Most popular Bible Verses
Bible Rank:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that every one who believes in him may not be lost, but have Immortal Life.
Everything that is written under divine inspiration is helpful for teaching, for refuting error, for giving guidance, and for training others in righteousness;
I entreat you, then, Brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, for this is your rational worship.
But the fruit produced by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindliness, generosity, trustfulness, gentleness, self-control.
For it is by God's loving-kindness that you have been saved, through your faith. It is not due to yourselves; the gift is God's.
But we do know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him-those who have received the Call in accordance with his purpose.
Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the Faith of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Do not conform to the fashion of this world; but be transformed by the complete change that has come over your minds, so that you may discern what God's will is--all that is good, acceptable, and perfect.
Jesus answered: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one ever comes to the Father except through me.
But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit shall have descended upon you, and shall be witnesses for me not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
"Repent," answered Peter, "and be baptized every one of you in the Faith of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The wages of Sin are Death, but the gift of God is Immortal Life, through union with Christ Jesus, our Lord.
But to all who did receive him he gave power to become Children of God--to those who believe in his Name.
not as the result of any righteous actions that we had done, but in fulfillment of his merciful purposes. He saved us by that Washing which was a New Birth to us, and by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit,
For, if with your lips you acknowledge the truth of the Message that JESUS IS LORD, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
And the Word became Man, and dwelt among us, (We saw his glory--the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth.
But God puts his love for us beyond all doubt by the fact that Christ died on our behalf while we were still sinners.
And he it is who gave to the Church Apostles, Prophets, Missionaries, Pastors, and Teachers,
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the Common Life of the Church, to the Breaking of the Bread and to the Prayers.
If we confess our sins, God may be trusted, in his righteousness, to forgive us our sins and purify us from all wickedness.
"In truth I tell you," exclaimed Jesus, "unless a man is reborn, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
The thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I have come that they may have Life, and may have it in greater fullness.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and through sin came death; so, also, death spread to all mankind, because all men had sinned.
Then he said to them: "Go into all the world, and proclaim the Good News to all creation.
And Salvation is in him alone; for there is no other Name in the whole world, given to men, to which we must look for our Salvation."
Therefore, if any one is in union with Christ, he is a new being! His old life has passed away; a new life has begun!
Then Jesus came up, and spoke to them thus: "All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to me.
Therefore, having been pronounced righteous as the result of faith, let us enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Do not be anxious about anything; but under all circumstances, by prayer and entreaty joined with thanksgiving, make your needs known to God.
There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in union with Christ Jesus;
Two days after this there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and Jesus' mother was there.
In the course of the Festival at the close of the Harvest the disciples had all met together,
I have been crucified with Christ. So it is no longer I that live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and, as for my present earthly life, I am living it by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
For I am not ashamed of the Good News; it is the power of God which brings Salvation to every one who believes in Christ, to the Jew first, but also to the Greek.
I give you a new commandment--Love one another; love one another as I have loved you.
Do your utmost to show yourself true to God, a workman with no reason to be ashamed, accurate in delivering the Message of the Truth.
But first seek his Kingdom and the righteousness that he requires, and then all these things shall be added for you.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you always--the Spirit of Truth.
Seeing, therefore, that there is on every side of us such a throng of witnesses, let us also lay aside everything that hinders us, and the sin that clings about us, and run with patient endurance the race that lies before us,
Be watchful over yourselves, and over the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has placed you in charge, to shepherd the Church of God, which he won for himself at the cost of his life.
So, too, there is a revelation from Heaven of the Divine Wrath against every form of ungodliness and wickedness on the part of those men who, by their wicked lives, are stifling the Truth.
'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, For he has consecrated me to bring Good News to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and restoration of sight to the blind, To set the oppressed at liberty,
"In truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "unless a man owes his birth to Water and Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
Now, when the Master heard that the Pharisees had been told that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John
God's Message is a living and active power, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing its way till it penetrates soul and spirit--not the joints only but the very marrow--and detecting the inmost thoughts and purposes of the mind.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be cured. Great is the power of a good man's fervent prayer.
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed: "Here is the Lamb of God, who is to take away the sin of the world!
Yet when he--The Spirit of Truth--comes, he will guide you into all Truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of all that he hears; and he will tell you of the things that are to come.
Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God.
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.
When the Son of Man has come in his glory and all the angels with him, then he 'will take his seat on his throne of glory';
Through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him.
These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the Message with great readiness, and daily examined the Scriptures to see if what was said was true.
