Thematic Bible: Instances of personal bravery


Thematic Bible




When Peter saw that, he answered unto the people, "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so steadfastly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man go? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus, whom ye delivered and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had judged him to be loosed: but ye denied the holy and just, and desired a murderer to be given you, read more.
and killed the Lord of life whom God hath raised from death, of the which we are witnesses: And his name, through the faith of his name, hath made this man sound whom ye see and know. And the faith which is by him, hath to him given this health, in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I know well that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your heads. But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, how that Christ should suffer, he hath thus wise fulfilled it. Repent ye, therefore, and turn: that your sins may be done away when the time of refreshing cometh, which we shall have of the presence of the Lord, and when God shall send him, which before was preached unto you, that is, to wit, Jesus Christ: which must receive heaven until the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began, be restored again. For Moses said unto the fathers, 'A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, even of your brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. For the time will come, that every soul which shall not hear that same prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.' Also all the prophets from Samuel, and thenceforth, as many as have spoken, have in likewise told of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant, which God hath made unto our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'Even in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.' First unto you hath God raised up his son Jesus, and him he hath sent to bless you, that every one of you should turn from your wickedness."

if we this day are examined of the good deed done to the sick man by what means he is made whole: be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, and whom God raised from death again, even by him doth this man stand here present before you whole. This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is set in the chief place of the corner. read more.
Neither is there salvation in any other. Nor yet also is there any other name given to men wherein we must be saved." When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were unlearned men and lay people, they marveled: and they knew them, that they were with Jesus.

But Peter and John answered unto them and said, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you more than God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak that which we have seen and heard."


And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, and know not what shall come on me there, but that the holy ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and trouble abide me. But none of those things move me. Neither is my life dear unto myself; that I might fulfill my course with joy, and the ministration which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

And as he preached of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come; Felix trembled, and answered, "Thou hast done enough at this time: depart. When I have a convenient time, I will send for thee."

But this I confess unto thee, that after that way, which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets,


And he gave him the copy of the commandment, that was devised at Susa to destroy them, that he might show it unto Esther, and to speak to her and charge her; that she should go into the king, and make her prayer and supplication unto him for her people.

'Go thou thy way then, and gather together all the Jews that are found at Susa, and fast ye for me, that ye eat not and drink not in three days, neither day nor night. I and my damsels will fast likewise, and so will I go in to the king contrary to the commandment: if I perish, I perish.'"


And Caleb stilled the murmur of the people against Moses, saying, "Let us go up and conquer it, for we be able to overcome it."

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes and spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, "The land which we walked through to search it, is a very good land. If the LORD have lust to us, he will bring us into this land and give it us, which is a land that floweth with milk and honey. read more.
But in any wise, rebel not against the LORD. Moreover fear ye not the people of the land, for they are but bread for us. Their shield is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not therefore." And all the whole multitude bade stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of witness, unto all the children of Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, "How long shall this people rail upon me, and how long will it be, yer they believe me, for all my signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence and destroy them, and will make of thee a greater nation and a mightier than they."


When they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. The chief priest came and they that were with him and called a council together, and all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to fetch them.

Peter and the other apostles answered, and said, "We ought more to obey God than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on tree. Him hath God lift up with his right hand, to be a ruler and a saviour: for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. read more.
And we are his records as concerning these things: and also the holy ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."


Then said Samuel, "Bring ye hither to me, Agag the king of the Amalekites." And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, "Truly the bitterness of death cometh on." And Samuel said, "As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among other women." And so Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.


And Caleb said, "He that smiteth Kiriathsepher and taketh it: to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb took it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.


And David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail him because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with his Philistine." And Saul said to David again, "Thou art not able to go unto this Philistine, to fight with him. For thou art but a lad, and he hath been a man of war even from his youth." Then said David unto Saul, "As thy servant kept his father's sheep, there came a Lion and likewise a Bear, and took a sheep out of the flock. read more.
And I went out after him and smote him, and took it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him. For both a Lion and also a Bear hath thy servant slain. And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, for his railing on the host of the living God." And David spake moreover, "The LORD that delivered me out of the hands of the Lion and out of the hands of the Bear, he shall deliver me also out of the hands of the Philistine." Then said Saul to David, "Go, and the LORD be with thee." And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and put a coat of mail upon him, and gird David with his own sword upon his raiment. And he assayed to go, for he never proved it. Then said David unto Saul, "I cannot go in these, for I have not been used thereto." And put them off him, and took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of a brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, and in a poke; and took a sling in his hand, and went to the Philistine. And the Philistine came and drew near to David, with the man that bare a shield before him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a lad, ruddy and goodly to look upon. And the Philistine said unto David, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff?" And he cursed David in the name of his gods. And he said to David, "Come to me and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field." Then said David to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield: But I come to thee in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the host of Israel whom thou hast railed upon. This day shall the LORD deliver thee into my hand, and I shall smite thee and take thine head from thee, and will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the earth - and all the world shall know that there is a God in Israel. And all this congregation shall know that the LORD saveth not with the sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he shall give you into our hands." And when the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh unto David, David hasted and ran in array even against the Philistine. And David put his hand in his poke and took out a stone and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell groveling to the earth. And so David overcame the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him. And because David had no sword in his hand,


