacrifice (Leviticus 14:22; Luke 2:24). Yet it was difficult to bring them from the distant parts of Judea, so a lucrative business selling the birds sprang up, with the sellers gouging the faithful by charging exorbitant prices. There were other merchants selling cattle and sheep for the temple sacrifices as well. Because of these sellers who preyed on the poor and because of His passion for the purity of His Father’s house, Jesus was filled with righteous indignation. As He overturned the tables of the money-changers, He condemned them for having turned God’s house of prayer into “a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13). As He did so, His disciples remembered Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.”

Jesus’ first cleansing of the temple is described in John 2:11–12 as having occurred just after Jesus’ first miracle, the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. John makes it clear that it was “after this” that He went to Capernaum, where He “stayed for a few days.” Then in the next verse (verse 13), John tells us that the “Passover of the Jews was at hand” (NKJV). These verses trace Jesus’ movements over a short period of time from Cana in Galilee to Capernaum and eventually to Jerusalem for the Passover. This is the first of the two times Jesus cleansed the temple. The Synoptic Gospels do not record the temple cleansing mentioned in John 2, instead only recording the temple cleansing that occurred during Passion Week.

The second cleansing of the temple occurred just after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the last week of His life. This second cleansing is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke but not in John. There are differences in the two events, aside from their being nearly three years apart. In the first cleansing, temple officials confronted Jesus immediately (John 2:18), whereas in the second cleansing, the chief priests and scribes confronted Him the following day (Matthew 21:17–23). In the first event, Jesus made a whip of cords with which to drive out the sellers, but there is no mention of a whip in the second cleansing. So there are two recorded occasions when Jesus cleansed the temple—the first time at the beginning of His public ministry, and the second time just after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem shortly before He was crucified.

Ephesians 5:25–27 uses Christ’s unique role as the one who sanctifies the church as a model for how a husband should love and care for his wife. These verses say that “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (NKJV).

In marriage, a husband should sacrificially love his wife, as Christ loved the church. Unlike marriage, however, husbands do not “sanctify” or “wash” their wives. But this is something that Christ does for His church. In this context, to sanctify is to set apart for God’s purpose and purify from sin. Through faith in the finished work of Christ, believers are set apart as holy and dedicated to God’s service (see Romans 12:1–2; 1 Peter 1:15–16).

In Ephesians 5:26, the expression washing of water is linked to water baptism, as mentioned in Romans 6:3–4. According to Paul, baptism symbolizes the believer’s death to sin and new life in Christ. The reality is that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV). Water for cleansing also played a part in a bride’s preparation for her wedding day.

There may also be a link between Ezekiel 16:1–13 and Ephesians 5:26–27. In the Ezekiel passage, Israel is portrayed as an abandoned girl who becomes a queen. This passage prefigures the New Testament concept of the church as the bride of Christ, who is sanctified and cleansed for Him. The metaphor is further enriched by Ezekiel 36:25, where God promises to “sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you” (ESV). In Christ, we are thoroughly cleansed.

The culmination of Christ’s sanctifying work is beautifully illustrated in the eschatological visions of Revelation 19:7–9 and 21:2, 9–11. In these passages, the apostle John describes the marriage supper of the Lamb, an event that represents the final consummation of Christ’s relationship with His church. This future event is not only a celebration but a fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan, where Christ presents “the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27, ESV).

Ephesians 5:26 also specifies the agency through which Christ accomplishes His “washing” of the church: it is done “through the word.” In His High Priestly Prayer, Jesus said, “Sanctify them [the disciples] by the truth; your word is truth.” The means by which God justifies, saves, and sanctifies His people is the Word of God (see also John 15:3; James 1:18). It is by the Word that God accomplishes His purpose “to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17, NLT).

​The book of Isaiah has many references to the Messiah to come. In several places the Messiah is referred to as “the cornerstone,” such as in this prophecy: “So this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line’” (Isaiah 28:16–17). In context, God speaks to the scoffers and boasters of Judah, and He promises to send the cornerstone—His precious Son—who will provide the firm foundation for their lives, if they would but trust in Him.

In the New Testament, the cornerstone metaphor is continued. The apostle Paul desires for the Ephesian Christians to know Christ better: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19– 21). Furthermore, in 1 Peter 2:6, what Isaiah said centuries before is affirmed in exactly the same words.

Peter says that Jesus, as our cornerstone, is “chosen by God and precious to him” (1 Peter 2:4). The Cornerstone is also reliable, and “the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (verse 6).

Unfortunately, not everyone aligns with the cornerstone. Some accept Christ; some reject Him. Jesus is the “stone the builders rejected” (Mark 12:10; cf. Psalm 118:22). When news of the Messiah’s arrival came to the magi in the East, they determined to bring Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when that same news came to King Herod in Jerusalem, his response was to attempt to kill Him. From the very beginning, Jesus was “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall” (1 Peter 2:8).

How can people reject God’s chosen, precious cornerstone? Simply put, they want to build something different from what God is building. Just as the people building the tower of Babel rebelled against God and pursued their own project, those who reject Christ disregard God’s plan in favor of their own. Judgment is promised to all those who reject Christ: “Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed” (Matthew 21:44).
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​

Greetings from Paul and Sosthenes

(Acts 18:1–11; 2 Corinthians 1:1–2)

1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Thanksgiving

(Philippians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:3–14)

4I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge, 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.

7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

​

Unity in the Church

(Psalm 133:1–3; Ephesians 4:1–16)

10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. 11My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,”a or “I follow Christ.”

13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that I do not remember if I baptized anyone else. 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.



The Message of the Cross

18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

For it is written: 


“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; 
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”


20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
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22Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,c 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
​
25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom,and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.



Wisdom from God

 Brothers,, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast in His presence.

It is because of Him that you are

in Christ Jesus,

who has become for us wisdom from God:

our

righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

Therefore, as it is written:


“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
​

​In his farewell speech to the elders of the Ephesian church, Paul says, “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God”

​(Acts 20:26–27, ESV).

Declaring the whole counsel of God is what made Paul “innocent” of anyone’s choice to turn away from the truth. Paul had fulfilled his ministry among the Ephesians.

Paul spent several years in Ephesus prior to this speech. When he first arrived in Ephesus, Paul had found some disciples who had only heard of John the Baptist and did not yet know of the completed ministry of Jesus or the coming of the Holy Spirit. After bringing them up to speed by presenting Jesus to them, Paul baptized them “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:4–5). Paul then spent time teaching in the synagogue and, when he was opposed there, taught at the lecture hall, and “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10). Verse 20 says, “The word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Later, a group of merchants in Ephesus started a riot over the positive impact of the gospel in their city. After the riot ended, Paul said goodbye to the disciples in Ephesus before going to Macedonia. Several months later, on his way to Jerusalem, Paul called the Ephesian elders to Miletus to meet with him. It is here that Paul reminds the Ephesians that he had “not hesitated to proclaim . . . the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).

Paul shared “the whole counsel of God” (ESV) or “the whole will of God” (NIV) or “the whole purpose of God” (NASB) in that he spoke the complete gospel. He had given them the whole truth about God’s salvation. He also revealed to them the “mystery” of God (Ephesians 3:9), which in the context of Ephesians 3 is God’s extending His plan of salvation to Gentiles as well as Jews.

Despite the opposition Paul faced in Ephesus, he continued to share the good news in its entirety. He did not shrink back from his duty but proclaimed the whole counsel of God. He tells the Ephesian elders, “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:19–21).

Paul shared everything that

God had revealed with everyone who

would listen--

and even some who wouldn’t.

Paul tells the Ephesian elders that, having given them the whole counsel of God, he is innocent if any of the Ephesians choose to turn away from Christ. Like the prophet Ezekiel, Paul had been a faithful watchman: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself” (Ezekiel 3:17–19; cf. 33:1–9).

Paul emphasizes “the whole counsel of God” as a way to affirm the completion of his duties toward the Ephesians and to remind them of the truth. Paul warns, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!” (Acts 20:29–31).

The whole counsel of God includes some things that are difficult to hear—the fact that we are dead in sin and deserving of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:1–3) and the fact that we cannot save ourselves through works (Ephesians 2:8–9). The gospel is a call to repentance and faith. Believers will face persecution (John 16:33) and likely be considered foolish. But none of these things can dissuade us.

We should follow Paul’s example and also preach the whole counsel of God. All Scripture is inspired, and all of it is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). We must preach it in its entirety and allow the Holy Spirit to use His sword as He sees fit (Ephesians 6:17). Paul did not share half-truths or only parts of the gospel; rather, he shared all of what God has revealed. We must do the same.
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 “To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna.

I will also give that person

a white stone with a new name written on it,

​known only to the one who receives it”
​

​ (Revelation 2:17).




The use of the language “in the presence of mine enemies” lets us know that the prepared table is not just for anyone, but specifically for those who are in relationship with him. Even in the midst of trouble, dark times and yes even enemies, God will give you a table of provision and protection. It doesn’t matter what is going on around you.

Thou anointest my head with oil

In the Old Testament, oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit. So not only is God sending his presence, provision and protection, he is also providing you with power. Power to endure. Power to lead. Power to make wise decisions. When David was chosen by Samuel as king of Israel, he was anointed with oil. This was God’s way of setting David apart and selecting him for his special use.

This is also what Jesus promised in Acts 1:8:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
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God has put his Holy Spirit in you so you can become what he wants you to be.

My cup runneth over

In this instance, David is using this expression to help us understand the abounding and overflowing nature of God’s presence, provision, protection and power. God’s blessing upon David wasn’t just for his life but it was designed to spill over so it could bless others. It is the same with you.

God’s channel of blessing is not so that you can hoard it and keep it to yourself. He provides, and the overflow of his provision is designed to be poured out to others. It also is a reminder that God’s supply will never run dry. God has more than enough to help you regardless of your situation. His presence has no boundaries. His provision has no expiration. His protection can’t be penetrated. His power has no equal.

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Righteousness through Faith in Christ

(Romans 3:21–31)

​
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

2Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself could have such confidence. 

If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

7But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

10I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
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Citizenship in Heaven

17Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you. 18For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
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20But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.



Matthew 13:44-46

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.


When a man found it, he hid it again,

and in his joy

he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven

is like a merchant in search of

fine pearls.

When he found one very precious pearl,

he went away

and sold all he had and bought it.


Luke 14:33
In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.

Matthew 16:26
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. / We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; / persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. ...

Hebrews 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. / He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. / He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.

Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death. / Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. / Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. ...

Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

1 Peter 1:7-9
so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. / Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, / now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Galatians 6:14
But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. / But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Psalm 73:25-26
Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You. / My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Isaiah 53:11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Jeremiah 9:23,24
Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: …


The name Faithful and True expresses

the total trustworthiness,

reliability, and constancy of Jesus Christ.


The title reveals His character and makes

known

His words and works.

​
In Revelation 19:11, John sees a vision of Jesus as the exalted King of kings leaving heaven to return to earth: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.” This picture of Christ’s second coming at the end of the age shows Jesus no longer as the peaceful, humble servant riding on a lowly donkey (John 12:12–15). Now He is the victorious King, charging forth like a conquering war general, leading His troops into battle (Revelation 19:14).

In this vivid portrayal, John identifies Jesus by four different titles, beginning with Faithful and True. It is the first and only time this name of Jesus appears in Scripture. The second title is unknown to us (Revelation 19:12); the third is the Word of God (verse 13); the fourth is King of kings and Lord of lords (verse 16).

The word for “Faithful” in the original language means “characterized by steadfast affection or allegiance,” and the word translated “True” means “truthful or characterized by expressing the truth.” The nature of Jesus Christ—His whole being—exudes faithfulness and truth. Earlier, in Revelation 3:14, Jesus called Himself the “faithful and true witness” in His letter to the church in Laodicea. Faithful and True is who Jesus Christ is.

In His first coming to earth, Jesus proved Himself to be faithful to the mission and will of God His Father: “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4; see also John 5:30; Hebrews 3:6; Luke 4:43). Never once did the Lord give in to the temptation to sin (Hebrews 4:15–16), from the time Satan tempted Him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13) until His death on the cross (Matthew 16:21–23; 26:36–44; Mark 8:31–33; 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46).

From the day Isaiah foretold His coming, Christ’s faithfulness was known (Isaiah 11:5; 42:3). As a young man (Luke 2:49) and throughout His ministry, Jesus was a faithful and obedient servant to His Father God (John 4:34; 6:38; 8:29; 12:27; 14:31). Jesus is consistently the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

​Others will wear out, change, or perish, but Jesus Christ remains the same for all eternity (Hebrews 1:11–12).

Jesus, who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” is the very embodiment of truth (John 14:6). He came from His Father “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). And His promise of eternal life is true: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24, ESV; see also John 6:47).

Because of the fidelity inherent in His character, Jesus is faithful toward His followers in every circumstance. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself,” declares 2 Timothy 2:13 (see also Matthew 28:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:23).

Faithful and True is a fitting title for Jesus Christ our King, and He calls His followers to emulate His faithfulness and truth (Revelation 14:12; Hebrews 10:23). The entire book of Revelation conveys a message to the church of Jesus Christ to be faithful and true, just as He is Faithful and True.

In Revelation 19:11, when John sees the gates of heaven open, the One who has been Faithful and True from ages past appears at the end of time to wage His final battle. Jesus Christ comes with justice to judge and wage war, and He will triumph over the enemies of God! The outcome is sure because He is Faithful and True. He will do what He has promised to do. He shall defeat the devil once and for all. He will destroy the power of death, wiping away every sorrow, tear, and pain from the hearts of His devoted followers

(Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:14).


John’s Inquiry

(Luke 7:18–23)

1After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.a
2Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciplesb 3to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepersc are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.d”


Jesus Testifies about John

(Malachi 3:1–5; Luke 7:24–35)

7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, 
who will prepare Your way before You.’

11Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence,f and the violent lay claim to it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
​
15He who has ears,h let him hear.

16To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

17‘We played the flute for you, 
and you did not dance; 
we sang a dirge, 
and you did not mourn.’
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”


Woe to the Unrepentant

(Luke 10:13–16)

20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”


Rest for the Weary

(Luke 10:21–24)

25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
​
28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
​

The Mission of John the Baptist

(Isaiah 40:1–5; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20; John 1:19–28)

1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: 

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, 
make straight paths for Him.’”

4John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. 6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11I baptize you with waterb for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.c 12His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”


The Baptism of Jesus

(Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:29–34)

13At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

15“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

Bethany is a small village located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. It is significant in the Gospels as a place where Jesus often visited, especially during the final week of His life. Bethany was the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 11). This village served as a place of refuge and rest for Jesus, away from the tensions in Jerusalem. The proximity to Jerusalem made it a strategic location for Jesus' ministry during the Passover.in the home of Simon the Leper

Simon the Leper is mentioned only in this context, and little is known about him outside of this passage. The designation "the Leper" suggests that he was once afflicted with leprosy, a condition that would have made him an outcast according to Jewish law (Leviticus 13-14). Dining with a man who had been afflicted with leprosy, indicating that Jesus was willing to associate with those considered unclean by society. It is likely that Simon had been healed by Jesus, as he is hosting a gathering.

It is likely that Simon had been healed, possibly by Jesus, allowing him to host guests in his home. This setting highlights Jesus' compassion and willingness to associate with those marginalized by society. The gathering in Simon's home sets the stage for the anointing of Jesus, an act of devotion and foreshadowing of His impending death and burial.

Jesus' presence in the home of Simon the leper demonstrates His willingness to reach out to those marginalized by society. As followers of Christ, we are called to show compassion and inclusivity, breaking down barriers that separate us from others.

Bethany serves as a place of refuge and significant events in Jesus' ministry. It reminds us of the importance of having spaces in our lives where we can encounter Jesus and witness His work.

Simon's hosting of Jesus in his home reflects a heart of gratitude and hospitality. We are encouraged to open our homes and lives to others, creating environments where Jesus can be honored and His presence felt.


Matthew 26:6-13 reads:

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, ‘Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.’ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.’”

Bethany, located east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, is presented in multiple Gospel accounts as a place of special significance in Jesus’ ministry. In this passage, the anointing occurs in the home of Simon the leper. The woman’s identity is left unnamed here, prompting questions when comparing this account with parallel passages in other Gospels.

Mark’s account is nearly identical in structure and wording to Matthew’s. It also specifies that the event happened in Bethany at Simon the leper’s house. A woman anoints Jesus’ head with very expensive perfume, leading to complaints about its cost. Jesus defends her act and states it will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached.


Martha and Mary

38As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”

41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. 

42But only one thing is necessary.


Mary has chosen the good portion,

and it will not

be taken away from her.”


​In the eternal state

, believers will have access to the heavenly city

known as New Jerusalem,

also called

“the holy city” in Revelation 21:2 and 10.

​
The New Jerusalem is not the church, but it takes on some of the church’s characteristics. In his vision of the end of the age, the apostle John sees the city coming down from heaven adorned “as a bride,” meaning that the city will be gloriously radiant and the inhabitants of the city, the redeemed of the Lord, will be holy and pure, wearing white garments of holiness and righteousness.


“Inexpressible and glorious joy”

​ in 1 Peter 1:8 is the Spirit-generated, word-defying delight experienced by believers who love and trust Him. Anchored in His resurrection, assured of an imperishable inheritance, and refined amid suffering, this joy radiates with God’s own glory and offers a present foretaste of the eternal celebration reserved for the redeemed.


Firstfruits was a Jewish feast held in the early spring at the beginning of the grain harvest. It was observed on Nissan 16, which was the third day after Passover and the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Firstfruits was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision.

Leviticus 23:9-14 institutes the firstfruits offering. The people were to bring a sheaf of grain to the priest, who would wave it before the Lord. A burnt offering, a meal offering, and a drink offering were also required at that time. Deuteronomy 26:1-10 gives even more detail on the procedure of firstfruits.

No grain was to be harvested at all until the firstfruits offering was brought to the Lord (Leviticus 23:14). The offering was made in remembrance of Israel’s sojourn in Egypt, the Lord’s deliverance from slavery, and their possession of “a land that floweth with milk and honey.” The day of the firstfruits offering was also used to calculate the proper time of the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-16).

In the New Testament, the firstfruits offering is mentioned seven times, always symbolically. Paul calls Epaenetus and the household of Stephanas “the firstfruits of Achaia” (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:15). His meaning is that, just as the firstfruits offering was the first portion of a larger harvest, these individuals were the first of many converts in that region. James calls believers “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:18). Just like the sheaf of grain was set apart for the Lord, so are believers set apart for God’s glory.

The firstfruits offering found its fulfillment in Jesus. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus’ resurrection has paved the way for our resurrection. Significantly, if Jesus was killed at Passover, then His resurrection on the third day would have fallen on Nissan 16—the Feast of Firstfruits.

Paul taught the Corinthian believers to set aside a collection “on the first day of the week” (1 Corinthians 16:2). And, just as the offering of firstfruits was an occasion of thanksgiving, so the Christian is to give with gladness.

In summary, firstfruits symbolizes God’s harvest of souls, it illustrates giving to God from a grateful heart, and it sets a pattern of giving back to Him the first (and the best) of what He has given us. Not being under the Old Testament Law, the Christian is under no further obligation than to give cheerfully and liberally (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).


The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! 12And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace to men 
on whom His favor rests!”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. 17After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. 18And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
​
20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.
​

Godliness with contentment is great gain”

(1 Timothy 6:6).

First Timothy is a letter from the apostle Paul to his young protégé, Timothy, to encourage him in his new role as a church leader. Chapter 6 begins with a description of true godliness. He warns Timothy about those who “think that godliness is a means to financial gain” (verse 5). He describes corrupt teachers who will divert believers from true faith in Christ by arguing over words, creating trivial controversies, and pursuing get-rich schemes. Paul clarifies the meaning of godliness and emphasizes that it is the opposite of what these trouble-makers portray it to be.

The heretical teaching that infiltrated the church in Timothy’s day is still prevalent in modern Christianity. We commonly hear of preachers and Christian figureheads using their positions of influence to amass unimaginable wealth so that they can live opulent lifestyles. They then teach that their success is the norm and a worthy goal that every believer in Christ should seek. They take God’s promises of blessing (Deuteronomy 28:2; Psalm 21:6; 128:2) and create a religion out of them. In some instances, Jesus is portrayed as a means to achieve all our hopes and dreams. Yet this is the very mindset we are warned against in 1 Timothy 6:9–10: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. . . . Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Rather than consider amassing wealth as great gain, Paul states that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” Christ-followers should focus their effort on pursuing holiness in conduct, attitude, and thought. They should choose to be content in whatever circumstances God has given them, just as Paul himself had done while in prison (Philippians 4:11–12). We are told to “flee from all this [eagerness to get rich], and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). Contrary to what many popular health-and-wealth proponents would have us believe, the Bible warns us against pursuing riches (Proverbs 23:4; Matthew 6:19). It is impossible to be content when our hearts are set on gaining more. We will not remain godly for long if we are not content with what God has given us. A desire for godliness is quickly eroded by a greedy, covetous spirit.

The Bible never says that it is a sin to be rich. There are examples in Scripture of God blessing His servants with tremendous material wealth in the Mosaic Covenant (Genesis 39:2; 1 Samuel 18:14; 2 Chronicles 1:11–12). But 1 Timothy 6:17 instructs the wealthy this way: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” The difference is in the heart. Both greed and contentment are states of the heart. When we choose to be content with the riches of Christ (Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 3:8) rather than pursue material riches, our lives will be more in line with God’s desire for us, because “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).



​Jesus is the author

and

perfecter, or finisher, of our faith


​Hebrews 12:2.


An author is an originator or creator, as of a theory or plan. The Greek word translated “author” in Hebrews 12:2 can also mean “captain,” “chief leader” or “prince.” Acts 3:15uses the same word: “And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (KJV), while the NIV and ESV use the word “author” instead of “prince.” From this we can deduce that Christ is the originator of our faith in that He begins it, as well as the captain and prince or our faith.

Jesus controls our faith,

steers it as a captain steers a ship,

and presides over it

and cares

for it as a monarch presides over and

cares for his people. 

The Greek word translated “perfecter” in Hebrews 12:2 appears only this one time in the New Testament. It means literally “completer” or “finisher” and speaks of bringing something to its conclusion. Putting the two words together, we see that Jesus, as God, both creates and sustains our faith. We know that saving faith is a gift from God, not something we come up with on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that gift comes from Christ, its creator.

He is also the sustainer of our faith,

meaning that

true saving faith cannot be lost,

taken away or given away.

This is a source of great comfort to believers, especially in times of doubt and spiritual struggles.

Christ has created our faith and He will watch over it, care for it, and sustain it. 

It is important for us to understand that God in Christ is not only the creator and sustainer of our saving faith, but He is also the sustainer of our daily walk and the finisher of our spiritual journey.

For if God in Christ is not the author of our new life, and if Christ is not the finisher and perfecter of our faith through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power, then we are neither born again nor are we a true follower of Christ. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 1:13-14).

In Philippians 4:7 we have a wonderful promise: “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It is important to note the context of this promise, because that’s where we find the condition: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (verse 6). God’s peace is promised to guard those who pray—with thanksgiving—about everything. This peace will transcend our ability to understand it.

There are other gifts of God that are not fully comprehensible to us.


The gift of salvation is “indescribable” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

The complexity and wisdom of God’s plan is inscrutable (Isaiah 55:8–9).


According to Ephesians 3:19,

the love of Christ is something else so great we will never

fully understand it.

Likewise, human reasoning is incapable of fully comprehending

​ the peace of God.


The believer who places his or her full confidence in a loving God and is thankful in every circumstance will possess a supernatural peace. An inner calm will dominate the heart.

​The faithful believer will know peace—his heart and mind are “guarded” by it—despite the tempest raging without. No one, especially those outside of Christ, will be able to fathom that peace. To most, it will remain a mystery how someone can be so serene in the midst of turmoil.


The peace

that comes from being

in a right

relationship with God

is not

the peace of this world.


The world’s peace depends on having favorable circumstances:

if things are going well,

then we feel peaceful; when things go awry, the peace quickly dissipates.

Jesus made the distinction

between His peace and the world’s vacillating peace:


“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives”


(John 14:27).



In order to have the mind of Christ, one must first have saving faith in Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him with wisdom—the mind of Christ. The believer bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) and to allow the Spirit to transform and renew his mind (Romans 12:1-2).


James 1:23-24
For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Romans 8:24-25
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all.


Entering into the presence of God is the privilege of every believer.

​The writer of Hebrews stresses that, because of the blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross, we now have complete access to God: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water”

(Hebrews 10:19–22, ESV).

Christians are called to come boldly, confidently into “God’s throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). We can draw near to the Lord in personal worship and devotion. But to have authentic fellowship with God, we must prepare ourselves spiritually. The writer of Hebrews evokes images from the Old Testament in which the priests underwent a thorough cleansing ritual before entering the Holy Place on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 10:11–22; cf. Exodus 30:18–21; Leviticus 16:1–34).

When we come into God’s presence today, we must still concern ourselves with purity (1 John 1:5—2:2). Hebrews 10:22 contains four preparatory conditions for New Testament worshipers: We must have “a sincere heart,” “the full assurance that faith brings,” “hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience,” and “bodies washed with pure water.”


Full assurance of faith

is “complete confidence, conviction, and

trust in Jesus

as detailed in the message of

the gospel.”


It means we have taken hold of the good news about who we are in Christ and all He has done for us. The apostle Paul affirms: “For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true” (1 Thessalonians 1:5, NLT).

The Spirit of God fully convinces us that it is through Christ alone that we are cleansed from sin and given access to God: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT).

His broken body on the cross is the only sacrifice that atones for our sins—past, present, and future

(Romans 8:3).

We have full assurance of faith when we no longer live under the weight of a guilty conscience. We realize that we are completely clean, inside and out, because Jesus Christ is our perfect, spotless sacrifice: “So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins”

(Hebrews 9:11–14, NLT; see also Hebrews 7:27; 1 Peter 1:18–19)


The full assurance of faith is a deep, unshakable confidence in the promises of God in Christ.

To have full assurance of faith means we are convinced that Jesus is who He says He is and will do all He has promised to do in His Word. Paul prayed for the Colossians “to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2–3, ESV). He wanted them to have unwavering trust in God’s plan of salvation for them in Jesus Christ.

With the full assurance of faith, we commune daily in intimate fellowship with God. His Spirit in us affirms that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16). We no longer vacillate (James 1:6–8), tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching (Ephesians 4:14). “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love” (1 John 4:16, NLT). With “the full assurance of hope,” we remain steadfast until the end (Hebrews 6:11). We “hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm” (Hebrews 10:23, NLT). We “hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18), grounded in sustaining faith as we live in full expectation of reaching the finish line of our faith, which is eternity spent forever in the presence of God (2 Timothy 1:12; 4:7–8).


Children of God

1Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 2Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears,a we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.

4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness. 

5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.


Love One Another

(John 13:31–35; Romans 12:9–13)

11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. 13So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
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18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 19And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence: 20Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,22and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. 23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us. 24Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

For from [Christ’s] fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16, ESV). The NASB translates the verse the same way. The NIV translates the verse “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.”

Christ (the Word) has been the focus of John chapter 1. In verse 14 we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The fact that Jesus was “full of grace and truth” is the key concept addressed in verses 16–17. Verse 15 is a parenthetical aside. To get a better understanding of the force of John’s argument, we can read verses 14 and 16–17 together, without verse 15:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is full of grace, and John says that, from that fullness, we (John, his original readers, and the rest of us who have trusted in Christ) have received grace and more grace. One hallmark of any interaction with Jesus is grace. Christians receive grace and then more grace—grace served on top of grace—grace and then, in place of that, more grace.
​

The point is that Christ is full of grace, and those who know Him get showered with grace.


John 1:16: “Out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth]
we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing,

favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].”

What’s abundantly clear is that, when we come to Christ,

He dishes out grace in heaping, huge servings.


In John 1:17 Christ is contrasted with Moses and the law. Of course, the law and God’s dealings with Israel did involve grace and truth, but the emphasis was more on obedience and punishment. In the New Testament, law is often contrasted with grace. The law emphasized God’s divine standards and the inability of fallen mankind to meet them, while grace rescues fallen humanity from deserved punishment. The law pinpoints the problem, and grace fixes the problem.

Romans 5:20–21 says the same thing in a slightly different way: “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

In John 14:17, Jesus says, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (ESV). Because the ESV capitalizes Spirit, modern readers can easily infer that the spirit in question is the Holy Spirit. To understand why Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth,” let us review the context of John 14.

John 14 is part of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13—17), a collection of teachings delivered by Jesus to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. In these final moments, the disciples were greatly distressed about the impending departure of their beloved friend, Jesus (John 14:1). For this reason, Jesus took an extended moment to calm their troubled hearts and reassure them that “another Helper” was on the way (John 14:16, ESV).

The Greek term translated as “Helper” (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) is paráklētos.

The form of this word is passive and means “one who is called alongside.”

At the Son’s request, the Father will send another Helper to encourage and exhort the disciples.

John’s use of the term another implies that the disciples already had a helper—the one who would soon depart from the earth. Although the Gospel writers never explicitly refer to Jesus as a paráklētos, the term is applied to Him in 1 John 2:1. Thus, in the context of John 14:16, Jesus promises to send His disciples a helper of the same type, and that helper would continue the ministry that Jesus began.

In John 14:17, the identity of the helper is now revealed: He is the Spirit of truth (cf. John 15:26; 16:13). The Spirit of truth is God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. The Father will send the Spirit to come alongside the disciples. He is called the Spirit of truth because He bears witness to the truth of Jesus Christ (see John 14:6).

In contrast to the work of the Holy Spirit is the work of the devil, a being who does not hold “to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Because the unbelieving world remains ensnared by satanic falsehoods, they cannot receive the Spirit of truth (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14). Tragically, unbelievers prefer to walk by sight and not by faith, failing to understand that sight guarantees nothing.

At the moment of His baptism, Jesus received the Holy Spirit: John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him” (John 1:32, ESV). So, in a sense, the Spirit of truth was already withthe disciples. Following the departure of Jesus, however, the disciples will know the Spirit more intimately because He would be in them (cf. Romans 8:9–11 and Ephesians 1:13–14).

Before the disciples began their ministry, Jesus instructed them to remain in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit: “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (Acts 1:4‭–‬5, ESV). Once the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were fully equipped to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ (verse 8).

‬ Believers should be thankful that the Spirit of truth is with us, in us, and upon us. For, without His guidance and light, we could not distinguish truth from error.

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​A Living Hope
​
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved inheaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.…

Matthew 6:19-20
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Colossians 1:5
the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel

Hebrews 9:15
Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Ephesians 1:11
In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,

Romans 8:17
And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Titus 3:7
so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

2 Timothy 4:8
From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

Revelation 21:7
The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

John 14:2-3
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? / And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

2 Corinthians 5:1
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Philippians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, / who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

Hebrews 10:34
You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.

Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

1 Peter 3:9
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Matthew 25:34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
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Acts 20:32
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 9:25
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

1 Corinthians 15:52-54
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed… 
undefiled.

Revelation 21:27
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
fadeth.

1 Peter 5:4
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Isaiah 40:7,8
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass… 

Ezekiel 47:12
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Psalm 31:19
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Colossians 1:5
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

Colossians 3:3,4
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God…
​


God will give rewards in heaven at the bema,

or the judgment seat of Christ,

based on our faithfulness in service to Him

(2 Corinthians 5:10).

​
The rewards will show the reality of our sonship (Galatians 4:7) and the justice of God (Hebrews 6:10).

​God will give rewards in heaven in order to fulfill the law of sowing and reaping(Galatians 6:7–9) and make good on His promise that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

One reason for the rewards in heaven is the fact that Jesus shares His reward with us. Paul said, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Our lives are “hidden” with Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1–4). We die with Him and we live with Him and we share in His joy (Romans 6:8; Matthew 25:21). In heaven we will dwell with Him (John 14:1–3). Our lives are inextricably linked with Christ’s. The reward He receives is shared with all of us: “If we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17).

Our rewards in heaven depend on the goodness and power of God. Through Christ’s resurrection we gain an inheritance in heaven; on earth our faith is tested and results in praise and glory and honor when Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:3–9). The things we do in this life are only permanent (that is, carried with us into heaven) if they are built on the foundation, which is Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11–15).

The rewards we gain in heaven are not like the rewards we earn here on earth. We tend to think in material terms—mansions, jewels, etc. But these things are only representations of the true rewards we will gain in heaven. A child who wins a spelling bee treasures the trophy he receives not for the sake of the trophy itself but for what that trophy means. Likewise, any rewards or honor we gain in heaven will be precious to us because they carry the weight and meaning of our relationship with God—and because they remind us of what He did through us on earth.

In this way, rewards in heaven glorify God and provide us with joy, peace, and wonder as we consider God’s work in us and through us. The closer we were to God during this life, the more centered on Him and aware of Him, the more dependent on Him, the more desperate for His mercy, the more there will be to celebrate. We are like characters in a story who suffer doubt, loss, and fear, wondering if we will ever really have our heart’s desire. When the happy ending comes and desire is fulfilled, there comes a completion. The story would not be satisfying without that completion. Rewards in heaven are the completion of our earthly story, and those rewards will be eternally satisfying (Psalm 16:11).

There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers. They are the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life. The Greek word translated “crown” is stephanos (the source for the name Stephen the martyr) and means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally.” Used during the ancient Greek games, it referred to a wreath or garland of leaves placed on a victor’s head as a reward for winning an athletic contest. As such, this word is used figuratively in the New Testament of the rewards of heaven God promises those who are faithful. Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 best defines for us how these crowns are awarded. 

1) The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV). All things on this earth are subject to decay and will perish. Jesus urges us to not store our treasures on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). This is analogous to what Paul was saying about that wreath of leaves that was soon to turn brittle and fall apart. But not so the heavenly crown; faithful endurance wins a heavenly reward which is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

2) The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice always in the Lord” for all the bountiful blessings our gracious God has showered upon us. As Christians we have more in this life to rejoice about than anyone else. Luke tells us there is rejoicing even now in heaven (Luke 15:7). The crown of rejoicing will be our reward where “God will wipe away every tear . . . there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

3) The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained. Because it is obtained and possessed in a righteous way, and not by force and deceit as earthly crowns sometimes are, it is an everlasting crown, promised to all who love the Lord and eagerly wait for His return. Through our enduring discouragements, persecutions, sufferings, or even death, we know assuredly our reward is with Christ in eternity (Philippians 3:20). This crown is not for those who depend upon their own sense of righteousness or of their own works. Such an attitude breeds only arrogance and pride, not a longing, a fervent desire to be with the Lord. 

4) The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Though Peter is addressing the elders, we must also remember that the crown will be awarded to all those who long for or love His appearing. This word “glory” is an interesting word referring to the very nature of God and His actions. It entails His great splendor and brightness. Recall Stephen who, while being stoned to death, was able to look into the heavens and see the glory of God (Acts 7:55-56). This word also means that the praise and honor we bestow to God alone is due Him because of who He is (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11; Galatians 1:5). It also recognizes that believers are incredibly blessed to enter into the kingdom, into the very likeness of Christ Himself. For as Paul so eloquently put it, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NKJV).

5) The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” This crown is for all believers, but is especially dear to those who endure sufferings, who bravely confront persecution for Jesus, even to the point of death. In Scripture the word “life” is often used to show a relationship that is right with God. It was Jesus who said, “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Just as things such as air, food, and water are vital for our physical lives, Jesus provides us what is required for our spiritual lives. He is the One who provides “living water.” He is the “bread of life” (John 4:10, 6:35). We know that our earthly lives will end. But we have the amazing promise that comes only to those who come to God through Jesus: “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25).
​
​The Gospel of John is the only Gospel which mentions “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John 13:23 tells us, “One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him.” John 19:26 declares, “When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son.'“ John 21:7 says, “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’” This disciple is never specifically identified, but the identity of the disciple whom Jesus loved is clear. The disciple whom Jesus loved self-identifies as the author of the gospel (John 21:24), whom most scholars believe to be the apostle John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James.

First, only the Gospel of John mentions the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” Second, John 21:2 lets us know who was fishing with Peter: “Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together...” The apostle John was a son of Zebedee (Matthew 4:21). Third, there were three disciples who were especially close to Jesus: Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33; Luke 8:51). The “disciple whom Jesus loved” could not be Peter, as Peter asks Jesus a question in regards to this disciple (John 21:20-21). That leaves us with James or John. Jesus made a statement about the possible “longevity” of the life of the disciple whom He loved in John 21:22. James was the first of the apostles to die (Acts 12:2). While Jesus did not promise the disciple whom He loved long life, it would be highly unusual for Jesus to say, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” if the disciple whom He loved was going to be the first disciple to die.

Church history tells us that the apostle John lived into the A.D. 90s and was the last surviving apostle. Early church tradition was unanimous in identifying John as the disciple whom Jesus loved. It seems that John had a closer relationship with Jesus than any of the other disciples. Jesus and John were essentially “best friends.” Jesus entrusted John with the care of His mother, gave John the vision of the transfiguration, allowed John to witness His most amazing miracles, and later gave John the Book of Revelation.

Mary Magdalene is depicted as Jesus's closest disciple who uniquely understood his teachings, causing tension with Peter, and is honored as the "apostle to the apostles".
​
Mary Magdalene was a historical figure, possibly from Magdala. She was a prominent follower of Jesus who was believed to have been healed by him, supported his ministry financially, and was present at his crucifixion and burial.



The Feeding of the Five Thousand

(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17)

1After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias). 2A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.

4Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near. 5When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.
​
7Philip answered, “Two hundred denariia would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”
8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

10“Have the people sit down,” Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
​
11Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.

12And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

13So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed,b they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

15Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.


Jesus Walks on Water

(Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52)

16When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them. 18A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.

19When they had rowed about three or four miles,c they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified. 20But Jesus spoke up: “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.


Jesus the Bread of Life

22The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone. 23However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him. 25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

26Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
​
28Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”
29Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

30So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’

32Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”

35Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. 36But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.

37Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

39And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

41At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’”

43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied. 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me— 46not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.

47Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life.49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

52At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”
​
53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.

56Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

​

​
Many Disciples Turn Back

(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; Luke 14:25–33)

59Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60On hearing it, many of His disciples said,

“This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?”

61Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?

63The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

 64However, there are some of you who do not believe.”(For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)
​
65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”

66From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.




Peter’s Confession of Faith
​
(Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–20)

67So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
​
68Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.

70Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.

Nations, countries, and kingdoms of this world rise and fall. Even those that once seemed unshakable—like the kingdom of Egypt, the Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire—eventually crumbled after centuries of amassing power, wealth, and widespread dominance. But the kingdom of God possesses a strength and permanence of an entirely different kind. This is why Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”

The word translated “cannot be shaken” comes from the Greek term asaluetos, which describes something that is firm, stable, and unmovable. The kingdom of God is permanent. No rival or weapon can threaten its existence or thwart its advance. Jesus uses the same Greek root word to describe how, in the end times, even the creation will be less stable than the kingdom of God: “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29; 2 Peter 3:10, 12).

This kingdom that cannot be shaken refers to the rule of God. His kingdom is not limited to a single nation or future event but encompasses His sovereign reign over all things.

This involves His reign over creation, as Psalm 47:7 reads, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.” It also includes His reign over Israel, as Isaiah 33:22 declares, “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.” Additionally, God reigns over Gentile nations, as Daniel 4:17 affirms: “The Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” While the kingdom of God may at times be less visible, less acknowledged, and less respected, it is nevertheless present, sustained, and victorious.

God promised that a descendant of David will preside over His kingdom. Through the prophet Nathan, God told David, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13; cf. Isaiah 9:6–7).

Jesus is the promised King from David’s line. He inaugurated God’s kingdom during His earthly ministry, as Mark records: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1:14–15).

Jesus also taught that, while the kingdom had come near, its full realization lies in the future. When Christ returns to the earth, He will establish Himself as king in Jerusalem, sitting on the throne of David (Luke 1:32–33). It will be a time of peace (Micah 4:2–4; Isaiah 32:17–18), joy (Isaiah 61:7, 10), and comfort (Isaiah 40:1–2). “With righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth” (Isaiah 11:4).

A powerful contrast between the kingdom that cannot be shaken and the teetering kingdoms of this world appears in the vision God gave to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2—a multi-tiered statue representing a succession of world empires. Each earthly kingdom, whether represented by gold, silver, bronze, or iron, was destined for destruction. The king of Babylon saw how “a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands” (Daniel 2:34, NLT). The rock struck the image, and “the whole statue was crushed into small pieces. . . . Then the wind blew them away without a trace” (Daniel 2:35, NLT). And then the rock grew into the unshakeable kingdom: “The rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth”

(Daniel 2:35, NLT).

Kingdoms in this world will rise and fall, yet the kingdom of God is everlasting. In Daniel’s words, “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44).

Despite all appearances and the might and grandeur of history’s great empires,


God’s kingdom

is the

only kingdom that


cannot be shaken


Second Corinthians 5:6–7 says, "So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight" (ESV, emphasis added). Other versions use the word live, rather than walk. The "walk" here is a metaphorical reference to the way a person conducts his or her life. We still use the phrase "all walks of life" to mean a variety of lifestyles or cultures.

The apostle Paul reminds his readers that followers of Christ must not build their lives around things that have no eternal significance. Rather than pursuing the same things the world pursues, a Christian should focus on the unseen realities such as Jesus and heaven. Paul goes on to say, "So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Corinthians 5:9–10).

Jesus instructed us to store up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19–20; Luke 12:33).

He promised rewards to everyone who does His will (Matthew 16:27; 1 Peter 1:17; Revelation 22:12)

and punishment for those who reject Him (Matthew 25:24–46; John 3:16–18).

Walking by faith means living life in light of eternal consequences. To walk by faith is to fear God more than man; to obey the Bible even when it conflicts with man’s commands; to choose righteousness, no matter what the cost; to trust God in every circumstance; and to believe God rewards those who seek Him, regardless of who says otherwise (Hebrews 11:6).

Rather than loving the things of this world (1 John 2:15–16), Christians should spend their lives glorifying God in everything they do (1 Corinthians 10:31). It requires faith to live this way because we cannot see, hear, or touch anything spiritual. When we base our lives on the truth of God’s Word, rather than on the popular philosophy of our day, we are going against our natural inclinations

In 1 John 1:1, John begins his letter by proclaiming the Word of life: “‭‭That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” The “Word of life” refers to Jesus, and can also refer to the gospel, the message of salvation and reconciliation made possible by the Son of God (Philippians 2:16).

‬‬ The Greek term for “word” is logos, recognized by Greeks as the medium through which God created the world and communicated with His creation. The Jews understood “the word” in the Old Testament as the means through which God created the cosmos (Psalm 33:6). Given these understandings, John aptly introduces Jesus as the Logos in both his Gospel and his first letter, emphasizing Jesus as the One through whom the world was made and life blossomed (John 1:3–4).

Eternal life also comes through Jesus, confirming His role as the Word of life. As John 3:16 indicates, “‭‭For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT). Jesus, in John 14:6, identifies Himself as “the way, the truth and the life.”

‬‬ Thus, only the Word of Life imparts true life; seeking eternal life apart from Him proves futile. Jesus is not just the Giver of life; He is life. Believing in the person and redemptive work of the Word of life grants eternal life.

Today, Christians are often considered intolerant for proclaiming Jesus as the only way to God. In light of many options, why should we hold on to the exclusivity of Christ? Even professed Christians struggle with this. However, it is not intolerant for God to possess the key to His presence. He controls access to His home in heaven, just as we possess access to ours on earth.

The crucial question is whether Jesus is who Scripture presents Him to be. If yes, denying His exclusivity would be unloving, especially when we profess Him as Savior. The only loving response to those who are spiritually hungry is to point them to where the Bread is.

Following Jesus’ miracle of the feeding of five thousand, the Lord gave a discourse on His being the Bread of lifethat came down from heaven (John 6:35). Many turned away from Jesus at that time (verse 66). “Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, ‘Are you also going to leave?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life’” (verses 67–68, NLT). The Bread of life is the Word of life, and the disciples recognized this truth.

Jesus is the Word of life, the Logos that gave life at creation and gives life in the new creation.

The gift of eternal life comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is Himself “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). The fact that this life is “eternal” indicates that it is perpetual life—it goes on and on and on, with no end.

It is a mistake, however, to view eternal life as simply an unending progression of years. A common New Testament word for “eternal” is aiónios, which carries the idea of qualityas well as quantity. In fact, eternal life is not really associated with “years” at all, as it is independent of time. Eternal life can function outside of and beyond time, as well as within time.

For this reason, eternal life can be thought of as something that Christians experience now. Believers don’t have to “wait” for eternal life, because it’s not something that starts when they die. Rather, eternal life begins the moment a person exercises faith in Christ. It is our current possession. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” Note that the believer “has” (present tense) this life (the verb is present tense in the Greek, too). We find similar present-tense constructions in John 5:24 and John 6:47. The focus of eternal life is not on our future, but on our current standing in Christ.

The Bible inextricably links eternal life with the Person of Jesus Christ. John 17:3 is an important passage in this regard, as Jesus prays, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Here, Jesus equates “eternal life” with a knowledge of God and of the Son. There is no knowledge of God without the Son, for it is through the Son that the Father reveals Himself to the elect (John 17:6; 14:9).

This life-giving knowledge of the Father and the Son is a true, personal knowledge, not just an academic awareness. There will be some on Judgment Day who had claimed to be followers of Christ but never really had a relationship with Him. To those false professors, Jesus will say, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23). The apostle Paul made it his goal to know the Lord, and he linked that knowledge to resurrection from the dead: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10–11).

In the New Jerusalem, the apostle John sees a river flowing from “the throne of God and of the Lamb,” and “on each side of the river stood the tree of life. . . . And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1–2). In Eden, we rebelled against God and were banished from the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). In the end, God graciously restores our access to the tree of life. This access is provided through Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Right now, every sinner is invited to know Christ and to receive eternal life: “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17).

How can you know that you have eternal life? First, confess your sin before God. Then accept God’s provision of a Savior on your behalf. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for your sins, and He rose again the third day. Believe this good news; trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9–10).

John puts it so simply: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11–12).

Once we understand that John’s purpose was to introduce the readers of his gospel to Jesus Christ, establishing Who Jesus is (God in the flesh) and what He did, all with the sole aim of leading them to embrace the saving work of Christ in faith, we will be better able to understand why John introduces Jesus as “the Word” in John 1:1.

By starting out his gospel stating, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” John is introducing Jesus with a word or a term that both his Jewish and Gentile readers would have been familiar with. The Greek word translated “Word” in this passage is Logos, and it was common in both Greek philosophy and Jewish thought of that day. For example, in the Old Testament the “word” of God is often personified as an instrument for the execution of God’s will (Psalm 33:6; 107:20; 119:89; 147:15-18). So, for his Jewish readers, by introducing Jesus as the “Word,” John is in a sense pointing them back to the Old Testament where the Logos or “Word” of God is associated with the personification of God’s revelation. And in Greek philosophy, the term Logos was used to describe the intermediate agency by which God created material things and communicated with them. In the Greek worldview, the Logos was thought of as a bridge between the transcendent God and the material universe. Therefore, for his Greek readers the use of the term Logos would have likely brought forth the idea of a mediating principle between God and the world.