But the Helper--the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my Name--he will teach you all things, and will recall to your minds all that I have said to you.
As for you, you are children of your Father the Devil, and you are determined to do what your father loves to do. He was a murderer from the first, and did not stand by the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he does what is natural to him; because he is a liar, and the father of lying.
He came as a witness--to bear witness to the Light that through him all men might believe.
Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to do away with them, but to complete them.
For the future, find strength in your union with the Lord, and in the power which comes from his might.
His answer was: "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.'
For Christ is the very incarnation of the invisible God-- First-born and Head of all creation;
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.
In truth I tell you that he who listens to my Message and believes him who sent me, has Immortal Life, and does not come under condemnation, but has already passed out of Death into Life.
In conclusion, Brothers, wherever you find anything true or honorable, righteous or pure, lovable or praiseworthy, or if 'virtue' and 'honour' have any meaning, there let your thoughts dwell.
But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who seek for him.
while we are awaiting our Blessed Hope--the Appearing in glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.
And so we gather, faith is a result of teaching, and the teaching comes in the Message of Christ.
So he made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the Temple Courts, and the sheep and bullocks as well; he scattered the money of the money-changers, and overturned their tables,
My Brothers, whatever may be the temptations that beset you from time to time, always regard them as a reason for rejoicing,
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with strange 'tongues' as the Spirit prompted their utterances.
He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he who refuses to believe will be condemned.
"Believe in Jesus, our Lord," they replied, "and you shall be saved, you and your household too."
If one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask wisdom from the God who gives freely to every one without reproaches, and it will be given to him.
"I am the Resurrection and the Life," said Jesus. "He that believes in me shall live, though he die;
So those who accepted his teaching were baptized, and about three thousand people joined the disciples on that day alone.
No sooner had Jesus said this than he was caught up before their eyes, and a cloud received him from their sight.
On the first day of the week, when we had met for the Breaking of Bread, Paul, who was intending to leave the next day, began to address those who were present, and prolonged his address till midnight.
Revere the Christ as Lord in your hearts; always ready to give an answer to any one who asks your reason for the hope that you cherish, but giving it humbly and in all reverence,
And the Immortal Life is this--to know thee the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent as thy Messenger.
Do not you know that wrong-doers will have no share in God's Kingdom? Do not be deceived. No one who is immoral, or an idolater, or an adulterer, or licentious, or a sodomite,
A woman of Samaria came to draw water; and Jesus said to her- - "Give me some to drink,"
For ever since the creation of the universe God's invisible attributes-his everlasting power and divinity-are to be seen and studied in his works, so that men have no excuse;
But you are 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, God's own People,' entrusted with the proclamation of the goodness of him who called you out of Darkness into his wonderful Light.
God, who, of old, at many times and in many ways, spoke to our ancestors, by the Prophets,
There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendor.
I am standing at the door and knocking! If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will go in, and will feast with him, and he shall feast with me.
Not every one who says to me 'Master! Master!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes, or where it goes; it is the same with every one that owes his birth to the Spirit."
"I have no one, Sir," the afflicted man answered, "to put me into the Bath when there is a troubling of the water, and, while I am getting to it, some one else steps down before me."
So Jesus went on to say to those Jews who had believed him: "If you remain constant to my Message, you are truly my disciples;
He who believes in him escapes condemnation, while he who does not believe in him is already condemned, because he has not believed in the only Son of God.
Do not let your conduct be ruled by the love of money. Be content with what you have, for God himself has said-- 'I will never forsake you, nor will I ever abandon you.'
Jesus again addressed the people. "I am the Light of the World," he said. "He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life."
Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
For ours is no struggle against enemies of flesh and blood, but against all the various Powers of Evil that hold sway in the Darkness around us, against the Spirits of Wickedness on high.
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.]
And, as it is ordained for men to die but once (death being followed by judgment),
We love you for the sake of that Truth which is always in our hearts; yes, and it will be ours for ever.
Ask, and your prayer shall be granted; search, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.
Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: "Rabbi, we know that you are a Teacher come from God; for no one could give such signs as you are giving, unless God were with him."
Blessed is the God and Father of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has blessed us on high with every spiritual blessing, in Christ.
It is you who are the Light of the world. A town that stands on a hill cannot be hidden.
The birth of Jesus Christ took place as follows:--His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but, before the marriage took place, she found herself to be with child by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Dear friends, do not trust every inspiration, but test each inspiration, to see whether it proceeds from God; because many false Prophets have gone out into the world.
All distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female, have vanished; for in union with Christ Jesus you are all one.
If any one of you is ill, let him send for the Officers of the Church, and let them pray over him, after anointing him with oil in the name of the lord.
Just then a Student of the Law came forward to test Jesus further. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do if I am to 'gain Immortal Life'?"
We do not wish you to remain in ignorance, Brothers, with regard to those who have passed to their rest, that your grief may not be like that of others, who have no hope.
Every good thing given us, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down to us from the Maker of the Lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse.
Him who never knew sin God made to be Sin, on our behalf; so that we, through union with him, might become the Righteousness of God.
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."
And you, too, by your union with him, after you had heard the Message of the Truth, the Good News of your Salvation--you believed in him and were sealed as his by receiving the holy Spirit, which he had promised.
Husbands, love your wives, just as the Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for her,
The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise, as some count slowness; but he is forbearing with you, as it is not his will that any of you should perish, but that all should be brought to repentance.
"The Holy Spirit shall descend upon you," answered the angel, "and the Power of the Most High shall overshadow you; and therefore the child will be called 'holy,' and 'Son of God.'
That religious observance which is pure and spotless in the eyes of God our Father is this--to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world.
He who believes in the Son has Immortal Life, while he who rejects the Son will not even see that Life, but remains under 'God's displeasure.'
If your Brother does wrong, go to him and convince him of his fault when you and he are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your Brother.
And said: "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the heavens? This very Jesus, who has been taken from you into the heavens, will come in the very way in which you have seen him go into the heavens."
Therefore, repent and turn, that your sins may be wiped away; so that happier times may come from the Lord himself,
For we are God's handiwork, created, by our union with Christ Jesus, for the good actions in doing which God had pre-arranged that we should spend our lives.
My Brothers, what is the good of a man's saying that he has faith, if he does not prove it by actions? Can such faith save him?
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Or can it be that you do not know that all of us, who were baptized into union with Christ Jesus, in our baptism shared his death?
You, therefore, should pray thus--'Our Father, who art in Heaven, May thy name be held holy,
So, too, that the older women should be reverent in their demeanor, and that they should avoid scandal, and beware of becoming slaves to drink;
What are we to say, then? Are we to continue to sin, in order that God's loving-kindness may be multiplied?
Do not drink wine to excess, for that leads to profligacy; but seek to be filled with the Spirit of God, and speak to one another in psalms and hymns and sacred songs.
Then I saw new heavens and a new earth. The former heavens and the former earth had passed away; and the sea has ceased to be.
But a time is coming, indeed it is already here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father spiritually and truly; for such are the worshipers that the Father desires.
About that time an edict was issued by the Emperor Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole Empire.
There is but one God, and one mediator between God and men--the man, Christ Jesus,
Then Jesus was led up into the Wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the Devil.
You search the Scriptures, because you think that you find in them Immortal Life;
For in him, and through the shedding of his blood, we have found redemption in the pardon of our offenses.
Do not wonder at this; for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice,
But, if our lives are lived in the Light, as God himself is in the Light, we have communion with one another, and the Blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
No man has ever yet seen God; God the Only Son, who is ever with the Father--He has revealed him.
I urge you, then--I who am a prisoner in the Master's cause-- to live lives worthy of the Call that you have received;
For at the very beginning of my teaching I gave you the account which I had myself received-that Christ died for our sins (as the Scriptures had foretold),
No one can give greater proof of love than by laying down his life for his friends.
Those men belong to the world; and therefore they speak as the world speaks, and the world listens to them.
This is what I have to say--Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and then you will never gratify the cravings of your earthly nature.
You, however, are not earthly but spiritual, since the Spirit of God lives within you. Unless a man has the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ;
In the evening of the same day--the first day of the week-- after the doors of the room, in which the disciples were, had been shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said: "Peace be with you";
will come and ask scoffingly-- 'Where is his promised Coming? Ever since our fathers passed to their rest, everything remains just as it was when the world was first created!'
"No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him to me; and I will raise him up at the Last Day.
For in him was created all that is in Heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible--Angels and Archangels and all the Powers of Heaven.
And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
Go in by the small gate. Broad and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and those that go in by it are many;
True, God looked with indulgence on the days of men's ignorance, but now he is announcing to every one everywhere the need for repentance,
"How can a man," asked Nicodemus, "be born when he is old? Can he be born a second time?"
Since, therefore, you were raised to Life with the Christ, seek for the things that are above; for it is there that the Christ is 'seated at the right hand of God.'
For those whom God chose from the first he also destined from the first to be transformed into likeness to his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest among many Brothers.
Put that Message into practice, and do not merely listen to it--deceiving yourselves.
Therefore, as God's People, consecrated and dear to him, clothe yourselves with tenderness of heart, kindliness, humility, gentleness, forbearance;
And let us not, as some do, cease to meet together; but, on the contrary, let us encourage one another, and all the more, now that you see the Day drawing near.
For Christ himself died to atone for sins once for all--the good on behalf of the bad--that he might bring you to God; his body being put to death, but his spirit entering upon new Life.
About this time, when the number of the disciples was constantly increasing, complaints were made by the Jews of foreign birth against the native Jews, that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.
Peace be with you! My own peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, or dismayed.
For he that asks receives, he that searches finds, and to him that knocks the door shall be opened.
And he 'himself carried our sins' in his own body to the cross, so that we might die to our sins, and live for righteousness. 'His bruising was your healing.'
Yet I am only telling you the truth; it is for your good that I should go away. For otherwise the Helper will never come to you, but, if I leave you, I will send him to you.
Our High Priest is not one unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has in every way been tempted, exactly as we have been, but without sinning.
It is you who are the Salt of the earth; but, if the salt should lose its strength, what will you use to restore its saltiness? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown away, and trampled underfoot.
For he is the radiance of the Glory of God and the very expression of his Being, upholding all creation by the power of his word; and, when he had made an expiation for the sins of men, he 'took his seat at the right hand' of God's Majesty on high,
Exercise self-control, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, like a roaring lion, is prowling about, eager to devour you.
So, also, the Spirit supports us in our weakness. We do not even know how to pray as we should; but the Spirit himself pleads for us in sighs that can find no utterance.
Dear friends, let us love one another, because Love comes from God; and every one who loves has received the new Life from God and knows God.
All those whom the Father gives me will come to me; and no one who comes to me will I ever turn away.
Do not love the world or what the world can offer. When any one loves the world, there is no love for the Father in him;
But, when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father--the Spirit of Truth, who comes from the Father--he will bear testimony to me;
Think what love the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called 'Children of God'; as indeed we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it has not learned to know him.
On the first day of the week, early in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb, and saw that the stone had been removed.
Then Peter began. "I see, beyond all doubt," he said, "that 'God does not show partiality,'
And to all present he said: "If any man wishes to walk in my steps, let him renounce self, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
"Twenty pounds' worth of bread," answered Philip, "would not be enough for each of them to have a little."
On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they were watching him closely.
Coming to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, Jesus, as was his custom, went on the Sabbath into the Synagogue, and stood up to read the Scriptures.
My reason for leaving you in Crete was that you might put in order what had been left unsettled, and appoint Officers of the Church in the various towns, as I myself directed you.
So Jesus made this further reply: "In truth I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself; he does only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does also.
After the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem in Judea, in the reign of King Herod, some Astrologers from the East arrived in Jerusalem, asking:
Let the Message of the Christ dwell in your minds in all its wealth, bringing all wisdom with it. Teach and admonish one another with psalms, and hymns, and sacred songs, full of the loving- kindness of God, lifting your hearts in song to him.
But first be assured of this:--There is no prophetic teaching found in Scripture that can be interpreted by man's unaided reason;
But it is not only for them that I am interceding, but also for those who believe in me through their Message,
My children, I am writing to you to keep you from sinning; but if any one should sin, we have one who can plead for us with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous--
On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus, who was standing by, exclaimed: "If any one thirsts, let him come to me, and drink.
The sins of our earthly nature are unmistakable. They are sins like these--unchastity, impurity, indecency,
"If you knew of the gift of God," replied Jesus, "and who it is that is saying to you 'Give me some water,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you 'living water'."
It is for freedom that Christ set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not again be held under the yoke of slavery.
That very night the Brethren sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish Synagogue.
For I am persuaded that neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Archangels, nor the Present, nor the Future, nor any Powers,
Let your light so shine before the eyes of your fellow men, that, seeing your good actions, they may praise your Father who is in Heaven.
The first account which I drew up, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught from the very first,
Afterwards Jesus found the man in the Temple Courts, and said to him: "You are cured now; do not sin again, for fear that something worse may befall you."
What are we to say, then, in the light of all this? If God is on our side, who can there be against us?
For of this I am confident, that he who began a good work in you will complete it in readiness for the Day of Jesus Christ.
