They love to have the places of honor at festivals, the best seats in the synagogues,

and to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

For example, when you go with your opponent in front of a ruler, do your best to settle with him on the way there. Otherwise, you will be dragged in front of the judge, and the judge will hand you over to an officer, and the officer will throw you into prison.

But the father told his servants, "Hurry! Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

"Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

The one whose name was Cleopas answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn't know what happened there in the past few days?"

and told him, "Everyone serves the best wine first, and the cheap kind when people are drunk. But you have kept the best wine until now!"

For in the recent past Theudas appeared, claiming that he was important, and about 400 men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and disappeared.

They left Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down.

In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways,

Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in Asia, as he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible.

For we have found this man a perfect pest and an agitator among all Jews throughout the world. He is a ringleader in the sect of the Nazarenes

Therefore, I always do my best to have a clear conscience before God and people.

Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Much time had been lost, and because navigation had become dangerous and the day of fasting had already past, Paul began to warn those on the ship,

Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the Law, and boast about God,

and know his will, and approve of what is best because you have been instructed in the Law;

As you boast about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law?

whom God offered as a place where atonement by the Messiah's blood would occur through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because he had waited patiently to deal with sins committed in the past.

What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith.

For if Abraham was justified by actions, he would have had something to boast about though not before God.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace by which we have been established, and we boast because of our hope in God's glory.

Not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

Not only that, but we also continue to boast about God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom we have now been reconciled.

do not boast about being better than the other branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

For just as you disobeyed God in the past but now have received his mercy because of their disobedience,

Therefore, in the Messiah Jesus I have the right to boast about my work for God.

so that no one may boast in God's presence.

Therefore, as it is written, "The person who boasts must boast in the Lord."

So let no one boast about human beings, since everything belongs to you,

For who makes you superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not receive it?

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for this obligation has been entrusted to me. How terrible it would be for me if I didn't preach the gospel!

Keep on desiring the better gifts. And now I will show you the best way of all.

She bears up under everything; believes the best in all; there is no limit to her hope, and never will she fall.

For this is what we boast about: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with pure motives and godly sincerity, without earthly wisdom but with God's grace especially toward you.

just as you have already understood us partially, so that on the Day of our Lord Jesus we can be your reason to boast, even as you are ours.

Therefore, demonstrate to the churches that you love them and show them publicly why we boast about you.

For I know how willing you are, and I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year, and your enthusiasm has stimulated most of them.

Now I have sent the brothers so that our boasting about you in this matter may not prove to be an idle boast, and so that you may stand ready, just as I said.

So if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave us to build you up and not to tear you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

We will not boast about what cannot be evaluated. Instead, we will stay within the field that God assigned us, so as to reach even you.

"The person who boasts should boast in the Lord."

I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little.

Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too.

If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am.

I must boast, although it does not do any good. Let's talk about visions and revelations from the Lord.

I will boast about this man, but as for myself I will boast only about my weaknesses.

However, if I did want to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I am not going to do it in order to keep anyone from thinking more of me than what he sees and hears about me.

but he has told me, "My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me.

What we have told you in the past I am now telling you again: If anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that person be condemned!

However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all.

envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Each person must examine his own actions, and then he can boast about his own accomplishments and not about someone else.

Why, not even those who are circumcised obey the Law! They simply want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your external appearance.

But may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!

and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just as I wrote about briefly in the past.

Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit by means of the bond of peace.

making the best use of your time because the times are evil.

so that you may be able to choose what is best and be pure and blameless until the day when the Messiah returns,

Meanwhile, I thought it best to send Epaphroditus my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need back to you.

Behave wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of your time.

In the past I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. But I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in my unbelief,

Do your best to present yourself to God as an approved worker who has nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of truth with precision.

Do your best to come to me soon,

Do your best to come to me before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

As soon as I send Artemas to you, or perhaps Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

For a short time they disciplined us as they thought best, but God does it for our good, so that we may share in his holiness.

In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it can boast of great achievements. A huge forest can be set on fire by a little flame.

But you boast about your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.

After all, this is how holy women who set their hope on God used to make themselves beautiful in the past. They submitted themselves to their husbands,

For you spent enough time in the past doing what the gentiles like to do, living in sensuality, sinful desires, drunkenness, wild celebrations, drinking parties, and detestable idolatry.

For the person who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted, and has forgotten the cleansing that he has received from his past sins.

to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the commandment of our Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles.

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will wage war against them, conquer them, and kill them.

I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten royal crowns on its horns. On its heads were blasphemous names.

The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear's feet, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave it his power, his throne, and complete authority.

One of the beast's heads looked like it had sustained a mortal wound, but its fatal wound was healed. Rapt with amazement, the whole world followed the beast.

They worshipped the dragon because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight a war with it?"

The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for 42 months.

I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it talked like a dragon.

It uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of the first beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.

The second beast was allowed to impart life to the image of the first beast so that the image of the beast could talk and order the execution of those who would not worship the image of the beast.

The second beast forces all people important and unimportant, rich and poor, free and slaves to be marked on their right hands or on their foreheads,

so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the beast's name or the number of its name.

In this case wisdom is needed: Let the person who has understanding calculate the total of the beast, since it is a human multitude, and the sum of the multitude is 600, 60 and six.

Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying in a loud voice, "Whoever worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or his hand

The smoke from their torture goes up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image or for anyone who receives the mark of its name."

Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who had conquered the beast, its image, and the number of its name were standing on the sea of glass holding God's harps in their hands.

So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth. A horrible, painful sore appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped the image.

The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed on their tongues in anguish

Then I saw three disgusting spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was controlled by blasphemy. It had seven heads and ten horns.

"Why are you surprised?" The angel asked me. "I will tell you the secret of the woman and the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her.

The beast that you saw existed once, but is no longer, and is going to crawl out of the bottomless pit and then proceed to its destruction. Those living on earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be surprised when they see the beast because it was, is no longer, and will come again.

The beast that was and is no longer is the eighth king, but it belongs with the seven kings and goes to its destruction.

The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom. They will receive authority to rule as kings with the beast for one hour.

They have one purpose: to give their power and authority to the beast.

The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire,