"Moreover I say to you that you are Petros (a rock), and on this petra (rock) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her.

"But if he will not listen to you, take one or two others along, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he will not listen to them, tell the church;

"but if he will not heed the church, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax-gatherer.

And great fear fell on all the church and upon all who had heard it.

With these words he fell asleep. And Saul fully approved of his murder. On this very day there broke out a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostle were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

But Saul was laying waste the church. He was wont to enter into every house, and to drag off men and women, and to commit them to prison.

Now throughout the whole of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria the Church continued to enjoy peace and to be spiritually built up. It was increasing in members also, as it kept walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

When news of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.

and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch, where for a whole year they were guests of the church, and taught many people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples first received the name of "Christians."

Now, at about that time, Herod the king put forth his hands to ill-treat certain members of the church;

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God was made by the church for him.

Now there were in the church in Antioch prophets and teachers; Barnabas and Symeon, surnamed "the Black," Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.

They chose elders for them in every church, after prayer and fasting, and commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

On their arrival they assembled the church and reported all things that God had done through them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

So the church saw them off on their journey, and they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria. Here they set forth the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

Upon their arrival in Jerusalem they were received by the church and the apostles and elders, and they told them all things that God had done with them.

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to select some of their number, and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The men chosen were Judas called Bar-Sabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

Then, setting sail from Ephesus, he landed at Caesarea; he went up to Jerusalem and saluted the church, and came down to Antioch.

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church to come to him;

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, and be shepherds of the church of God which he has purchased with his own blood.

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a minister of the church at Cenchrae.

but by all the churches among the Gentiles. Salute likewise the church that meets in their home. Salute Epaenetus, my dearly beloved, the first man in Roman Asia to believe in Christ.

Gaius, my host, and the host of the church, salutes you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, salutes you, and so does brother Quartus.

to the Church of God at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all, wherever they are, who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

With this in mind I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dear and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ; the manner in which I ever teach everywhere in every church.

What have I to do with the judging of outsiders? Must not you judge those who are within the church, while God judges outsiders?

Why then, if you have cases relating to earthly affairs which need to be decided, is it men who are absolutely nothing in the church whom you make your judges?

Do not be a cause of stumbling either to Jews of to Gentiles, or to the church of God.

To begin with, I am told??nd I believe there is some truth in it??hat when you meet at a church there are divisions among you.

What! Have you no houses in which to eat or drink? or do you wish to show your contempt for the church of God, and to shame those who have no homes to eat in? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I certainly do not praise you.

And God has appointed those in the church to be first of all apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers. then workers of miracles, healers, helpers, administrators, users of various kinds of "tongues."

He who speaks in a tongue upbuilds himself; but he who prophesies upbuilds the church.

Now I should like you all to speak with "tongues"; but I should rather that you prophesied, For he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be built up.

So also in your case, since you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in them for the upbuilding of the church.

but in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, so as to instruct others, than ten thousand in an unknown tongue.

Accordingly, when the whole church assemblies, and everybody is speaking "with tongues," if there enter men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that you are mad?

But if there is no one to interpret, let them keep silence in the church, and speak to themselves and to God.

And if they want to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a women to speak in church."

For I am the least of the apostles, I who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Now concerning the offering for the saints, you also are to do as I directed the church of Galatia.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla (Prisca), with the church that meets in their house, greet you heartily in the Lord.

To the Church of God which is in Corinth, and to all the saints throughout Greece. from Paul, by God's will an apostle of Christ, and from brother Timothy.

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how furiously I used to persecute the church of God, and how I kept seeking to root it out;

God has put all things under Christ's feet, and placed him as Head over all in the church,

in order that now his manifold wisdom should, through the church, be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly sphere,

to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations, world without end, Amen.

because a husband is the head of his wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, which he saves.

But as the church submits itself to Christ, so also wives to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her,

so as to present her to himself, the church glorified, without spot or wrinkle or any such blemish; but on the contrary holy and faultless.

