Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Apostles » Inspiration of
What I tell you in the dark, say again in the light; and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
"Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah," Jesus replied. "For no human being has revealed this to you, but my Father who is in Heaven. Yes, and I say to you, Your name is 'Peter--a Rock, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the Powers of the Place of Death shall not prevail over it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be held in Heaven to be forbidden, and whatever you allow on earth will be held in Heaven to be allowed."
Then he enabled them to understand the meaning of the Scriptures, saying to them:
Down to that day on which he was taken up to Heaven, after he had, by the help of the Holy Spirit, given instructions to the Apostles whom he had chosen.
However, Saul (who is the same as Paul), full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on him and said:
Jesus Christ » What jesus Christ speaks
When Jesus said this, one of the police-officers, who was standing near, gave him a blow with his hand. "Do you answer the High Priest like that?" he exclaimed. "If I said anything wrong, give evidence about it," replied Jesus; "but if not, why do you strike me?"
After saying this, Jesus raised his eyes heaven-wards, and said: "Father, the hour has come; honor thy Son, that thy Son may honor thee; Even as thou gavest him power over all mankind, that he should give Immortal Life to all those whom thou has given him. And the Immortal Life is this--to know thee the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent as thy Messenger. read more.
I have honored thee on earth by completing the work which thou has given me to do; And now do thou honor me, Father, at thy own side, with the honor which I had at thy side before the world began. I have revealed thee to those whom thou gavest me from the world; they were thy own, and thou gavest them to me; and they have laid thy Message to heart. They recognize now that everything that thou gavest me was from thee; For I have given them the teaching which thou gavest me, and they received it, and clearly understood that I came from thee, and they believed that thou has sent me as thy Messenger. I intercede for them; I am not interceding for the world, but for those whom thou has given me, for they are thy own-- All that is mine is thine, and all that is thine is mine-- and I am honored in them. Now I am to be in this world no longer, but they are still to be in the world, and I am to come to thee. Holy Father, keep them by that revelation of thy Name which thou has given me, that they may be one, as we are. Whilst I was with them, I kept them by that revelation, and I have guarded them; and not one of them has been lost, except that lost soul--in fulfillment of Scripture. But now I am to come to thee; and I am speaking thus, while still in the world, that they may have my own joy, in all its fullness, in their hearts. I have given them thy Message; and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, even as I do not belong to the world.
I have honored thee on earth by completing the work which thou has given me to do; And now do thou honor me, Father, at thy own side, with the honor which I had at thy side before the world began. I have revealed thee to those whom thou gavest me from the world; they were thy own, and thou gavest them to me; and they have laid thy Message to heart. They recognize now that everything that thou gavest me was from thee; For I have given them the teaching which thou gavest me, and they received it, and clearly understood that I came from thee, and they believed that thou has sent me as thy Messenger. I intercede for them; I am not interceding for the world, but for those whom thou has given me, for they are thy own-- All that is mine is thine, and all that is thine is mine-- and I am honored in them. Now I am to be in this world no longer, but they are still to be in the world, and I am to come to thee. Holy Father, keep them by that revelation of thy Name which thou has given me, that they may be one, as we are. Whilst I was with them, I kept them by that revelation, and I have guarded them; and not one of them has been lost, except that lost soul--in fulfillment of Scripture. But now I am to come to thee; and I am speaking thus, while still in the world, that they may have my own joy, in all its fullness, in their hearts. I have given them thy Message; and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, even as I do not belong to the world.
For he whom God sent as his Messenger gives us God's own teaching, for God does not limit the gift of the Spirit. The Father loves his Son, and has put everything in his hands.
"Who are you?" they asked. "Why ask exactly what I have been telling you?" said Jesus. "I have still much that concerns you to speak of and to pass judgment on; yet he who sent me may be trusted, and I speak to the world only of the things which I have heard from him." They did not understand that he meant the Father. read more.
So Jesus added: "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will understand that I am what I am, and that I do nothing of myself, but that I say just what the Father has taught me. Moreover, he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone; for I always do what pleases him."
So Jesus added: "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will understand that I am what I am, and that I do nothing of myself, but that I say just what the Father has taught me. Moreover, he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone; for I always do what pleases him."
But Jesus had proclaimed: "He who believes in me believes, not in me, but in him who sent me; And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a Light into the world, that no one who believes in me should remain in the darkness. read more.
