Matthew 10 Cross References - WNT

¹ Then He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over foul spirits, to drive them out; and to cure every kind of disease and infirmity. ² Now the names of the twelve Apostles were these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zabdi, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax-gatherer, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananaean, and Judas the Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. ⁵ These twelve Jesus sent on a mission, after giving them their instructions: "Go not," He said, "among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town; ⁶ but, instead of that, go to the lost sheep of Israel's race. ⁷ And as you go, preach and say, 'The Kingdom of the Heavens is close at hand.' ⁸ Cure the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse lepers, drive out demons: you have received without payment, give without payment. ⁹ "Provide no gold, nor even silver nor copper to carry in your pockets; ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, nor change of linen, nor shoes, nor stick; for the labourer deserves his food. ¹¹ "Whatever town or village you enter, inquire for some good man; and make his house your home till you leave the place. ¹² When you enter the house, salute it; ¹³ and if the house deserves it, the peace you invoke shall come upon it. If not, your peace shall return to you. ¹⁴ And whoever refuses to receive you or even to listen to your Message, as you leave that house or town, shake off the very dust from your feet. ¹⁵ I solemnly tell you that it will be more endurable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of Judgement than for that town. ¹⁶ "Remember it is I who am sending you out, as sheep into the midst of wolves; prove yourselves as sagacious as serpents, and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to appear before Sanhedrins, and will flog you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be put on trial before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they have delivered you up, have no anxiety as to how you shall speak or what you shall say; for at that very time it shall be given you what to say; ²⁰ for it is not you who will speak: it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and father, child; and children will rise against their own parents and will put them to death. ²² And you will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; but he who holds out to the End--he will be saved. ²³ Whenever they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for I solemnly tell you that you will not have gone the round of all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ²⁴ "The learner is never superior to his teacher, and the servant is never superior to his master. ²⁵ Enough for the learner to be on a level with his teacher, and for the servant to be on a level with his master. If they have called the master of the house Baal-zebul, how much more will they slander his servants? ²⁶ Fear them not, however; there is nothing veiled which will not be uncovered, nor secret which will not become known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what is whispered into your ear, proclaim upon the roofs of the houses. ²⁸ "And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. ²⁹ Do not two sparrows sell for a halfpenny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's leave. ³⁰ But as for you, the very hairs on your heads are all numbered. ³¹ Away then with fear; you are more precious than a multitude of sparrows. ³² "Every man who acknowledges me before men I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in Heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before men I also will disown before my Father who is in Heaven. ³⁴ "Do not suppose that I came to bring peace to the earth: I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to set a man against his father, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; ³⁶ AND A MAN'S OWN FAMILY WILL BE HIS FOES. ³⁷ Any one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and any one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and any one who does not take up his cross and follow where I lead is not worthy of me. ³⁹ To save your life is to lose it, and to lose your life for my sake is to save it. ⁴⁰ "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me. ⁴¹ Every one who receives a prophet, because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward, and every one who receives a righteous man, because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man's reward. ⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, I solemnly tell you that he will not lose his reward."

¹³ and bring us not into temptation, but rescue us from the Evil one.'

²⁸ "I solemnly tell you," replied Jesus, "that in the New Creation, when the Son of Man has taken His seat on His glorious throne, all of you who have followed me shall also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

²⁰ When evening came, He was at table with the twelve disciples,

⁴⁷ He had scarcely finished speaking when Judas came--one of the Twelve--accompanied by a great crowd of men armed with swords and bludgeons, sent by the High Priests and Elders of the People.

¹⁸ Jesus however came near and said to them, "All power in Heaven and over the earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;

¹³ Then He went up the hill; and those whom He Himself chose He called, and they came to Him. ¹⁴ He appointed twelve of them, that they might be with Him, and that He might also send them to proclaim His Message, ¹⁵ with authority to expel the demons.

⁷ Then summoning the Twelve to Him, He proceeded to send them out by twos, and gave them authority over the foul spirits. ⁸ He charged them to take nothing for the journey except a stick; no bread, no bag, and not a penny in their pockets, ⁹ but to go wearing sandals. "And do not," He said, "put on an extra under garment. ¹⁰ Wherever you enter a house, make it your home till you leave that place. ¹¹ But wherever they will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave shake off the very dust from under your feet to bear witness concerning them." ¹² So they set out, and preached in order that men might repent. ¹³ Many demons they expelled, and many invalids they anointed with oil and cured.

¹⁷ And signs shall attend those who believe, even such as these. By making use of my name they shall expel demons. They shall speak new languages. ¹⁸ They shall take up venomous snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison it shall do them no harm whatever. They shall lay their hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover."

¹³ When it was day, He called His disciples; and He selected from among them twelve, whom He also named Apostles.

¹ Then calling the Twelve together He conferred on them power and authority over all the demons and to cure diseases; ² and sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to cure the sick. ³ And He commanded them, "Take nothing for your journey; neither stick nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have an extra under garment. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, make that your home, and from it start afresh. ⁵ Wherever they refuse to receive you, as you leave that town shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against them." ⁶ So they departed and visited village after village, spreading the Good News and performing cures everywhere.

¹⁹ "I have given you power to tread serpents and scorpions underfoot, and to trample on all the power of the Enemy; and in no case shall anything do you harm.

¹⁵ for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to withstand or reply to.

⁴⁹ And remember that I am about to send out my Father's promised gift to rest upon you. But, as for you, wait patiently in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

²⁷ "A man cannot obtain anything," replied John, "unless it has been granted to him from Heaven.

³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to His hands.

⁷⁰ "Did not I choose you--the Twelve?" said Jesus, "and even of you one is a devil."

² even as Thou hast given Him authority over all mankind, so that on all whom Thou hast given Him He may bestow the Life of the Ages.

²¹ A second time, therefore, He said to them, "Peace be to you! As the Father sent me, I also now send you." ²² Having said this He breathed upon them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you remit the sins of any persons, they remain remitted to them. If you bind fast the sins of any, they remain bound."

⁸ and yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the remotest parts of the earth."

¹⁵ The Prince of Life you put to death; but God has raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses as to that. ¹⁶ It is His name-- faith in that name being the condition--which has strengthened this man whom you behold and know; and the faith which He has given has made this man sound and strong again, as you can all see.

¹⁵ "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?"

¹ And a great marvel was seen in Heaven-- a woman who was robed with the sun and had the moon under her feet, and had also a wreath of stars round her head, was with child,

¹² It has a wall, massive and high, with twelve large gates, and in charge of the gates were twelve angels. And overhead, above the gates, names were inscribed which are those of the twelve tribes of the descendants of Israel. ¹³ There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and engraved upon them were twelve names--the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁸ And walking along the shore of the Lake of Galilee He saw two brothers--Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew--throwing a drag-net into the Lake; for they were fishers.

²¹ He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zabdi and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zabdi mending their nets; and He called them.

¹⁶ "You," replied Simon Peter, "are the Christ, the Son of the ever-living God." ¹⁷ "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jonah," said Jesus; "for mere human nature has not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven. ¹⁸ And I declare to you that you are Peter, and that upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the might of Hades shall not triumph over it.

¹ Six day later, Jesus took with Him Peter and the brothers James and John, and brought them up a high mountain to a solitary place.

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zabdi came to Him with her sons, and knelt before Him to make a request of Him.

³⁷ And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zabdi. Then He began to be full of anguish and distress,

¹⁶ One day, passing along the shore of the Lake of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, throwing their nets in the Lake; for they were fisherman. ¹⁷ "Come and follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you fishers for men."

²⁹ Then on leaving the synagogue they came at once, with James and John, to the house of Simon and Andrew.

¹⁶ These twelve were Simon (to whom He gave the surname of Peter), ¹⁷ James the son of Zabdi and John the brother of James (these two He surnamed Boanerges, that is 'Sons of Thunder'), ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean, ¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, the man who also betrayed Him.

³ He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,

¹⁰ and so were Simon's partners James and John, the sons of Zabdi.) But Jesus replied to Simon, "Fear not: from this time you shall be a catcher of men."

¹³ When it was day, He called His disciples; and He selected from among them twelve, whom He also named Apostles. ¹⁴ These were Simon, to whom also He had given the name of Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zealot; ¹⁶ James's relative Judas, and Judas Iscariot who proved to be a traitor.

¹⁰ The Apostles, on their return, related to Jesus all they had done. Then He took them and withdrew to a quiet retreat, to a town called Bethsaida.

⁴⁹ "For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said, 'I will send Prophets and Apostles to them, of whom they will kill some and persecute others,'

⁸ Jesus sent Peter and John with instructions. "Go," He said, "and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it."

¹⁴ When the time was come, and He had taken His place at table, and the Apostles with Him,

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's exclamation and followed Jesus. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" --that is to say, the Anointed One. ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John: you shall be called Cephas" --that is to say, Peter (or 'Rock').

⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,

²² Philip came and told Andrew: Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

²³ There was at table one of His disciples--the one Jesus loved-- reclining with his head on Jesus's bosom.

² So she ran, as fast as she could, to find Simon Peter and the other disciple--the one who was dear to Jesus--and to tell them, "They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him."

² Simon Peter was with Thomas, called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zabdi, and two others of the Master's disciples.

²⁰ Peter turned round and noticed the disciple whom Jesus loved following--the one who at the supper had leaned back on His breast and had asked, "Master, who is it that is betraying you?"

²⁴ That is the disciple who gives his testimony as to these matters, and has written this history; and we know that his testimony is true.

¹³ They entered the city, and they went up to the upper room which was now their fixed place for meeting. Their names were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother of James.

²⁶ Then they drew lots between them. The lot fell on Matthias, and a place among the eleven Apostles was voted to him.

¹ One day Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the hour of prayer--the ninth hour--and, just then,

² and James, John's brother, he beheaded.

⁷ Afterwards He was seen by James, and then by all the Apostles.

¹¹ And He Himself appointed some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers,

¹ Therefore, holy brethren, sharers with others in a heavenly invitation, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whose followers we profess to be.

¹ Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ: To God's own people scattered over the earth, who are living as foreigners in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Roman Asia, and Bithynia,

¹ Simon Peter, a bondservant and Apostle of Jesus Christ: To those to whom there has been allotted the same precious faith as that which is ours through the righteousness of our God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

³ that which we have seen and listened to we now announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship in it with us, and this fellowship with us is fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we write these things in order that our joy may be made complete.

¹ The Elder to the elect lady and her children. Truly I love you all, and not I alone, but also all who know the truth,

¹ The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.

¹ The revelation given by Jesus Christ, which God granted Him, that He might make known to His servants certain events which must shortly come to pass: and He sent His angel and communicated it to His servant John.

⁹ I John, your brother, and a sharer with you in the sorrows and Kingship and patient endurance of Jesus, found myself in the island of Patmos, on account of the Word of God and the truth told us by Jesus.

²⁰ Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you saints and Apostles and Prophets; for God has taken vengeance upon her because of you."

⁸ I John heard and saw these things; and when I had heard and seen them, I fell at the feet of the angel who was showing me them--to worship him.

⁹ Passing on thence Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, "Follow me." And he arose, and followed Him.

