Bible verses about "entitlement" | Mace

¹⁶ By your mission you will be expos'd like sheep in the midst of wolves: be then as circumspect as serpents, and as inoffensive as doves:

⁷ Afterwards observing how eager the guests were for the first places, he gave them this instruction: ⁸ when any one invites you to a wedding, don't put yourself in the highest seat: for fear some person of greater distinction should be a guest, ⁹ and he that invited you both, should come and bid you give place to him; and you should have the disgrace of taking the lowest seat. ¹⁰ but when you are invited, go place your self last; that he, who invited you, when he comes, may say to you, friend, go up higher: and that will do you honour before all the company at table. ¹¹ for he that exalteth himself, shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

¹ Then Jesus addressing himself to the people, and to his disciples, ² said, the Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's chair. ³ therefore whatever moral precepts they bid you observe, those observe and practise; but don't follow their example: for they preach one thing, and practise another. ⁴ for they load men with intolerable impositions, and will not take the least pains to ease them of the burthen: they do nothing but out of ostentation, ⁵ their phylacterys are broader, and the fringes of their garments are larger than those of others: ⁶ they affect the uppermost place at feasts, the principal chair in the synagogues, ⁷ to be saluted in publick places, and to have men address to them with the title of Doctor Doctor. ⁸ But don't you assume that title, for you have but one doctor, who is the Christ; as for you, you are all brethren alike. ⁹ don't stile any one among you, Father upon earth; for he alone is your father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰ neither take the title of masters, for you have but one master, who is the Messias. ¹¹ he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² for whosoever exalts himself, shall be abased; and he that humbles himself, shall be exalted. ¹³ Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who prey upon the estates of widows, under the pretext of making long prayers; therefore ye shall be punish'd with the greater severity. ¹⁴ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye not only refuse to go in your selves, but hinder those that would. ¹⁵ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who ransack sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is gain'd, ye make him deserve Gehenna much more than your selves. ¹⁶ wo unto you, ye blind guides, who say, if any man swear by the temple he is under no obligation: but if he swear by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath. ¹⁷ ye blind fools, which is most sacred, the treasure of the temple, or the temple that makes the treasure sacred? ¹⁸ again, if any one swear by the altar he is under no engagement but if he swear by the gift that is upon it, he is bound thereby. ¹⁹ ye blind fools, which is most sacred, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ whoever swears by the altar, swears not only by the altar, but by every thing upon it. ²¹ and whoever swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. ²² and he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. ²³ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who pay tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, but neglect those more important matters of the law, justice, mercy, and fidelity: these were the things ye ought to have practis'd, without neglecting however the other matters. ²⁴ ye blind guides, who strain your liquor for a gnat, and swallow a beetle. ²⁵ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye clean the outside of the cup, and of the plate, but within they are full of rapine and impurity. ²⁶ thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and plate, that the outside may be likewise clean. ²⁷ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like whited sepulchres, which to outward appearance are fine. but within are full of dead mens bones, and all sort of filth. ²⁸ just so ye put on an air of probity in the sight of men, but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. ²⁹ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the just, ³⁰ and say, if we had liv'd in the time of our forefathers, we would not have been accessory with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. ³¹ whereby you yourselves own that ye are indeed the children of those who killed the prophets, ³² children that can't fail to fill up the measure of your fathers iniquities. ³³ ye serpents, ye brood of vipers, how can ye escape the punishment of Gehenna? ³⁴ wherefore I shall send you prophets, and wise men, and Scribes; you will kill some, and crucify others, many will ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. ³⁵ so that you maybe charg'd with all the innocent blood shed upon earth, from the blood of Abel the just, unto the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ I declare unto you, all these things shall befall this generation. ³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not! ³⁸ know, that your habitation shall be soon turned into a desert. ³⁹ for I tell you, after a while, ye shall not see me again, till ye shall cry out, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