Before the Passover Festival began, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave the world and go to the Father. He had loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them to the last.
for no prophetic teaching ever came in the old days at the mere wish of man, but men, moved by the Holy Spirit, spoke direct from God.
Consequently, through sharing his death in our baptism, we were buried with him; that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by a manifestation of the Father's power, so we also may live a new Life.
Did you go through so much to no purpose?--if indeed it really was to no purpose!
As they continued their journey, Jesus came to a village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her house.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always been obedient in the past, so now work out your own Salvation with anxious care, not only when I am with you, but all the more now that I am absent.
And he, when he comes, will bring conviction to the world as to Sin, and as to Righteousness, and as to Judgment;
And you are deferential to the man who is wearing grand clothes, and say--"There is a good seat for you here," but to the poor man--"You must stand; or sit down there by my footstool,"
"Whoever loves me," Jesus answered, " will lay my Message to heart; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
If we say that there is no sin in us, we are deceiving ourselves, and the Truth has no place in us.
Beware of false Teachers--men who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves.
Love is long-suffering, and kind; Love is never envious, never boastful, never conceited, never behaves unbecomingly;
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has, in his great mercy, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
One day Jesus was at a certain place praying, and, when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him: "Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."
For he chose us in our union with Christ before the creation of the universe, that we might be holy and blameless in his sight, living in the spirit of love.
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never despair.
In my Father's Home there are many dwellings. If it had not been so, I should have told you, for I am going to prepare a place for you.
But, when the full time came, God sent his Son--born a woman's child, born subject to Law--
If, then, any encouragement comes through union with Christ, if there is any persuasive power in love, if there is any communion with the Spirit, if there is any tenderness or pity,
Do not enter into inconsistent relations with those who reject the Faith. For what partnership can there be between righteousness and lawlessness? or what has light to do with darkness?
One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them:
our eyes fixed upon Jesus, the Leader and perfect Example of our faith, who, for the joy that lay before him, endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and now 'has taken his seat at the right hand' of the throne of God.
When breakfast was over, Jesus said to Simon Peter: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others?" "Yes, Master," he answered, "you know that I am your friend." "Feed my lambs," said Jesus.
"I am the Life-giving Bread," Jesus said to them; "he that comes to me shall never be hungry, and he that believes in me shall never thirst again.
That is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about your life here--what you can get to eat or drink; nor yet about your body-- what you can get to wear. Is not life more than food, and the body than its clothing?
He made all races of the earth's surface--fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements--
She shall give birth to a son; and you shall give him the name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."
Again, do not you know that your body is a shrine of the Holy Spirit that is within you-the Spirit which you have from God?
And God placed 'all things under Christ's feet,' and gave him to the Church as its supreme Head;
Upon this the Jews asked Jesus: "What sign are you going to show us, since you act in this way?"
It is of what has been in existence from the Beginning, of what we have heard, of what we have seen with our eyes, of what we watched reverently and touched with our hands--it is about the Word who is the Life that we are now writing.
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest,
I do not count the sufferings of our present life worthy of mention when compared with the Glory that is to be revealed and bestowed upon us.
But the man who had been restored did not know who it was; for Jesus had moved away, because there was a crowd there.
That, I say, is why God abandoned them to degrading passions. Even the women among them perverted the natural use of their bodies to the unnatural;
To him who, through his power which is at work within us, is able to do far more than anything that we can ask or conceive--
For God has rescued us from the tyranny of Darkness, and has removed us into the Kingdom of his Son, who is the embodiment of his love,
And teaching them to lay to heart all the commands that I have given you; and, remember, I myself am with you every day until the close of the age."
And among these nations are you-you who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.
Men of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Jesus of Nazareth, a man whose mission from God to you was proved by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God showed among you through him, as you know full well--
On returning from the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the power of the Spirit through the Wilderness for forty days, tempted by the Devil.
Again Jesus said to them: "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me as his Messenger, so I am sending you."
At this some of his disciples said to one another: "What does he mean by saying to us 'In a little while you will not see me, and then in a little while you will see me indeed'; and by saying 'Because I am going to the Father'?
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to dine with him, so Jesus went to his house and took his place at table.
Dear friends, we are God's Children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is that, when it is revealed, we shall be like Christ; because we shall see him as he is.
Then I saw a great white throne, and him who was seated on it. 'The earth and the heavens fled from his presence; no place was left for them.'
"The time has come, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the Good News."
"The man who cured me," he answered, "said to me 'Take up your mat and walk about.'"