⁵⁶ among them being Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zabdi.

¹⁴ And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, "Follow me." So he rose and followed Him.

¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananaean,

²⁷ After this He went out and noticed a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the Toll office; and He said to him, "Follow me."

⁴³ The next day, having decided to leave Bethany and go into Galilee, Jesus found Philip, and invited him to follow Him. ⁴⁴ (Now Philip came from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.) ⁴⁵ Then Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the Law wrote, as well as the Prophets--Jesus, the son of Joseph, a man of Nazareth." ⁴⁶ "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" replied Nathanael. "Come and see," said Philip.

⁵ And when He looked round and saw an immense crowd coming towards Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?" ⁶ He said this to put Philip to the test, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. ⁷ "Seven pounds' worth of bread," replied Philip, "is not enough for them all to get even a scanty meal."

¹⁶ "Let us go also," Thomas, the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "that we may die with him."

²¹ They came to Philip, of Bethsaida in Galilee, with the request, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." ²² Philip came and told Andrew: Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

⁹ "Have I been so long among you," Jesus answered, "and yet you, Philip, do not know me? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can *you* ask me, 'Cause us to see the Father'?

²² Judas (not the Iscariot) asked, "Master, how is it that you will reveal yourself clearly to us and not to the world?"

²⁴ Thomas, one of the twelve--surnamed 'the Twin' --was not among them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the rest of the disciples told him, "We have seen the Master!" His reply was, "Unless I see in his hands the wound made by the nails and put my finger into the wound, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it." ²⁶ A week later the disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them, when Jesus came--though the doors were locked--and stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be to you." ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, "Bring your finger here and feel my hands; bring you hand and put it into my side; and do not be ready to disbelieve but to believe." ²⁸ "My Lord and my God!" replied Thomas. ²⁹ "Because you have seen me," replied Jesus, "you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

¹⁷ But he motioned with his hand for silence, and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Tell all this to James and the brethren," he added. Then he left them, and went to another place.

¹³ When they had finished speaking, James said, "Brethren, listen to me.

¹⁸ On the following day we went with Paul to call on James, and all the Elders of the Church came also.

¹⁹ I saw none of the other Apostles, except James, the Lord's brother.

⁹ and when they perceived the mission which was graciously entrusted to me, they (that is to say, James, Peter, and John, who were considered to be the pillars of the Church) welcomed Barnabas and me to their fellowship on the understanding that we were to go to the Gentiles and they to the Jews.

¹ James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: to the twelve tribes who are scattered over the world. All good wishes.

¹ Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: To those who are in God the Father, enfolded in His love, and kept for Jesus Christ, and called.

¹⁴ At that time one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the High Priests

³ Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He was condemned, smitten with remorse he brought back the thirty shekels to the High Priests and Elders

¹⁰ But Judas Iscariot, already mentioned as one of the Twelve, went to the High Priests to betray Jesus to them.

⁴³ Immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came and with him a crowd of men armed with swords and cudgels, sent by the High Priests and Scribes and Elders.

³ Satan, however, entered into Judas (the man called Iscariot) who was one of the Twelve.

⁴⁷ While He was still speaking there came a crowd with Judas, already mentioned as one of the Twelve, at their head. He went up to Jesus to kiss Him.

⁷¹ He alluded to Judas, the son of Simon the Iscariot. For he it was who, though one of the Twelve, was afterwards to betray Him.

² While supper was proceeding, the Devil having by this time suggested to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, the thought of betraying Him, Jesus,

²⁶ "It is the one," answered Jesus, "for whom I shall dip this piece of bread and to whom I shall give it." Accordingly He dipped the piece of bread, and took it and gave it to Judas, the son of the Iscariot Simon. ²⁷ Then, after Judas had received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. "Lose no time about it," said Jesus to him. ²⁸ But why He said this no one else at the table understood. ²⁹ Some, however, supposed that because Judas had the money-box Jesus meant, "Buy what we require for the Festival," or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰ So Judas took the piece of bread and immediately went out. And it was night.

² Now Judas also, who at that very time was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often resorted there with His disciples. ³ So Judas, followed by the battalion and by a detachment of the Temple police sent by the High Priests and Pharisees, came there with torches and lamps and weapons. ⁴ Jesus therefore, knowing all that was about to befall Him, went out to meet them. "Who are you looking for?" He asked them. ⁵ "For Jesus the Nazarene," was the answer. "I am he," He replied. (Now Judas who was betraying Him was also standing with them.)

¹⁶ "Brethren, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled--the prediction, I mean, which the Holy Spirit uttered by the lips of David, about Judas, who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ For Judas was reckoned as one of our number, and a share in this ministry was allotted to him." ¹⁸ (Now having bought a piece of ground with the money paid for his wickedness he fell there with his face downwards, and, his body bursting open, he became disembowelled. ¹⁹ This fact became widely known to the people of Jerusalem, so that the place received the name, in their language, of Achel-damach, which means 'The Field of Blood.') ²⁰ "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'LET HIS ENCAMPMENT BE DESOLATE: LET THERE BE NO ONE TO DWELL THERE'; and "'HIS WORK LET ANOTHER TAKE UP.'

²⁵ to occupy the place in this ministry and Apostleship from which Judas through transgression fell, in order to go to his own place."

¹⁵ "ZEBULUN'S LAND AND NAPHTALI'S LAND; THE ROAD BY THE LAKE; THE COUNTRY BEYOND THE JORDAN; GALILEE OF THE NATIONS!

³ and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.

² and sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to cure the sick.

⁵² They went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for Him. ⁵³ But the people there would not receive Him, because He was evidently going to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Master, do you wish us to order fire to come down from Heaven and consume them?"

¹ After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them before Him, by twos, to go to every town or place which He Himself intended to visit.

³³ But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came where he lay, and seeing him was moved with pity.

¹⁶ and he threw himself at the feet of Jesus, thanking Him. He was a Samaritan.

⁵ and so He came to Sychar, a town in Samaria near the piece of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

⁹ "How is it," replied the woman, "that a Jew like you asks me, who am a woman and a Samaritan, for water?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

²⁰ Our forefathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem."

²² You worship One of whom you know nothing. We worship One whom we know; for salvation comes from the Jews. ²³ But a time is coming--nay, has already come--when the true worshippers will worship the Father with true spiritual worship; for indeed the Father desires such worshippers. ²⁴ God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must bring Him true spiritual worship."

³⁹ Of the Samaritan population of that town a good many believed in Him because of the woman's statement when she declared, "He has told me all that I have ever done." ⁴⁰ When however the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him on all sides to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.

³⁵ The Jews therefore said to one another, "Where is he about to betake himself, so that we shall not find him? Will he betake himself to the Dispersion among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

⁴⁸ "Are we not right," answered the Jews, "in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?"

²¹ A second time, therefore, He said to them, "Peace be to you! As the Father sent me, I also now send you."

¹ And Saul fully approved of his murder. At this time a great persecution broke out against the Church in Jerusalem, and all except the Apostles were scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria.

⁵ while Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ there. ⁶ Crowds of people, with one accord, gave attention to what they heard from him, listening, and witnessing the signs which he did. ⁷ For, with a loud cry, foul spirits came out of many possessed by them, and many paralytics and lame persons were restored to health. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city. ⁹ Now for some time past there had been a man named Simon living there, who had been practising magic and astonishing the Samaritans, pretending that he was more than human. ¹⁰ To him people of all classes paid attention, declaring, "This man is the Power of God, known as the great Power." ¹¹ His influence over them arose from their having been, for a long time, bewildered by his sorceries. ¹² But when Philip began to tell the Good News about the Kingdom of God and about the Name of Jesus Christ, and they embraced the faith, they were baptized, men and women alike. ¹³ Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized remained in close attendance on Philip, and was full of amazement at seeing such signs and such great miracles performed. ¹⁴ When the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John to visit them. ¹⁵ They, when they came down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit: ¹⁶ for He had not as yet fallen upon any of them. They had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then the Apostles placed their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ When, however, Simon saw that it was through the laying on of the Apostles' hands that the Spirit was bestowed, he offered them money. ¹⁹ "Give me too," he said, "that power, so that every one on whom I place my hands will receive the Holy Spirit." ²⁰ "Perish your money and yourself," replied Peter, "because you have imagined that you can obtain God's free gift with money! ²¹ No part or lot have you in this matter, for your heart is not right in God's sight. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, in the hope that the purpose which is in your heart may perhaps be forgiven you. ²³ For I perceive that you have fallen into the bitterest bondage of unrighteousness." ²⁴ "Pray, both of you, to the Lord for me," answered Simon, "that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." ²⁵ So the Apostles, after giving a solemn charge and delivering the Lord's Message, travelled back to Jerusalem, making known the Good News also in many of the Samaritan villages.

⁴⁵ And all the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were astonished that on the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.

²¹ "'Go,' He replied; 'I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'" ²² Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live." ²³ And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,

⁸ My meaning is that Christ has become a servant to the people of Israel in vindication of God's truthfulness-- in showing how sure are the promises made to our forefathers-- ⁹ and that the Gentiles also have glorified God in acknowledgment of His mercy. So it is written, "FOR THIS REASON I WILL PRAISE THEE AMONG THE GENTILES, AND SING PSALMS IN HONOUR OF THY NAME."

¹⁶ for they still try to prevent our preaching to the Gentiles so that they may find salvation. They thus continually fill up the measure of their own sins, and God's anger in its severest form has overtaken them.

²⁴ "I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," He replied. ²⁵ Then she came and threw herself at His feet and entreated Him. "O Sir, help me," she said. ²⁶ "It is not right," He said, "to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

¹⁰ "Beware of ever despising one of these little ones, for I tell you that in Heaven their angels have continual access to my Father who is in Heaven.

³ So in figurative language He asked them, ⁴ "Which of you men, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in their pasture and go in search of the lost one till he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lifts it on his shoulder, glad at heart. ⁶ Then coming home he calls his friends and neighbours together, and says, 'Congratulate me, for I have found my sheep--the one I had lost.' ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be rejoicing in Heaven over one repentant sinner--more rejoicing than over ninety-nine blameless persons who have no need of repentance. ⁸ "Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully till she finds it? ⁹ And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, and says, "'Congratulate me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.' ¹⁰ "I tell you that in the same way there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one repentant sinner."

⁴⁷ and that proclamation would be made, in His name, of repentance and forgiveness of sins to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

²⁶ It is to you first that God, after raising His Servant from the grave, has sent Him to bless you, by causing every one of you to turn from your wickedness."

⁴⁶ Then, throwing off all reserve, Paul and Barnabas said, "We were bound to proclaim God's Message to you first. But since you spurn it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of the Life of the Ages--well, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁶ But upon their opposing him with abusive language, he shook his clothes by way of protest, and said to them, "Your ruin will be upon your own heads. I am not responsible: in future I will go among the Gentiles."

²⁰ but I proceeded to preach first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God, and live lives consistent with such repentance.