¹ The kingdom of the Messiah will then be such, as when ten virgins took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ while the bridegroom tarried, they were drowsy and slept. ⁶ and at midnight there was a sudden cry, see the bridegroom comes; go and meet him. ⁷ then the virgins all arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ and the foolish said to the wise, give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out. ⁹ but the wise answered, for fear there should not be enough for us and you, go rather to those that sell; and buy for your selves. ¹⁰ and while they were gone to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready, entred with him into the hall, and the door was shut. ¹¹ afterwards came the other virgins likewise, and cry'd, ¹² Lord, Lord, pray let us in. but he answered, I assure you, I know you not. ¹³ watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. ¹⁴ So it was when a man was going to travel into a foreign country, he called his servants, and delivered to them his stock: ¹⁵ to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to every man according to his respective ability, and then set out on his journey. ¹⁶ now he that had received five talents, immediately employed them in trade, and gain'd five talents more. ¹⁷ so he that had received two, gained likewise other two. ¹⁸ but he that had received one, went to dig a hole in the ground, and hid his lord's money. ¹⁹ after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. ²⁰ accordingly he that had received five talents, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents: besides those, there's five talents more, which I have gain'd. ²¹ his lord said to him, well done, thou art an honest faithful servant; thou hast been faithful in a small trust, I will give thee a much larger trust; go in and partake of thy master's diversions. ²² he also that had received two talents, came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents: here are two other talents which I have gain'd besides them. ²³ his lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful in a small trust, I will give thee a much larger trust: go in and partake of your master's joy. ²⁴ then came he who had received the one talent, and said, Lord, I knew that you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered: ²⁵ fear made me hide the talent under ground: but there you have what is your own. ²⁶ his lord answered and said unto him, thou vile slothful wretch, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scatter'd: ²⁷ should not you then have lodged my money at the banker's, and so at my return I should have received my own with interest. ²⁸ here, take the talent from him, and give it to him that has the ten. ²⁹ for he that makes use of what he has, shall have more; but if he makes no improvement thereof, it shall be taken from him. ³⁰ take then that worthless fellow, turn him out in the dark, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ³¹ When the son of man shall come in his majesty, accompanied with all his holy angels, he shall sit upon the throne of his glory. ³² then all nations shall be assembled before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. ³³ and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ the king shall say to those on his right hand, come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ for I was prest with hunger, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ³⁶ naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye took care of me: I was in prison, and ye visited me. ³⁷ then will the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee in hunger, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ³⁸ when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹ or when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and visited thee? ⁴⁰ and the king will reply, I declare unto you, your having done this for one of the least of these my brethren, is the same thing as doing it for me. ⁴¹ then will he say to those on the left, depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² for I was prest with hunger, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ⁴⁴ then will they answer, Lord, when did we see thee in hunger, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ⁴⁵ to this he will reply, I declare unto you, your not doing this for one of the least of these, is the same thing as not doing it for me. ⁴⁶ and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

¹⁹ dear brethren, avenge not yourselves, but leave that to the resentment of another: for it is written, "vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

¹⁶ and we have known, and are convinced that God hath loved us. God is love; and he that cultivates social affection, dwelleth in God, and God in him.

¹ For the kingdom of the Messiah is like a family, the master whereof went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. ² having agreed with them for a penny a day, he sent them to his vineyard. ³ he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said to them, ⁴ go ye likewise to my vineyard, and I will give you what is reasonable: accordingly they went thither. ⁵ about the sixth and ninth hour he went out again, and gave the like directions. ⁶ at last, about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, why do you stand idling thus all day long? ⁷ they answer'd him, because we are not hired; go work then. said he, in my vineyard, and I will give you what's reasonable. ⁸ so when even was come, the master of the vineyard said to his steward, call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last to the first. ⁹ they then that were hired about the eleventh hour, came and received every man his penny. ¹⁰ last of all they came who were hired first, expecting to have received more, but they had only a penny a man, ¹¹ who upon the receipt of it fell a murmuring against the master, and cry'd, ¹² these last have work'd but an hour, and you put them upon the level with us, who have born the whole fatigue and heat of the day. ¹³ but he answered one of them, friend, I do thee no wrong: did not you agree for a penny a day? ¹⁴ take your due, and be gone: I will give the last the same I give you. ¹⁵ can't I do what I will with my own? because I am bountiful, are you invidious? ¹⁶ thus the last shall be first, and the first last: for though many are invited, few have precedence.

¹⁸ "the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

⁸ he that takes no care of his relations, especially those of his own family, has renounc'd the faith and is worse than an infidel.