[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,
After this, the Master appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them on as his Messengers, two and two, in advance, to every town and place that he was himself intending to visit.
On seeing the crowds of People, Jesus went up the hill; and, when he had taken his seat, his disciples came up to him;
But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will attach himself to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
No temptation has come upon you that is not common to all mankind. God will not fail you, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength; but, when he sends the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may have strength to endure.
[Then Jesus said: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing."] His clothes they divided among them by casting lots.
But very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, taking with them the spices that they had prepared.
We have, then, in Jesus, the Son of God, a great High Priest who has passed into the highest Heaven; let us, therefore, hold fast to the Faith which we have professed.
Judah of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez of Hezron, Hezron of Ram,
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you, and I appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that should remain, so that the Father might grant you whatever you ask in my Name.
"Ananias," Peter exclaimed, "how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?
Next, Brothers, I would remind you of the Good News which I told you, and which you received-the Good News on which you have taken your stand,
Take care not to perform your religious duties in public in order to be seen by others; if you do, your Father who is in Heaven has no reward for you.
and that, from your childhood, you have known the Sacred Writings, which can give you the wisdom that, through belief in Christ Jesus, leads to Salvation.
After John had been committed to prison, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God--
When the people heard this, they were conscience-smitten, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles: "Brothers, what can we do?"
And my God, out of the greatness of his wealth, will, in glory, fully satisfy your every need, through your union with Christ Jesus.
Then I saw that Heaven lay open. There appears a white horse; its rider is called 'Faithful' and 'True'; righteously does he judge and make war.
In truth I tell you, he who believes in me will himself do the work that I am doing; and he will do greater work still, because I am going to the Father.
Do to others whatever you would wish them to do to you; for that is the teaching of both the Law and the Prophets.
You have condemned, you have murdered, the Righteous One! Must not God be opposed to you?
Moreover these signs shall attend those who believe. In my Name they shall drive out demons; they shall speak with 'tongues';
But Jesus answered: "Scripture says--'It is not on bread alone that man is to live, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Though the divine nature was his from the beginning, yet he did not look upon equality with God as above all things to be clung to,
Brothers, even if a man should be caught committing a sin, you who are spiritually minded should, in a gentle spirit, help him to recover himself, taking care lest any one of you also should be tempted.
No; the gift that God gives is for a nobler end; and that is why it is said--'God is opposed to the haughty, but gives help to the humble.'
But to you who hear I say--Love your enemies, show kindness to those who hate you,
Take care there is not some one who will carry you away by his 'philosophy'--a hollow sham!--following, as it does, mere human traditions, and dealing with puerile questions of this world, and not with Christ.
And this Good News of the Kingdom shall be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all nations; and then will come the end.
'It shall come about in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; your sons and your daughters shall become Prophets, your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams;
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.'
'Behold! the virgin shall be with child and shall give birth to a son, And they will give him the name Immanuel'--a word which means 'God is with us.'
The ground of his condemnation is this, that though the Light has come into the world, men preferred the darkness to the Light, because their actions were wicked.
Try earnestly to live at peace with every one, and to attain to that purity without which no one will see the Lord.
For, with a loud summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the trumpet-call of God, the Lord himself will come down from Heaven.
Whatever was written in the Scriptures in days gone by was written for our instruction, so that, through patient endurance, and through the encouragement drawn from the Scriptures, we might hold fast to our hope.
But the Spirit distinctly says that in later times there will be some who will fall away from the Faith, and devote their attention to misleading spirits, and to the teaching of demons,
Unfaithful people! Do not you know that to be friends with the world means to be at enmity with God? Therefore whoever chooses to be friends with the world makes himself an enemy to God.
But now, quite apart from Law, the Divine Righteousness stands revealed, and to it the Law and the Prophets bear witness--
It is by this that every one will recognize you as my disciples--by your loving one another."
Give, and others will give to you. A generous measure, pressed and shaken down, and running over, will they pour into your lap; For the measure that you mete will be meted out to you in return."
Though I speak in the 'tongues' of men, or even of angels, yet have not Love, I have become mere echoing brass, or a clanging cymbal!
It follows, then, that you are no longer strangers and aliens, but are fellow-citizens with Christ's People and members of God's Household.
And once, when he had gathered them together, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the fulfillment of the Father's promise-- "that promise," he said, "of which you have heard me speak;
All joy be yours at all times in your union with the Lord. Again I repeat--All joy be yours.
The Message of the Cross is indeed mere folly to those who are in the path to Ruin, but to us who are in the path of Salvation it is the very power of God.