²⁵ Unable to agree among themselves, they at last left him, but not before Paul had spoken a parting word to them, saying, "Right well did the Holy Spirit say to your forefathers through the Prophet Isaiah: ²⁶ "'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND TELL THEM, YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR, AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND; AND WILL LOOK AND LOOK, AND BY NO MEANS SEE. ²⁷ FOR THIS PEOPLE'S MIND HAS GROWN CALLOUS, THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; TO PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES, OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS, OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS, AND TURNING BACK, SO THAT I MIGHT CURE THEM.' ²⁸ "Be fully assured, therefore, that this salvation--God's salvation--has now been sent to the Gentiles, and that they, at any rate, will give heed."

¹¹ I ask, however, "Have they stumbled so as to be finally ruined?" No, indeed; but by their lapse salvation has come to the Gentiles in order to arouse the jealousy of the descendants of Israel; ¹² and if their lapse is the enriching of the world, and their overthrow the enriching of the Gentiles, will not still greater good follow their restoration? ¹³ But to you Gentiles I say that, since I am an Apostle specially sent to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry, ¹⁴ trying whether I can succeed in rousing my own countrymen to jealousy and thus save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their having been cast aside has carried with it the reconciliation of the world, what will their being accepted again be but Life out of death?

²⁵ For you were straying like lost sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your souls.

² "Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach. "Repent," He said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."

¹ When Jesus had concluded His instructions to His twelve disciples, He left in order to teach and to proclaim His Message in the neighbouring towns.

¹¹ "I solemnly tell you that among all of woman born no greater has ever been raised up than John the Baptist; yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of the Heavens is greater than he. ¹² But from the time of John the Baptist till now, the Kingdom of the Heavens has been suffering violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

³¹ Which of the two did as his father desired?" "The first," they said. "I solemnly tell you,' replied Jesus, "that the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners are entering the Kingdom of God in front of you.

⁴³ "That, I tell you, is the reason why the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation that will exhibit the power of it.

¹³ "But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you lock the door of the Kingdom of the Heavens against men; you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those to enter who are seeking to do so.

¹² So they set out, and preached in order that men might repent.

⁶ So they departed and visited village after village, spreading the Good News and performing cures everywhere.

⁶⁰ "Leave the dead," Jesus rejoined, "to bury their own dead; but you must go and announce far and wide the coming of the Kingdom of God."

⁹ Cure the sick in that town, and tell them, "'The Kingdom of God is now at your door.' ¹⁰ "But whatever town you come to and they will not receive you, go out into the broader streets and say, ¹¹ "'The very dust of your town that hangs about us we wipe off as a protest. Only be sure of this, that the Kingdom of God is close at hand.'

¹⁶ The Law and the Prophets continued until John came: from that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God has been spreading, and all classes have been forcing their way into it.

² He came to Jesus by night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God; for no one can do these miracles which you are doing, unless God is with him.

² highly incensed at their teaching the people and proclaiming in the case of Jesus the Resurrection from among the dead.

²⁵ When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him, and threw himself at his feet to do him homage.

³¹ He announced the coming of the Kingdom of God, and taught concerning the Lord Jesus Christ without let or hindrance.

¹ Then He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over foul spirits, to drive them out; and to cure every kind of disease and infirmity.

¹⁸ They shall take up venomous snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison it shall do them no harm whatever. They shall lay their hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover."

⁹ Cure the sick in that town, and tell them, "'The Kingdom of God is now at your door.'

⁶ "I have no silver or gold," Peter said, "but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene-- walk!"

⁹ if we to-day are under examination concerning the benefit conferred on a man helplessly lame, as to how this man has been cured; ¹⁰ be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that through the name of Jesus the Anointed, the Nazarene, whom *you* crucified, but whom *God* has raised from among the dead-- through that name this man stands here before you in perfect health.

³⁰ whilst Thou stretchest out Thine arm to cure men, and to give signs and marvels through the name of Thy holy Servant Jesus."

¹² Many signs and marvels continued to be done among the people by the Apostles; and by common consent they all met in Solomon's Portico. ¹³ But none of the others dared to attach themselves to them. Yet the people held them in high honour-- ¹⁴ and more and more believers in the Lord joined them, including great numbers both of men and women-- ¹⁵ so that they would even bring out their sick friends into the streets and lay them on light couches or mats, in order that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or other of them.

¹⁸ When, however, Simon saw that it was through the laying on of the Apostles' hands that the Spirit was bestowed, he offered them money. ¹⁹ "Give me too," he said, "that power, so that every one on whom I place my hands will receive the Holy Spirit." ²⁰ "Perish your money and yourself," replied Peter, "because you have imagined that you can obtain God's free gift with money! ²¹ No part or lot have you in this matter, for your heart is not right in God's sight. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, in the hope that the purpose which is in your heart may perhaps be forgiven you. ²³ For I perceive that you have fallen into the bitterest bondage of unrighteousness."

³³ No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. ³⁵ In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

⁸ He charged them to take nothing for the journey except a stick; no bread, no bag, and not a penny in their pockets, ⁹ but to go wearing sandals. "And do not," He said, "put on an extra under garment. ¹⁰ Wherever you enter a house, make it your home till you leave that place. ¹¹ But wherever they will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave shake off the very dust from under your feet to bear witness concerning them."

³ And He commanded them, "Take nothing for your journey; neither stick nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have an extra under garment. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, make that your home, and from it start afresh. ⁵ Wherever they refuse to receive you, as you leave that town shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against them."

⁴ Carry no purse, bag, nor change of shoes; and salute no one on your way." ⁵ "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' ⁶ And if there is a lover of peace there, your peace shall rest upon it; otherwise come back upon you. ⁷ And in that same house stay, eating and drinking at their table; for the labourer deserves his wages. Do not move from one house to another. ⁸ "And whatever town you come to and they receive you, eat what they put before you. ⁹ Cure the sick in that town, and tell them, "'The Kingdom of God is now at your door.' ¹⁰ "But whatever town you come to and they will not receive you, go out into the broader streets and say, ¹¹ "'The very dust of your town that hangs about us we wipe off as a protest. Only be sure of this, that the Kingdom of God is close at hand.' ¹² "I tell you that it will be more endurable for Sodom on the great day than for that town.

³⁵ Then He asked them, "When I sent you out without purse or bag or shoes, was there anything you needed?" "No, nothing," they replied.

⁷ What soldier ever serves at his own cost? Who plants a vineyard and yet does not eat any of the grapes? Or who tends a herd of cattle and yet does not taste their milk? ⁸ Am I making use of merely worldly illustrations? Does not the Law speak in the same tone? ⁹ For in the Law of Moses it is written, "THOU SHALT NOT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE IT IS TREADING OUT THE GRAIN." ¹⁰ Is God simply thinking about the oxen? Or is it really in our interest that He speaks? Of course, it was written in our interest, because it is His will that when a plough-man ploughs, and a thresher threshes, it should be in the hope of sharing that which comes as the result. ¹¹ If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest from you? ¹² If other teachers possess that right over you, do not we possess it much more? Yet we have not availed ourselves of the right, but we patiently endure all things rather than hinder in the least degree the progress of the Good News of the Christ. ¹³ Do you not know that those who perform the sacred rites have their food from the sacred place, and that those who serve at the altar all alike share with the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way the Lord also directed those who proclaim the Good News to maintain themselves by the Good News. ¹⁵ But I, for my part, have not used, and do not use, my full rights in any of these things. Nor do I now write with that object so far as I myself am concerned, for I would rather die than have anybody make this boast of mine an empty one. ¹⁶ If I go on preaching the Good News, that is nothing for me to boast of; for the necessity is imposed upon me; and alas for me, if I fail to preach it! ¹⁷ And if I preach willingly, I receive my wages; but if against my will, a stewardship has nevertheless been entrusted to me. ¹⁸ What are my wages then? The very fact that the Good News which I preach will cost my hearers nothing, so that I cannot be charged with abuse of my privileges as a Christian preacher. ¹⁹ Though free from all human control, I have made myself the slave of all in the hope of winning as many converts as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I have become like a Jew in order to win Jews; to men under the Law as if I were under the Law--although I am not--in order to win those who are under the Law; ²¹ to men without Law as if I were without Law--although I am not without Law in relation to God but am abiding in Christ's Law--in order to win those who are without Law. ²² To the weak I have become weak, so as to gain the weak. To all men I have become all things, in the hope that in every one of these ways I may save some. ²³ And I do everything for the sake of the Good News, that I may share with my hearers in its benefits. ²⁴ Do you not know that in the foot-race the runners all run, but that only one gets the prize? You must run like him, in order to win with certainty. ²⁵ But every competitor in an athletic contest practices abstemiousness in all directions. They indeed do this for the sake of securing a perishable wreath, but we for the sake of securing one that will not perish. ²⁶ That is how I run, not being in any doubt as to my goal. I am a boxer who does not inflict blows on the air, ²⁷ but I hit hard and straight at my own body and lead it off into slavery, lest possibly, after I have been a herald to others, I should myself be rejected.

¹¹ "Let the man who has two coats," he answered, "give one to the man who has none; and let the man who has food share it with others."

⁴ Have we not a right to claim food and drink? ⁵ Have we not a right to take with us on our journeys a Christian sister as our wife, as the rest of the Apostles do--and the Lord's brothers and Peter? ⁶ Or again, is it only Barnabas and myself who are not at liberty to give up working with our hands? ⁷ What soldier ever serves at his own cost? Who plants a vineyard and yet does not eat any of the grapes? Or who tends a herd of cattle and yet does not taste their milk? ⁸ Am I making use of merely worldly illustrations? Does not the Law speak in the same tone? ⁹ For in the Law of Moses it is written, "THOU SHALT NOT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE IT IS TREADING OUT THE GRAIN." ¹⁰ Is God simply thinking about the oxen? Or is it really in our interest that He speaks? Of course, it was written in our interest, because it is His will that when a plough-man ploughs, and a thresher threshes, it should be in the hope of sharing that which comes as the result. ¹¹ If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest from you? ¹² If other teachers possess that right over you, do not we possess it much more? Yet we have not availed ourselves of the right, but we patiently endure all things rather than hinder in the least degree the progress of the Good News of the Christ. ¹³ Do you not know that those who perform the sacred rites have their food from the sacred place, and that those who serve at the altar all alike share with the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way the Lord also directed those who proclaim the Good News to maintain themselves by the Good News.

⁶ But let those who receive instruction in Christian truth share with their instructors all temporal blessings. ⁷ Do not deceive yourselves. God is not to be scoffed at. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

¹⁷ Let the Elders who perform their duties wisely and well be held worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, "YOU ARE NOT TO MUZZLE THE OX WHILE IT IS TREADING OUT THE GRAIN;" and the workman deserves his pay.

¹³ When you come, bring with you the cloak which I left behind at Troas at the house of Carpus, and the books, but especially the parchments.

¹⁰ Wherever you enter a house, make it your home till you leave that place.

⁴ Whatever house you enter, make that your home, and from it start afresh.

⁷ And in that same house stay, eating and drinking at their table; for the labourer deserves his wages. Do not move from one house to another. ⁸ "And whatever town you come to and they receive you, eat what they put before you.