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it as Christ does the church;

There is a deep mystery here?? am speaking of Christ and his church.

as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which comes through law, blameless.

And you very well know, Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I had left Macedonia, no church but yourselves had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving.

He is the head of his Body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, in order that in all things he may become preeminent.

I am now rejoicing in my sufferings on your behalf; and I am filling up in my own body what is yet lacking of the sufferings of Christ in behalf of the church, his Body.

Salute the brothers in Laodicea; Nympha also, and the church which meets at her house.

And when this letter has been read to you, see that it is read also in the church of Laodiceans, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

Paul and Silas and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians which is in God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you, and peace.

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how shall he take charge of a church of God?

I am writing this to you in case I should be detained, to let you see how you ought to behave in the household of God??he Church of the everliving God, the pillar and mainstay of the truth.

Any believing woman, who has widowed relatives, ought to relieve them and not let the church be burdened with them; so that the church may relieve the really destitute widows.

to my sister Apphia, to my fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church which meets at Philemon's house. From Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy.

I will proclaim thy name to my brothers; In the midst of the Church I will hymn thy praises.

to the festal assemblage and church of the firstborn, registered in heaven, to a Judge who is God of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Is any in good spirits? Let him sing unto his harp. Is any one of you ill? Let him send for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, after anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

Your sister church in Babylon, elect with you, sends you salutations, and so does Marcus, my son.

They have borne testimony to your love before the church. You will do well to speed them on their way worthily of God;

I have written somewhat to the church; but Diotrephes, who love to take the lead among them, does not receive me.

Do them when I come I will recall to mind the deeds which he is doing, prating against me with wicked words. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to receive the brothers, forbids those that would receive them, and excommunicates them from the church.

To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write. These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, and who walks among the seven golden candlesticks.

And unto the angel of the Church in Smyrna, write. These are the words of the First and the Last, he who died and has returned to life.

And to the angel of the Church in Pergamum, write These are the words of Him who holds the sharp two-edged sword.

And to the angel of the Church in Thyatira, write. These are the words of the Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like burnished brass.

To the angel of the Church at Sardis, write. These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works, that you have the name of being alive, but are really dead.

Write also to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia. These things says He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens, and no one shall shut; and who shuts, and no one opens.

To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write. These things says the Amen, the witness, faithful and true, the beginning of the creation of God.

The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks, is this. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches."

"In your congregation" you write, "as in all the churches of the saints, let the women keep silence in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. On the contrary let them be subordinate, as also says the law.

Now, brothers, I wish to tell you about the grace of God which has been manifest in the churches of Macedonia.

And I am sending with him that brother whose fame in the service of the gospel is spread through all the churches.

More than that, he is the one chosen by the churches to accompany me on my journey, in administering this gift of yours for the Lord's glory. And this has my full consent,

As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.

So show to the churches an evidence of your love, and a justification to these brothers of my boasting about you.

Other churches I spoiled, and took their wages to do you service.

Not to mention other things, there is the crowding pressure of each day upon me, the care of all the churches.

In what respect, then, were you inferior to the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

with all the brothers who are with me. To the churches of Galatia greeting.

But to the churches of Christ in Judea I was personally unknown;

For you, brothers, began to follow the example of the churches of God in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus; and you in your turn suffered at the hands of your fellow citizens persecutions like to those which they endured from the Jews??15 The men who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out??hey are displeasing to God, and are the enemies of all mankind.

So that I myself am boasting about you among the churches of God, boasting of the stedfastness and faith which you are displaying in all the troubles and afflictions which you are enduring.

He that has an ear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Let any one who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

From John to the seven churches that are in Asia the Roman Province. Grace to you, and peace from Him that is and was and is to be, and from the Seven Spirits that are before his throne,

saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches; to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea."

He who has an ear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To him that overcomes, to him will I give to eat from the tree of life which is in the garden of God.

Let him who has ears, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.

He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To him that overcomes I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no man knows, but he that receives it.

And moreover, her children will I kill with pestilence. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the hearts and souls of men. I will give to each of you according to his works.