When any one hears my teaching and pays no heed to it, I am not his judge; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and disregards my teaching, has a judge already--the very Message which I have delivered will itself be his judge at the Last Day. For I have not delivered it on my own authority; but the Father, who sent me, has himself given me his command as to what I should say, and what message I should deliver. And I know that Immortal Life lies in keeping his command. Therefore, whatever I say, I say only what the Father has taught me."
When any one hears my teaching and pays no heed to it, I am not his judge; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and disregards my teaching, has a judge already--the very Message which I have delivered will itself be his judge at the Last Day. For I have not delivered it on my own authority; but the Father, who sent me, has himself given me his command as to what I should say, and what message I should deliver. And I know that Immortal Life lies in keeping his command. Therefore, whatever I say, I say only what the Father has taught me."
I am the True Vine, and my Father is the Vine-grower. Any unfruitful branch in me he takes away, and he cleanses every fruitful branch, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the Message that I have given you. read more.
Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine; no more can you, unless you remain united to me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He that remains united to me, while I remain united to him--he bears fruit plentifully; for you can do nothing apart from me. If any one does not remain united to me, he is thrown away, as a branch would be, and withers up. Such branches are collected and thrown into the fire, and are burnt. If you remain united to me, and my teaching remains in your hearts, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be yours. It is by your bearing fruit plentifully, and so showing yourselves my disciples, that my Father is honored. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; remain in my love. If you lay my commands to heart, you will remain in my love; just as I have laid the Father's commands to heart and remain in his love. I have told you all this so that my own joy may be yours, and that your joy may be complete. This is my command--Love one another, as I have loved you. No one can give greater proof of love than by laying down his life for his friends. And you are my friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer call you 'servants,' because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have given you the name of 'friends,' because I made known to you everything that I learned from my Father.
Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine; no more can you, unless you remain united to me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He that remains united to me, while I remain united to him--he bears fruit plentifully; for you can do nothing apart from me. If any one does not remain united to me, he is thrown away, as a branch would be, and withers up. Such branches are collected and thrown into the fire, and are burnt. If you remain united to me, and my teaching remains in your hearts, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be yours. It is by your bearing fruit plentifully, and so showing yourselves my disciples, that my Father is honored. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; remain in my love. If you lay my commands to heart, you will remain in my love; just as I have laid the Father's commands to heart and remain in his love. I have told you all this so that my own joy may be yours, and that your joy may be complete. This is my command--Love one another, as I have loved you. No one can give greater proof of love than by laying down his life for his friends. And you are my friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer call you 'servants,' because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have given you the name of 'friends,' because I made known to you everything that I learned from my Father.
"At last," exclaimed the disciples, "you are using plain words and not speaking in figures at all. Now we are sure that you know everything, and need not wait for any one to question you. This makes us believe that you did come from God." "Do you believe that already?" Jesus answered. read more.
"Listen! a time is coming--indeed it has already come--when you are to be scattered, each going his own way, and to leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have spoken to you in this way, so that in me you may find peace. In the world you will find trouble; yet, take courage! I have conquered the world."
"Listen! a time is coming--indeed it has already come--when you are to be scattered, each going his own way, and to leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have spoken to you in this way, so that in me you may find peace. In the world you will find trouble; yet, take courage! I have conquered the world."
The first account which I drew up, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught from the very first, Down to that day on which he was taken up to Heaven, after he had, by the help of the Holy Spirit, given instructions to the Apostles whom he had chosen. With abundant proofs, he showed himself to them, still living, after his death; appearing to them from time to time during forty days, and speaking of all that related to the Kingdom of God.
Luke » Wrote to » Theophilus
[To his Excellency, Theophilus. Many attempts have been already made to draw up an account of those events which have reached their conclusion among us, Just as they were reported to us by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and afterwards became bearers of the Message. And, therefore, I also, since I have investigated all these events with great care from their very beginning, have resolved to write a connected history of them for you, read more.
In order that you may be able to satisfy yourself of the accuracy of the story which you have heard from the lips of others.]
In order that you may be able to satisfy yourself of the accuracy of the story which you have heard from the lips of others.]
The first account which I drew up, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught from the very first, Down to that day on which he was taken up to Heaven, after he had, by the help of the Holy Spirit, given instructions to the Apostles whom he had chosen.