³⁸ As they pursued their journey He came to a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed Him to her house. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. ⁴⁰ Martha meanwhile was busy and distracted in waiting at table, and she came and said, "Master, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the waiting? Tell her to assist me." ⁴¹ "Martha, Martha," replied Jesus, "you are anxious and worried about a multitude of things; ⁴² and yet only one thing is really necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and she shall not be deprived of it."

⁷ When they all saw this, they began to complain with indignation. "He has gone in to be the guest of a notorious sinner!" they said.

¹⁵ When she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If in your judgement I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she made us go there.

¹ After this he left Athens and came to Corinth. ² Here he found a Jew, a native of Pontus, of the name of Aquila. He and his wife Priscilla had recently come from Italy because of Claudius's edict expelling all the Jews from Rome. So Paul paid them a visit; ³ and because he was of the same trade--that of tent-maker--he lodged with them and worked with them.

⁷ For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸ It is therefore our duty to show hospitality to such men, so that we may be fellow workers in promoting the truth.

⁵ "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' ⁶ And if there is a lover of peace there, your peace shall rest upon it; otherwise come back upon you.

³⁶ The Message which He sent to the descendants of Israel, when He announced the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all--that Message you cannot but know;

²⁰ On Christ's behalf therefore we come as ambassadors, God, as it were, making entreaty through our lips: we, on Christ's behalf, beseech men to be reconciled to God.

¹⁴ But I hope to see you very soon, and then we will speak face to face. Peace be with you. Our friends send greetings to you. Greet our friends individually.

⁶ And if there is a lover of peace there, your peace shall rest upon it; otherwise come back upon you.

¹⁶ to the last-named an odor of death predictive of death, and to the others an odor of life predictive of life. And for such service as this who is competent?

⁴⁰ "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me. ⁴¹ Every one who receives a prophet, because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward, and every one who receives a righteous man, because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man's reward.

⁵ And whoever for my sake receives one young child such as this, receives me.

¹¹ But wherever they will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave shake off the very dust from under your feet to bear witness concerning them."

³⁷ "Whoever for my sake receives one such young child as this, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not so much me as Him who sent me."

⁵ Wherever they refuse to receive you, as you leave that town shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against them."

⁴⁸ and said to them, "Whoever for my sake receives this little child, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives Him who sent me. For the lowliest among you all--he is the greatest."

²⁰ In most solemn truth I tell you that he who receives whoever I send receives me, and that he who receives me receives Him who sent me."

⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet as a protest against them and came to Iconium;

²⁶ Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. ²⁷ For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth.

⁸ Therefore a defiant spirit in such a case provokes not man but God, who puts His Holy Spirit into your hearts.

¹⁸ Solemnly I tell you that until Heaven and earth pass away, not one iota or smallest detail will pass away from the Law until all has taken place.

²² Only I tell you that it will be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of Judgement than for you. ²³ And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted even to Heaven? Even to Hades shalt thou descend. For had the mighty works been done in Sodom which have been done in thee, it would have remained until now. ²⁴ Only I tell you all, that it will be more endurable for the land of Sodom on the day of Judgement than for thee."

³⁶ But I tell you that for every careless word that men shall speak they will be held accountable on the day of Judgement.

³⁴ I tell you in solemn truth that the present generation will certainly not pass away without all these things having first taken place. ³⁵ Earth and sky will pass away, but it is certain that my words will not pass away.

²² "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but as the case stands they are without excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates me hates my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them, as I have, such miracles as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin; but they have in fact seen and also hated both me and my Father.

⁶ He reduced to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and condemned them to overthrow, making them an example to people who might in future be living godless lives.

⁹ Since all this is so, the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from temptation, and on the other hand how to keep the unrighteous under punishment in readiness for the Day of Judgement,

⁷ But the present heavens and the present earth are, by the command of the same God, kept stored up, reserved for fire in preparation for a day of judgement and of destruction for the ungodly.

¹⁷ Our love will be manifested in all its perfection by our having complete confidence on the day of the Judgement; because just what He is, we also are in the world.

³ Remember that I am sending you out as lambs into the midst of wolves.

²⁹ I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock;

¹⁸ For men of that stamp are not bondservants of Christ our Lord, but are slaves to their own appetites; and by their plausible words and their flattery they utterly deceive the minds of the simple. ¹⁹ Your fidelity to the truth is everywhere known. I rejoice over you, therefore, but I wish you to be wise as to what is good, and simple-minded as to what is evil.

²⁰ Brethren, do not prove yourselves to be children in your minds. As regards evil, indeed, be utter babes, but as regards your minds prove yourselves to be men of ripe years.

¹² For the reason for our boasting is this--the testimony of our own conscience that it was in holiness and with pure motives before God, and in reliance not on worldly wisdom but on the gracious help of God, that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and above all in our relations with you.

²⁰ For against one thing we are on our guard--I mean against blame being thrown upon us in respect to these large and liberal contributions which are under our charge.

³ But I am afraid that, as the serpent in his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may be led astray from their single-heartedness and their fidelity to Christ.

¹⁴ And no wonder. Satan, their master, can disguise himself as an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore be very careful how you live and act. Let it not be as unwise men, but as wise. ¹⁶ Buy up your opportunities, for these are evil times. ¹⁷ On this account do not prove yourselves wanting in sense, but try to understand what the Lord's will is.

¹⁵ so that you may always prove yourselves to be blameless and spotless--irreproachable children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as heavenly lights in the world,

⁹ For this reason we also, from the day we first received these tidings, have never ceased to pray for you and to entreat that you may be filled with a clear knowledge of His will accompanied by thorough wisdom and discernment in spiritual things;

⁵ Behave wisely in relation to the outside world, buying up your opportunities.

¹⁰ You yourselves are witnesses--and God is witness--how holy and upright and blameless our dealings with you believers were.

²² Hold yourselves aloof from every form of evil.

²² But I say to you that every one who becomes angry with his brother shall be answerable to the magistrate; that whoever says to his brother 'Raca,' shall be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and that whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the Gehenna of Fire.

¹⁹ and hand Him over to the Gentiles to be made sport of and scourged and crucified; and on the third day He will be raised to life."

³⁴ "For this reason I am sending to you Prophets and wise men and Scribes. Some of them you will put to death--nay, crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase from town to town;

⁹ "At that time they will deliver you up to punishment and will put you to death; and you will be objects of hatred to all the nations because you are called by my name. ¹⁰ Then WILL MANY STUMBLE AND FALL, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

⁵⁹ Meanwhile the High Priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death;

⁹ "You yourselves must be on your guard. They will deliver you up to Sanhedrins; you will be brought into synagogues and cruelly beaten; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to be witnesses to them for me.

¹² "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and CHILDREN WILL RISE AGAINST THEIR PARENTS and have them put to death.

¹¹ And when they are bringing you before synagogues and magistrates and governors, do not anxiously ponder the manner or matter of your defence, nor what you are to say;

¹² "But before all these things happen they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you up to synagogues and to prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my sake. ¹³ In the end all this will be evidence of your fidelity.

⁴⁷ Therefore the High Priests and the Pharisees held a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What steps are we taking?" they asked one another; "for this man is performing a great number of miracles.

² You will be excluded from the synagogues; nay more, the time is coming when any one who has murdered one of you will suppose he is offering service to God.

⁶ with Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the other members of the high-priestly family. ⁷ So they made the Apostles stand in the centre, and demanded of them, "By what power or in what name have you done this?" ⁸ Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he replied, "Rulers and Elders of the people, ⁹ if we to-day are under examination concerning the benefit conferred on a man helplessly lame, as to how this man has been cured; ¹⁰ be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that through the name of Jesus the Anointed, the Nazarene, whom *you* crucified, but whom *God* has raised from among the dead-- through that name this man stands here before you in perfect health. ¹¹ This Jesus is THE STONE TREATED WITH CONTEMPT BY YOU THE BUILDERS, BUT IT HAS BEEN MADE THE CORNERSTONE. ¹² And in no other is the great salvation to be found; for, in fact, there is no second name under Heaven that has been given among men through which we are to be saved." ¹³ As they looked on Peter and John so fearlessly outspoken--and also discovered that they were illiterate persons, untrained in the schools--they were surprised; and now they recognized them as having been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man standing with them--the man who had been cured--they had no reply to make. ¹⁵ So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin while they conferred among themselves. ¹⁶ "What are we to do with these men?" they asked one another; for the fact that a remarkable miracle has been performed by them is well known to every one in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to prevent the matter spreading any further among the people, let us stop them by threats from speaking in the future in this name to any one whatever." ¹⁸ So they recalled the Apostles, and ordered them altogether to give up speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, "Judge whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you instead of listening to God. ²⁰ As for us, what we have seen and heard we cannot help speaking about." ²¹ The Court added further threats and then let them go, being quite unable to find any way of punishing them on account of the people, because all gave God the glory for the thing that had happened. ²² For the man was over forty years of age on whom this miracle of restoration to health had been performed.

²⁶ Upon this the Commander went with the officers, and brought the Apostles; but without using violence; for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. ²⁷ So they brought them and made them stand in front of the Sanhedrin. And then the High Priest questioned them. ²⁸ "We strictly forbad you to teach in that name--did we not?" he said. "And see, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and are trying to make us responsible for that man's death!" ²⁹ Peter and the other Apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than man. ³⁰ The God of our forefathers has raised Jesus to life, whom you crucified and put to death. ³¹ God has exalted Him to His right hand as Chief Leader and as Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we--and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him--are witnesses as to these things." ³³ Infuriated at getting this answer, they were disposed to kill the Apostles. ³⁴ But a Pharisee of the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, held in honour by all the people, rose from his seat and requested that they should be sent outside the court for a few minutes. ³⁵ "Israelites," he said, "be careful what you are about to do in dealing with these men. ³⁶ Years ago Theudas appeared, professing to be a person of importance, and a body of men, some four hundred in number, joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and annihilated. ³⁷ After him, at the time of the Census, came Judas, the Galilaean, and was the leader in a revolt. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸ And now I tell you to hold aloof from these men and leave them alone--for if this scheme or work is of human origin, it will come to nothing. ³⁹ But if it is really from God, you will be powerless to put them down--lest perhaps you find yourselves to be actually fighting against God." ⁴⁰ His advice carried conviction. So they called the Apostles in, and--after flogging them--ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then let them go. ⁴¹ They, therefore, left the Sanhedrin and went their way, rejoicing that they had been deemed worthy to suffer disgrace on behalf of the NAME. ⁴² But they did not desist from teaching every day, in the Temple or in private houses, and telling the Good News about Jesus, the Christ.

⁵ And when a hostile movement was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with the sanction of their magistrates, to maltreat and stone them, ⁶ the Apostles, having become aware of it, made their escape into the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe, and the neighbouring country.

¹⁴ Then the brethren promptly sent Paul down to the sea-coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind.