So, essentially, what John is doing by introducing Jesus as the Logos is drawing upon a familiar word and concept that both Jews and Gentiles of his day would have been familiar with and using that as the starting point from which he introduces them to Jesus Christ. But John goes beyond the familiar concept of Logos that his Jewish and Gentile readers would have had and presents Jesus Christ not as a mere mediating principle like the Greeks perceived, but as a personal being, fully divine, yet fully human. Also, Christ was not simply a personification of God’s revelation as the Jews thought, but was indeed God’s perfect revelation of Himself in the flesh, so much so that John would record Jesus’ own words to Philip: Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9). By using the term Logos or Word in John 1:1, John is amplifying and applying a concept with which his audience was familiar and using that to introduce his readers to the true Logos of God in Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, fully God and yet fully man, who came to reveal God to man and redeem all who believe in Him from their sin.

Jesus gave Peter a three-fold command to “feed my sheep” in John 21:15-17. Each time Jesus said, “Feed my sheep,” it was in response to Peter’s three-fold declaration of love for Jesus. The setting was one of the last of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to His disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus prepared a breakfast of fish and bread for them, and then commissioned Peter with the task of feeding His sheep and tending His lambs.

The three commands, although often translated the same way, are subtly different. The first time Jesus says it, the Greek means literally “pasture (tend) the lambs” (v. 15). The Greek word for “pasture” is in the present tense, denoting a continual action of tending, feeding and caring for animals. Believers are referred to as sheep throughout Scripture. “For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (Psalm 95:7). Jesus is both our Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and the Door of the sheepfold (John 10:9). By describing His people as lambs, He is emphasizing their nature as immature and vulnerable and in need of tending and care.

The second time, the literal meaning is “tend My sheep” (v. 16). In this exchange, Jesus was emphasizing tending the sheep in a supervisory capacity, not only feeding but ruling over them. This expresses the full scope of pastoral oversight, both in Peter’s future and in all those who would follow him in pastoral ministry. Peter follows Jesus’ example and repeats this same Greek word poimaino in his first pastoral letter to the elders of the churches of Asia Minor: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers” (1 Peter 5:2).

The third time, the literal translation is “pasture (tend) the sheep” (v. 17). Here Jesus combines the different Greek words to make clear the job of the shepherd of the flock of God. They are to tend, care for, and provide spiritual food for God’s people, from the youngest lambs to the full-grown sheep, in continual action to nourish and care for their souls, bringing them into the fullness of spiritual maturity. The totality of the task set before Peter, and all shepherds, is made clear by Jesus’ three-fold command and the words He chooses.

What is this food with which shepherds are to feed the flock of God? It can be no other than the Word of God. Peter declares that Christians are to desire the pure spiritual milk of the Word so that by it, we can mature in our salvation (1 Peter 2:2). As early as the book of Deuteronomy, we see the Lord describing His Word as food for His people who live not by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from His mouth (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus reiterates this thought in His temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4). The importance of the Word of God as food for our souls cannot be over-emphasized.

Clearly, the job of the shepherds of God’s people is to provide them with the pure milk of the Word of God so they can move on to the meat and solid food of the spiritually mature (Hebrews 5:12-14). Pastoral ministry should be primarily one of pastors feeding their people the Word of God. Only then can pastors declare, as Peter did, their love for the Lord Jesus.

According to Hebrews 4:12, “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The “word of God” here is the written or spoken Word. The ESV says that the Bible is “living” and active.

Some who read Hebrews 4:12 compare it to John 1:1 and conclude that the “word” referenced by the author of Hebrews is Jesus. It’s true that the same Greek word (logos) is used in both passages, but in the context of Hebrews 4, it is probably a general reference to all that God has said (and subsequently written down). The passage uses personification, to be sure, but the focus is on the written Word and the attendant divine power it has to judge. If we assume that the Word is Christ in this passage, we have the awkward comparison of Him to a “sword,” a metaphor used nowhere else in the Bible. Therefore, it more likely that the Word in Hebrews 4:12 is the written Word, not Christ.

The description of the Bible as “living” means that it has a vital power inherent to itself. The written Word of God accomplishes God’s purposes (see Isaiah 55:11). In the context of Hebrews 4, it is the power to accomplish God’s judgment. The previous verse warns those who would disobey God’s Word (verse 11), and the following verse speaks of giving an account to the God who sees all (verse 13).

The Bible is unlike other books, whatever emotional or social effects they may produce, in that it brings about lasting, supernatural change within a person. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Jesus likened the Word of God to seed in His parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1–23). Seed, like the Bible, is not dead, but living, and it has the ability to bring forth more life in abundance. Seeds produce a crop (verse 23).

The Bible, as the living Word of God, is not inert or powerless, as seen in the actions attributed to the Word in Hebrews 4:12: the Bible “penetrates” deep within us and “judges” our hearts and motivations. It is “active,” not passive. The Bible is resisted or ignored to our own peril (Hebrews 2:1–3).

We see the living Word of God in action in the pages of the Bible. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the Word of God, and his audience “were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37). Three thousand people were saved that day (verse 41). Later, as the apostles continued to preach, the number in the church grew to five thousand, because “many of those who had heard the word believed” (Acts 4:4, ESV). God’s Word, living and active, does not return to Him void.

The Bible is the living Word of God because it is the message given to us from the “living God” (Hebrews 3:12). The God who is alive works in this world through His Word in conjunction with the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 6:17). Jesus spoke of the life-giving property of His words: “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63). The word of our Lord is efficacious for our salvation and sanctification (Acts 13:48; John 17:17).

Other indications that the Word of God is alive include the facts that it sustains man (Luke 4:4), it brings faith (Romans 10:17), it has freedom to accomplish God’s will (2 Timothy 2:9), it can be maligned (Titus 2:5), it gives spiritual birth (1 Peter 1:23), and it abides within believers (1 John 2:14).

We see the living Word of God in action every time a sinner repents and turns to Christ for eternal life. The believer’s changed life bears testimony to the living, active power of the Bible. Commentator Matthew Henrywrote of the Bible that it “convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully. It makes a soul that has long been proud, to be humble; and a perverse spirit, to be meek and obedient. Sinful habits, that have become as it were natural to the soul, and rooted deeply in it, are separated and cut off by this sword. It will discover to men their thoughts and purposes, the vileness of many, the bad principles they are moved by, the sinful ends they act to” (Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, Hebrews 4:11–16).

The living Word is active in the lives of those who receive it. According to the psalmist, the person who meditates on and delights in the Word will be “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:2–3).

​The Scriptures today are often downplayed in favor of manmade philosophies, personal experiences, or a “new” word from God. But the Bible cannot be ignored as if it were dead or obsolete. The Word of God is still powerful and very much alive. “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

Romans has the theme of faith (Romans 1:16–17). Paul addresses the process by which faith is produced in the heart in Romans 10:17: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

The first eight chapters of Romans contends with the ideas of positional salvation through faith (Romans 1:18—5:21), the process of growing in holiness through faith (Romans 6:1—8:17), and the future glorification Christians will receive because of faith (Romans 8:18–39). Chapters 9—11 of Romans works from the implied question, “Has God then failed to fulfill His promises to Israel?”

It is within this context that Paul gives the reason for the Israelites’ lack of salvation; namely, they lack faith (Romans 9:32; 10:4). The Israelites are saved through faith in Christ, just like the Gentiles. Eternal salvation does not distinguish between Gentile or Jew but is received through belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:12–13; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8; Galatians 3:23–29).

In the lead-up to the statement that faith comes by hearing, Romans 10:14–16 explains the requirements for a series of actions to take place. In order for one to “call on the name of the Lord,” he or she must believe. In order to believe, one must hear (or receive the report). In order for one to hear, another has to give the report. And that other won’t give the report unless he or she is sent.

Paul continues in Romans 10:17 to summarize the argument thus far: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (NASB).

“Faith” is translated from the Greek word pistis, which means “belief, trust, or confidence in someone or something.” It is key to the book of Romans and is used 40 times in the book—three of those occurrences appearing in chapter 10. The verb form of the word is also used 21 times within the book and most often translated as “believe.”

If faith comes by hearing, then what does Paul mean by “hearing”? In this context, it is not simply the physical receiving of sounds by the ear as most English speakers would understand the term. “Hearing” seems to designate something more—the receiving or acceptance of a report. Note the use of the word, translated “message” in Romans 10:16, as Paul quotes Isaiah 53:1: “Lord, who has believed our message?” In Isaiah’s day, the Lord had provided Israel with a message, but the prophet laments that few actually received it. The “hearing” was not attached to simple sounds but to a message or report given. In Romans 10, Paul makes the point that the good news has been given and the people of Israel have heard (Romans 10:18).

The nature of the gospel is a report: a report of God saving people from the wrath they deserve. In order to believe the report, one must receive the report!

Faith comes by hearing. It is not a guarantee that the report will result in faith, as Paul makes clear in Romans 10:16. For just as the Israelites refused to believe the message of Isaiah, every human today can refuse to believe the message of the gospel.

The nature of “hearing” also does not require the physical act of hearing with the ear. The report simply needs to be received. For instance, someone could read the gospel through GotQuestions.org and receive it by faith, without an audible word being spoken. As long as the message can be received fully, the medium does not affect the outcome. The content of the message must be “the word about Christ.” As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:3–5, the message is “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve” (NASB). Faith that leads to eternal salvation comes after “hearing”; that is, after receiving this message concerning Christ.

The apostle Peter stressed the extreme value and enduring nature of our redemption through Jesus Christ, stating that we “were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”

(1 Peter 1:18–19, NKJV).


In the original Greek, the word translated as “you were redeemed” (elytrōthēte) in 1 Peter 1:18 means that believers were “liberated or released by the payment of a price or ransom.” The Jews in Peter’s audience would understand the concept of redemption through the lens of their deliverance from Egypt. Redemption is seen in the Passover and the Jewish system of substitutionary sacrifices (see Exodus 12:1–51; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7). The Gentiles might comprehend redemption as the payment for a slave to be set free. The New Living Translation illuminates these ideas: “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18–19, NLT).

Jesus Himself said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, NLT; see also 1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:6). The death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the ransom price for our spiritual deliverance from our old, empty way of life. Before salvation, we were slaves to sin (2 Peter 2:19; Titus 3:3), but Christ satisfied our debt to set us free (John 8:31–36; Romans 8:1–2; Colossians 1:13–14).

Jesus paid for our freedom, not with “corruptible things” (NKJV) or “perishable things” (ESV, NIV)—that is, nothing subject to decay. In New Testament times, silver and gold were coins used as currency to buy and sell. They were considered decaying commodities or “corruptible things” because they had no eternal value. Money and currency only have worth in this life on earth.

A little later, Peter states that our salvation is “not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). The cost of our redemption and salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ cannot be valued in terms of money or precious metals. These corruptible things will one day burn up, but we who are born again by the Spirit of God will live forever (John 1:13; 1 Corinthians 9:25; 1 Corinthians 15:53–54; cf. Revelation 20:14–15; Matthew 13:42–43, 50).

Though valuable, earthly possessions and worldly treasures are ultimately transient and cannot attain the eternal salvation of our souls. Instead, our redemption is secured only by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (Psalm 49:7–9, 15). As the perfect sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:12–14), Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross is of infinite worth and permanence.

The central message to believers in 1 Peter 1 is to stay strong and stay the course because “we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” (Peter 1:4, NLT). We must cultivate holiness and not squander our time living recklessly. We may have to endure hardship and suffering just as Jesus did (1 Peter 2:22–24). But God raised Jesus to glory (1 Peter 1:21), and He will likewise raise us, too (1 Corinthians 6:14). We have been redeemed with an incorruptible ransom. Jesus paid with His precious, eternal-life-giving blood. Thanks to His death and resurrection, we can confidently anticipate the eternal hope of heaven.


No amount of silver and gold can free a lost sinner

(see Acts 8:20).


We can never be redeemed with corruptible things such as these. But because of God’s great love for us and His immeasurable grace, we have been given the most precious gift of all—the enduring and incorruptible sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His Son (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 9:15).

In John 7:38, Jesus makes a promise using a metaphor: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The statement comes at a key moment during the Feast of Booths. In the Gospels, Jesus had much to say about the idea of water and new life.

Earlier, Jesus had told Nicodemus that one had to be born of water and the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Jesus’ reference to water here was an allusion either to physical birth or to the Jewish concept of washing as a symbol of spiritual cleansing (see Ezekiel 36:25).


In John 4:10 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that He could give her “living water.” This was in contrast to the physical water that the Samaritan woman came to the well to retrieve.

That physical water would run out, and she would need to continually return to get more. But


Jesus offered the woman

water that would never run out—water

that would

become within the believer


“a spring of water welling up to eternal life”


(John 4:14).



In John 7, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Tabernacles. John relates what happened and provides commentary: “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (verse 37–39). So, during the feast Jesus offered Himself as the source of the water of life. At the same time, He was signaling the fulfillment of Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” and pointing to Himself as the water-giving rock in the wilderness (see 1 Corinthians 10:4). Anyone could come to Him and receive the Holy Spirit and the never-ending life He provides.

The timing of Jesus’ offer of living water was perfect. One of the rites performed during the Feast of Booths involved water. Every morning for seven days, a priest led a procession with music from the temple to the nearby pool of Siloam. There the priest filled a golden container with water and carried it back to the temple as the people rejoiced. At the altar, the priest poured the water out, while another priest poured a drink-offering of wine on the other side of the altar. During the libation the people sang the Hallel (Psalms 113—118).


On the eighth and final day, according to some sources, the water-pouring ceremony was not repeated. It was during that time—the one day when there was no water—that Jesus stood up in the temple and shouted the news that He Himself was the source of living water. The effect would have been profound. Here was the Messiah, offering “water,” conspicuous in its absence, that stood for the Holy Spirit and eternal life. All that was needed was to come to Jesus in faith.

After offering living water, Jesus adds that rivers of living water would flow from the heart of the believer (John 7:38). Here Jesus alludes to Isaiah 55:1 and Isaiah 58:11—passages that similarly present the Messianic hope in terms of life-giving water (cf. Exodus 17:1–6; Psalm 78:15–16; 105:40–41; Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 12:3; Ezekiel 47:1–11; and Zechariah 14:8). In stating that rivers of living water would flow from believers, Jesus was claiming to be the fulfillment of Scripture’s water allusions and prophecies. Because He is the Life-giver, those who believe in Him will have eternal life within them and no longer need to seek for life from external sources.



God puts His Spirit within each believer (Romans 8:9), and each believer has eternal life (John 6:47) and the evidence of life (in the Holy Spirit) within. It is in that sense that “rivers of living water” flow from the hearts of believers. Commentator Joseph Benson wrote that the believer “shall receive spiritual blessings, or communications of divine grace, in so great an abundance, that he shall not only be refreshed and comforted himself, but shall be instrumental in refreshing and comforting others” (Benson Commentary on the Old and New Testaments).

Paul describes how, in love, Christ sanctifies His church, washing her with the water of His word (Ephesians 5:25–26). The writer of Hebrews continues the theme, noting that our hearts are sprinkled and “our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). Peter adds that believers are cleansed as if by water (1 Peter 3:20–21). Finally, in a beautiful portrayal of Jesus’ ministry, John says that the Lamb would be the Shepherd, leading His people to the water of life (Revelation 7:17). This is reminiscent of David’s song of Psalm 23 in which the Shepherd leads David beside quiet waters and restores his soul (Psalm 23:2–3). Jesus is the One who freely gives eternal life. “If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).

In John 7, Jesus mentions this water of life or living water again. “Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive” (verses 37–38). Once again, Jesus uses the physical to point to the spiritual. People need “living water” to give life to their spirits more than they need water to give life to their bodies. Here, we are told that the “living water” Jesus offered is really the Holy Spirit. He is the one who will be able to cleanse and satisfy the thirsty spirit.

Finally, the water of life is mentioned in Revelation 21—22, which tells of the blessings of those who will spend eternity with God in the new heavens and new earth. In Revelation 21:6 God says, “To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” This is a picture of bountiful spiritual supply. Revelation 22:1expounds further: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” A final invitation is issued in Revelation 22:17, “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”

We need not understand the references to the “river” in the New Jerusalem literally. The picture is of a place where God lives with His people and meets all of their needs. In ancient times, a city with a continual supply of fresh, clean water would be considered a great place to live. The abode of God and of the believer for all eternity is pictured as having a pure, clear river running through the heart of it; in other words, it is a place where no need will be left unmet.

It is not necessary to wait for the new heavens and the new earth to experience the blessings of the water of life. Because the Holy Spirit comes to live within the believer, the Christian can experience a taste of this now. The Holy Spirit within the believer will quench every spiritual thirst, as long as the believer will simply take what the Spirit has to offer and follow the Spirit’s leading on a moment-by-moment basis.



the water of life is a metaphor that speaks of

the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer,

providing

spiritual cleansing and constant refreshment.






Acts 7 

(Genesis 12:1–9)

1Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

2And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’a 4So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.

5He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child. 6God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.7‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’

8Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.


Joseph Sold into Egypt

(Genesis 37:12–30)

9Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

11Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. 12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. 13On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity toc his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. 14Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.

Israel Oppressed in Egypt

(Exodus 1:8–22)

15So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16Their bones were carried backd to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.
17As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. 18Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. 19He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.


The Birth and Adoption of Moses

(Exodus 2:1–10; Hebrews 11:23–29)

20At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God.e For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house. 21When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.


The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Exodus 2:11–22)

23When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.25He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.

26The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’

27But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’f 29At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.


The Call of Moses

(Exodus 3:1–22)

30After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: 32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’gMoses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’

35This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’i is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angelj who appeared to him in the bush. 36He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.

37This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’k 38He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.l


The Rebellion of Israel

(Exodus 32:1–35; Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Amos 5:16–27)

39But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’

41At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 

‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings 
forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech 
and the star of your god Rephan, 
the idols you made to worship. 
Therefore I will send you into exile 
beyond Babylon.’


The Tabernacle of the Testimony

(Exodus 40:1–33; Hebrews 9:1–10)
​

44Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David, 46who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.o 47But it was Solomon who built the house for Him.

48However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

Heaven is My throne 
and the earth is My footstool. 
What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, 
or where will My place of repose be?
Has not My hand made all these things?’

51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”


The Stoning of Stephen

54On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged,q and they gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.56“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. 58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.



Isaiah’s Commission

(Matthew 13:10–17; Mark 4:10–12; Acts 28:16–31)

1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robea filled the temple. 2Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling out to one another: 

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; 
all the earth is full of His glory.”
4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5Then I said: 
“Woe is me, 
for I am ruined, 
because I am a man of unclean lips 
dwelling among a people of unclean lips; 
for my eyes have seen the King, 
the LORD of Hosts.”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal
that he had taken with tongs
from the altar. 7And with it he touched my mouth and said: 
“Now that this has touched your lips, 
your iniquity is removed 
and your sin is atoned for.”
8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: 
“Whom shall I send? 
Who will go for Us?” 
And I said: 
“Here am I. Send me!”
9And He replied: 
“Go and tell this people, 
‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; 
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’b
10Make the hearts of this people calloused; 
deafen their ears and close their eyes. 
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, 
hear with their ears, 
understand with their hearts, 
and turn and be healed.c”
11Then I asked: 
“How long, O Lord?” 
And He replied: 
“Until the cities lie ruined 
and without inhabitant, 
until the houses are left unoccupied 
and the land is desolate and ravaged,
12until the LORD has driven men far away 
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13And though a tenth remains in the land, 
it will be burned again. 
As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when felled, 
so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.”




Philippians 2:8-9
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. / Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,

Isaiah 53:3-5
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. / Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. / But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Psalm 22:6-8
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. / All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: / “He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.”

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

John 19:30
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

Romans 8:34
Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.

1 Peter 2:21-24
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps: / “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” / When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. ...

Luke 24:26
Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. / So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Revelation 3:21
To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Colossians 3:1
Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Psalm 110:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

Acts 5:31
God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

John 17:4-5
I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. / And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. / Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. / Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. ...

Hebrews 12:3
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Hebrews 9:28
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Isaiah 8:17
And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
the author.

Hebrews 2:10
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Mark 9:24
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Luke 17:5
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
finisher.

Hebrews 7:19
For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Psalm 138:8
The LORD will perfect that whichconcerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Hebrews 2:7-9
Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: … 
​
Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Psalm 16:9-11
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope… 
endured.

Hebrews 10:5-12
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: … 

Matthew 16:21
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Matthew 20:18,19,20,28
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, …




A Call to Endurance

(2 Timothy 2:1–13)

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the authoraand perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.


God Disciplines His Sons

4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: 
“My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, 
and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.
6For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, 
and He chastises every son He receives.”

7Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live?

10Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. 11No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peacec to those who have been trained by it.

12Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees.d 13Make straight paths for your feet,e so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.


​
A Call to Holiness

(1 Peter 1:13–21)

14Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitternessf springs up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.17For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears.



An Unshakable Kingdom

(Exodus 20:18–21; Deuteronomy 5:22–33)

18For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and thatg is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. 20For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”h 21The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
​
22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels 23in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.”j 27The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.

28Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. 29“For our God is a consuming fire.”k



Matthew 6 

(Deuteronomy 15:7–11)

1“Be careful not to perform your righteous actsa before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.


The Lord’s Prayer

(Luke 11:1–4)

5And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9So then, this is how you should pray: 

‘Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come, 
Your will be done, 
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, 
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, 
but deliver us from the evil one.
​
14For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.


Proper Fasting

16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.


Treasures in Heaven

(Luke 12:32–34)

19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rustc destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


The Lamp of the Body

(Luke 11:33–36)

22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good,d your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad,e your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
​
24No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.


Do Not Worry

(Luke 12:22–31)

25Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
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28And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first the kingdom of Godgand His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.


Freedom in Christ

1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered

 once more by a yoke of slavery. Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,

Christ will be of no value to you at all.…


John 8:32-36
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” / “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?” / Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ...

Romans 8:2
For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Romans 6:18
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.

1 Peter 2:16
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

Acts 15:10-11
Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? / On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Colossians 2:20-23
If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations: / “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”? / These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. ...

Hebrews 2:14-15
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, / and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

1 Corinthians 7:22
For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,

Leviticus 26:13
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk in uprightness.

Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

Jeremiah 34:8-17
After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD / that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage. / So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them, ...

Psalm 119:45
And I will walk in freedom, for I have sought Your precepts.

Proverbs 23:23
Buy the truth, and sell it not; alsowisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 16:13
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Galatians 5:13
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Galatians 2:4
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Galatians 3:25
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 2:4
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Galatians 4:9
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
​
Matthew 23:4
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselveswill not move them with one of their fingers.
​

Greed, a desire of the flesh, Stems from the disordered love of riches, human weakness, self-centeredness, or a focus on material things rather than on spiritual matters.  Greed is "works of the flesh," such as sexual immorality, impurity, and evil desires. It's often described as an intense, selfish desire for more wealth, power, or possessions, which can become a form of idolatry by putting these things before God.

As a natural human tendency: Some perspectives explain greed as a result of the body and mind's desire for gratification, which can lead to an insatiable hunger for things that do not bring lasting satisfaction.

Greed is therefore contrasted with higher, spiritual needs or desires

We should love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves, but we can begin to love money more than God and more than our neighbor. Greed, Like pride, lust, gluttony, sloth, anger, and envy, greed is called a “deadly” or “capital” sin because it gives rise to other sins.

I still remember my childhood picture Bible, which showed a shiny golden calf with people bowing down before it—a colorful depiction of the idolatry into which the ancient Israelites fell after Moses led them out of Egypt (Ex. 32). The story struck me as incredibly strange for two reasons. First, I wondered why anyone would be so ridiculous as to worship a golden calf. Obviously, the gold statue was not really a living god. Second, I wondered why God would care so much about what they did. They weren’t hurting anyone (were they?). It may be silly to worship a calf of gold, but why would God be concerned?

As an adult, I know from personal experience that the temptation to worship money rather than God is not limited to ancient Israel. People in our society are unlikely to bow down before a golden calf, but almost everyone in our society is tempted by greed in one of its forms. And, just as with ancient Israel, God cares about whether or not we are greedy.