And so David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within a round bank and his spear pitched in the ground at his head, Abner and the people lying round about him. The said Abishai to David, "God hath closed in thine enemy unto thine hand this day. Now therefore let me smite him a fellowship with my spear to the earth, even one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time." But David said to Abishai, "Destroy him not - for who can lay his hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?" read more.
And David said furthermore, "As sure as the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and there perish: but the LORD keep me from laying mine hand upon the LORD's anointed. Now then take a fellowship the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go." And David took the spear and the cruse of water that were at Saul's head, and they gat them away, and no man saw or wist it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because the LORD had sent a slumber upon them.


And I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, and he had shut himself within, and said, "Let us come together in to the house of God, even unto the midst of the temple, and shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee, yea even in the night will they come to put thee to death." But I said, "Should any such man as I flee? Who is that, being as I am, that will go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in." For I perceived that God had not sent him; Yet spake he prophecy upon me. Nevertheless, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him for money. read more.
Therefore took he the money, that through fear I should do so, and sin: that they might have an evil report of me, to blaspheme me.


And Joab went into the house to the king and said, "Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life and the lives of thy sons and daughters, and the lives of thy wives and concubines: in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends. Thou hast declared this day that thou carest neither for thy lords nor servants. For this day I do perceive, if Absalom had lived, and all we died this day, that then it had pleased thee well. Now therefore up and come out, and speak kindly unto thy servants, I swear by the LORD, except thou come out, there will not tarry one man with thee this night. And that will be worse unto thee, than all the evil that fell on thee from thine youth unto this hour."


And Jael went out against Sisera and said unto him, "Turn in, my lord. Turn in to me and fear not." And he turned in unto her tent: and she covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her, "Give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him drink and covered him. And he said unto her, "Stand in the door of thy tent, and if any man come and ask thee, or enquire of thee whether there be any man here, say, 'Nay.'" read more.
Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent, and a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail thorough the temples of his head into the ground, as he slumbered being weary: And so he died. And behold, as Barak followed after Sisera, Jael came out against him, and said unto him, "Come and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail through his temples.


And the LORD said unto Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand. And all the other people shall go every man unto his own home." And they took victuals with them for the folk, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel, every man unto his tent, and kept the three hundred with him. And the host of Midian was beneath him in a valley. And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Up, and go down unto the host, for I have delivered it into thine hand. read more.
But if thou fear to go down, then go thou down unto the host, and Phurah thy lad, and hearken what they say, and so shall thine hands be strong, and then thou shalt go down unto the host." Then he went down with Phurah his lad, even hard unto the men of arms that were in the host. And the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all they of the east, lay along in the valley, like unto grasshoppers in multitude, and their camels were without number, even as the sand by the seaside in multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow and said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream and me thought that a broiled loaf of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along." And his fellow answered and said, this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel, into whose hand God hath delivered Midian and all the host." When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation of the same, he bowed himself to the earth and returned unto the host of Israel, and said, "Up, for the LORD hath delivered into your hands the host of the Midianites." And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and gave every man a trumpet in his hand, with an empty pitcher and lamps therein, and said unto them, "Look on me and do likewise: and behold, when I come to the side of the host, even as I do, so do you. And when I blow with a trumpet, and all that are with me, blow ye with trumpets also on every side the host and say, 'Here be the LORD and Gideon.'" And so Gideon, and the three hundred men that were with him, came unto the side of the host in the beginning of the middle watch, and raised up the watchmen. And they blew with their trumpets and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And all three companies blew with trumpets and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right, to blow with all. And they cried, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!" And they stood still, every man in his place round about the host. And all the host ran and cried and fled. And as the three hundred blew with trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword upon his neighbour, throughout all the host. And the host fled until they came to Bethshittah, to Zererah, and to the edge of Abelmeholah beside Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered together of the tribe of Naphtali, of Asher, and of all Manasseh, and followed after the Midianites.


Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."


Joseph of Arimathaea, a noble councilor which also looked for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.