¹⁹ "'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;

¹ Then Paul, fixing a steady gaze on the Sanhedrin, said, "Brethren, it is with a perfectly clear conscience that I have discharged my duties before God up to this day." ² On hearing this the High Priest Ananias ordered those who were standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ³ "Before long," exclaimed Paul, "God will strike you, you white-washed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me in accordance with the Law, and do you yourself actually break the Law by ordering me to be struck?" ⁴ "Do you rail at God's High Priest?" cried the men who stood by him. ⁵ "I did not know, brethren," replied Paul, "that he was the High Priest; for it is written, 'THOU SHALT NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF THY PEOPLE.'" ⁶ Noticing, however, that the Sanhedrin consisted partly of Sadducees and partly of Pharisees, he called out loudly among them, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees. It is because of my hope of a resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial." ⁷ These words of his caused an angry dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly took different sides. ⁸ For the Sadducees maintain that there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge the existence of both. ⁹ So there arose a great uproar; and some of the Scribes belonging to the sect of the Pharisees sprang to their feet and fiercely contended, saying, "We find no harm in the man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel----!" ¹⁰ But when the struggle was becoming violent, the Tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by the people, ordered the troops to go down and take him from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. ¹¹ The following night the Lord came and stood at Paul's side, and said, "Be of good courage, for as you have borne faithful witness about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome." ¹² Now, when daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and solemnly swore not to eat or drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty of them who bound themselves by this oath. ¹⁴ They went to the High Priests and Elders and said to them, "We have bound ourselves under a heavy curse to take no food till we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore you and the Sanhedrin should make representations to the Tribune for him to bring him down to you, under the impression that you intend to inquire more minutely about him; and we are prepared to assassinate him before he comes near the place." ¹⁶ But Paul's sister's son heard of the intended attack upon him. So he came and went into the barracks and told Paul about it; ¹⁷ and Paul called one of the Captains and said, "Take this young man to the Tribune, for he has information to give him." ¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the Tribune, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me to him and begged me to bring this youth to you, because he has something to say to you." ¹⁹ Then the Tribune, taking him by the arm, withdrew out of the hearing of others and asked him, "What have you to tell me?" ²⁰ "The Jews," he replied, "have agreed to request you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin to-morrow for the purpose of making yourself more accurately acquainted with the case. ²¹ I beg you not to comply; for more than forty men among them are lying in wait for him, who have solemnly vowed that they will neither eat nor drink till they have assassinated him; and even now they are ready, in anticipation of receiving that promise of you." ²² So the Tribune sent the youth home, cautioning him. "Do not let any one know that you have given me this information," he said.

¹¹ In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns.

²⁴ From the Jews I five times have received forty lashes all but one. ²⁵ Three times I have been beaten with Roman rods, once I have been stoned, three times I have been shipwrecked, once for full four and twenty hours I was floating on the open sea. ²⁶ I have served Him by frequent travelling, amid dangers in crossing rivers, dangers from robbers; dangers from my own countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles; dangers in the city, dangers in the Desert, dangers by sea, dangers from spies in our midst;

² Beware of 'the dogs,' the bad workmen, the self-mutilators.

¹⁵ You also should beware of him; for he has violently opposed our preaching.

³⁶ Others again were tested by cruel mockery and by scourging; yes, and by chains and imprisonment.

⁴ and Jesus said to him, "Be careful to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses appointed as evidence for them."

²⁵ And some one came and brought them word, saying, "The men you put in prison are actually in the Temple, standing there, teaching the people." ²⁶ Upon this the Commander went with the officers, and brought the Apostles; but without using violence; for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. ²⁷ So they brought them and made them stand in front of the Sanhedrin. And then the High Priest questioned them.

¹ Now, about that time, King Herod arrested certain members of the Church, in order to ill-treat them; ² and James, John's brother, he beheaded. ³ Finding that this gratified the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also; these being the days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ He had him arrested and lodged in jail, handing him over to the care of sixteen soldiers; and intended after the Passover to bring him out again to the people.

³³ and, the cavalry having reached Caesarea and delivered the letter to the Governor, they brought Paul also to him. ³⁴ Felix, after reading the letter, inquired from what province he was; and being told "from Cilicia,"

¹ Five days after this, Ananias the High Priest came down to Caesarea with a number of Elders and a pleader called Tertullus. They stated to the Governor the case against Paul. ² So Paul was sent for, and Tertullus began to impeach him as follows: "Indebted as we are," he said, "to you, most noble Felix, for the perfect peace which we enjoy, and for reforms which your wisdom has introduced to this nation, ³ in every instance and in every place we accept them with profound gratitude. ⁴ But--not to detain you too long--I beg you in your forbearance to listen to a brief statement from us. ⁵ For we have found this man Paul a source of mischief and a disturber of the peace among all the Jews throughout the Empire, and a ringleader in the heresy of the Nazarenes. ⁶ He even attempted to profane the Temple, but we arrested him. ⁷ OMITTED TEXT ⁸ You, however, by examining him, will yourself be able to learn the truth as to all this which we allege against him." ⁹ The Jews also joined in the charge, maintaining that these were facts. ¹⁰ Then, at a sign from the Governor, Paul answered, "Knowing, Sir, that for many years you have administered justice to this nation, I cheerfully make my defence. ¹¹ For you have it in your power to ascertain that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship in Jerusalem; ¹² and that neither in the Temple nor in the synagogues, nor anywhere in the city, did they find me disputing with any opponent or collecting a crowd about me. ¹³ Nor can they prove the charges which they are now bringing against me. ¹⁴ But this I confess to you--that in the way which they style a heresy, I worship the God of our forefathers, believing everything that is taught in the Law or is written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ and having a hope directed towards God, which my accusers themselves also entertain, that before long there will be a resurrection both of the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁶ This too is my own earnest endeavour--always to have a clear conscience in relation to God and man. ¹⁷ "Now after an interval of several years I came to bring alms to my nation, and to offer sacrifices. ¹⁸ While I was busy about these, they found me in the Temple purified, with no crowd around me and no uproar; but there were certain Jews from the province of Asia. ¹⁹ They ought to have been here before you, and to have been my prosecutors, if they have any charge to bring against me. ²⁰ Or let these men themselves say what misdemeanour they found me guilty of when I stood before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ unless it was in that one expression which I made use of when I shouted out as I stood among them, "'The resurrection of the dead is the thing about which I am on my trial before you to-day.'" ²² At this point Felix, who was fairly well informed about the new faith, adjourned the trial, saying to the Jews, "When the Tribune Lysias comes down, I will enter carefully into the matter." ²³ And he gave orders to the Captain that Paul was to be kept in custody, but be treated with indulgence, and that his personal friends were not to be prevented from showing him kindness. ²⁴ Not long after this, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, a Jewess, and sending for Paul, listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ But when he dealt with the subjects of justice, self-control, and the judgement which was soon to come, Felix became alarmed and said, "For the present leave me, and when I can find a convenient opportunity I will send for you." ²⁶ At the same time he hoped that Paul would give him money; and for this reason he sent for him the oftener to converse with him.

⁸ Do not be ashamed then to bear witness for our Lord and for me His prisoner; but rather share suffering with me in the service of the Good News, strengthened by the power of God.

¹⁶ At my first defence I had no one at my side, but all deserted me. May it not be laid to their charge. ¹⁷ The Lord, however, stood by me and filled me with inward strength, that through me the Message might be fully proclaimed and that all the Gentiles might hear it; and I was rescued from the lion's jaws.

⁹ When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw at the foot of the altar the souls of those whose lives had been sacrificed because of the word of God and of the testimony which they had given.

⁷ "And when they have fully delivered their testimony, the Wild Beast which is to rise out of the bottomless pit will make war upon them and overcome them and kill them.

²⁵ For this reason I charge you not to be over-anxious about your lives, inquiring what you are to eat or what you are to drink, nor yet about your bodies, inquiring what clothes you are to put on. Is not the life more precious than its food, and the body than its clothing?

³¹ Do not be over-anxious, therefore, asking 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

³⁴ Do not be over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own cares. Enough for each day are its own troubles.

¹¹ When however they are marching you along under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but speak what is given you when the time comes; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and CHILDREN WILL RISE AGAINST THEIR PARENTS and have them put to death. ¹³ You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.

¹² "But before all these things happen they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you up to synagogues and to prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my sake. ¹³ In the end all this will be evidence of your fidelity. ¹⁴ "Make up your minds, however, not to prepare a defence beforehand, ¹⁵ for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to withstand or reply to. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, friends; and some of you they will put to death. ¹⁷ You will be the objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name;

⁸ Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he replied, "Rulers and Elders of the people, ⁹ if we to-day are under examination concerning the benefit conferred on a man helplessly lame, as to how this man has been cured; ¹⁰ be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that through the name of Jesus the Anointed, the Nazarene, whom *you* crucified, but whom *God* has raised from among the dead-- through that name this man stands here before you in perfect health. ¹¹ This Jesus is THE STONE TREATED WITH CONTEMPT BY YOU THE BUILDERS, BUT IT HAS BEEN MADE THE CORNERSTONE. ¹² And in no other is the great salvation to be found; for, in fact, there is no second name under Heaven that has been given among men through which we are to be saved." ¹³ As they looked on Peter and John so fearlessly outspoken--and also discovered that they were illiterate persons, untrained in the schools--they were surprised; and now they recognized them as having been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man standing with them--the man who had been cured--they had no reply to make.

²⁹ Peter and the other Apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than man. ³⁰ The God of our forefathers has raised Jesus to life, whom you crucified and put to death. ³¹ God has exalted Him to His right hand as Chief Leader and as Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we--and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him--are witnesses as to these things." ³³ Infuriated at getting this answer, they were disposed to kill the Apostles.

¹⁰ They were quite unable, however, to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

² "As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you, ³ who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing. ⁴ "The kind of life I have lived from my youth upwards, as exemplified in my early days among my nation and in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews. ⁵ For they all know me of old--if they would but testify to the fact--how, being an adherent of the strictest sect of our religion, my life was that of a Pharisee. ⁶ And now I stand here impeached because of my hope in the fulfilment of the promise made by God to our forefathers-- ⁷ the promise which our twelve tribes, worshipping day and night with intense devotedness, hope to have made good to them. It is on the subject of this hope, Sir, that I am accused by the Jews. ⁸ Why is it deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life? ⁹ "I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene. ¹⁰ And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them. ¹¹ In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns.

⁶ Do not be over-anxious about anything, but by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God.

¹⁷ The Lord, however, stood by me and filled me with inward strength, that through me the Message might be fully proclaimed and that all the Gentiles might hear it; and I was rescued from the lion's jaws.

⁵ And if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him.

³² For all these are questions that Gentiles are always asking; but your Heavenly Father knows that you need these things--all of them.

³⁶ David himself said, taught by the Holy Spirit, "'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I HAVE MADE THY FOES A FOOTSTOOL UNDER THY FEET.'

¹³ If you then, with all your human frailty, know how to give your children gifts that are good for them, how much more certainly will your Father who is in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

¹² for the Holy Spirit shall teach you at that very moment what you must say."

³⁰ For though the nations of the world pursue these things, as for you, your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But make His Kingdom the object of your pursuit, and these things shall be given you in addition. ³² "Dismiss your fears, little flock: your Father finds a pleasure in giving you the Kingdom.

⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages according as the Spirit gave them words to utter.

⁸ Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he replied, "Rulers and Elders of the people,

⁵⁵ But, full of the Holy Spirit and looking up to Heaven, Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand. ⁵⁶ "I can see Heaven wide open," he said, "and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand."

⁹ Then Saul, who is also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, fixing his eyes on Elymas,

²⁵ Unable to agree among themselves, they at last left him, but not before Paul had spoken a parting word to them, saying, "Right well did the Holy Spirit say to your forefathers through the Prophet Isaiah:

³ since you want a practical proof of the fact that Christ speaks by my lips--He who is not feeble towards you, but powerful among you.

¹² To them it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you, when they foretold the very things which have now been openly declared to you by those who, having been taught by the Holy Spirit which had been sent from Heaven, brought you the Good News. Angels long to stoop and look into these things.

²¹ for never did any prophecy come by human will, but men sent by God spoke as they were impelled by the Holy Spirit.

³⁴ "Do not suppose that I came to bring peace to the earth: I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to set a man against his father, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; ³⁶ AND A MAN'S OWN FAMILY WILL BE HIS FOES.

¹⁰ Then WILL MANY STUMBLE AND FALL, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

⁵¹ Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? No, I tell you that I came to bring dissension. ⁵² For from this time there will be in one house five persons split into parties. Three will form a party against two and two will form a party against three; ⁵³ father against son and son against father; mother attacking daughter and daughter her mother, mother-in-law her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law her mother-in-law."

¹¹ "Blessed are you when they have insulted and persecuted you, and have said every cruel thing about you falsely for my sake.

³⁹ To save your life is to lose it, and to lose your life for my sake is to save it.

⁹ "At that time they will deliver you up to punishment and will put you to death; and you will be objects of hatred to all the nations because you are called by my name.

¹³ but those who stand firm to the End shall be saved.

¹³ You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.

²² "Blessed are you when men shall hate you and exclude you from their society and insult you, and spurn your very names as evil things, for the Son of Man's sake.

¹⁵ But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

⁷ It is impossible for the world to hate you; but me it does hate, because I give testimony concerning it that its conduct is evil.

¹⁸ If the world hates you, remember that it has first had me as the fixed object of its hatred. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own property. But because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world--for that reason the world hates you. ²⁰ Bear in mind what I said to you, 'A servant is not superior to his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ But they will inflict all this suffering upon you on account of your bearing my name--because they do not know Him who sent me.

¹⁴ I have given them Thy Message, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

¹⁶ For I will let him know the great sufferings which he must pass through for My sake."

⁷ to those on the one hand who, by lives of persistent right-doing, are striving for glory, honour and immortality, the Life of the Ages;

¹¹ For we, alive though we are, are continually surrendering ourselves to death for the sake of Jesus, so that in this mortal nature of ours it may also be clearly shown that Jesus lives.

⁹ Let us not abate our courage in doing what is right; for in due time we shall reap a reward, if we do not faint.

¹⁴ For we have, all alike, become sharers with Christ, if we really hold our first confidence firm to the End;

¹¹ But we long for each of you to continue to manifest the same earnestness, with a view to your enjoying fulness of hope to the very End;

¹² Blessed is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the test, he will gain the victor's crown--even the crown of Life--which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

¹³ Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.

²⁰ But you, my dearly-loved friends, building yourselves up on the basis of your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ must keep yourselves safe in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will result in the Life of the Ages.

³ And you endure patiently and have borne burdens for My sake and have never grown weary.

⁷ "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of eating the fruit of the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God.'

¹⁰ Dismiss your fears concerning all that you are about to suffer. I tell you that the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be put to the test, and for ten days you will have to endure persecution. Be faithful to the End, even if you have to die, and then I will give you the victor's Wreath of Life.

¹⁷ "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. He who overcomes--to him I will give some of the hidden Manna, and a white stone; and--written upon the stone and known only to him who receives it-- a new name.'

²⁶ "'And to him who overcomes and obeys My commands to the very end, I will give authority over the nations of the earth.

²¹ "'To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of sitting down with Me on My throne, as I also have overcome and have sat down with My Father on His throne.

¹³ When they were gone, and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise: take the babe and His mother and escape to Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod is about to make search for the child in order to destroy Him."

¹² Now when Jesus heard that John was thrown into prison, He withdrew into Galilee,

¹⁴ But the Pharisees after leaving the synagogue consulted together against Him, how they might destroy Him. ¹⁵ Aware of this, Jesus departed elsewhere; and a great number of people followed Him, all of whom He cured.

²⁸ I solemnly tell you that some of those who are standing here will certainly not taste death till they have seen the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom."

²⁷ For just as the lightning flashes in the east and is seen to the very west, so will be the Coming of the Son of Man.

³⁰ Then will appear the Sign of the Son of Man in the sky; and THEN WILL ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH LAMENT, when they see the Son of Man COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with great power and glory.

⁴⁸ But if the man, being a bad servant, should say in his heart, 'My master is a long time in coming,'

¹³ "Keep awake therefore; for you know neither the day nor the hour.

⁶⁴ "I am He," replied Jesus. "But I tell you that, later on, you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND of Omnipotence, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY."

²⁶ And then will they see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.

²⁹ They rose, hurried Him outside the town, and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, to throw Him down the cliff; ³⁰ but He passed through the midst of them and went His way. ³¹ So He came down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, where He frequently taught the people on the Sabbath days.

⁸ Yes, He will soon avenge their wrongs. Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"

²⁷ And then will they see the SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with great power and glory.

¹ After this Jesus moved from place to place in Galilee. He would not go about in Judaea, because the Jews were seeking an opportunity to kill Him.

³⁹ This made them once more try to arrest Him, but He withdrew out of their power. ⁴⁰ Then He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John had been baptizing at first; and there He stayed. ⁴¹ Large numbers of people also came to Him. Their report was, "John did not work any miracle, but all that John said about this Teacher was true." ⁴² And many became believers in Him there.

⁵³ So from that day forward they planned and schemed in order to put Him to death. ⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but He left that neighbourhood and went into the district near the Desert, to a town called Ephraim, and remained there with the disciples.

²⁴ but information of their intention was given to him. They even watched the gates, day and night, in order to murder him; ²⁵ but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a hamper.

⁵⁰ But the Jews influenced the gentlewomen of rank who worshipped with them, and also the leading men in the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the district. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet as a protest against them and came to Iconium;

⁶ the Apostles, having become aware of it, made their escape into the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe, and the neighbouring country. ⁷ And there they continued to tell the Good News.

¹⁹ But now a party of Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and, having won over the crowd, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, believing him to be dead. ²⁰ When, however, the disciples had collected round him, he rose and went back into the town. The next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe;

¹⁰ The brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea, and they, on their arrival, went to the synagogue of the Jews.

¹ When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and, after speaking words of encouragement to them, he took his leave, and started for Macedonia.

⁴⁰ There is no disciple who is superior to his teacher; but every one whose instruction is complete will be like his teacher.

¹⁶ In most solemn truth I tell you that a servant is not superior to his master, nor is a messenger superior to him who sent him.

²⁰ Bear in mind what I said to you, 'A servant is not superior to his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

² simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus, our Prince Leader in the faith, who will also award us the prize. He, for the sake of the joy which lay before Him, patiently endured the cross, looking with contempt upon its shame, and afterwards seated Himself-- where He still sits--at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Therefore, if you would escape becoming weary and faint-hearted, compare your own sufferings with those of Him who endured such hostility directed against Him by sinners. ⁴ In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted so as to endanger your lives;

³⁴ But the Pharisees maintained, "It is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he drives out the demons."

²⁴ The Pharisees heard it and said, "This man only expels demons by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of demons."

²² The Scribes, too, who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zebul in him; and it is by the power of the Prince of the demons that he expels the demons."

¹⁵ But some among them said, "It is by the power of Baal-zebul, the Prince of the demons, that he expels the demons."

²⁰ "You are possessed by a demon," replied the crowd; "no one wants to kill you."

⁵² "Now," exclaimed the Jews, "we know that you are possessed by a demon. Abraham died, and so did the Prophets, and yet *you* say, 'If any one shall have obeyed my teaching, he shall in no case ever taste death.'

²⁰ Many of them said, "He is possessed by a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to him?"

²⁸ "And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

²² Why, there is nothing hidden except with a view to its being ultimately disclosed, nor has anything been made a secret but that it may at last come to light.

¹⁷ There is nothing hidden, which shall not be openly seen; nor anything secret, which shall not be known and come into the light of day.

² There is nothing that is covered up which will not be uncovered, nor hidden which will not become known. ³ Whatever therefore you have said in the dark, will be heard in the light; and what you have whispered within closed doors will be proclaimed from the house-tops. ⁴ "But to you who are my friends I say, "'Be not afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do nothing further. ⁵ I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who after killing has power to throw into Gehenna: yes, I say to you, fear him. ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for a penny? and yet not one of them is a thing forgotten in God's sight. ⁷ But the very hairs on your heads are all counted. Away with fear: you are more precious than a multitude of sparrows.' ⁸ "And I tell you that every man who shall have acknowledged me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. ⁹ But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

¹³ As they looked on Peter and John so fearlessly outspoken--and also discovered that they were illiterate persons, untrained in the schools--they were surprised; and now they recognized them as having been with Jesus.

¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, "Judge whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you instead of listening to God.

⁵ Therefore form no premature judgements, but wait until the Lord returns. He will both bring to light the secrets of darkness and will openly disclose the motives that have been in people's hearts; and then the praise which each man deserves will come to him from God.

¹⁴ But even if you suffer for righteousness' sake, you are to be envied. So do not be alarmed by their threats, nor troubled;

¹ That same day Jesus had left the house and was sitting on the shore of the Lake, ² when a vast multitude of people crowded round Him. He therefore went on board a boat and sat there, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ He then spoke many things to them in figurative language. "The sower goes out," He said, "to sow. ⁴ As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. ⁵ Some falls on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly shows itself above ground, because it has no depth of earth; ⁶ but when the sun is risen, it is scorched by the heat, and through having no root it withers up. ⁷ Some falls among the thorns; but the thorns spring up and stifle it. ⁸ But a portion falls upon good ground, and gives a return, some a hundred for one, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ Listen, every one who has ears!" ¹⁰ (And His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do you speak to them in figurative language?" ¹¹ "Because," He replied, "while to you it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of the Heavens, to them it is not. ¹² For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever has not, from him even what he has shall be taken away. ¹³ I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand. ¹⁴ And in regard to them the prophecy of Isaiah is receiving signal fulfilment: "'YOU WILL HEAR AND HEAR AND BY NO MEANS UNDERSTAND, AND YOU WILL LOOK AND LOOK AND BY NO MEANS SEE. ¹⁵ FOR THIS PEOPLE'S MIND IS STUPEFIED, THEIR HEARING HAS BECOME DULL, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; TO PREVENT THEIR EVER SEEING WITH THEIR EYES, OR HEARING WITH THEIR EARS, OR UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR MINDS, AND TURNING BACK, SO THAT I MIGHT HEAL THEM.' ¹⁶ "But as for you, blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For I solemnly tell you that many Prophets and holy men have longed to see the sights you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the words you hear, and have not heard them.