Today, greed often takes the form of consumerism and over-work. Consumerism is a view of the human person that reduces us to what we can buy and consume. It is captured by the motto: “He who dies with the most toys wins.” The workaholic’s greed, on the other hand, is not in consuming but in producing. Both the ultra-consumer and the workaholic are, practically speaking, materialists: What really counts, the ultimate goal of life, is what can be bought and sold.

Although nearly every American lives a lifestyle more luxurious than any medieval king, we all want more. Advertisers spend billions of dollars a year feeding our appetites for things to buy. Most of these items we do not really need and would never have wanted at all were it not for the daily barrage of advertisements.

Why Should God Care?Of course, money and material goods are not evil but good. Indeed, we really do need money—or at least what Thomas Aquinas called “natural wealth” such as food, clothing, and shelter—to survive. We use what he called “artificial wealth” such as cash, credit cards, or coins to purchase natural wealth. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to secure the physical well-being of yourself and your loved ones through the use of money. In fact, that desire is good.

However, a healthy desire for natural wealth, and by extension artificial wealth, can grow into an unnatural and unhealthy desire for riches. But what exactly is wrong with desiring money too much? Put in the biblical context, what difference does it make to God if the ancient Israelites worship a golden calf? Why should God care if people love money more than God and neighbor?

God cares about these matters because God cares about us. Exaggerated love of money does not hurt God—it does not diminish God himself in the least if we do not worship him. No, excessive love of money hurts us.

First, it often leads to actions that are obviously sinful, such as stealing and cheating. But even if avarice did not lead to other sins, it would still be harmful to us. Simply put, if we love money more than God and more than other people, we make ourselves—usually sooner rather than later—miserable. Even if we had more money than Bill Gates, we still would not be happy without friendship with God and others. Philosophers such as Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas taught the insufficiency of money for happiness centuries ago: Contemporary research in the social sciences is reinforcing their conclusions. Money, even millions and millions of dollars, simply cannot make us happy.

You Can’t Buy BlissPsychologists have been studying what makes people happy for decades. They do this in various ways. One way is to have people wear beepers and then, at the prompting of the researchers during the course of the day, the research subjects write down the degree to which they are happy. Psychologists study rates of depression and cases of suicide and attempted suicide. They observe people and draw conclusions from their smiles and laughter or frowns and tears about whether they are happy. Over several decades, in thousands of studies across the world, they have gathered as much evidence as they can about the relationship between financial well-being and human happiness.

It turns out that more money can make you much happier—if you live in abject poverty. If you do not have clothes to keep you warm, if you have no food for your children, and no roof over your head at night, money for these basic provisions greatly improves reported happiness.

However, once you have enough money to provide food, clothing and shelter, increases in money are unrelated to stable increases in happiness. In other words, once a person has the basic necessities, more money does not lead to more happiness (see “Lottery Winners Come Down to Earth,” p. 25).

Unlike natural wealth, such as clothes, there is no limit on artificial wealth. There are only so many hamburgers a person can eat or clothes that can be worn, but there is no limit whatsoever to the amount we can have in our bank account. For this reason, greed is a particularly dangerous kind of sin. The glutton eventually achieves complete fullness. The person committing a lustful act reaches a point of natural satiation. The angry person may explode in rage, thereby draining his fury. Even the drunk will reach a point where he passes out and can drink no more. But the greedy person never reaches an endpoint in the accumulation of riches.

Scholars who have studied happiness, such as Dr. David Myers, a psychologist who wrote The Pursuit of Happiness, which draws on hundreds of studies of happiness, note that the happiness attained by a purchase or a level of wealth soon wears off and people adapt to whatever level of wealth they have achieved, as the experience of lottery winners shows.

Whether we base our conclusion on self-reported happiness, rates of depression, or teen problems, our becoming much better-off [financially] over the last thirty years has not been accompanied by one iota of increased happiness and life satisfaction. It’s shocking because it contradicts our society’s materialistic assumptions, but how can we ignore the hard truth: Once beyond poverty, further economic growth does not appreciably improve human morale. Making more money—that aim of so many graduates and other American dreamers . . . does not breed bliss. (The Pursuit of Happiness, 44)

Indeed, at all levels of wealth, from modest to tremendously wealthy, people tend to compare themselves to those who are just ahead of them in riches. Parents making $40,000 a year tend not to say, “Wow, we are doing so much better than 95 percent of the entire world. We have one TV and one car. We have a computer. We’re doing amazingly well financially.” Rather, they tend to look at those with two cars and three TVs, who in turn compare themselves to those with newer cars, bigger houses, and plasma-screen TVs, and so on.
Most people, when asked, will say that they need just a little bit more money to be comfortable, around 10 percent more. Whether people make $30,000 per year, $60,000 per year, $120,000 per year, or more than one million dollars per year, they tend to think that that 10 percent more will make a difference. When they do get that 10 percent, which typically happens over the course of a few years, they want just another 10 percent, and so on, ad infinitum.

Research reveals another startling result: If you compare a lottery winner and a paraplegic a year after the fateful events occurred, you would know virtually nothing about their levels of happiness. If you compare the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and the janitor who cleans his office, given this knowledge alone, we would have no way to know which person is happier.

This research done by contemporary psychologists is quite a relief. Our culture tends to equate the “good life,” a happy life, with the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” a lifestyle well beyond the reach of most people. But most people in the Western world have attained the minimum level of socioeconomic well-being, beyond which money does not help.

What does help people attain happiness, according to contemporary psychologists? Four things matter in particular: 1) good relationships with others, 2) strong religious ties, 3) meaningful activity, and 4) personal control. We can translate these into more traditional terms: 1) love of neighbor, 2) love of God, 3) corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and 4) exercising authentic freedom by doing good and avoiding evil.
God cares about greed because it undermines our true happiness. When we put making or spending money ahead of loving God, we lose out on an essential.aspect of our own happiness. When we pursue career in such as way that there is not sufficient time for meaningful relationships with God and neighbor, again we lose out, as do our families and our friends. When we love money so much that we will steal, lie, cheat, and fail to give to charity, we hurt not only others but also ourselves. Even though we rightly own our possessions, the use of everything we have, including our money, should be governed by love of God and neighbor.

Because God loves us deeply and wants us to be happy in this life and in the next, Jesus taught much about the disordered love of money: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). Mammon, the biblical false god of greed, drives people away from fellowship with each other and with God.

Jesus also spoke of the great difficulty that the rich have of entering heaven: “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:23-24). Commenting on this passage, St. John Chrysostom writes: “What he spoke was not condemning riches in themselves, but those who were enslaved by them” (Homilies on Matthew 63). It is easy to become a slave to money, to devote one’s life to the acquisition of material goods, but financial well-being is also a tool that can be used for good.

Give More, Be HappierAll Christians are called to a spirit of detachment from worldly goods and riches. Our financial bottom line should not be the bottom line of our lives, our sole guide to behavior. A “spirit of poverty” should be sought by all Christians whereby they useworldly goods, including money, as tools for serving their neighbors. As Pope Benedict XVI points out, “Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbor” (Deus Caritas Est 15).

Helping our neighbors with our material goods can challenge us in unexpected ways. When Jesus met a rich young man, the Lord invited him to make a radical choice: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matt. 19.21). The rich man went away sad, but others take up Jesus’ invitation with joy. Following the lead of St. Francis of Assisi and many other saints, some people are called to a deep love of God and neighbor embodied by giving up all material possessions and taking a vow of poverty.

All Christians are called is to a less-radical means of eradicating greed and living the spirit of poverty: give money to worthy causes and alleviate spiritual or material poverty on a regular basis. Almost all of us could be more generous financially. I’ve known families with three or four children, making less than $15,000 a year, who give away 10 percent of their income. Perhaps not coincidentally, these families were some of the happiest I’ve ever known.

Can You Give Too Much?

Greed has an opposite vice: wastefulness or recklessness in giving (prodigality). Exercising practical wisdom, donors should give both generously and with an awareness of their other responsibilities. Studies indicate that most Catholics do not seem in danger of prodigality: On average, they donate a mere 1 percent of their income yearly (three dollars or less given to their parish each week). Catholics need to find the middle ground between the vices of greed on the one hand and wastefulness on the other—a healthy generosity with our material goods (See “The Angelic Doctor on the Virtue of Liberality,” p. 26).
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In addition to donating money, another way of curbing greed is to curb consumption. Why not undertake a Lenten penance of buying nothing new that can be bought secondhand? Items such as food, gas, and light bulbs must be bought new, but clothes, books, and many other items can be bought used. How about abstaining from television and avoiding all those commercials? When shopping, we can delay making expensive purchases without due consideration or perhaps not buy the “top of the line” product.
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One final remedy for greed: Turn down opportunities for more money. Perhaps this means one less business trip a year. Perhaps it means coming home for dinner almost every night or leaving work an hour early to help make dinner. Of course, we all need money, but most likely we could get by with less money and become richer in other things—time with family, time with God.

“Greed is good,” said Gordon Gecko in the movie Wall Street. Good for whom? we might ask. Is it good for children who seldom see their father? Is it good for spouses? Is it good for those taken advantage of by financial misdeeds? We may not worship a gold statue in the desert, but most of us have to struggle against avarice, a grave impediment to our own happiness and the happiness of others. We tend to forget that God loves us not only more than we love anyone else, but more than we love ourselves. Because of his great love for us, God urges us, from Old Testament times until today, to avoid the worship of golden gods.


​It is for freedom that Christ has set us free

This phrase emphasizes the purpose of Christ's redemptive work: to liberate believers from the bondage of sin and the law. In the context of Galatians, Paul addresses the issue of Judaizers who insisted that Gentile Christians must adhere to Jewish law, including circumcision, to be truly saved. This freedom is not a license to sin but a call to live in the liberty of the Spirit (Galatians 5:13). The concept of freedom is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, where God delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 6:6). This act prefigures the ultimate deliverance through Christ, who fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17) and offers a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The freedom in Christ is a spiritual emancipation, echoing Jesus' declaration in John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed

."Stand firm, then,

Paul's exhortation to "stand firm" is a call to perseverance and steadfastness in the faith. This is a common theme in Paul's letters, where he often encourages believers to remain unwavering in their commitment to the gospel (1 Corinthians 16:13, Philippians 1:27). The imagery of standing firm suggests a soldier holding his ground in battle, a metaphor Paul uses in Ephesians 6:13-14 when discussing the armor of God. This steadfastness is necessary to resist the pressures and false teachings that threaten to undermine the freedom found in Christ.

and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery

The "yoke of slavery" refers to the legalistic observance of the Mosaic Law, which the Judaizers were attempting to impose on Gentile converts. In Acts 15:10, Peter describes the law as a yoke that neither the Jewish ancestors nor the current generation could bear. The imagery of a yoke, a wooden frame placed on the necks of oxen, symbolizes oppression and burden. In contrast, Jesus offers a different yoke, one that is easy and light (Matthew 11:29-30). The call not to be encumbered again suggests a return to a previous state of bondage, which Paul warns against. This warning is consistent with the broader biblical narrative of God's desire for His people to live in the freedom He provides, as seen in the deliverance from Egypt and the call to live as a holy nation (Leviticus 26:13).

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Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

1My son, do not forget my teaching, 
but let your heart keep my commandments;
2for they will add length to your days, 
years and peace to your life.
3Never let loving devotiona or faithfulness leave you; 
bind them around your neck, 
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Then you will find favor and high regard 
in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, 
and lean not on your own understanding;
6in all your ways acknowledge Him, 
and He will make your paths straight.
7Be not wise in your own eyes; 
fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
8This will bring healing to your body
and refreshmentc to your bones.
9Honor the LORD with your wealth 
and with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10then your barns will be filled with plenty, 
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, 
and do not loathe His rebuke;
12for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, 
as does a father the son in whom he delights.

The Blessings of Wisdom
13Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, 
the man who acquires understanding,
14for she is more profitable than silver, 
and her gain is better than fine gold.
15She is more precious than rubies; 
nothing you desire compares with her.
16Long life is in her right hand; 
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17All her ways are pleasant, 
and all her paths are peaceful.
18She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, 
and those who lay hold of her are blessed.
19The LORD founded the earth by wisdom 
and established the heavens by understanding.
20By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, 
and the clouds dripped with dew.
21My son, do not lose sight of this: 
Preserve sound judgment and discernment.

22They will be life to your soul 
and adornment to your neck.
23Then you will go on your way in safety, 
and your foot will not stumble.
24When you lie down, you will not be afraid; 
when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.
25Do not fear sudden danger 
or the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26for the LORD will be your confidence 
and will keep your foot from the snare.
27Do not withhold good from the deserving
when it is within your power to act.
28Do not tell your neighbor, 
“Come back tomorrow and I will provide”--
when you already have the means.
29Do not devise evil against your neighbor, 
for he trustfully dwells beside you.
30Do not accuse a man without cause, 
when he has done you no harm.
31Do not envy a violent man 
or choose any of his ways;
32for the LORD detests the perverse, 
but He is a friend to the upright.
33The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, 
but He blesses the home of the righteous.
34He mocks the mockers, 
but gives grace to the humble.
35The wise will inherit honor, 
but fools are held up to shame.




A Father’s Instruction

1Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; 
pay attention and gain understanding.
2For I give you sound teaching; 
do not abandon my directive.
3When I was a son to my father, 
tender and the only child of my mother,
4he taught me and said, 
“Let your heart lay hold of my words; 
keep my commands and you will live.
5Get wisdom, get understanding; 
do not forget my words or turn from them.
6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; 
love her, and she will guard you.
7Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. 
And whatever you may acquire,a gain understanding.
8Prize her, and she will exalt you; 
if you embrace her, she will honor you.

9She will set a garland of grace on your head; 
she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10Listen, my son, and receive my words, 
and the years of your life will be many.
11I will guide you in the way of wisdom; 
I will lead you on straight paths.
12When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; 
when you run, you will not stumble.
13Hold on to instruction; do not let go. 
Guard it, for it is your life.
14Do not set foot on the path of the wicked 
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15Avoid it; do not travel on it. 
Turn from it and pass on by.

16For they cannot sleep 
unless they do evil; 
they are deprived of slumber 
until they make someone fall.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness 
and drink the wine of violence.
18The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, 
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; 
they do not know what makes them stumble.
20My son, pay attention to my words; 
incline your ear to my sayings.
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21Do not lose sight of them; 
keep them within your heart.
22For they are life to those who find them, 
and health to the whole body.
23Guard your heart with all diligence, 
for from it flow springs of life.
24Put away deception from your mouth; 
keep your lips from perverse speech.
25Let your eyes look forward; 
fix your gaze straight ahead.
26Make a level path for your feet,
and all your ways will be sure.
27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; 
turn your feet away from evil.



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The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

(Isaiah 6:1–13; Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9–10)

10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 

​12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:

‘Though seeing, they do not see; 

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: 
‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; 
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people’s heart has grown callous; 
they hardly hear with their ears, 
and they have closed their eyes. 
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, 
hear with their ears, 
understand with their hearts, 
and turn, and I would heal them.’

16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.


The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)

18Consider, then, the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

20The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
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22The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

 

Malachi 3:8-9 ESV / 664 helpful votes Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

Leviticus 27:30 ESV / 229 helpful votes “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord.

Malachi 3:10 ESV / 184 helpful votes Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Genesis 14:20 ESV / 183 helpful votes And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Numbers 18:26 ESV / 172 helpful votes “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.

Deuteronomy 14:22 ESV / 157 helpful votes “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.

Hebrews 7:2 ESV / 142 helpful votes And to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

2 Chronicles 31:5 ESV / 134 helpful votes As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.

Nehemiah 10:37 ESV / 114 helpful votes And to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor.

Leviticus 27:32 ESV / 94 helpful votes And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord.

Numbers 18:21 ESV / 82 helpful votes “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,

Genesis 28:22 ESV / 82 helpful votes And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

Amos 4:4 ESV / 76 helpful votes “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days;

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV / 61 helpful votes Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Deuteronomy 14:28 ESV / 61 helpful votes “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns.

Hebrews 7:4 ESV / 59 helpful votes See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!

Proverbs 3:9 ESV / 58 helpful votes Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;

Nehemiah 13:12 ESV / 51 helpful votes Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.

Matthew 23:23 ESV / 38 helpful votes “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Hebrews 7:4-5 ESV / 37 helpful votes See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.

Deuteronomy 26:12 ESV / 32 helpful votes “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled,

Hebrews 7:9 ESV / 25 helpful votes One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

Hebrews 7:1-28 ESV / 25 helpful votes For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. ...

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 ESV / 24 helpful votes “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

Nehemiah 10:37-38 ESV / 23 helpful votes And to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.

Luke 11:42 ESV / 21 helpful votes “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Acts 20:35 ESV / 20 helpful votes In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Numbers 18:24 ESV / 19 helpful votes For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.”

Malachi 3:1-18 ESV / 18 helpful votes “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. ...

Luke 18:12 ESV / 17 helpful votes I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

Deuteronomy 12:6 ESV / 16 helpful votes And there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

Deuteronomy 12:17 ESV / 15 helpful votes You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present,

Genesis 28:20-22 ESV / 15 helpful votes Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

1 Corinthians 11:31 ESV / 14 helpful votes But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.

John 4:24 ESV / 14 helpful votes God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Luke 16:19-31 ESV / 14 helpful votes “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ...

Malachi 3:8 ESV / 13 helpful votes Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.

Psalm 24:1 ESV / 13 helpful votes A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,

Leviticus 6:20 ESV / 13 helpful votes “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.

Leviticus 27:30-32 ESV / 12 helpful votes “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord.

Leviticus 5:11 ESV / 12 helpful votes “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

Exodus 29:40 ESV / 12 helpful votes And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering.

Exodus 16:36 ESV / 12 helpful votes (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)

James 1:27 ESV / 11 helpful votes Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV / 11 helpful votes But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Nehemiah 10:38 ESV / 11 helpful votes And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.

1 Samuel 8:15 ESV / 11 helpful votes He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.

1 John 1:9 ESV / 10 helpful votes If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Colossians 3:5 ESV / 10 helpful votes Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

John 3:17 ESV / 10 helpful votes For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:16-17 ESV / 10 helpful votes “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Luke 6:38 ESV / 10 helpful votes Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Genesis 1:1-31 ESV / 10 helpful votes In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. ...

James 5:16 ESV / 9 helpful votes Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Hebrews 7:8-9 ESV / 9 helpful votes In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV / 9 helpful votes For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Acts 2:1-47 ESV / 9 helpful votes When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ...

Mark 12:41-44 ESV / 9 helpful votes And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Malachi 3:8-10 ESV / 9 helpful votes Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

2 Kings 2:23-24 ESV / 9 helpful votes He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.

Leviticus 27:31 ESV / 9 helpful votes If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it.

Exodus 20:3 ESV / 9 helpful votes “You shall have no other gods before me.

Genesis 14:1-24 ESV / 9 helpful votes In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ...

Revelation 1:1 ESV / 8 helpful votes The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV / 8 helpful votes And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:29 ESV / 8 helpful votes For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Matthew 16:18 ESV / 8 helpful votes And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 6:1-4 ESV / 8 helpful votes “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 5:22 ESV / 8 helpful votes But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Revelation 22:18 ESV / 7 helpful votes I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,

1 John 1:8 ESV / 7 helpful votes If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 Peter 4:12 ESV / 7 helpful votes Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

1 Peter 3:21 ESV / 7 helpful votes Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

2 Thessalonians 3:14 ESV / 7 helpful votes If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.

Colossians 3:16 ESV / 7 helpful votes Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Philippians 4:10-19 ESV / 7 helpful votes I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. ...

Galatians 6:1 ESV / 7 helpful votes Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Galatians 3:24 ESV / 7 helpful votes So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

1 Corinthians 16:2 ESV / 7 helpful votes On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV / 7 helpful votes Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV / 7 helpful votes Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 ESV / 7 helpful votes For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Romans 12:19 ESV / 7 helpful votes Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Romans 10:9 ESV / 7 helpful votes Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 20:29 ESV / 7 helpful votes I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

Acts 2:38 ESV / 7 helpful votes And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:16 ESV / 7 helpful votes Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Matthew 7:1-2 ESV / 7 helpful votes “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

Proverbs 3:9-10 ESV / 7 helpful votes Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

1 Samuel 8:17 ESV / 7 helpful votes He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.

Deuteronomy 12:11 ESV / 7 helpful votes Then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.

Genesis 28:1-22 ESV / 7 helpful votes Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. ...

Revelation 21:8 ESV / 6 helpful votes But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Revelation 19:8 ESV / 6 helpful votes It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

2 Peter 1:10 ESV / 6 helpful votes Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV / 6 helpful votes Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Hebrews 10:26-31 ESV / 6 helpful votes For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ...

Hebrews 10:25 ESV / 6 helpful votes Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

1 Timothy 5:16 ESV / 6 helpful votes If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.

Philippians 4:15 ESV / 6 helpful votes And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.



Zechariah 7 

1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.a 2Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, along with their men,b to plead before the LORD 3by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, as well as the prophets, “Should I weep and fast in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?”

4Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying, 5“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted? 6And when you were eating and drinking, were you not doing so simply for yourselves? 7Are these not the words that the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were populous and prosperous, and the Negev and the foothillsc were inhabited?’”
8Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotiond and compassion to one another. 10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.e 12They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.

13And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts. 14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known, and the land was left desolate behind them so that no one could come or go. Thus they turned the pleasant land into a desolation.”


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Future Glory

(2 Corinthians 5:1–10)

18I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. 23Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. 27And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.



God Works in All Things

(Ephesians 1:3–14)


28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. 29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
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31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.



More than Conquerors

(Psalm 44:1–26)

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: 

“For Your sake we face death all day long; 
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Paul’s Revelation

1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to gain, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows. 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were inexpressible, things that man is not permitted to tell.


Paul’s Thorn and God’s Grace

5I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses. 6Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me, 7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. 
So to keep me from becoming conceited,a I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

11I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. 12The marks of a true apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance. 13In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
​
14See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

16Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery. 17Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you? 18I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?

19Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up. 20For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. 21I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.


There are five heavenly crowns

that will

be awarded to believers.


They are the imperishable crown,

the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness,

the crown of glory, and the crown of life.


The Greek word translated “crown” is stephanos (the source for the name Stephen the martyr)

and means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally.”

Used during the ancient Greek games, it referred to a wreath or garland of leaves placed on a victor’s head as a reward for winning an athletic contest. As such, this word is used figuratively in the New Testament of the rewards of heaven God promises those who are faithful. Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 best defines for us how these crowns are awarded. 

1) The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV). All things on this earth are subject to decay and will perish. Jesus urges us to not store our treasures on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). This is analogous to what Paul was saying about that wreath of leaves that was soon to turn brittle and fall apart. But not so the heavenly crown; faithful endurance wins a heavenly reward which is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

2) The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice always in the Lord” for all the bountiful blessings our gracious God has showered upon us. As Christians we have more in this life to rejoice about than anyone else. Luke tells us there is rejoicing even now in heaven (Luke 15:7). The crown of rejoicing will be our reward where “God will wipe away every tear . . . there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

3) The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained. Because it is obtained and possessed in a righteous way, and not by force and deceit as earthly crowns sometimes are, it is an everlasting crown, promised to all who love the Lord and eagerly wait for His return. Through our enduring discouragements, persecutions, sufferings, or even death, we know assuredly our reward is with Christ in eternity (Philippians 3:20). This crown is not for those who depend upon their own sense of righteousness or of their own works. Such an attitude breeds only arrogance and pride, not a longing, a fervent desire to be with the Lord. 

4) The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Though Peter is addressing the elders, we must also remember that the crown will be awarded to all those who long for or love His appearing. This word “glory” is an interesting word referring to the very nature of God and His actions. It entails His great splendor and brightness. Recall Stephen who, while being stoned to death, was able to look into the heavens and see the glory of God (Acts 7:55-56). This word also means that the praise and honor we bestow to God alone is due Him because of who He is (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11; Galatians 1:5). It also recognizes that believers are incredibly blessed to enter into the kingdom, into the very likeness of Christ Himself. For as Paul so eloquently put it, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NKJV).