And I give them Immortal Life, and they shall not be lost; nor shall any one snatch them out of my hands.
I am astonished at your so soon deserting him, who called you through the love of Christ, for a different 'Good News,'
The story, I mean, of Jesus of Nazareth, and how God consecrated him his Christ by enduing him with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and curing all who were under the power of the Devil, because God was with him.
Then he will say to those on his left 'Go from my presence, accursed, into the 'aeonian fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.'
Mark this, my dear Brothers--Let every one be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry;
and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world besides.
One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his Division,
Among the members of the Church at Antioch there were several Prophets and Teachers--Barnabas, Simeon who was known by the name of 'Black', Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, foster-brother of Prince Herod, and Saul.
Then Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the thanksgiving, broke it and gave to them, with the words: "This is my body, [which is now to be given on your behalf. Do this in memory of me."
And he is the Head of the Church, which is his Body. The First-born from the dead, he is to the Church the Source of its Life, that he, in all things, may stand first.
For his divine power has given us everything that is needful for a life of piety, as we advance in the knowledge of him who called us by a glorious manifestation of his goodness.
Let no one say, when he is tempted, "It is God who is tempting me!" For God, who cannot be tempted to do wrong, does not himself tempt any one.
Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip: "Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (It is now deserted).
Blessed is the man who remains firm under temptation, for, when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.
And so from one man--and that when his powers were dead--there sprang a people as numerous 'as the stars in the heavens or the countless grains of sand upon the shore.'
For just as the human body is one whole, and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many though they are, form but one body, so it is with the Christ;
For the Spirit which God gave us was not a spirit of cowardice, but a spirit of power, love, and self-control.
Another time, speaking to people who were satisfied that they were religious, and who regarded every one else with scorn, Jesus told this parable--
Seeing that, while we were still powerless, Christ, in God's good time, died on behalf of the godless.
For it is as though a man, going on his travels, called his servants, and gave his property into their charge.
But as for cowards, unbelievers, the degraded, murderers, the impure, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars--their place will be in the burning lake of fire and sulphur. That is the Second Death.'
That they all may be one--that as thou, Father, art in union with us--and so the world may believe that thou hast sent me as thy Messenger.
Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nashon, Nashon of Salmon,
Once, when the people were pressing round Jesus as the listened to God's Message, he happened to be standing by the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats close to the shore.
It is a part of your Faith, is it not, that there is one God? Good; yet even the demons have that faith, and tremble at the thought.
But there were false prophets also in the nation, just as there will be false teachers among you, men who will secretly introduce ruinous divisions, disowning even the Lord who bought them, and bringing speedy Ruin upon themselves.
If any of you is in trouble, let him pray; if any one is happy, let him sing hymns.
The whole body of those who had become believers in Christ were of one heart and mind. Not one of them claimed any of his goods as his own, but everything was held for the common use.
And that is why he is able to save perfectly those who come to God through him, living for ever, as he does, to intercede of their behalf.
So, when the Apostles had met together, they asked Jesus this question--"Master, is this the time when you intend to re-establish the Kingdom for Israel?"
For even the Son of Man came, not be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
So let the whole nation of Israel know beyond all doubt, that God has made him both Lord and Christ--this very Jesus whom you crucified."
"If any man comes to me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and his very life, he can be no disciple of mine.
"Have I been all this time among you," said Jesus, "and yet you, Philip, have not recognized me? He who has seen me has seen the Father, how can you say, then, 'Show us the Father'?
The Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely, to see if he would work cures on the Sabbath, so that they might find a charge to bring against him.
If you remain united to me, and my teaching remains in your hearts, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be yours.
All that owes its birth to human nature is human, and all that owes its birth to the Spirit is spiritual.
"The first," answered Jesus, "is--'Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is the one Lord;
In fulfillment of the charge with which I have been entrusted, I bid every one of you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think till he learns to think soberly--in accordance with the measure of faith that God has allotted to each.
"This is what I told you," he said, "when I was still with you--that everything that had been written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, must be fulfilled."
There was, however, a man named Ananias, who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property,
After his rising again, early on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first of all to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had driven out seven demons.
And fathers, do not irritate your children, but bring them up with Christian discipline and instruction.
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary had gone to look at the grave,
"My kingly power," replied Jesus, "is not due to this world. If it had been so, my servants would be doing their utmost to prevent my being given up to the Jews; but my kingly power is not from the world."