³⁴ All this Jesus spoke to the people in figurative language, and except in figurative language He spoke nothing to them, ³⁵ in fulfilment of the saying of the Prophet, "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, I WILL UTTER THINGS KEPT HIDDEN SINCE THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS."

¹⁰ "To you," He replied, "it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but all others are taught by parables, in order that they may see and yet not see, and may hear and yet not understand.

¹ "These things I have spoken to you in order to clear stumbling-blocks out of your path.

¹³ But when He has come--the Spirit of Truth--He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak as Himself originating what He says, but all that He hears He will speak, and He will make known the future to you.

²⁵ "All this I have spoken to you in veiled language. The time is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in veiled language, but will tell you about the Father in plain words.

²⁹ "Ah, now you are using plain language," said His disciples, "and are uttering no figure of speech!

²⁰ "Go and stand in the Temple, and go on proclaiming to the people all this Message of Life."

²⁸ "We strictly forbad you to teach in that name--did we not?" he said. "And see, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and are trying to make us responsible for that man's death!"

¹⁷ So he had discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the other worshippers, and in the market place, day after day, with those whom he happened to meet.

¹² Therefore, cherishing a hope like this, we speak without reserve, and we do not imitate Moses,

²⁶ Fear them not, however; there is nothing veiled which will not be uncovered, nor secret which will not become known.

⁴⁶ "And these shall go away into the Punishment of the Ages, but the righteous into the Life of the Ages."

⁴³ If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life maimed, than remain in possession of both your hands and go away into Gehenna, into the fire which cannot be put out. ⁴⁴ OMITTED TEXT ⁴⁵ Or if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off: it would be better for you to enter into Life crippled, than remain in possession of both your feet and be thrown into Gehenna. ⁴⁶ OMITTED TEXT ⁴⁷ Or if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God half-blind than remain in possession of two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna, ⁴⁸ where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE AND THE FIRE DOES NOT GO OUT.

⁴ "But to you who are my friends I say, "'Be not afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do nothing further. ⁵ I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who after killing has power to throw into Gehenna: yes, I say to you, fear him.

²² "But in course of time the beggar died; and he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and had a funeral. ²³ And in Hades, being in torment, he looked and saw Abraham in the far distance, and Lazarus resting in his arms. ²⁴ So he cried aloud, and said, "'Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' ²⁵ "'Remember, my child,' said Abraham, 'that you had all your good things during your lifetime, and that Lazarus in like manner had his bad things. But, now and here, he is receiving consolation and you are in agony. ²⁶ And, besides all this, a vast chasm is immovably fixed between us and you, put there in order that those who desire to cross from this side to you may not be able, nor any be able to cross over from your side to us.'

²⁹ they who have done what is right to the resurrection of Life, and they whose actions have been evil to the resurrection of judgement.

²³ except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. ²⁴ But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.

¹³ His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus."

³⁵ Who shall separate us from Christ's love? Shall affliction or distress, persecution or hunger, nakedness or danger or the sword? ³⁶ As it stands written in the Scripture, "FOR THY SAKE THEY ARE, ALL DAY LONG, TRYING TO KILL US. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKED UPON AS SHEEP DESTINED FOR SLAUGHTER." ³⁷ Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who has loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither the lower ranks of evil angels nor the higher, neither things present nor things future, nor the forces of nature, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which rests upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁸ He will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on those who have no knowledge of God, and do not obey the Good News as to Jesus, our Lord. ⁹ They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, being banished from the presence of the Lord and from His glorious majesty, ¹⁰ when He comes on that day to be glorified in His people and to be wondered at among all who have believed, including you--because you believed the testimony which we brought for your acceptance.

⁶ I for my part am like a drink-offering which is already being poured out; and the time for my departure is now close at hand. ⁷ I have gone through the glorious contest; I have run the race; I have guarded the faith. ⁸ From this time onward there is reserved 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 also to all who love the thought of His Appearing.

³¹ It is an awful thing to fall into the hands of the ever-living God.

³⁵ Women received back their dear ones alive from the dead; and others were put to death with torture, refusing the deliverance offered to them--that they might secure a better resurrection.

²⁸ Therefore, receiving, as we now do, a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us cherish thankfulness so that we may ever offer to God an acceptable service, with godly reverence and awe. ²⁹ For our God is also a consuming fire.

¹² The only real Lawgiver and Judge is He who is able to save or to destroy. Who are you to sit in judgement on your fellow man?

¹⁰ and the Devil, who had been leading them astray, was thrown into the Lake of fire and sulphur where the Wild Beast and the false Prophet were, and day and night they will suffer torture until the Ages of the Ages. ¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and One who was seated on it, from whose presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing in front of the throne. And books were opened; and so was another book--namely, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged by the things recorded in the books in accordance with what their conduct had been. ¹³ Then the sea yielded up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades yielded up the dead who were in them, and each man was judged in accordance with what his conduct had been. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of fire; this is the Second Death--the Lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if any one's name was not found recorded in the Book of Life he was thrown into the Lake of fire.

⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for a penny? and yet not one of them is a thing forgotten in God's sight. ⁷ But the very hairs on your heads are all counted. Away with fear: you are more precious than a multitude of sparrows.'

⁷ But the very hairs on your heads are all counted. Away with fear: you are more precious than a multitude of sparrows.'

¹⁸ and yet not a hair of your heads shall perish.

³⁴ I therefore strongly advise you to take some food. This is essential for your safety. For not a hair will perish from the head of any one of you."

²⁶ Look at the birds which fly in the air: they do not sow or reap or store up in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: are not you of much greater value than they?

¹¹ "Which of you is there," He replied, "who, if he has but a single sheep and it falls into a hole on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? ¹² Is not a man, however, far superior to a sheep? Therefore it is right to do good on the Sabbath."

²⁴ Observe the ravens. They neither sow nor reap, and have neither store-chamber nor barn. And yet God feeds them. How far more precious are you than the birds!

⁹ For in the Law of Moses it is written, "THOU SHALT NOT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE IT IS TREADING OUT THE GRAIN." ¹⁰ Is God simply thinking about the oxen? Or is it really in our interest that He speaks? Of course, it was written in our interest, because it is His will that when a plough-man ploughs, and a thresher threshes, it should be in the hope of sharing that which comes as the result.

³⁴ "Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.

²² Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue.

⁹ that if with your mouth you confess Jesus as Lord and in your heart believe that God brought Him back to life, you shall be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart men believe and obtain righteousness, and with the mouth they make confession and obtain salvation.

¹² Exert all your strength in the honourable struggle for the faith; lay hold of the Life of the Ages, to which you were called, when you made your noble profession of faith before many witnesses. ¹³ I charge you--as in the presence of God who gives life to all creatures, and of Christ Jesus who at the bar of Pontius Pilate made a noble profession of faith--

¹⁵ Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God--God continues in union with him, and he continues in union with God.

¹³ Satan's throne is there; and yet you are true to Me, and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas My witness and faithful friend, who was put to death among you, in the place where Satan dwells.

⁵ "'In this way he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will certainly not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but will acknowledge him in the presence of My Father and His angels.

⁷⁰ He denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean." ⁷¹ Soon afterwards he went out and stood in the gateway, when another girl saw him, and said, addressing the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene." ⁷² Again he denied it with an oath. "I do not know the man," he said. ⁷³ A short time afterwards the people standing there came and said to Peter, "Certainly you too are one of them, for your brogue shows it." ⁷⁴ Then with curses and oaths he declared, "I do not know the man." Immediately a cock crowed, ⁷⁵ and Peter recollected the words of Jesus, how He had said, "Before the cock crows you will three times disown me." And he went out and wept aloud, bitterly.

³⁸ Every one, however, who has been ashamed of me and of my teachings in this faithless and sinful age, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."

³⁰ "I solemnly tell you," replied Jesus, "that to-day--this night--before the cock crows twice, you yourself will three times disown me."

⁷² No sooner had he spoken than a cock crowed for the second time, and Peter recollected the words of Jesus, "Before the cock crows twice, you will three times disown me." And as he thought of it, he wept aloud.

²⁶ For whoever shall have been ashamed of me and my teachings, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own and the Father's glory and in that of the holy angels.

⁹ But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

¹² "If we patiently endure pain, we shall also share His Kingship; "If we disown Him, He will also disown us;

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be teachers of falsehood among you also, who will cunningly introduce fatal divisions, disowning even the Sovereign Lord who has redeemed them, and bringing on themselves swift destruction.

²³ No one who disowns the Son has the Father. He who acknowledges the Son has also the Father.

⁴⁹ "I came to throw fire upon the earth, and what is my desire? Oh that it were even now kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo; and how am I pent up till it is accomplished!

⁴⁰ After listening to these discourses, some of the crowd began to say, "This is beyond doubt the Prophet." ⁴¹ Others said, "He is the Christ." But others again, "Not so, for is the Christ to come from Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture declared that the Christ is to come of the family of David and from Bethlehem, David's village?" ⁴³ So there was a violent dissension among the people on His account. ⁴⁴ Some of them wanted at once to arrest Him, but no one laid hands upon Him. ⁴⁵ Meanwhile the officers returned to the High Priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why have you not brought him?" ⁴⁶ "No mere man has ever spoken as this man speaks," said the officers. ⁴⁷ "Are *you* deluded too?" replied the Pharisees; ⁴⁸ "has any one of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? ⁴⁹ But this rabble who understand nothing about the Law are accursed!" ⁵⁰ Nicodemus interposed--he who had formerly gone to Jesus, being himself one of them. ⁵¹ "Does our Law," he asked, "judge a man without first hearing what he has to say and ascertaining what his conduct is?" ⁵² "Do you also come from Galilee?" they asked in reply. "Search and see for yourself that no Prophet is of Galilaean origin."

⁴⁵ Seeing the crowds, the Jews, filled with angry jealousy, opposed Paul's statements and abused him. ⁴⁶ Then, throwing off all reserve, Paul and Barnabas said, "We were bound to proclaim God's Message to you first. But since you spurn it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of the Life of the Ages--well, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For such is the Lord's command to us. "'I HAVE PLACED THEE,' He says of Christ, 'AS A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, IN ORDER THAT THOU MAYEST BE A SAVIOUR AS FAR AS THE REMOTEST PARTS OF THE EARTH.'" ⁴⁸ The Gentiles listened with delight and extolled the Lord's Message; and all who were pre-destined to the Life of the Ages believed. ⁴⁹ So the Lord's Message spread through the whole district. ⁵⁰ But the Jews influenced the gentlewomen of rank who worshipped with them, and also the leading men in the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the district.

² But the Jews who had refused obedience stirred up the Gentiles and embittered their minds against the brethren.

⁴ At length the people of the city split into parties, some siding with the Jews and some with the Apostles.

²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and father, child; and children will rise against their own parents and will put them to death.

¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, friends; and some of you they will put to death.

⁸ "Never, while the world lasts," said Peter, "shall you wash my feet." "If I do not wash you," replied Jesus, "you have no share with me."