5) The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” This crown is for all believers, but is especially dear to those who endure sufferings, who bravely confront persecution for Jesus, even to the point of death. In Scripture the word “life” is often used to show a relationship that is right with God. It was Jesus who said, “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Just as things such as air, food, and water are vital for our physical lives,


Jesus provides us what is required for our

spiritual lives.


He is the One who provides “living water.”


He is the “bread of life” (John 4:10, 6:35).

We know that our earthly lives will end. But we have the amazing promise that comes only to those who come to God through Jesus: “And this is the promise that He has promised us--


eternal life”


(1 John 2:25).


​John says, the one who fears punishment is not perfected in love (1 John 4:18).

​ If we recognize that we are in Christ and He in us, then we have no fear of future condemnation. We know we have His Spirit within us. His love is expressed perfectly in us—He has given Himself to us. Why would we fear His judgment in the future? We belong to Him. If we (rightly) fear punishment, then we are not in His love because those who are in Him have been saved from condemnation. As Jesus said, God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten, or unique, Son so that the one who believes in Jesus will not perish (i.e., die in condemnation) but have eternal life (John 3:16). Those who have believed in Jesus are in His love and have no reason to fear judgment and condemnation. But those who are not in Christ Jesus have reason to fear the judgment. The apostle John explains that, if we are in Christ, then we have no need to fear—“there is no fear in love.” If we are in Christ, we see His love expressed perfectly in His salvation, and we should demonstrate that love toward others.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). God’s perfect love has cast out our fear of punishment and condemnation. In a sense, we should always fear God because He is the Creator who is sovereign over all (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7), but that is quite different from fearing judgment and condemnation. We don’t fear God because we are afraid He might violate His promises and throw us into condemnation—no, we fear God because of His greatness, worthiness, and awesomeness. It is because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10) that we can understand what a gift His love truly is. To be loved by One so incredible and great means that His love is stronger than anything we can imagine. If God is for us, then who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

After offering living water, Jesus adds that rivers of living water would flow from the heart of the believer (John 7:38). Here Jesus alludes to Isaiah 55:1 and Isaiah 58:11—passages that similarly present the Messianic hope in terms of life-giving water (cf. Exodus 17:1–6; Psalm 78:15–16; 105:40–41; Proverbs 18:4; Isaiah 12:3; Ezekiel 47:1–11; and Zechariah 14:8). In stating that rivers of living water would flow from believers, Jesus was claiming to be the fulfillment of Scripture’s water allusions and prophecies. Because


He is the Life-giver,

those

who believe in Him will

​have

eternal life within them 

and

no longer need to seek for life

from

external sources


In John 7:38, Jesus makes a promise using a metaphor: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The statement comes at a key moment during the Feast of Booths.

In the Gospels, Jesus had

much to say about the idea of water and new life.

Earlier,

​Jesus had told Nicodemus that one had to be born of

water and the Spirit

in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). 

​
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus


​Hebrews 8:6
Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Hebrews 9:15
Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Acts 4:12
Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved.”



The Supremacy of the Son

(Hebrews 1:1–14)
​
​
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.


He is before all things, and in Him all things

hold together. 

And He is the head of the body,

the church;

He is the beginning and firstborn from

​ among the dead,

so that in all things He may have preeminence.



 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself

all things, whether things

on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence— if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.


Paul’s Suffering for the Church
​
(2 Corinthians 11:16–33)
​
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. 25I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, 26the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfectf in Christ. 29To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.


Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

2 Corinthians 5:18-19
All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: / that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Ephesians 1:10
as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.

Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Ephesians 1:10
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Philippians 2:10
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;




Giving to the Needy

(Deuteronomy 15:7–11)

1“Be careful not to perform your righteous actsa before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.


The Lord’s Prayer

(Luke 11:1–4)

5And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9So then, this is how you should pray: 

​
‘Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come, 
Your will be done, 
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, 
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, 
but deliver us from the evil one.
​

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 

But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.


​
Proper Fasting

16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen.


And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

​
​

Treasures in Heaven

(Luke 12:32–34)

19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rustc destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.


For where your treasure is,

​there

your heart will be also.



The Lamp of the Body

(Luke 11:33–36)


The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 

But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness,

​how great is that darkness!
​
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other,

or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and money.

In 2 Corinthians 4:1–6, the apostle Paul defends his apostolic ministry, in which he

openly preaches God’s truth and the good news of Jesus Christ.

Paul states that his methods are straightforward and honest (verse 2) and that if his message is hidden or veiled, it is because “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

This passage describes the spiritually darkened condition of those who reject the gospel and remain in unbelief.

The “god of this age” refers to Satan or the devil (see Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). Jesus called Satan “the prince of this world” (see John 12:31; 14:30). In this context, Paul uses the title to indicate Satan’s influence over the present age we live in, which is characterized by sin and rebellion against God. As the god of this age, Satan exerts significant control over the world’s ideologies, philosophies, and false religions. He exercises his dark powers to persuade and pervert the thinking of those who reject the gospel. Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers, preventing them from seeing the light of truth that shines on Jesus Christ as the image of God.

The phrase has blinded in 2 Corinthians 4:4 is translated from a Greek verb (etyphlōsen), which means “made unable or unwilling to understand; conceived as having rendered a person unable to see.” Paul speaks of blindness that is spiritual in nature. Spiritually blind individuals are unable to perceive and comprehend spiritual truths. Paul explains that Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers, obstructing them from seeing the “light of the gospel.” This blindness is not merely a lack of understanding but a deliberate obstacle created by Satan to keep people from recognizing their need for a Savior and accepting the truths of Christianity.

Through difficult experience, Paul was acutely aware of the limited number of Jews who understood and believed the truth about salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul likely had legalistic “Judaizers” in mind when he wrote 2 Corinthians 4:4. These early church infiltrators insisted that, for Gentiles to be saved, they must follow the Mosaic Law and Jewish rituals. The spiritual blindness of these teachers kept them from correctly understanding God’s grace and accepting Christ’s gift of salvation: “But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand”

​ (2 Corinthians 3:14–15, NLT; see also Romans 11:25).


Romans 3:10-12
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. / There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. / All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Psalm 14:2
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.

Ecclesiastes 7:20
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Isaiah 53:6
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

Jeremiah 17:9-10
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? / I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

Genesis 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.

Romans 1:28-32
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ...

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, / in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. / All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.

Job 15:14-16
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? / If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes, / how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?

Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf,
​and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

1 John 1:8-10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. / If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. / If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.


Do Not Worry

(Luke 12:22–31)

25Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first the kingdom of Godgand His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
​
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

The word for “Faithful” in the original language means “characterized by steadfast affection or allegiance,” and the word translated “True” means “truthful or characterized by expressing the truth.” The nature of Jesus Christ—His whole being—exudes faithfulness and truth. Earlier, in Revelation 3:14, Jesus called Himself the “faithful and true witness” in His letter to the church in Laodicea. Faithful and True is who Jesus Christ is.

In His first coming to earth, Jesus proved Himself to be faithful to the mission and will of God His Father: “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4; see also John 5:30; Hebrews 3:6; Luke 4:43). Never once did the Lord give in to the temptation to sin (Hebrews 4:15–16), from the time Satan tempted Him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13) until His death on the cross (Matthew 16:21–23; 26:36–44; Mark 8:31–33; 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46).

From the day Isaiah foretold His coming, Christ’s faithfulness was known (Isaiah 11:5; 42:3). As a young man (Luke 2:49) and throughout His ministry, Jesus was a faithful and obedient servant to His Father God (John 4:34; 6:38; 8:29; 12:27; 14:31). Jesus is consistently the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Others will wear out, change, or perish, but Jesus Christ remains the same for all eternity (Hebrews 1:11–12).

Jesus, who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” is the very embodiment of truth (John 14:6). He came from His Father “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). And His promise of eternal life is true: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24, ESV; see also John 6:47).

Because of the fidelity inherent in His character, Jesus is faithful toward His followers in every circumstance. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself,” declares 2 Timothy 2:13 (see also Matthew 28:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:23).

Faithful and True is a fitting title for Jesus Christ our King, and He calls His followers to emulate His faithfulness and truth (Revelation 14:12; Hebrews 10:23). The entire book of Revelation conveys a message to the church of


Jesus Christ
​

to be faithful and true,

​ just as


He is Faithful and True.


In Revelation 19:11, when John sees the gates of heaven open, the One who has been Faithful and True from ages past appears at the end of time to wage His final battle. Jesus Christ comes with justice to judge and wage war, and He will triumph over the enemies of God! The outcome is sure because He is Faithful and True. He will do what He has promised to do. He shall defeat the devil once and for all. He will destroy the power of death, wiping away every sorrow, tear, and pain from the hearts of His devoted followers (Isaiah 25:8; 1


​
Luke 12:33-34

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.


For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Matthew 6:19-21
​
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.


​For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

​The Pearl of Great Price


Spiritual Eyes

the ability to see and understand spiritual truths that are hidden from natural sight. This ability is granted by God, and through it, believers can perceive God's presence, discern the eternal over the temporary, and have their understanding enlightened to know God's will and purposes. The concept is often contrasted with a spiritual blindness that afflicts those who do not believe. 


Fully Known

a state of complete understanding and intimacy, most often used in a religious context to describe a future encounter with God where one will fully know Him and be fully known by Him. In a more general sense, it can describe a deep and direct personal connection with another person, one that goes beyond surface-level interaction to a more complete understanding of their inner being

Encountering Christ

Face to Face


"Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary"

two hearts, which are considered spiritually united in love and purpose. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus focuses on Christ's love for humanity, while the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary honors her love for Jesus and her role as mother of mankind. Together, these devotions emphasize a total consecration of self to God, often through prayers, acts of reparation, and meditations on the love and suffering of Jesus and Mary

The two hearts are "interrelated by reason of the enduring relation of love that exists between the Son and his Mother," 

Often depicted with flames, a cross, and a wound, symbolizing his ardent love and sacrifice on the cross


Spiritual connection​

Jesus' heart was beating in unison with Mary's heart in her womb and that their hearts were united in suffering on
​the cross and remain united in heaven​​


“I am not proving these doctrines to you, my brethren; the evidence of them lies in the declaration of the Church.

The Church is the oracle of religious truth, and dispenses what the apostles committed to her
in every time and place.”

The Bible “reflects” the doctrine of the Assumption; the evidence for this dogma is implicitly

found in John’s description of the woman in Revelation 12:1-6


A great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth,

​in anguish for delivery.

And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth.

And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
​

Mary is the ever-virgin, mother of God, mother of all believers

and the Ark of the New Covenant 

who stands in contrast with the Ark of the Old Covenant,

which is also depicted as being in heaven in the preceding verse

(Rev. 11:19)


The Ark of the Old Covenant

God loved his people and wanted to be close to them. He chose to do so in a very special way. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The prayer of the people of God flourished in the shadow of the dwelling place of God’s presence on earth, the ark of the covenant and the temple, under the guidance of their shepherds, especially King David, and of the prophets” (CCC 2594). God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle surrounded by heavy curtains (cf. Ex 25-27). Within the tabernacle he was to place an ark made of acacia wood covered with gold inside and out. Within the Ark of the Covenant was placed a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant (cf. Heb 9:4).

When the ark was completed, the glory cloud of the Lord (the Shekinah Glory) covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35; Nm 9:18, 22). The verb for “to cover” or “to overshadow” and the metaphor of a cloud are used in the Bible to represent the presence and glory of God.

The Catechism explains:

In the theophanies of the Old Testament, the cloud, now obscure, now luminous, reveals the living and saving God, while veiling the transcendence of his glory—with Moses on Mount Sinai, at the tent of meeting, and during the wandering in the desert, and with Solomon at the dedication of the temple.

In the Holy Spirit, Christ fulfills these figures.

The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and “overshadows” her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of Transfiguration, the Spirit in the “cloud came and overshadowed” Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and “a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’” Finally, the cloud took Jesus out of the sight of the disciples on the day of his Ascension and will reveal him as Son of Man in glory on the day of his final coming. The glory of the Lord “overshadowed” the ark and filled the tabernacle. (CCC 697)

It’s easy to miss the parallel between the Holy Spirit overshadowing the ark and the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, between the Ark of the Old Covenant as the dwelling place of God and Mary as the new dwelling place of God.

God was very specific about every exact detail of the ark (Ex 25-30). It was a place where God himself would dwell (Ex 25:8). God wanted his words—inscribed on stone—housed in a perfect container covered with pure gold within and without. How much more would he want his Word—Jesus—to have a perfect dwelling place! If the only begotten Son were to take up residence in the womb of a human girl, would he not make her flawless?
​
The Virgin Mary is the living shrine of the Word of God, the Ark of the New and Eternal Covenant. In fact, St. Luke’s account of the Annunciation of the angel to Mary nicely incorporates the images of the tent of meeting with God in Sinai and of the temple of Zion. Just as the cloud covered the people of God marching in the desert (cf. Nm 10:34; Dt 33:12; Ps 91:4) and just as the same cloud, as a sign of the divine mystery present in the midst of Israel, hovered over the Ark of the Covenant (cf. Ex 40:35), so now the shadow of the Most High envelops and penetrates the tabernacle of the New Covenant that is the womb of Mary (cf. Lk 1:35). (Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, The Shrine: Memory, Presence and Prophecy of the Living God)

King David and ElizabethLuke weaves additional parallels into the story of Mary—types that could be overlooked if one is unfamiliar with the Old Testament. After Moses died, Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua established the Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh, where it stayed for more than 200 years. One day the Israelites were losing a battle with the Philistines, so they snatched the ark and rushed it to the front lines. The Philistines captured the ark, but it caused them great problems, so they sent it back to Israel (1 Sm 5:1-6:12).

David went out to retrieve the ark (1 Sm 6:1-2). After a man named Uzzah was struck dead when he touched the ark, David was afraid and said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” He left the ark in the hill country of Judea for three months. We are also told that David danced and leapt in front of the ark and everyone shouted for joy. The house of Obed-edom, which had housed the ark, was blessed, and then David took the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sm 6:9-14).

Compare David and the ark to Luke’s account of the Visitation:

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Lk 1:39-45)

• Mary arose and went to the hill country of Judea. I have been to both Ein Kerem (where Elizabeth lived) and Abu Ghosh (where the ark resided), and they are only a short walk apart. Mary and the ark were both on a journey to the same hill country of Judea.
• When David saw the ark he rejoiced and said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” Elizabeth uses almost the same words: “Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Luke is telling us something—drawing our minds back to the Old Testament, showing us a parallel.
• When David approached the ark he shouted out and danced and leapt in front of the ark. He was wearing an ephod, the clothing of a priest. When Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, approached Elizabeth, John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb—and John was from the priestly line of Aaron. Both leapt and danced in the presence of the ark. The Ark of the Old Covenant remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months, and Mary remained in the house of Elizabeth for three months. The place that housed the ark for three months was blessed, and in the short paragraph in Luke, Elizabeth uses the word blessed three times. Her home was certainly blessed by the presence of the ark and the Lord within.
• When the Old Testament ark arrived—as when Mary arrived—they were both greeted with shouts of joy. The word for the cry of Elizabeth’s greeting is a rare Greek word used in connection with Old Testament liturgical ceremonies that were centered around the ark and worship (cf. Word Biblical Commentary, 67). This word would flip on the light switch for any knowledgeable Jew.
• The ark returns to its home and ends up in Jerusalem, where God’s presence and glory is revealed in the temple (2 Sm 6:12; 1 Kgs 8:9-11). Mary returns home and eventually ends up in Jerusalem, where she presents God incarnate in the temple (Lk 1:56; 2:21-22).

It seems clear that Luke has used typology to reveal something about the place of Mary in salvation history. In the Ark of the Old Covenant, God came to his people with a spiritual presence, but in Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, God comes to dwell with his people not only spiritually but physically, in the womb of a specially prepared Jewish girl.
​
The Old Testament tells us that one item was placed inside the Ark of the Old Covenant while in the Sinai wilderness: God told Moses to put the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments inside the ark (Dt 10:3-5). Hebrews 9:4 informs us that two additional items were placed in the Ark: “a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded.” Notice the amazing parallels: In the ark was the law of God inscribed in stone; in Mary’s womb was the Word of God in flesh. In the ark was the urn of manna, the bread from heaven that kept God’s people alive in the wilderness; in Mary’s womb is the Bread of Life come down from heaven that brings eternal life. In the ark was the rod of Aaron, the proof of true priesthood; in Mary’s womb is the true priest. In the third century, St. Gregory the Wonder Worker said that Mary is truly an ark—”gold within and gold without, and she has received in her womb all the treasures of the sanctuary.”

While the apostle John was exiled on the island of Patmos, he wrote something that would have shocked any first-century Jew. The ark of the Old Covenant had been lost for centuries—no one had seen it for about 600 years. But in Revelation 11:19, John makes a surprising announcement: “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple.”

At this point chapter 11 ends and chapter 12 begins. But the Bible was not written with chapter divisions—they were added in the 12th century. When John penned these words, there was no division between chapters 11 and 12; it was a continuing narrative.

What did John say immediately after seeing the Ark of the Covenant in heaven? “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child” (Rv 12:1-2). The woman is Mary, the Ark of the Covenant, revealed by God to John. She was seen bearing the child who would rule the world with a rod of iron (Rv 12:5).

Mary was seen as the ark and as a queen.

But does this passage really refer to Mary? Some say the woman represents Israel or the Church, and certainly she does. John’s use of rich symbolism is well known, but it is obvious from the Bible itself that the woman is Mary. The Bible begins with a real man (Adam), a real woman (Eve), and a real serpent (the devil)—and it also ends with a real man (Jesus, the Last Adam [1 Cor 15:45]), a real woman (Mary, the New Eve [Rv 11:19-12:2]), and a real serpent (the devil of old). All of this was foretold in Genesis 3:15.
John Henry Cardinal Newman wrote about this passage in Revelation:

What I would maintain is this, that the Holy Apostle would not have spoken of the Church under this particular image unless there had existed a Blessed Virgin Mary, who was exalted on high and the object of veneration to all the faithful. No one doubts that the “man-child” spoken of is an allusion to our Lord; why then is not “the Woman” an allusion to his mother? (On the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Later in the same chapter we read that the devil went out to persecute the woman’s other offspring—Christians—which certainly seems to indicate that Mary is somehow the mother of the Church (Rev. 12:17).
Even if someone rejects Catholic teaching regarding Mary, he cannot deny that Catholics have scriptural foundations for it. And it is a teaching that has been taught by Christians from ancient times. Here are a few representative quotations from the early Church—some written well before the New Testament books were officially compiled into the final New Testament canon:

Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373) was the main defender of the deity of Christ against the second-century heretics. He wrote: “O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all O [Ark of the] Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which divinity resides” (Homily of the Papyrus of Turin).

Gregory the Wonder Worker (c. 213–c. 270) wrote: “Let us chant the melody that has been taught us by the inspired harp of David, and say, ‘Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy sanctuary.’ For the Holy Virgin is in truth an ark, wrought with gold both within and without, that has received the whole treasury of the sanctuary” (Homily on the Annunciation to the Holy Virgin Mary).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes the words from the earliest centuries: “Mary, in whom the Lord himself has just made his dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the Ark of the Covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells.

​She is ‘the dwelling of God . . . with men’” (CCC 2676).


The early Christians taught the same thing that the

​Catholic Church teaches today about Mary,

including her being the Ark of the New Covenant.

​
​

Ephesians 1:4-5
For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love / He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Colossians 1:15
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

Philippians 3:21
who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

1 Peter 1:2
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

1 Corinthians 15:49
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.

Ephesians 4:24
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.

John 17:22
I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one--

Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” / So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Isaiah 43:7
everyone called by My name and created for My glory, whom I have indeed formed and made.”

Psalm 139:16
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.


​


The Resurrection


 hBut on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb,itaking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found jthe stonerolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body ofthe Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, ktwo lmen stoodby them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were mfrightened and bowed theirfaces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among thedead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, nwhile he wasstill in Galilee, 7 nthat the Son of Man omust be delivered into the hands of sinfulmen and pbe crucified and on qthe third day rise.” 8 And rthey remembered hiswords, 9 and returning from the tomb they stold all these things to the eleven andto all the rest. 10 Now it was tMary Magdalene and uJoanna and Mary the motherof James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and vthey did not believe them.12 But wPeter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw xthe linencloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus13 That very day ytwo of them were going to a village named Emmaus, aboutseven miles1 from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about allthese things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussingtogether, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 zBut their eyes werekept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversationthat you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, lookingsad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitorto Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in thesedays?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “ConcerningJesus of Nazareth, a man who was aa prophet bmighty in deed and word beforeGod and all the people, 20 and chow our chief priests and drulers delivered himup to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he wasethe one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now fthe third day sincethese things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us.gThey were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and hwhen they did not find hisbody, they came back saying that ithey had even seen a vision of angels, who saidthat he was alive. 24 jSome of those who were with us went to the tomb and foundit just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them,“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!26 kWas it not necessary that lthe Christ should suffer these things and enterinto mhis glory?” 27 And nbeginning with oMoses and pall the Prophets, heinterpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. qHe acted as if hewere going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it istoward evening and rthe day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and sblessed and broke itand gave it to them. 31 tAnd their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.And uhe vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, v“Did not ourhearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he wopened to usthe Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. Andthey xfound the eleven and ythose who were with them gathered together,34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and zhas appeared to Simon!” 35 Then theytold what had happened on the road, and ahow he was known to them in bthebreaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples36 As they were talking about these things, cJesus himself stood among them,and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were dstartled and efrightened andfthought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, andwhy do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is Imyself. gTouch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you seethat I have.” 40 And when he had said this, hhe showed them his hands and hisfeet. 41 And while they still disbelieved ifor joy and were marveling, jhe said tothem, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,243 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, k“These are my words that I spoke to you while I wasstill with you, lthat everything written about me in the Law of Moses and theProphets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then mhe opened their minds tounderstand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus nit is written, othat theChrist should suffer and on the third day prise from the dead, 47 and thatqrepentance for3 the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed rin his name stoall nations, tbeginning from Jerusalem. 48 uYou are witnesses of these things.49 And behold, I am sending vthe promise of my Father upon you. But stay in thecity until you ware clothed with xpower yfrom on high.”
The Ascension50 And zhe led them out as far as aBethany, and lifting up his hands he blessedthem. 51 While he blessed them, bhe parted from them and was carried up intoheaven. 52 And they cworshiped him and zreturned to Jerusalem dwith great joy,53 and ewere continually in the temple fblessing God.

The Wedding at Cana2 On hthe third day there was a wedding at iCana in Galilee, and the motherof Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with jhisdisciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They haveno wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, k“Woman, lwhat does this have to do with me?mMy hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever hetells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there nfor the Jewish rites ofpurification, each holding twenty or thirty ogallons.1 7 Jesus said to the servants,“Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said tothem, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.9 When the master of the feast tasted pthe water now become wine, and did notknow where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew),the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone servesthe good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. Butyou have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did atCana in Galilee, and manifested qhis glory. And rhis disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and shis brothers2and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple13 tThe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus uwent up to Jerusalem.14 vIn the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons,and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drovethem all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coinsof the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who soldthe pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make wmy Father’s house a house oftrade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, x“Zeal for your house willconsume me.”

18 So the Jews said to him, y“What sign do you show us for doing these things?”19 Jesus answered them, z“Destroy this temple, and in three days aI will raise itup.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,3 andwill you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about bthe temple of hisbody. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, chis disciples rememberedthat he had said this, and they believed dthe Scripture and the word that Jesushad spoken.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in hisname ewhen they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus fon his part didnot entrust himself to them, because ghe knew all people 25 and needed no one tobear witness about man, for ghe himself knew what was in man.