¹ I therefore the prisoner for the Lord, beseech you to live suitably to the offers that have been made to you: ² with all humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another in love; ³ endeavouring to preserve the spiritual union by your affectionate attachment to one another. ⁴ Being one body, acted by one spirit, since you all have but one expectation in view; ⁵ there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. ⁷ but to every one of us a different charge is given, according to the distribution which Christ has made; ⁸ wherefore 'tis said, " when he ascended up on high, he made a number of captives, and gave gifts to men." ⁹ now his having ascended, what does it mean, but that he had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ he that descended, is the same too that ascended far above all heavens, to perfect all things. ¹¹ It is he then that made some, apostles: some, prophets: some, evangelists: and others, pastors, and teachers: ¹² thus fitly qualifying his servants for their respective offices, in order to build up the body of Christ: ¹³ till being united in a perfect belief, and acknowledgment of the son of God, we grow up to that full state of maturity required by Christ: ¹⁴ that we should be no longer children, fluctuating, and carried about with every empty doctrine, by men vers'd in sleight and the crafty arts of deceit: ¹⁵ but being sincere in mutual love, may be entirely united to Christ, who is the head: ¹⁶ from which the whole body fitly framed, and compacted by the entire adherence and contribution of every part performing its respective function, increases and improves itself by the mutual concern of the parts. ¹⁷ This I say therefore, and conjure you by the Lord not to live for the future as other Gentiles do, in the vanity of their minds, ¹⁸ which are overspread with darkness, and averse to a religious life, thro' their innate ignorance and obduracy: ¹⁹ who without remorse, have abandon'd themselves to brutality, in gratifying every lewd unnatural passion. ²⁰ but you have learned other things from Christ, ²¹ if you have heard of him, and have been taught the truth as he preach'd it: ²² to quit the vicious habits of your former conversation, corrupted by deceitful passions: ²³ and to be renewed in your mind, by living like men formed anew, ²⁴ after the image of God, in justice, sanctity, and truth. ²⁵ Wherefore leave off the practice of lying, and let every man speak truth to his neighbour: for we are all members of one society. ²⁶ are you angry? have a care you don't sin. "let not the sun go down upon your wrath," ²⁷ lest the devil take hold of the opportunity. ²⁸ let him that stole, steal no more: but rather let him labour, to encrease his fortune with his own hands, that he may have wherewithal to relieve the needy: ²⁹ let no obscene language defile your mouth, use only such as tends to edification, that it may be beneficial to the hearers. ³⁰ grieve not the holy spirit of God, by whom you are sealed against the day of deliverance: ³¹ banish all resentment and indignation, anger, vehemence, detraction, and every thing like malice. ³² be mutually kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

¹² we command these persons, and exhort them by the Lord Jesus Christ, to stay at home, and earn their bread by labour.

⁶ on the contrary, he heaps his favours upon you. wherefore 'tis said, "God defeats the proud, but is gracious to the humble."

¹⁰ pursuant to the maxim, which we laid down, when among you, "he that refuses to work should be deny'd food."

¹ you breathe slaughter and revenge for what you cannot obtain. ² you quarrel and go to war, but without success, because you don't petition for it: and if you did, ³ you would not obtain it, because you wickedly request to have your passions gratified. ⁴ Degenerate race, don't you know that friendship with vice is hostility against heaven. he that is a friend to the vicious world, is an enemy to God. ⁵ or do you imagine that passage of scripture to be insignificant, "does the spirit that dwells in you, incite you to vice?" ⁶ on the contrary, he heaps his favours upon you. wherefore 'tis said, "God defeats the proud, but is gracious to the humble." ⁷ Surrender therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ address your selves to God, and you will find him present with you: cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, you that are diffident. ⁹ be afflicted, be mournful, and weep: let your mirth be converted to sadness, and your joy to vexation. ¹⁰ humble your selves before the Lord, and he will raise you up. ¹¹ Don't, my brethren, treat one another with detraction. he that reflects upon his brother, and censures his brother, reflects upon the law, and censures the law: if you censure the law, instead of obeying it, you set up for a judge. ¹² there is but one legislator, and judge, he that has the power of life and death: who art thou, to pass sentence upon another?