⁸ Then he said to his servants, "'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it.

³⁷ "'THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD,'" He answered, "'WITH THY WHOLE HEART, THY WHOLE SOUL, THY WHOLE MIND.'

²⁶ "If any one is coming to me who does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be a disciple of mine.

³⁵ But as for those who shall have been deemed worthy to find a place in that other age and in the Resurrection from among the dead, the men do not marry and the women are not given in marriage.

³⁶ But beware of slumbering; and every moment pray that you may be fully strengthened to escape from all these coming evils, and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

²³ that all may honour the Son even as they honour the Father. The man who withholds honour from the Son withholds honour from the Father who sent Him.

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do?" "Yes, Master," was his answer; "you know that you are dear to me." "Then feed my lambs," replied Jesus. ¹⁶ Again a second time He asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Master," he said, "you know that you are dear to me." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," He said. ¹⁷ A third time Jesus put the question: "Simon, son of John, am I dear to you?" It grieved Peter that Jesus asked him the third time, "Am I dear to you?" "Master," he replied, "you know everything, you can see that you are dear to me." "Then feed my much-loved sheep," said Jesus.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ overmasters us, the conclusion at which we have arrived being this--that One having died for all, His death was their death, ¹⁵ and that He died for all in order that the living may no longer live to themselves, but to Him who died for them and rose again.

⁷ Yet all that was gain to me--for Christ's sake I have reckoned it loss. ⁸ Nay, I even reckon all things as pure loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. And for His sake I have suffered the loss of everything, and reckon it all as mere refuse, in order that I may win Christ and be found in union with Him, ⁹ not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the Law, but that which arises from faith in Christ--the righteousness which comes from God through faith.

⁵ For these are a plain token of God's righteous judgement, which has in view your being deemed worthy of admission to God's Kingdom, for the sake of which, indeed, you are sufferers. ⁶ A plain token of God's righteous judgement, I say, since it is a righteous thing for Him to requite with affliction those who are now afflicting you; ⁷ and to requite with rest you who are suffering affliction now--rest with us at the re-appearing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven, attended by His mighty angels.

⁴ Yet you have in Sardis a few who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any one desires to follow me, let him renounce self and take up his cross, and so be my follower.

³² Going out they met a Cyrenaean named Simon; whom they compelled to carry His cross,

³⁴ Then calling to Him the crowd and also His disciples, He said to them, "If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross, and so be my follower.

²¹ Then Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said, "One thing is lacking in you: go, sell all you possess and give the proceeds to the poor, and you shall have riches in Heaven; and come and be a follower of mine."

²³ And He said to all, "If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross day by day, and so be my follower. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it.

²⁷ No one who does not carry his own cross and come after me can be a disciple of mine.

¹⁷ and He went out carrying His own cross, to the place called Skull-place--or, in Hebrew, Golgotha--

²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it. ²⁶ Why, what benefit will it be to a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give to buy back his life?

³⁵ For whoever is bent on securing his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, will secure it. ³⁶ Why, what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it.

³³ Any man who makes it his object to keep his own life safe, will lose it; but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

²⁵ He who holds his life dear, is destroying it; and he who makes his life of no account in this world shall keep it to the Life of the Ages.

²⁰ in fulfilment of my eager expectation and hope that I shall never have reason to feel ashamed, but that by my perfect freedom of speech Christ will be glorified in me, now as always, either by my life or by my death. ²¹ For, with me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

⁴⁰ "But the King will answer them, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you rendered such services to one of the humblest of these my brethren, you rendered them to myself.'

⁴⁵ "But he will reply, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you withheld such services from one of the humblest of these, you withheld them from me.'

¹⁶ "He who listens to you listens to me; and he who disregards you disregards me, and he who disregards me disregards Him who sent me."

⁴⁴ But Jesus cried aloud, "He who believes in me, believes not so much in me, as in Him who sent me; ⁴⁵ and he who sees me sees Him who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come like light into the world, in order that no one who believes in me may remain in the dark. ⁴⁷ And if any one hears my teachings and regards them not, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ He who sets me at naught and does not receive my teachings is not left without a judge: the Message which I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ⁴⁹ Because I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me, Himself gave me a command what to say and in what words to speak.

¹⁴ and yet the bodily infirmity which was such a trial to you, you did not regard with contempt or loathing, but you received me as if I had been an angel of God or Christ Jesus Himself!

¹⁰ in order that in the Name of JESUS every knee should bow, of beings in Heaven, of those on the earth, and of those in the underworld, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

²² Who is a liar compared with him who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He who disowns the Father and the Son is the anti-Christ. ²³ No one who disowns the Son has the Father. He who acknowledges the Son has also the Father.

⁹ No one has God, who instead of remaining true to the teaching of Christ, presses on in advance: but he who remains true to that teaching has both the Father and the Son.

¹ "But beware of doing your good actions in the sight of men, in order to attract their gaze; if you do, there is no reward for you with your Father who is in Heaven.

⁴ that your charities may be in secret; and then your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

⁶ But you, whenever you pray, go into your own room and shut the door: then pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

¹⁸ that it may not be apparent to men that you are fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father--He who sees in secret--will recompense you.

²⁷ For the Son of Man is soon to come in the glory of the Father with His angels, and then will He requite every man according to his actions.

³⁴ "Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was homeless, you gave me a welcome; ³⁶ when I was ill-clad, you clothed me; when I was sick, you visited me; when I was in prison, you came to see me.' ³⁷ "'When, Lord,' the righteous will reply, 'did we see Thee hungry, and feed Thee; or thirsty, and give Thee drink? ³⁸ When did we see Thee homeless, and give Thee a welcome? or ill-clad, and clothe Thee? ³⁹ When did we see Thee sick or in prison, and come to see Thee?' ⁴⁰ "But the King will answer them, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you rendered such services to one of the humblest of these my brethren, you rendered them to myself.'

¹³ But when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they have no means of requiting you, but there will be requital for you at the Resurrection of the righteous."

¹ Herewith I introduce our sister Phoebe to you, who is a servant of the Church at Cenchreae, ² that you may receive her as a fellow Christian in a manner worthy of God's people, and may assist her in any matter in which she may need help. For she has indeed been a kind friend to many, including myself. ³ Greetings to Prisca and Aquila my fellow labourers in the work of Christ Jesus-- ⁴ friends who have endangered their own lives for mine. I am grateful to them, and not I alone, but all the Gentile Churches also.

²³ Gaius, my host, who is also the host of the whole Church, greets you. So do Erastus, the treasurer of the city, and Quartus our brother.

¹⁷ And if I preach willingly, I receive my wages; but if against my will, a stewardship has nevertheless been entrusted to me.

¹⁶ May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus; for many a time he cheered me and he was not ashamed of my chain. ¹⁷ Nay, when he was here in Rome, he took great pains to inquire where I was living, and at last he found me. ¹⁸ (The Lord grant that he may obtain mercy at His hands on that day!) And you yourself well know all the services which he rendered me in Ephesus.

¹⁰ For God is not unjust so that He is unmindful of your labour and of the love which you have manifested towards Himself in having rendered services to His people and in still rendering them.

⁸ Keep guard over yourselves, so that you may not lose the results of your good deeds, but may receive back a full reward.

⁵ My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have testified, in the presence of the Church, to your love; and you will do well to help them on their journey in a manner worthy of your fellowship with God.

⁵ After His entry into Capernaum a Captain came to Him, and entreated Him. ⁶ "Sir," he said, "my servant at home is lying ill with paralysis, and is suffering great pain."

³ said, "In solemn truth I tell you that unless you turn and become like little children, you will in no case be admitted into the Kingdom of the Heavens. ⁴ Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this young child, he it is who is superior to others in the Kingdom of the Heavens. ⁵ And whoever for my sake receives one young child such as this, receives me. ⁶ But whoever shall occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung round his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

¹⁴ Just so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

⁴¹ and whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, I solemnly tell you that he will certainly not lose his reward. ⁴² "And whoever shall occasion the fall of one of these little ones who believe, he would be better off if, with a millstone round his neck, he were lying at the bottom of the sea.

⁴² But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny. ⁴³ So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more than all the other contributors to the Treasury;

⁷ For you always have the poor among you, and whenever you choose you can do acts of kindness to them; but me you have not always. ⁸ What she could she did: she has perfumed my body in preparation for my burial.

³⁵ Nevertheless love your enemies, be beneficent; and lend without hoping for any repayment. Then your recompense shall be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

² It would be well for him if, with a millstone round his neck, he were lying at the bottom of the sea, rather than that he should cause even one of these little ones to fall.

¹⁰ For if any one were to see you, who know the real truth of this matter, reclining at table in an idol's temple, would not his conscience (supposing him to be a weak believer) be emboldened to eat the food which has been sacrificed to the idol? ¹¹ Why, your knowledge becomes the ruin of the weak believer--your brother, for whom Christ died! ¹² Moreover when you thus sin against the brethren and wound their weak consciences, you are, in reality, sinning against Christ. ¹³ Therefore if what I eat causes my brother to fall, never again to the end of my days will I touch any kind of animal food, for fear I should cause my brother to fall.

¹² For, assuming the earnest willingness, the gift is acceptable according to whatever a man has, and not according to what he has not.

⁶ But do not forget that he who sows with a niggardly hand will also reap a niggardly crop, and that he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Let each contribute what he has decided upon in his own mind, and not do it reluctantly or under compulsion. "IT IS A CHEERFUL GIVER THAT GOD LOVES." ⁸ And God is able to bestow every blessing on you in abundance, so that richly enjoying all sufficiency at all times, you may have ample means for all good works. ⁹ As it is written, "HE HAS SCATTERED ABROAD, HE HAS GIVEN TO THE POOR, HIS ALMSGIVING REMAINS FOR EVER." ¹⁰ And God who continually supplies seed for the sower and bread for eating, will supply you with seed and multiply it, and will cause your almsgiving to yield a plentiful harvest. ¹¹ May you be abundantly enriched so as to show all liberality, such as through our instrumentality brings thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the service rendered in this sacred gift not only helps to relieve the wants of God's people, but it is also rich in its results and awakens a chorus of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ For, by the practical proof of it which you exhibit in this service, you cause God to be extolled for your fidelity to your professed adherence to the Good News of the Christ, and for the liberality of your contributions for them and for all who are in need, ¹⁴ while they themselves also in supplications on your behalf pour out their longing love towards you because of God's surpassing grace which is resting upon you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for His unspeakably precious gift!

¹⁵ And you men and women of Philippi also know that at the first preaching of the Good News, when I had left Macedonia, no other Church except yourselves held communication with me about giving and receiving; ¹⁶ because even in Thessalonica you sent several times to minister to my needs. ¹⁷ Not that I crave for gifts from you, but I do want to see abundant fruit bring you honour. ¹⁸ I have enough of everything--and more than enough. My wants are fully satisfied now that I have received from the hands of Epaphroditus the generous gifts which you sent me--they are a fragrant odor, an acceptable sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. ¹⁹ But my God--so great is His wealth of glory in Christ Jesus--will fully supply every need of yours.