You Must Be Born Again3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named hNicodemus, ia ruler of theJews. 2 This man came to Jesus1 jby night and said to him, k“Rabbi, lweknow that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs thatyou do munless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say toyou, unless one is nborn oagain2 he cannot psee the kingdom of God.”4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter asecond time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly,truly, I say to you, unless one is born qof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter thekingdom of God. 6 rThat which is born of the flesh is sflesh, and that which isborn of the Spirit is spirit.3 7 tDo not marvel that I said to you, ‘You4 must beborn uagain.’ 8 vThe wind5 blows wwhere it wishes, and you hear its sound, butyou do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone whois born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, x“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him,“Are you the teacher of Israel yand yet you do not understand these things?11 Truly, truly, I say to you, zwe speak of what we know, and bear witness to whatwe have seen, but zyou6 do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthlythings and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?13 aNo one has bascended into heaven except che who descended from heaven,the Son of Man.7 14 And das Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, somust the Son of Man ebe lifted up, 15 that whoever believes fin him gmay haveeternal life.

For God So Loved the World16 “For hGod so loved ithe world,9 jthat he gave his only Son, that whoeverbelieves in him should not kperish but have eternal life. 17 For lGod did not sendhis Son into the world mto condemn the world, but in order that the world mightbe saved through him. 18 nWhoever believes in him is not condemned, butwhoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not obelieved inthe name of the only Son of God. 19 pAnd this is the judgment: qthe light has comeinto the world, and rpeople loved the darkness rather than the light becausestheir works were evil. 20 tFor everyone who does wicked things hates the lightand does not come to the light, ulest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoevervdoes what is true wcomes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that hisworks have been carried out in God.”

John the Baptist Exalts Christ22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and heremained there with them and xwas baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing atAenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were comingand being baptized 24 (for yJohn had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew overzpurification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, a“Rabbi, he who waswith you across the Jordan, bto whom you bore witness--look, he is baptizing,and call are going to him.” 27 John answered, d“A person cannot receive even onething eunless it is given him ffrom heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness,that I said, g‘I am not the Christ, but hI have been sent before him.’ 29 iThe onewho has the bride is the bridegroom. jThe friend of the bridegroom, who standsand hears him, krejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy ofmine is now complete. 30 lHe must increase, but I must decrease.”

31 mHe who comes from above nis above all. He who is of the earth belongs tothe earth and ospeaks in an earthly way. pHe who comes from heaven nis aboveall. 32 qHe bears witness to what he has seen and heard, ryet no one receives histestimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony ssets his seal to this, tthat God istrue. 34 For he whom uGod has sent utters the words of God, for he gives theSpirit vwithout measure. 35 wThe Father loves the Son and xhas given all thingsinto his hand. 36 yWhoever believes in the Son has eternal life; zwhoever does notobey the Son shall not asee life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Jesus and the Woman of Samaria4 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus wasmaking and bbaptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himselfdid not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed cagain forGalilee. 4 dAnd he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town ofSamaria called Sychar, near the field ethat Jacob had given to his son Joseph.6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, fwearied as he was from his journey, wassitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.1
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, f“Give me adrink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 TheSamaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink fromme, a woman of Samaria?” (gFor Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying toyou, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given youhliving water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw waterwith, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 iAre you greaterthan our father Jacob? jHe gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did hissons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this waterwill be thirsty again, 14 but kwhoever drinks of the water that I will give him lwillnever be thirsty again.2 The water that I will give him will become min him aspring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, ngiveme this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, ocall your husband, and come here.” 17 The womananswered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘Ihave no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have isnot your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, Iperceive that pyou are qa prophet. 20 rOur fathers worshiped on sthis mountain,but you say that tin Jerusalem is uthe place where people ought to worship.”21 Jesus said to her, v“Woman, believe me, wthe hour is coming when xneither onthis mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 yYou worshipwhat you do not know; zwe worship what we know, for zsalvation is afrom theJews. 23 But bthe hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers willworship the Father cin spirit and dtruth, for the Father eis seeking such peopleto worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship inspirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that fMessiah is coming (hewho is called Christ). When he comes, ghe will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said toher, h“I who speak to you am he.”

27 Just then ihis disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking witha woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking withher?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to thepeople, 29 “Come, see a man jwho told me all that I ever did. Can this be theChrist?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, k“Rabbi, eat.” 32 But hesaid to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciplessaid to one another, l“Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus saidto them, m“My food is nto do the will of him who sent me and oto accomplish hiswork. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’?Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that pthe fields are white for harvest.36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternallife, so that qsower and rreaper smay rejoice together. 37 For here the sayingholds true, t‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap uthat for whichyou did not labor. Others have labored, vand you have entered into their labor.”

39 Many Samaritans wfrom that town believed in him xbecause of ythewoman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritanscame to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.41 And many more believed zbecause of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It isno longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard forourselves, aand we know that this is indeed bthe Savior cof the world.”

43 After dthe two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself hadtestified ethat a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he cameto Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, fhaving seen all that he had done inJerusalem at the feast. For gthey too had gone to the feast.

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son46 So he came again to hCana in Galilee, iwhere he had made the water wine.And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this manheard that Jesus jhad come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked himto come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus saidto him, k“Unless you3 see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The officialsaid to him, “Sir, come down lbefore my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go;your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and wenton his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants4 met him and told him that hisson was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better,and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour5 the fever left him.” 53 Thefather knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.”And he himself believed, mand all his household. 54 nThis was now the secondsign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath5 After this there was a ofeast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by pthe Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic1 calledBethesda,2 which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude ofinvalids--blind, lame, and qparalyzed.3 5 One man was there who had been aninvalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that hehad already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool whenthe water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”8 Jesus said to him, r“Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 rAnd at once the manwas healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
sNow that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews4 said to the man who had beenhealed, “It is the Sabbath, and tit is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 Buthe answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up yourbed, and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take upyour bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who itwas, for uJesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 AfterwardJesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! vSin no more,wthat nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told theJews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews xwerepersecuting Jesus, ybecause he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 ButJesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Jesus Is Equal with God18 This was why the Jews zwere seeking all the more to kill him, abecause notonly was he bbreaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God chis own Father,dmaking himself equal with God.

The Authority of the Son19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ethe Son fcan do nothing ofhis own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever theFather5 does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For gthe Father loves the Son andshows him all that he himself is doing. And hgreater works than these will heshow him, so that iyou may marvel. 21 For as the Father jraises the dead andkgives them life, so lalso the Son gives life mto whom he will. 22 nFor the Fatherjudges no one, but ohas given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor theSon, just as they phonor the Father. qWhoever does not honor the Son does nothonor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, rwhoever hears myword and sbelieves him who sent me has eternal life. He tdoes not come intojudgment, but uhas passed from death to life.

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, van hour is coming, and is now here, when wthedead will hear xthe voice of the Son of God, and those who hear wwill live. 26 yForas the Father has life in himself, zso he has granted the Son also to have life inhimself. 27 And he ahas given him authority to execute judgment, because he isthe Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for van hour is coming when ball whoare in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, cthose who have done goodto the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection ofjudgment.

Witnesses to Jesus30 d“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and emy judgment is just,because fI seek not my own will gbut the will of him who sent me. 31 hIf I alonebear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is ianother whobears witness about me, and jI know that the testimony that he bears about me istrue. 33 kYou sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that lthetestimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may besaved. 35 He was a burning and mshining lamp, and nyou were willing to rejoicefor a while in his light. 36 But lthe testimony that I have is greater than that ofJohn. For othe works that the Father has given me pto accomplish, the veryworks that I am doing, qbear witness about me that rthe Father has sent me.37 And the Father who sent me shas himself borne witness about me. His voiceyou have never heard, this form you have never seen, 38 and uyou do not have hisword abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 vYousearch the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; andwit is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet xyou refuse to come to me that youmay have life. 41 yI do not receive glory from people. 42 But zI know that you donot have athe love of God within you. 43 I have come bin my Father’s name, andcyou do not receive me. dIf another comes in his own name, you will receive him.44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and edo notseek the glory that comes from fthe only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuseyou to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, gon whom you have setyour hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for hhe wrote ofme. 47 But iif you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand6 After this jJesus went away to the other side of kthe Sea of Galilee, whichis lthe Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because theysaw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on mthe mountain,and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now nthe Passover, the ofeast of theJews, was at hand. 5 pLifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd wascoming toward him, Jesus said to qPhilip, “Where are we to buy bread, so thatthese people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what hewould do. 7 rPhilip answered him, “Two hundred denarii1 worth of bread wouldnot be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, sAndrew,Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five tbarleyloaves and two fish, but twhat are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have thepeople sit down.” uNow there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down,about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and vwhen he hadgiven thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, asmuch as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples,“Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gatheredthem up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves leftby those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, theysaid, w“This is indeed xthe Prophet ywho is to come into the world!”

15 zPerceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force tomake him king, Jesus awithdrew again to bthe mountain by himself.

Jesus Walks on Water16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, andstarted across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yetcome to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,2 they saw Jesus walking onthe sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 cBut he said tothem, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat,and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

I Am the Bread of Life22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea sawthat there had been only done boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boatwith his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats fromTiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord ehadgiven thanks. 24 fSo when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor hisdisciples, they themselves got into the boats and gwent to Capernaum, seekingJesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, h“Rabbi,when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you,iyou are seeking me, not because you saw jsigns, but because you ate your fill ofthe loaves. 27 kDo not work for the food that perishes, but for lthe food thatendures to eternal life, which mthe Son of Man will give to you. For on nhim Godthe Father has oset his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to bedoing pthe works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God,qthat you believe in him whom rhe has sent.” 30 So they said to him, s“Then whatsign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?31 tOur fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, u‘He gave thembread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, itwas not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you thetrue bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is vhe who comes down fromheaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, w“Sir, give us this breadalways.”

35 Jesus said to them, x“I am the bread of life; ywhoever comes to me shall nothunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you thatyou have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 zAll that athe Father gives me willcome to me, and bwhoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For cI have comedown from heaven, not to do dmy own will but dthe will of him ewho sent me.39 And fthis is the will of him who sent me, gthat I should lose nothing of hall thathe has given me, but iraise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of myFather, that everyone who jlooks on the Son and kbelieves in him lshould haveeternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, m“I am the bread thatcame down from heaven.” 42 They said, n“Is not this Jesus, othe son of Joseph,whose father and mother pwe know? How does he now say, ‘I have come downfrom heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me qdraws him. And rI willraise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, s‘And they will all bettaught by God.’ uEveryone who has heard and learned from the Father comes tome-- 46 vnot that anyone has seen the Father except whe who is from God; hexhas seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, ywhoever believes has eternallife. 48 zI am the bread of life. 49 aYour fathers ate the manna in the wilderness,and bthey died. 50 cThis is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that onemay eat of it dand not die. 51 I am the living bread ethat came down from heaven.If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give fforthe life of the world is gmy flesh.”
52 The Jews then hdisputed among themselves, saying, i“How can this mangive us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unlessyou eat the flesh of jthe Son of Man and drink his blood, you khave no life in you.54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood lhas eternal life, and mI willraise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is truedrink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood nabides in me, and I inhim. 57 As othe living Father psent me, and qI live because of the Father, sowhoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 rThis is the bread thatcame down from heaven, not like the bread3 the fathers ate, and died. Whoeverfeeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus4 said these things in thesynagogue, as he taught sat Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life60 tWhen many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; whocan listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, vknowing in himself that his disciples weregrumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what ifyou were to see wthe Son of Man xascending to ywhere he was before? 63 zIt isthe Spirit who gives life; athe flesh is no help at all. bThe words that I havespoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But cthere are some of you who do notbelieve.” (For Jesus vknew from the beginning who those were who did notbelieve, and dwho it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why Itold you ethat no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 fAfter this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked withhim. 67 So Jesus said to gthe twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 SimonPeter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have hthe words of eternallife, 69 and iwe have believed, and have come to know, that jyou are kthe HolyOne of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, l“Did I not choose you, gthe twelve? Andyet one of you is ma devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas nthe son of Simon Iscariot, forohe, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
Jesus at the Feast of Booths7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea,because pthe Jews1 were seeking to kill him. 2 Now qthe Jews’ Feast ofrBooths was at hand. 3 sSo his brothers2 said to him, “Leave here and go toJudea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no oneworks in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, tshowyourself to the world.” 5 uFor not even vhis brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus saidto them, w“My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The worldcannot hate you, but xit hates me because I testify about it that yits works areevil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not3 going up to this feast, for zmy time has notyet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

10 But after ahis brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, notpublicly but in private. 11 bThe Jews cwere looking for him at the feast, andsaying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much dmuttering about him among thepeople. eWhile some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, fhe is leading thepeople astray.” 13 Yet gfor fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
​
14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up hinto the temple and beganteaching. 15 The Jews therefore imarveled, saying, “How is it that this man haslearning,4 when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, j“Myteaching is not mine, but his kwho sent me. 17 lIf anyone’s will is to do God’s5 will,mhe will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I nam speaking onmy own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority oseeks his ownglory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in himthere is no falsehood. 19 pHas not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keepsthe law. qWhy do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, r“You have ademon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did sone work,and you all marvel at it. 22 tMoses gave you circumcision (not that it is fromMoses, but ufrom the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If onthe Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not bebroken, vare you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s wholebody well? 24 wDo not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Can This Be the Christ?25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whomxthey seek to kill? 26 And here he is, yspeaking openly, and they say nothing tohim! Can it be that zthe authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But aweknow bwhere this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, cno one willknow where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, das he taught in the temple,a“You know me, and you know where I come from. But eI have not come of myown accord. fHe who sent me is true, gand him you do not know. 29 hI know him,for I come ifrom him, and jhe sent me.” 30 kSo they were seeking to arrest him,but lno one laid a hand on him, mbecause his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet nmanyof the people believed in him. They said, o“When the Christ appears, will he domore signs than this man has done?”

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus32 The Pharisees heard the crowd pmuttering these things about him, and thechief priests and Pharisees sent qofficers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, r“Iwill be with you a little longer, and then sI am going to him who sent me. 34 tYouwill seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jewssaid to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him?uDoes he intend to go to vthe Dispersion among wthe Greeks and teach theGreeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, x‘You will seek me and you will not findme,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”


Rivers of Living Water37 yOn the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, z“Ifanyone thirsts, let him acome to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, bas6the Scripture has said, c‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of dliving water.’”39 Now ethis he said about the Spirit, fwhom those who believed in him were toreceive, gfor as yet the Spirit had not been hgiven, ibecause Jesus was not yetglorified.
​
Division Among the People40 When they heard these words, jsome of the people said, “This really is ktheProphet.” 41 Others said, “This is lthe Christ.” But some said, m“Is the Christ tocome from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes nfrom theoffspring of David, and comes ofrom Bethlehem, the village pwhere David was?”43 So there was qa division among the people over him. 44 rSome of them wantedto arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 sThe officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said tothem, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, t“No one everspoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, u“Have you also beendeceived? 48 vHave any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 Butthis crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 wNicodemus, who hadgone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 x“Does our lawjudge a man without first ygiving him a hearing and learning what he does?”52 They replied, z“Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that ano prophetarises from Galilee.”


[They went each to his own house,

8 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 bEarly in the morning hecame again to the temple. All the people came to him, and che sat downand taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had beencaught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, thiswoman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now din the Law, Mosescommanded us eto stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said ftotest him, gthat they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bentdown and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to askhim, he stood up and said to them, h“Let him who is without sin among you ibethe first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on theground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with theolder ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no onecondemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, j“Neither do Icondemn you; go, and from now on ksin no more.”]]

I Am the Light of the World12 lAgain Jesus spoke to them, saying, m“I am the light of the world. Whoevernfollows me will not owalk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So thePharisees said to him, p“You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimonyis not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, qmytestimony is true, for I know rwhere I came from and swhere I am going, buttyou do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 uYou judgeaccording to the flesh; vI judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, wmy judgment istrue, for xit is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father1 who sent me. 17 yInyour Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the onewho bears witness about myself, and zthe Father who sent me bears witnessabout me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesusanswered, a“You know neither me nor my Father. bIf you knew me, you wouldknow my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in cthe treasury, as he taught inthe temple; but dno one arrested him, because ehis hour had not yet come.

21 So he said to them again, f“I am going away, and gyou will seek me, and hyouwill die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said,i“Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 Hesaid to them, j“You are from below; I am from above. kYou are of this world; lIam not of this world. 24 I told you that you mwould die in your sins, for nunlessyou believe that oI am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, p“Whoare you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from thebeginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but qhe who sentme is true, and I declare rto the world swhat I have heard from him.” 27 They didnot understand that the had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesussaid to them, “When you have ulifted up the Son of Man, vthen you will knowthat wI am he, and that xI do nothing on my own authority, but yspeak just as theFather taught me. 29 And zhe who sent me is with me. zHe has not left me alone,for aI always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying thesethings, bmany believed in him.

The Truth Will Set You Free31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, c“If you abide in my word,you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will dknow the truth, and the truth ewill setyou free.” 33 They answered him, f“We are offspring of Abraham and have neverbeen enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, geveryone who practicessin is a slave2 to sin. 35 hThe slave does not remain in the house forever; ithe sonremains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I knowthat you are offspring of Abraham; yet jyou seek to kill me because my wordfinds no place in you. 38 kI speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you dowhat you have heard lfrom your father.”

You Are of Your Father the Devil39 They answered him, m“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, n“If youwere Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but nowoyou seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth pthat I heard from God.This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” Theysaid to him, q“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have rone Father--even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, s“If God were your Father, you would love me,for tI came from God and uI am here. vI came not of my own accord, but whe sentme. 43 xWhy do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot ybear tohear my word. 44 zYou are of your father the devil, and your will is to do yourfather’s desires. aHe was a murderer from the beginning, and bdoes not stand inthe truth, because there is no truth in him. cWhen he lies, he speaks out of hisown character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth,you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth,why do you not believe me? 47 dWhoever is of God hears the words of God. eThereason why you do not hear them is that fyou are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are aSamaritan and ghave a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, buthI honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet iI do not seek my own glory;there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, jI say to you, ifanyone keeps my word, he will never ksee death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Nowwe know that you have a demon! lAbraham died, as did the prophets, yet myousay, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never ntaste death.’ 53 oAre you greaterthan our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you makeyourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, p“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.qIt is my Father who glorifies me, rof whom you say, ‘He is our God.’3 55 But syouhave not known him. tI know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, Iwould be ua liar vlike you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 wYour fatherAbraham xrejoiced ythat he would see my day. zHe saw it and was glad.” 57 So theJews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”458 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, aI am.” 59 Sobthey picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of thetemple.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples askedhim, c“Rabbi, dwho sinned, ethis man or fhis parents, that he was bornblind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, butgthat the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must hwork the works ofhim who sent me iwhile it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 Aslong as I am in the world, jI am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things,khe spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. lThen he anointed theman’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in mthe pool of Siloam”(which means Sent). So he went and washed and ncame back seeing.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying,o“Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said,“No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him,“Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, p“The man called Jesusmade mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So Iwent and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” Hesaid, “I do not know.”

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 qNowit was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 rSo thePharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them,“He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said,“This man is not sfrom God, tfor he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said,u“How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And vthere was a divisionamong them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him,since he has opened your eyes?” He said, w“He is a prophet.”

18 xThe Jews1 did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight,until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and askedthem, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was bornblind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened hiseyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said thesethings ybecause they feared the Jews, for zthe Jews had already agreed that ifanyone should aconfess Jesus2 to be Christ, bhe was to be put out of thesynagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, c“He is of age; ask him.”)

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said tohim, d“Give glory to God. We know that ethis man is a sinner.” 25 He answered,“Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I fwasblind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he openyour eyes?” 27 He answered them, g“I have told you already, and you would notlisten. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become hisdisciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but hwe aredisciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for thisman, iwe do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this isjan amazing thing! kYou do not know where he comes from, and yet he openedmy eyes. 31 We know that lGod does not listen to sinners, but mif anyone is aworshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the worldbegan has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 nIfthis man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, o“Youwere born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they pcast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Doyou believe in qthe Son of Man?”3 36 He answered, r“And who is he, sir, that Imay believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and sit is he who isspeaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesussaid, t“For judgment I came into this world, uthat those who do not see may see,and vthose who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heardthese things, and said to him, w“Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If youwere blind, xyou would have no guilt;4 but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guiltremains.

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life14 d“Let not your hearts be troubled. eBelieve in God;1 believe also in me.2 In fmy Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I havetold you that gI go to prepare a place for you?2 3 And if I go and prepare a placefor you, I will come again and will take you hto myself, that iwhere I am you maybe also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”3 5 jThomas said to him,“Lord, kwe do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesussaid to him, “I am lthe way, and mthe truth, and nthe life. No one comes to theFather except through me. 7 oIf you had known me, you would have pknown myFather also.4 From now on you do know him and qhave seen him.”

8 rPhilip said to him, “Lord, sshow us the Father, and it is enough for us.”9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me,Philip? tWhoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show usthe Father’? 10 Do you not believe that uI am in the Father and the Father is inme? The words that I say to you vI do not speak on my own authority, but theFather who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that uI am in the Fatherand the Father is in me, or else wbelieve on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, xwhoever believes in me will also do the worksthat I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I yam going to theFather. 13 zWhatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that athe Father may beglorified in the Son. 14 zIf you ask me5 anything in my name, I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit15 b“If you love me, you will ckeep my commandments. 16 And I will ask theFather, and he will give you another dHelper,6 to be with you forever, 17 even etheSpirit of truth, fwhom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him norknows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and gwill be7 in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; hI will come to you. 19 iYet a little while andthe world will see me no more, but jyou will see me. kBecause I live, you also willlive. 20 lIn that day you will know that mI am in my Father, and nyou in me, and oIin you. 21 pWhoever has my commandments and qkeeps them, he it is who lovesme. And rhe who loves me swill be loved by my Father, and I will love him andtmanifest myself to him.” 22 uJudas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is itvthat you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answeredhim, w“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him,and xwe will come to him and ymake our home with him. 24 Whoever does notlove me does not keep my words. And zthe word that you hear is not mine but theFather’s who sent me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But theaHelper, the Holy Spirit, bwhom the Father will send in my name, che will teachyou all things and dbring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.27 ePeace I leave with you; fmy peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I giveto you. gLet not your hearts be troubled, neither hlet them be afraid. 28 iYouheard me say to you, j‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me,you would have rejoiced, because I kam going to the Father, for lthe Father isgreater than I. 29 And mnow I have told you before it takes place, so that when itdoes take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for ntheruler of this world is coming. oHe has no claim on me, 31 but I do pas the Fatherhas commanded me, qso that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, letus go from here.

I Am the True Vine15 “I am the rtrue vine, and my Father is sthe vinedresser. 2 tEvery branchin me that does not bear fruit uhe takes away, and every branch thatdoes bear fruit he prunes, vthat it may bear more fruit. 3 Already wyou are cleanxbecause of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 yAbide zin me, and I in you. Asthe branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither canyou, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; ayou are the branches. Whoeverabides in me and I in him, he it is that bbears much fruit, for apart from me youcan do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me, che is thrown away like abranch and withers; dand the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, andburned. 7 If eyou abide in me, and my words abide in you, fask whatever youwish, and it will be done for you. 8 gBy this my Father is glorified, that you hbearmuch fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 iAs the Father has loved me, jsohave I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 kIf you keep my commandments, you willabide in my love, just as lI have kept mmy Father’s commandments and abide inhis love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, nthat my joy may be in you, and thatoyour joy may be full.

12 p“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 qGreater love has no one than this, rthat someone lay down his life for hisfriends. 14 You are smy friends tif you do what I command you. 15 uNo longer do Icall you servants,1 for the servant wdoes not know what his master is doing; but Ihave called you friends, for xall that I have heard from my Father yI have madeknown to you. 16 You did not choose me, but zI chose you and appointed you thatyou should go and abear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that bwhateveryou ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I commandyou, cso that you will love one another.