Nothing should be done in a factious spirit or from vanity, but each of you should with all humility regard others as of more account than himself,
But the State of which we are citizens is in Heaven; and it is from Heaven that we are eagerly looking for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some spices, so that they might go and anoint the body of Jesus.
I do not want many of you, my Brothers, to become teachers, knowing, as you do, that we who teach shall be judged by a more severe standard than others.
For in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets--'His offspring, too, are we.'
"For you have had five husbands, and the man with whom you are now living is not your husband; in saying that, you have spoken the truth."
When Jesus had received the wine, he exclaimed: "All is finished!" Then, bowing his head, he resigned his spirit to God.
It was by this that the holy women of old, who rested their hopes on God, adorned themselves; submitting to their husbands,
"There is a boy here," said Andrew, another of his disciples, Simon Peter's brother,
These, then, are the Tidings that we have heard from him and now tell you-- 'God is Light, and Darkness has no place at all in him.'
As the sun rises, and the hot wind blows, 'the grass withers, its flower fades,' and all its beauty is gone. So is it with the rich man. In the midst of his pursuits he will come to an untimely end.
Whatever the gift that each has received, use it in the service of others, as good stewards of the varied bounty of God.
It happened that very day that two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem,
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be offered for every one,
Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring, not peace, but the sword.
Christ ransomed us from the curse pronounced in the Law, by taking the curse on himself for us, for Scripture says--'Cursed is any one who is hanged on a tree.'
Our appeal to you was not based on a delusion, nor was it made from unworthy motives, or with any intention of misleading you.
Therefore, since human nature is the common heritage of 'the Children,' Jesus also shared it, in order that by death he might render powerless him whose power lies in death--that is, the Devil--
And the King will reply 'I tell you, as often as you did it to one of these my Brothers, however lowly, you did it to me.'
The young men got up, and, winding the body in a sheet, carried it out and buried it.
But his reply has been-- 'My help is enough for you; for my strength attains its perfection in the midst of weakness.' Most gladly, then, will I boast all the more of my weaknesses, so that the strength of the Christ may overshadow me.
and who were chosen in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the consecration of the Spirit, to learn obedience, and to be purified by the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ, from Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. May blessing and peace be yours in ever-increasing measure.
I declare to all who hear the words of the prophecy contained in this book-- 'If anyone adds to it, God will add to his troubles the Curses described in this book;
Concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; who, as to his human nature, was descended from David,
Then came up one of the Teachers of the Law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question: "What is the first of all the commandments?"
Bearing fruit and growing, as it does, through all the world, just as it did among you, from the very day that you heard of God's loving-kindness, and understood what that loving-kindness really is.
It is the Spirit that gives Life; mere flesh is of no avail. In the teaching that I have been giving you there is Spirit and there is Life.
Everyone, therefore, that listens to this teaching of mine and acts upon it may be compared to a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock.
The Spirit himself unites with our spirits in bearing witness to our being God's children,
We have learned to know what love is from this--that Christ laid down his life on our behalf. Therefore we also ought to lay down our lives on behalf of our Brothers.
And Jesus answered: "I tell you, this very day you shall be with me in Paradise."
This I say, Brothers-Flesh and blood can have no share in the Kingdom of God, nor can the perishable share the imperishable.
But, in his loving-kindness, are being freely pronounced righteous through the deliverance found in Christ Jesus.
For I myself received from the Lord the account which I have in turn given to you-how the Lord Jesus, on the very night of his betrayal, took some bread,
But whoever once drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst any more; but the water that I will give him shall become a spring welling up within him--a source of Immortal Life."
To all in Rome who are dear to God and have been called to become Christ's People, From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, who has been called to become an Apostle, and has been set apart to tell God's Good News.
After this, in my vision, I saw a vast throng which no man could number, of men from every nation and of all tribes, and peoples, and languages. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, robed in white, holding palm branches in their hands.
In truth I tell you, whoever does not go into the sheepfold through the door, but climbs up at some other place, that man is a thief and a robber;
Let marriage be honoured by all and the married life be pure; for God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
How true is that saying! When a man aspires to be a Presiding-Officer in the Church, he is ambitious for a noble task.
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland districts of Roman Asia, and went to Ephesus. There he found some disciples, of whom he asked:
And, when you pray, you are not to behave as hypocrites do. They like to pray standing in the Synagogues and at the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. There, I tell you, is their reward!
You have heard that it was said--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.'
Remember, Brothers, to you the Call came to give you freedom. Only do not make your freedom an opportunity for self-indulgence, but serve one another in a loving spirit.