The Hatred of the World18 d“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 eIfyou were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because fyou arenot of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.20 Remember the word that I said to you: g‘A servant is not greater than hismaster.’ If they persecuted me, hthey will also persecute you. iIf they kept myword, they will also keep yours. 21 But jall these things they will do to you konaccount of my name, lbecause they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had notcome and spoken to them, mthey would not have been guilty of sin,2 but nowthey have no excuse for their sin. 23 nWhoever hates me hates my Father also.24 oIf I had not done among them the works that no one else did, mthey would notbe guilty of sin, but now they have pseen and hated both me and my Father. 25 Butqthe word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: r‘They hated me withouta cause.’

26 “But swhen the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, theSpirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, the will bear witness about me.27 And uyou also will bear witness, vbecause you have been with me wfrom thebeginning.
16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.2 xThey will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, ythe hour is comingwhen zwhoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they willdo these things abecause they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But bI havesaid these things to you, that when ctheir hour comes you may remember that Itold them to you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, dbecause I was with you.5 But now eI am going to him who sent me, and fnone of you asks me, ‘Where areyou going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, gsorrow has filled yourheart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away,for hif I do not go away, ithe Helper will not come to you. But jif kI go, lI willsend him to you. 8 mAnd when he comes, he will nconvict the world concerningsin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, obecause they do notbelieve in me; 10 pconcerning righteousness, qbecause I go to the Father, and youwill see me no longer; 11 rconcerning judgment, because the ruler of this world sisjudged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When tthe Spirit of truth comes, uhe will vguide you into all the truth, for hewill not speak on his own authority, but wwhatever he hears he will speak, and hewill declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will xglorify me, for he willtake what is mine and declare it to you. 15 yAll that the Father has is mine;ztherefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Resurrection20 eNow on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tombearly, while it was still dark, and saw that fthe stone had been takenaway from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple,gthe one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out ofthe tomb, and hwe do not know where they have laid him.” 3 iSo Peter went outwith the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of themwere running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tombfirst. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw jthe linen cloths lying there, but he did notgo in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He sawthe linen cloths lying there, 7 and kthe face cloth, which had been on Jesus’1head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then theother disciple, lwho had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw andbelieved; 9 for as yet mthey did not understand the Scripture, nthat he must risefrom the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped tolook into the tomb. 12 And oshe saw ptwo angels in white, sitting where the bodyof Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her,q“Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, r“They have taken away myLord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turnedaround and ssaw Jesus standing, tbut she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesussaid to her, u“Woman, why are you weeping? vWhom are you seeking?”Supposing him to be wthe gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried himaway, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said toher, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,2 x“Rabboni!” (which meansTeacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended tothe Father; but go to ymy brothers and say to them, z‘I am ascending to myFather and your Father, to amy God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene bwentand announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”--and that he had saidthese things to her.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples19 cOn the evening dof that day, the first day of the week, ethe doors beinglocked where the disciples were ffor fear of the Jews,3 Jesus came and stoodamong them and said to them, g“Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this,hhe showed them his hands and his side. Then ithe disciples were glad whenthey saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As jthe Fatherhas sent me, keven so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, helbreathed on them and said to them, m“Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 nIf you forgivethe sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it iswithheld.”
Jesus and Thomas24 Now oThomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,4 was not with them whenJesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But hesaid to them, p“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place myfinger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will neverbelieve.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them.qAlthough the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,q“Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, r“Put your finger here, and seemy hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, butbelieve.” 28 Thomas answered him, s“My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him,“Have you believed because you have seen me? tBlessed are those who have notseen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of This Book30 uNow Jesus did many other signs vin the presence of the disciples, whichare not written in this book; 31 wbut these are written so that you may xbelievethat Jesus is the Christ, ythe Son of God, and that by believing zyou may have lifeain his name.

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples21 After this Jesus brevealed himself cagain to the disciples by dthe Sea ofTiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, eThomas(called the Twin), Nathanael of fCana in Galilee, gthe sons of Zebedee, and twoothers of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am goingfishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into theboat, but hthat night they caught nothing.

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples idid notknow that it was Jesus. 5 jJesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?”They answered him, “No.” 6 kHe said to them, “Cast the net on the right side ofthe boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able tohaul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple lwhom Jesus lovedtherefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was theLord, mhe put on his outer garment, for he was nstripped for work, and othrewhimself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net fullof fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards1 off.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid outon it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have justcaught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of largefish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesussaid to them, p“Come and qhave breakfast.” Now rnone of the disciples dared askhim, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and stook thebread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 tThis was now the third timethat Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter15 When they had ufinished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, v“Simon,wson of John, xdo you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; youknow that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed ymy lambs.” 16 He said to him asecond time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord;you know that I love you.” He said to him, z“Tend ymy sheep.” 17 He said to himthe third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved becausehe said to him athe third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, byouknow everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed cmy sheep.18 dTruly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, eyou used to dress yourselfand walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out yourhands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”19 (This he said to show fby what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And aftersaying this he said to him, g“Follow me.”

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle20 Peter turned and saw hthe disciple whom Jesus loved following them, itheone who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord,who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus,“Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remainjuntil kI come, what is that to you? lYou follow me!” 23 So the saying spreadabroad among mthe brothers2 that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did notsay to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come,what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple nwho is bearing witness about these things, and who haswritten these things, and owe know pthat his testimony is true.
25 Now qthere are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one ofthem to be written, I suppose that rthe world itself could not contain the booksthat would be written.

ACTSThe Promise of the Holy Spirit1 In the first book, O aTheophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began btodo and teach, 2 until the day when che was taken up, after he dhad givencommands ethrough the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 fHepresented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing tothem during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4 And while staying1 with them ghe ordered them not to depart fromJerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heardfrom me; 5 for hJohn baptized with water, hbut you will be baptized iwith2 theHoly Spirit not many days from now.”
The Ascension6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, jwill you at this timekrestore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, l“It is not for you to knowmtimes or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you willreceive npower owhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and pyou will be qmywitnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and rSamaria, and sto the end of theearth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, the waslifted up, and ua cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazinginto heaven as he went, behold, vtwo wmen stood by them in xwhite robes, 11 andsaid, y“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, whowas taken up from you into heaven, zwill acome in the same way as you saw himgo into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas12 Then bthey returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which isnear Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered,they went up to cthe upper room, where they were staying, dPeter and John andJames and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James theson of Alphaeus and Simon ethe Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All thesefwith one accord gwere devoting themselves to prayer, together with hthewomen and Mary the mother of Jesus, and ihis brothers.

15 In those days Peter stood up among jthe brothers (the company of personswas in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, kthe Scripture had to be fulfilled,which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerningJudas, lwho became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For mhe wasnumbered among us and was allotted his share in nthis ministry.” 18 (Now thisman oacquired a field with pthe reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong4he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it becameknown to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called qin theirown language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the 

​Book of Psalms,

May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
s“‘Let another take his office.’

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during tall the time that the LordJesus uwent in and out among us, 22 vbeginning from the baptism of John untilthe day when whe was taken up from us--one of these men must become with usxa witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph calledyBarsabbas, who was also called zJustus, and aMatthias. 24 And bthey prayedand said, “You, Lord, cwho know the hearts of all, show which one of these twoyou have chosen 25 to take the place in dthis ministry and eapostleship fromwhich Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them,and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit2 When fthe day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like ga mighty rushingwind, and hit filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And dividedtongues ias of fire appeared to them and rested1 on each one of them. 4 And theywere all jfilled with the Holy Spirit and began kto speak in other tongues las theSpirit gave them utterance.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nationunder heaven. 6 And mat this sound the multitude came together, and they werebewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 Andnthey were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speakingoGalileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?9 Parthians and pMedes and qElamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea andCappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts ofLibya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and rproselytes,Cretans and Arabians--we hear them telling in our own tongues the mightyworks of God.” 12 And sall were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another,“What does this mean?” 13 But others tmocking said, “They are filled with newwine.”

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them:“Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and giveear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, usince it isonly the third hour of the day.2 16 But this is what was uttered through theprophet Joel:

17  v“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
wthat I will pour out my Spirit xon all flesh,
and your sons and yyour daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18  even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and zthey shall prophesy.
19  And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20  athe sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before bthe day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21  And it shall come to pass that ceveryone who calls upon the name of the Lordshall be saved.’

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, da man attested to youby God ewith fmighty works and wonders and signs that gGod did through himin your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,3 hdelivered up accordingto ithe definite plan and jforeknowledge of God, kyou crucified and killed by thehands of lawless men. 24 lGod raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, becausemit was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,

n“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26  therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell oin hope.
27  For you will not abandon my soul to pHades,
qor let your rHoly One ssee corruption.
28  You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about tthe patriarch Daviduthat he both died and vwas buried, and whis tomb is with us to this day.30 xBeing therefore a prophet, and knowing that yGod had sworn with an oath tohim that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw andspoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that zhe was not abandoned to Hades,nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus aGod raised up, band of that we allare witnesses. 33 cBeing therefore dexalted at the right hand of God, and havingreceived from ethe Father fthe promise of the Holy Spirit, ghe has poured outthis that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For hDavid did not ascend intothe heavens, but he himself says,

i“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35  until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that jGod has made himkboth Lord and Christ, this Jesus lwhom you crucified.”
37 Now when mthey heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter andthe rest of the apostles, “Brothers, nwhat shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them,o“Repent and pbe baptized every one of you qin the name of Jesus Christ rforthe forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive sthe gift of the Holy Spirit.39 For tthe promise is for you and ufor your children and for all vwho are far off,everyone wwhom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many otherwords he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, x“Save yourselvesfrom this ycrooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized,and zthere were added that day about three thousand souls.

The Fellowship of the Believers42 And athey devoted themselves to the apostles’ bteaching and thecfellowship, to dthe breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe4 came uponevery soul, and emany wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.44 And all who believed were together and fhad all things in common. 45 Andfthey were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing theproceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, gattending the templehtogether and ibreaking bread in their homes, they received their food jwithglad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and khaving favor with all the people.And the Lord ladded to their number mday by day those who nwere being saved.

The Lame Beggar Healed3 Now Peter and John were ogoing up to the temple at pthe hour of prayer,qthe ninth hour.1 2 And a man rlame from birth was being carried, swhomthey laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate tto askalms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into thetemple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as didJohn, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting toreceive something from them. 6 But Peter said, u“I have no silver and gold, butwhat I do have I give to you. vIn the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise upand walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, andimmediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And wleaping up, he stoodand began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping andpraising God. 9 And xall the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 andrecognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking foralms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened tohim.

Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico11 yWhile he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, rantogether to them in zthe portico called Solomon’s. 12 And when Peter saw it headdressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do youstare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 aTheGod of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, bthe God of our fathers,cglorified his servant2 Jesus, whom dyou delivered over and edenied in thepresence of Pilate, fwhen he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied gtheHoly and hRighteous One, and iasked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 andyou killed jthe Author of life, kwhom God raised from the dead. To this we arewitnesses. 16 And lhis name--by mfaith in his name--has made this man strongwhom you see and know, and the faith that is nthrough Jesus3 has given the manthis perfect health in the presence of you all.

17 “And now, brothers, I know that oyou acted in ignorance, as did also yourrulers. 18 But what God pforetold qby the mouth of all the prophets, that rhisChrist would ssuffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 tRepent therefore, and uturn back, thatvyour sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from thepresence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ wappointed for you, Jesus,21 xwhom heaven must receive until the time for yrestoring all the things aboutwhich zGod spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘TheLord God will raise up for you aa prophet like me from your brothers. You shalllisten bto him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who doesnot listen to that prophet cshall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And dall theprophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, alsoproclaimed these days. 25 eYou are the sons of the prophets and of fthe covenantthat God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, g‘And in your offspringshall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 hGod, ihaving raised up hisservant, sent him to you first, jto bless you kby turning every one of you fromyour wickedness.”

Paul Appeals to Caesar25 Now three days after Festus had arrived in ithe province, he went up toJerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principalmen of the Jews jlaid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking asa favor against Paul1 that he summon him to Jerusalem--because kthey wereplanning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was beingkept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he,“let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anythingwrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down toCaesarea. And the next day he took his seat on lthe tribunal and ordered Paul tobe brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down fromJerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against himmthat they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither nagainst othelaw of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor pagainst Caesar have I committedany offense.” 9 But Festus, qwishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do youwish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 ButPaul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s rtribunal, where I ought to be tried. Tothe Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am awrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seekto escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one cangive me up to them. sI appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferredwith his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shallgo.”

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived atCaesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laidPaul’s case before the king, saying, t“There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 andwhen I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid outtheir case uagainst him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 vIanswered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyonewbefore the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to makehis defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 xSo when they cametogether here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on ythe tribunaland ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they broughtno charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they zhad certainpoints of dispute with him about their own religion and about aa certain Jesus,who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how toinvestigate these questions, I basked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem andbe tried there regarding them. 21 But cwhen Paul had appealed to be kept incustody for the decision of dthe emperor, I ordered him to be held until I couldsend him to Caesar.” 22 Then eAgrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear theman myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

23 So on the next day fAgrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and theyentered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men ofthe city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said,“King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whomgthe whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, hshoutingthat he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that ihe had done nothingdeserving death. And jas he himself appealed to kthe emperor, I decided to goahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him.Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, KingAgrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write.27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate thecharges against him.”

Paul’s Defense Before Agrippa26 So lAgrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going tomake my defense today magainst all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especiallybecause you are familiar with all the ncustoms and ocontroversies of the Jews.Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 p“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among qmyown nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for along time, if they are willing to testify, that raccording to the strictest sparty ofour treligion I have lived as ua Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial becauseof my hope in vthe promise made by God to our fathers, 7 wto which xour twelvetribes hope to yattain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hopezI am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought aincredible by any of you thatGod raises the dead?
9 b“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing thename of cJesus of Nazareth. 10 dAnd I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked upmany of the saints in prison after receiving authority efrom the chief priests, butfwhen they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And gI punishedthem often in all the synagogues and tried to make them hblaspheme, and iinraging fury against them I jpersecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion12 “In this connection kI journeyed to Damascus with the authority andcommission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a lightfrom heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those whojourneyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voicesaying to me lin the Hebrew language,1 ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Andthe Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and mstand uponyour feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, nto appoint you as aservant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those inwhich I will appear to you, 17 odelivering you from your people and from theGentiles--pto whom I qam sending you 18 rto open their eyes, so that they mayturn from darkness to light and from sthe power of Satan to God, that they mayreceive tforgiveness of sins and ua place among those who are sanctified vbyfaith in me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to wthe heavenly vision,20 but declared first xto those in Damascus, ythen in Jerusalem and throughoutall the region of Judea, and also zto the Gentiles, that they should arepent andbturn to God, performing deeds cin keeping with their repentance. 21 For thisreason dthe Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 eTo this day Ihave had the help that comes from God, and so fI stand here testifying both tosmall and great, saying nothing but what gthe prophets and Moses said wouldcome to pass: 23 hthat the Christ imust suffer and that, jby being the first kto risefrom the dead, lhe would proclaim mlight both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loudvoice, “Paul, nyou are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out ofyour mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, omost excellent Festus,but I am speaking ptrue and qrational words. 26 For rthe king knows about thesethings, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these thingshas escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, doyou believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul,“In a short time would you persuade me to be sa Christian?”2 29 And Paul said,“Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear methis day tmight become such as I am--except for uthese chains.”

30 Then the king rose, and vthe governor and Bernice and those who weresitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another,w“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippasaid to Festus, x“This man could have been set yfree if he had not appealed ztoCaesar.”

Paul Sails for Rome27 And when it was decided athat bwe should sail for Italy, they deliveredPaul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cCohortnamed Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about tosail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied bydAristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in atSidon. And eJulius ftreated Paul kindly and ggave him leave to go to his friendsand be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee ofCyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across theopen sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.6 There the centurion found ha ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us onboard. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty offCnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee ofCrete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place calledFair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous becauseeven ithe Fast1 was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceivethat the voyage will be with jinjury and much loss, not only of the cargo and theship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to kthe pilotand to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harborwas not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to seafrom there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor ofCrete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

The Storm at Sea13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtainedtheir purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore.14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, lstruck down from theland. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave wayto it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island calledCauda,2 we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. 17 After hoisting itup, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would mrunaground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,3 and thus they were driven along.18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day nto jettison thecargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with theirown hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no smalltempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among themand said, “Men, oyou should have listened to me and not have set sail from Creteand incurred this oinjury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to ptake heart, for therewill be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night qthererstood before me san angel of the God tto whom I belong and uwhom I worship,24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; vyou must stand before Caesar. Andbehold, wGod has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men,for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But xwe mustyrun aground on some island.”
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across theAdriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land.28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.4 A little farther on theytook a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.5 29 And fearing that we mightzrun on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for dayto come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and hadlowered athe ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors fromthe bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay inthe ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of theship’s boat and let it go.

33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying,“Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and withoutfood, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it willgive you strength,6 for bnot a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 Andwhen he had said these things, he took bread, and cgiving thanks to God in thepresence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all dwere encouragedand ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 2767 epersons in the ship.)38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, fthrowing out thewheat into the sea.

The Shipwreck39 Now when it was day, gthey did not recognize the land, but they noticed abay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 Sothey cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening theropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made forthe beach. 41 But striking a reef,8 hthey ran the vessel aground. The bow stuckand remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 iThesoldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape.43 But the centurion, jwishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out theirplan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for theland, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that kallwere brought safely to land.


Paul on Malta28 After we were brought safely through, lwe then learned that mtheisland was called Malta. 2 nThe native people1 showed us unusualokindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun torain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them onthe fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 Whenpthe native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to oneanother, q“No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from thesea, rJustice2 has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, sshook off the creatureinto the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up orsuddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw nomisfortune come to him, tthey changed their minds and usaid that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief manof the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably forthree days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever anddysentery. And Paul visited him and vprayed, and wputting his hands on him,healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the islandwho had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly,3and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.

Paul Arrives at Rome11 After three months we set sail in xa ship that had wintered in the island, aship of Alexandria, with the twin gods4 as a figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse,we stayed there for three days. 13 And from there we made a circuit and arrived atRhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day wecame to Puteoli. 14 There we found ybrothers5 and were invited to stay with themfor seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And ythe brothers there, when theyheard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meetus. On seeing them, zPaul thanked God and took courage. 16 And when we cameinto Rome, aPaul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guardedhim.

Paul in Rome17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and whenthey had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, bthough I had done nothingagainst our people or cthe customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as aprisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they hadexamined me, they dwished to set me at liberty, ebecause there was no reason forthe death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelledfto appeal to Caesar--though I had no charge to bring against gmy nation. 20 Forthis reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it ishbecause of ithe hope of Israel that I am wearing jthis kchain.” 21 And they saidto him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of lthebrothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desireto hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this msect we know thateverywhere nit is spoken against.”

23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging ingreater numbers. From morning till evening ohe expounded to them, testifying topthe kingdom of God and qtrying to convince them about Jesus rboth from theLaw of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 And ssome were convinced by what hesaid, but others disbelieved. 25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departedafter Paul had made one statement: t“The Holy Spirit was right in saying to yourfathers through Isaiah the prophet:

26  u“‘Go to this people, and say,
v“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
27  wFor this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and xturn, and I would heal them.’

28 Therefore let it be known to you that ythis zsalvation of God ahas been sent tothe Gentiles; bthey will listen.”6
30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense,7 and cwelcomed all whocame to him, 31 dproclaiming ethe kingdom of God and teaching about the LordJesus Christ fwith all boldness and gwithout hindrance.

ROMANSGreeting1 Paul, aa servant1 of Christ Jesus, bcalled to be an apostle, cset apart for thegospel of God, 2 which dhe promised beforehand ethrough his prophets inthe holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, fwho was descended from David2gaccording to the flesh 4 and hwas declared to be the Son of God iin poweraccording to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, JesusChrist our Lord, 5 through whom jwe have received grace and kapostleship ltobring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name mamong all thenations, 6 including you who are ncalled to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
oGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Longing to Go to Rome8 First, pI thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, qbecause yourfaith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 rFor God is my witness, swhom I serve withmy spirit in the gospel of his Son, tthat without ceasing I mention you 10 alwaysin my prayers, asking that somehow uby God’s will I may now at last succeed incoming to you. 11 For vI long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritualgift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged wby eachother’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,3that xI have often intended to come to you (but ythus far have been prevented),in order that I may reap some zharvest among you as well as among the rest ofthe Gentiles. 14 aI am under obligation both to Greeks and to bbarbarians,4 bothto the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you alsowho are in Rome.
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith16 For dI am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is ethe power of God for salvationto everyone who believes, to the Jew ffirst and also to gthe Greek. 17 For in it htherighteousness of God is revealed ifrom faith for faith,5 jas it is written, “Therighteous shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness18 For kthe wrath of God lis revealed from heaven against all ungodliness andunrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 Forwhat can be mknown about God is plain to them, because God has shown it tothem. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,nhave been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,7 in the thingsthat have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God,they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they obecame futile intheir thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 pClaiming to be wise,they became fools, 23 and qexchanged the glory of rthe immortal God for imagesresembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore sGod gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to tthedishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged thetruth about God for ua lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than theCreator, vwho is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason wGod gave them up to xdishonorable passions. For theirwomen exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 andthe men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed withpassion for one another, ymen committing shameless acts with men andreceiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, zGod gave them up to aadebased mind to do bwhat ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with allmanner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy,murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters ofGod, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know cGod’s righteousdecree that those who practice such things ddeserve to die, they not only dothem but egive approval to those who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment2 Therefore you have fno excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. Forgin passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, thejudge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightlyfalls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man--you who judgethose who practice such things and yet do them yourself--that you will escapethe judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on hthe riches of his kindness andiforbearance and jpatience, knot knowing that God’s kindness is meant to leadyou to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you arelstoring up mwrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteousjudgment will be revealed.

6 nHe will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who obypatience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will giveeternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking1 and pdo not obey the truth, butobey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulationand distress qfor every human being who does evil, the Jew rfirst and also theGreek, 10 but glory and honor and speace for everyone who does good, tthe Jewfirst and also the Greek. 11 For uGod shows no partiality.
​
God’s Judgment and the Law12 For all who have sinned vwithout the law will also perish without the law,and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For wit is notthe hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law whowill be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, xby nature dowhat the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not havethe law. 15 They show that the work of the law is ywritten on their hearts, whiletheir conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse oreven excuse them 16 zon that day when, aaccording to my gospel, God judges bthesecrets of men cby Christ Jesus.

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and drely on the law and boast in God 18 andknow his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from thelaw; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are ea guide to the blind, a light tothose who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children,having in the law fthe embodiment of gknowledge and truth— 21 hyou then whoteach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, doyou steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commitadultery? You who abhor idols, do you irob temples? 23 You who jboast in the lawkdishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, las it is written, “The name of God isblasphemed mamong the Gentiles because of you.”

25 For circumcision indeed is of value nif you obey the law, but if you break thelaw, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if oa man who isuncircumcised keeps pthe precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision beregarded2 as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically3 uncircumcised butkeeps the law qwill condemn you who have rthe written code4 and circumcisionbut break the law. 28 For sno one is a Jew twho is merely one outwardly, nor iscircumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one uinwardly, andvcircumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. wHis praiseis not from man but from God.
God’s Righteousness Upheld3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?2 Much in every way. To begin with, xthe Jews were entrusted with ytheoracles of God. 3 zWhat if some were unfaithful? aDoes their faithlessnessnullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! bLet God be true though ceveryone were a liar, as it is written,

d“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you eare judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shallwe say? That God is unrighteous to inflict fwrath on us? (gI speak in a humanway.) 6 By no means! For then how could hGod judge the world? 7 But if throughmy lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, iwhy am I still being condemned as asinner? 8 And why not jdo evil that good may come?--as some peopleslanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous9 What then? Are we Jews1 any better off?2 No, not at all. For we have alreadycharged that all, both kJews and lGreeks, are munder sin, 10 as it is written:

n“None is righteous, no, not one;
11  no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13  o“Their throat is pan open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
q“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14  r“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15  s“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16  in their paths are ruin and misery,
17  and tthe way of peace they have not known.”
18  u“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever vthe law says it speaks to those who are underthe law, wso that every mouth may be stopped, and xthe whole world may be heldaccountable to God. 20 For yby works of the law no human being3 will be justifiedin his sight, since zthrough the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith21 But now athe righteousness of God bhas been manifested apart from thelaw, although cthe Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousnessof God dthrough faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. eFor there is nodistinction: 23 for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 gand arejustified hby his grace as a gift, ithrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God jput forward as ka propitiation lby his blood, to be received byfaith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in mhis divine forbearancehe had passed over nformer sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at thepresent time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith inJesus.

27 oThen what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Bya law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified byfaith papart from works of the law. 29 Or qis God the God of Jews only? Is he notthe God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since rGod is one--who willjustify the circumcised by faith and sthe uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do wethen overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we upholdthe law.

God’s Sovereign Choice9 aI am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears mewitness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasinganguish in my heart. 3 For bI could wish that I myself were caccursed and cut offfrom Christ for the sake of my brothers,1 my kinsmen daccording to the flesh.4 They are eIsraelites, and to them belong fthe adoption, gthe glory, hthecovenants, ithe giving of the law, jthe worship, and kthe promises. 5 To thembelong lthe patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ,mwho is God over all, nblessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who aredescended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abrahamobecause they are his offspring, but p“Through Isaac shall your offspring benamed.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the childrenof God, but qthe children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this iswhat the promise said: r“About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shallhave a son.” 10 And not only so, but salso when Rebekah had conceived childrenby one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had donenothing either good or bad--in order that God’s purpose of election mightcontinue, not because of works but because of thim who calls— 12 she was told,u“The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, v“Jacob I loved, but Esau Ihated.”

14 What shall we say then? wIs there injustice on God’s part? By no means!15 For he says to Moses, x“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I willhave compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not onhuman will or exertion,2 but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says toPharaoh, y“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show mypower in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So thenhe has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For zwho can resist hiswill?” 20 But who are you, O man, ato answer back to God? bWill what is moldedsay to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 cHas the potter no rightover the clay, to make out of the same lump done vessel for honorable use andanother for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and tomake known his power, has endured with much patience evessels of wrathfprepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known gthe riches of his glory forvessels of mercy, which he hhas prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whomhe ihas called, jnot from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeedhe says in Hosea,

k“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26  l“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called m‘sons of the living God.’”

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: n“Though the number of the sons ofIsrael3 be as the sand of the sea, oonly a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for theLord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 Andas Isaiah predicted,
pq“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
rwe would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.”

Israel’s Unbelief30 What shall we say, then? sThat Gentiles who did not pursue righteousnesshave attained it, that is, ta righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel uwhopursued a law that would lead to righteousness4 vdid not succeed in reachingthat law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were basedon works. They have stumbled over the wstumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
x“Behold, I am laying in Zion ya stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
zand whoever believes in him will not be aput to shame.”

10 Brothers,1 my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that theymay be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that bthey have a zeal for God,cbut not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of dthe righteousness ofGod, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’srighteousness. 4 For eChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to everyonewho believes.

The Message of Salvation to All5 For fMoses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that gtheperson who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But hthe righteousnessbased on faith says, i“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”(that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the jabyss?’” (that is,kto bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? l“The word is nearyou, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that weproclaim); 9 because, if myou confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord andnbelieve in your heart othat God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth oneconfesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, p“Everyone who believes in himwill not be put to shame.” 12 qFor there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;rfor the same Lord is Lord of all, sbestowing his riches on all who call on him.13 For t“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how arethey to believe in him uof whom they have never heard?3 And how are they tohear vwithout someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they aresent? As it is written, w“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the goodnews!” 16 But xthey have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, y“Lord, whohas believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So zfaith comes from hearing, andhearing through the word of Christ.

18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
a“Their voice has gone out bto all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
c“I will dmake you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a efoolish nation I will make you angry.”
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
f“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But of Israel he says, g“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedientand contrary people.”

The Remnant of Israel11 I ask, then, hhas God rejected his people? By no means! For iI myself aman Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,1 a member of the tribe ofBenjamin. 2 jGod has not rejected his people whom he kforeknew. Do you notknow what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?3 l“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and Ialone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? m“I havekept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Sotoo at the present time there is na remnant, chosen by grace. 6 oBut if it is bygrace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer begrace.

7 What then? pIsrael failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it,but the rest qwere hardened, 8 as it is written,

r“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
seyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
t“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever.”

Gentiles Grafted In11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather,through their trespass usalvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israeljealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failuremeans riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion2 mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as vI am an apostle to theGentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jewsjealous, and wthus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means xthereconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from thedead? 16 yIf the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if theroot is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if zsome of the branches were broken off, and you, aalthough a wild oliveshoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root3 ofthe olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember itis not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you willsay, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. Theywere broken off because of their unbelief, but you bstand fast through faith. Socdo not become proud, but dfear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches,neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God:severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, eprovided youcontinue in his kindness. Otherwise fyou too will be cut off. 23 And geven they, ifthey do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power tograft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree,and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more willthese, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation25 hLest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of thismystery, brothers:4 ia partial hardening has come upon Israel, juntil thefullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, asit is written,
​
k“The Deliverer will come lfrom Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27  “and this will be my mcovenant with them
nwhen I take away their sins.”

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election,they are obeloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and pthe callingof God are irrevocable. 30 For just as qyou were at one time disobedient to Godbut now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too havenow been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also maynow5 receive mercy. 32 For God rhas consigned all to disobedience, that he mayhave mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! tHowunsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!


34  “For uwho has known the mind of the Lord,
​
or who has been his counselor?”
​
35  “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. 

To him be glory forever. Amen.



But we all, with unveiled face,

beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same

image from glory to glory, just as from

the Lord, the Spirit”


(2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB).


With those few words—“from glory to glory”—Paul sums up our entire Christian life, from redemption and sanctification on earth, to our glorious eternal welcome into heaven. There is a great deal of content packed into those few words. It’s all so important that Paul labors at great length, from 2 Corinthians 2:14 through the end of chapter 5, to open his readers’ eyes to a great truth. Let’s see why that truth matters so much.

The same Greek word for “glory” is used twice in the phrase from glory to glory, yet each usage refers to something different. The first “glory” is that of the Old Covenant—the Law of Moses—while the second is that of the New Covenant, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both have astonishing splendor.

The Old Covenant was given to Moses directly from God, written by God’s own finger (Exodus 31:18). That root of our Christian faith is glorious indeed; it’s the glory we’re coming “from.” Yet the New Covenant, the glory we’re going “to,” far surpasses that of the Old.

The transformation is from the glory of the Law. Like the stone it was written on, the Law was inflexible and absolute, applying to all Israelites without much regard for individual circumstances (Hebrews 10:28). Though holy, good, and righteous in itself (Romans 7:12), the Law was, for us sinners, the letter that kills us (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Law was an external force to control behavior. In addition, stone, despite its strength, is earthly and will eventually wear away. The Law was merely a temporary guardian (Galatians 3:23–25) until something better came along.

The transformation is to the glory of the New Covenant, which far surpasses the Old in every way. It forgives us of our sin and gives us sinners life (John 6:63). It is written on believers’ hearts by the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3), so our obedience to God springs up from within us by God-given desires rather than by threats of legal punishment. In place of a cold set of writings as a guide for pleasing God, we now have Father, Son and Holy Spirit making their home with us, fellowshipping in loving intimacy, teaching us everything we must know and do (John 14:23; 16:13).


That position in Christ is as permanent, eternal, and

spiritual as God Himself,

rather than temporary and earthly.


Paul is intent on directing Christians to focus on the spiritual glory of the New Covenant rather than the physical glory of the Old, as many Jews in his day refused to do.

He compared the two types of glory by recalling how Moses absorbed and reflected God’s glory for a time after being in his presence (2 Corinthians 3:7–11, 13; cf. Exodus 34:29–35). Though Moses’ glow had a spiritual cause, there was nothing spiritual about the effect—any person, regardless of his relationship with God, could see the glow on Moses’ face, which he covered with a veil.

Not so the glory of the New Covenant.

That can be seen only with a believer’s spiritual eyes—what Paul is doing his best to open, so that we discern the gospel’s glory. So he writes, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

But, as we move from glory to glory, there’s something even more important about the glory of the New Covenant that Christians must understand: its supernatural power to transform us. And that brings us to God’s ultimate purpose and destination for every believer, to transform us into the image of His own beloved Son (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:28–30; Philippians 3:20–21).

Before he finishes with the topic of being transformed from glory to glory, Paul presents yet one more astonishing claim: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

(2 Corinthians 5:17).


In 2 Corinthians 4:17, the apostle Paul presents a beautiful and emphatic contrast between present afflictions and future glory: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory

beyond all comparison” (ESV).

Before analyzing the meaning of “eternal weight of glory,” it is essential to understand the broader context of the epistle.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses the challenges faced by the Corinthians and

defends his

apostolic ministry against accusations and opposition.

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul emphasizes the grace and mercy of God, which sustained Paul and

his fellow-laborers during times of toil, weariness, scorn, danger, and constant exposure to death

(see 2 Corinthians 4:7–10; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23–27).

Their suffering was not in vain: “So death is at work in us, but life in you”

(2 Corinthians 4:12).

Despite these hardships, which continued for the duration of his life, Paul characterizes his trials and tribulations as “light” and “momentary.” The word light denotes something that is easy to bear or of little weight (cf. Matthew 11:30 and 2 Corinthians 1:17). Paul’s use of this term conveys the relative

insignificance of present afflictions when juxtaposed with the eternal weight of glory.

Furthermore, the term momentary emphasizes the brevity and fleeting nature of present afflictions (cf. James 4:14). Paul contrasts the temporary nature of suffering with the eternal nature of the glory that awaits believers (see Romans 8:29–30). Even if we were to suffer for the rest of our lives, our afflictions are still momentary because this life will come to an end (2 Corinthians 4:16). And when it does, we will be glorified with Christ (Romans 8:17).

Next, Paul juxtaposes the light and momentary affliction with an “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” The word weight signifies the substantiality, significance, and overwhelming nature of the future glory that believers will experience (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9, 13:12; 1 John 3:2).

Hence, it conveys a sense of


immeasurable value and magnitude


This “eternal weight of glory” stands in stark contrast to the fleeting and transitory nature of present afflictions. The word eternal signifies the everlasting and unending nature of the glory that believers will inherit. It also highlights the incomparable duration and permanence of our future glory.

In Romans 8:18, Paul expresses a similar idea, declaring that the “sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (ESV). This passage reinforces the idea that present afflictions, though seemingly significant, pale in comparison to the future glory that believers will partake in.

In 1 Peter 1:6–7, the apostle notes that

suffering has a redemptive

purpose:

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (ESV). This passage aligns with the theme of present afflictions preparing believers for an eternal weight of glory, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 4:17.

Second Corinthians 4:17 reminds us that present afflictions, though at times severe, are light and momentary when contrasted with the immeasurable weight of glory that awaits believers. This provides immense comfort to those enduring trials, assuring them their suffering is purposeful and temporary, while their future glory is eternal and incomparable.

May this passage inspire and strengthen our faith as we endure various trials,

always mindful of the surpassing glory that awaits you

in Jesus Christ.




Jeremiah 34

King James Version34 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,

2 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
3 And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:

5 But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the Lord.

6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

7 When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

8 This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

9 That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
​
10 Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.
11 But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

12 Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
​
13 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,

14 At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.

15 And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:
16 But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

17 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,

19 The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up from you.

22 Behold, I will command, saith the Lord, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

​

The Lord of the Sabbath

(1 Samuel 21:1–7; Matthew 12:1–8; Mark 2:23–28)

1One Sabbatha Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them. 2But some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, took the consecrated breadb and gave it to his companions, and ate what is lawful only for the priests to eat.”

5Then Jesus declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”



Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

(Matthew 12:9–14; Mark 3:1–6)

6On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.

8But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand among us.” So he got up and stood there.

9Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10And after looking around at all of them, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and it was restored.

11But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.



The Twelve Apostles
(Matthew 10:1–4; Mark 3:13–19)

12In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God. 13When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles: 14Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;15Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zealot;16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.



Jesus Heals the Multitudes
(Matthew 4:23–25; Mark 3:7–12)

17Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed. 19The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.
​

The Beatitudes
(Psalm 1:1–6; Matthew 5:3–12)

20Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: 
“Blessed are you who are poor, 
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who hunger now, 
for you will be filled. 
Blessed are you who weep now, 
for you will laugh.


22Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.


Woes to the Satisfied
(Amos 6:1–7)

24But woe to you who are rich, 
for you have already received your comfort.
25Woe to you who are well fed now, 
for you will hunger. 
Woe to you who laugh now, 
for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, 
for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.


Love Your Enemies

(Matthew 5:38–48)

27But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.



The Prosperity of the Wicked

1Righteous are You, O LORD, 
when I plead before You. 
Yet about Your judgments 
I wish to contend with You: 
Why does the way of the wicked prosper? 
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
2You planted them, and they have taken root. 
They have grown and produced fruit. 
You are ever on their lips, 
but far from their hearts.a
3But You know me, O LORD; 
You see me and test my heart toward You. 
Drag away the wicked like sheep to the slaughter 
and set them apart for the day of carnage.
4How long will the land mourn 
and the grass of every field be withered? 
Because of the evil of its residents, 
the animals and birds have been swept away, 
for the people have said, 
“He cannot see what our end will be.”
God’s Answer to Jeremiah
5“If you have raced with men on foot 
and they have worn you out, 
how can you compete with horses? 
If you stumble in a peaceful land, 
how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?
6Even your brothers--
your own father’s household--
even they have betrayed you; 
even they have cried aloud against you. 
Do not trust them, 
though they speak well of you.
7I have forsaken My house; 
I have abandoned My inheritance. 
I have given the beloved of My soul 
into the hands of her enemies.
8My inheritance has become to Me 
like a lion in the forest. 
She has roared against Me; 
therefore I hate her.
9Is not My inheritance to Me 
like a speckled bird of prey 
with other birds of preyb circling against her? 
Go, gather all the beasts of the field; 
bring them to devour her.
10Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; 
they have trampled My plot of ground. 
They have turned My pleasant field 
into a desolate wasteland.
11They have made it a desolation; 
desolate before Me, it mourns. 
All the land is laid waste, 
but no man takes it to heart.
12Over all the barren heights in the wilderness 
the destroyers have come, 
for the sword of the LORD devours 
from one end of the earth to the other. 
No flesh has peace.
13They have sown wheat but harvested thorns. 
They have exhausted themselves to no avail. 
Bear the shame of your harvest 
because of the fierce anger of the LORD.”



A Message for Israel’s Neighbors

(Amos 1:1–15)

14This is what the LORD says: “As for all My evil neighbors who attack the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people Israel, I am about to uproot them from their land, and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. 15But after I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.

16And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people. 17But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD.”




Delight Yourself in the LORD

(1 Kings 2:1–9)

Of David.
1 Do not fret over those who do evil; 
do not envy those who do wrong.
2For they wither quickly like grass 
and wilt like tender plants.
3Trust in the LORD and do good; 
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4Delight yourself in the LORD, 
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the LORD; 
trust in Him, and He will do it.
6He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, 
your justice like the noonday sun.
7Be still before the LORD 
and wait patiently for Him; 
do not fret when men prosper in their ways, 
when they carry out wicked schemes.
8Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; 
do not fret—it can only bring harm.
9For the evildoers will be cut off, 
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; 
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11But the meek will inherit the landb
and delight in abundant prosperity.
12The wicked scheme against the righteous 
and gnash their teeth at them,
13but the Lord laughs, 
seeing that their day is coming.
14The wicked have drawn the sword 
and bent the bow 
to bring down the poor and needy, 
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15But their swords will pierce their own hearts, 
and their bows will be broken.
16Better is the little of the righteous 
than the abundance of many who are wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked will be broken, 
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18The LORD knows the days of the blameless, 
and their inheritance will last forever.
19In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, 
and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
20But the wicked and enemies of the LORD 
will perish like the glory of the fields. 
They will vanish; 
like smoke they will fade away.
21The wicked borrow and do not repay, 
but the righteous are gracious and giving.
22Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, 
but the cursed will be destroyed.
23The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD 
who takes delight in his journey.
24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, 
for the LORD is holding his hand.c
25I once was young and now am old, 
yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned 
or their children begging for bread.
26They are ever generous and quick to lend, 
and their children are a blessing.
27Turn away from evil and do good, 
so that you will abide forever.
28For the LORD loves justice 
and will not forsake His saints. 
They are preserved forever, 
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
29The righteous will inherit the land 
and dwell in it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, 
and his tongue speaks justice.
31The law of his God is in his heart; 
his steps do not falter.
32Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, 
and seek to slay them,
33the LORD will not leave them in their power 
or let them be condemned under judgment.
34Wait for the LORD and keep His way, 
and He will raise you up to inherit the land. 
When the wicked are cut off, 
you will see it.
35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man 
flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
36yet he passed away and was no more; 
though I searched, he could not be found.
37Consider the blameless and observe the upright, 
for posterity awaits the man of peace.d
38But the transgressors will all be destroyed; 
the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; 
He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40The LORD helps and delivers them; 
He rescues and saves them from the wicked, 
because they take refuge in Him.



God’s Righteous Judgment

(Psalm 75:1–10)

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
5But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”a 7To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.

9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek; 10but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek. 11For God does not show favoritism.

12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

14Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them 16on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus,b as proclaimed by my gospel.


The Jews and the Law

17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?22You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.



The Perfect High Priest

(Psalm 110:1–7)

1Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness.3That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

4No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: 

“You are My Son; 
today I have become Your Father.”a
6And in another passage God says: 
“You are a priest forever 
in the order of Melchizedek.”

7During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him 10and was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.


Milk and Solid Food

(1 Corinthians 3:1–9)

11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing. 12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word.c You need milk, not solid food!

13For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.



The Plot to Kill Jesus

(Mark 14:1–2; Luke 22:1–2; John 11:45–57)

1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples, 2“You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

3At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him. 5“But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”


Jesus Anointed at Bethany

(Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8)

6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,a 7a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.

8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste?9This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.”

10Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. 11The poor you will always have with you,b but you will not always have Me. 12By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. 13Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”


Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

(Mark 14:10–11; Luke 22:3–6)

14Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.


Preparing the Passover

(Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–13)

17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,c the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house.’”19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.


The Last Supper

(Mark 14:17–26; Luke 22:14–23; 1 Corinthians 11:17–34)

20When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples.d 21And while they were eating, He said to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.”

22They were deeply grieved and began to ask Him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

25Then Judas, who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” 
Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself.”
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

27Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is My blood of the covenant,e which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.


Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

(Zechariah 13:7–9; Mark 14:27–31; Luke 22:31–38; John 13:36–38)

31Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd, 

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
33Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.”

34“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.


Jesus Prays at Gethsemane

(Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46)

36Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

37He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”

39Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

40Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. 41“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

42A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” 43And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

44So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing. 45Then He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! See, My betrayer is approaching!”



The Betrayal of Jesus

(Mark 14:43–52; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:1–14)

47While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him.” 49Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

50“Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.”

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him. 51At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”

55At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts,h and you did not arrest Me. 56But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.”

Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.



Jesus before the Sanhedrin

(Mark 14:53–65; Luke 22:66–71; John 18:19–24)

57Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. 58But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

59Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrini were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. 60But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. 
Finally two came forward 61and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

62So the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?”

63But Jesus remained silent. 

Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

64“You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Powerj and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.66What do you think?” 

“He deserves to die,” they answered.

67Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him 68and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”



Peter Denies Jesus

(Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:15–18)

69Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.

70But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.”

71When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!”
73After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said, “for your accent gives you away.”

74At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” 
And immediately a rooster crowed.
75Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.



Jesus the Good Shepherd

(Psalm 23:1–6; Ezekiel 34:11–24)

1“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”

6Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them. 7So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before Mea were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.

11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.12The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. 13The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.

14I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, 15just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. 18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”

19Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message. 20Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”

21But others replied, “These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”



Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

22At that time the Feast of Dedicationb took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,23and Jesus was walking in the temple courtsc in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

25“I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf. 26But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe. 27My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. 29My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”

31At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. 32But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
​
33“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

34Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’d? 35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy for stating that I am the Son of God?

37If I am not doing the works of My Father, then do not believe Me. 38But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works themselves, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.”
39At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.


John’s Testimony Confirmed

40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there. 41Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.” 42And many in that place believed in Jesus.

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The Greatest in the Kingdom

(Mark 9:33–41; Luke 9:46–50)

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
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2Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. 3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.



Temptations and Trespasses

(Mark 9:42–48; Luke 17:1–4)

6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.


The Parable of the Lost Sheep

(Luke 15:1–7)

10See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.

12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.



A Brother Who Sins

(Deuteronomy 19:15–21)

15If your brother sins against you,c go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’d 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.



Ask in My Name

(John 16:23–33)

19Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”



The Unforgiving Servant

(Romans 12:14–21)

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

23Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talentsf was brought to him. 25Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.

26Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

27His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.

28But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.g He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’

29So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’
30But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.

31When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master.

32Then the master summoned him and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.

35That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”




Temptations and Trespasses

(Matthew 18:6–9; Mark 9:42–48)

1Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

3Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.4Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”



The Power of Faith

(Matthew 17:19–20)

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

6And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

7Which of you whose servant comes in from plowing or shepherding in the field will say to him, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8Instead, won’t he tell him, ‘Prepare my meal and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you may eat and drink’? 9Does he thank the servant because he did what he was told? 10So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”



The Ten Lepers

(2 Kings 5:1–14)

11While Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers.a They stood at a distance 13and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”b And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.

15When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He fell facedown at Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan.

17“Were not all ten cleansed?” Jesus asked. “Where then are the other nine?18Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?”

19Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well!c”



The Coming of the Kingdom

(Genesis 19:24–29)

20When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs. 21Nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.

22Then He said to the disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23People will tell you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. 24For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day. 25But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

26Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man: 27People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30It will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day, let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions. Likewise, let no one in the field return for anything he has left behind. 32Remember Lot’s wife!33Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed: one will be taken and the other left. 35Two women will be grinding grain together: one will be taken and the other left.”e
37“Where, Lord?” they asked. 

Jesus answered, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.”

Grace and Perseverance

(Hebrews 12:1–3)

1You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.
3Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him.5Likewise, a competitor does not receive the crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6The hardworking farmer should be the first to partake of the crops. 7Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all things.

8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David, as proclaimed by my gospel, 9for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained! 10For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.


11This is a trustworthy saying: 
If we died with Him, 
we will also live with Him;
12if we endure, 
we will also reign with Him; 
if we deny Him, 
He will also deny us;
13if we are faithless, 
He remains faithful, 
for He cannot deny Himself.




The Lord’s Approved Workman
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14Remind the believers of these things, charging them before Goda to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.

15Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.

16But avoid irreverent, empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness,17and the talk of such men will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have deviated from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already occurred, and they undermine the faith of some.
19Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,”b and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

20A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use. 21So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit,c he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.

22Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

23But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. 24And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. 25He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. 26Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.



Forgiveness

(Matthew 18:21–35)

14Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”


20On the contrary, 

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; 
if he is thirsty, give him a drink. 
For in so doing, 
you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.



Matthew 18:21-35

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” / Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! / Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ...

Luke 4:18-19

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, / to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

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