When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went to their master and reported the whole matter to him.

Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the sanctuary, it does not matter, but if anyone swears by the gold of the sanctuary, it is binding.'

You say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it does not matter, but if anyone swears by the offering that is on it, it is binding.'

And he said to them, "Take care! You must be on your guard against any form of greed, for a man's life does not belong to him, no matter how rich he is."

The man who can be trusted in a very small matter can be trusted in a large one, and the man who cannot be trusted in a very small matter cannot be trusted in a large one.

Jesus said to him, "If I wish him to wait till I come, what does it matter to you? You must follow me."

So the story spread among the brothers that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not tell him that he was not going to die; he said, "If I wish him to wait till I come, what does it matter to you?"

You, brothers, must pick out from your number seven men of good standing, who are wise and full of the Spirit, and we will put them in charge of this matter,

Then Peter explained the matter to them from beginning to end. He said,

The apostles and elders had a meeting to look into this matter.

But my life does not matter, if I can only finish my race and do the service intrusted to me by the Lord Jesus, of declaring the good news of God's favor.

and after leaving the room, in talking the matter over together, they said, "This man has not done anything to deserve death or imprisonment."

The real Jew is the man who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, a spiritual, not a literal, thing. Such a man receives his praise not from men, but from God.

That is why it all turns upon faith; it is to make it a matter of God's favor, so that the promise may hold good for all Abraham's descendants, not only those who are adherents of the Law, but also those who share the faith of Abraham. For he is the father of all of us;

You must obey them, therefore, not only to escape God's wrath, but as a matter of principle,

The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of uprightness, peace, and happiness through the possession of the holy Spirit.

So when I have finished this matter, and seen this contribution safely into their possession, I will start for Spain, and come to you on the way,

For no matter how many guides you may have in the Christian life, you will not have many fathers; for in this matter of union with Christ, I became your father, through preaching the good news to you.

For the reign of God is not a matter of words but of power.

When one of you has a disagreement with his neighbor, does he dare to bring the matter before a heathen court, instead of laying it before his Christian brothers?

About food that has been offered to idols, it is true, as you say, that we all have some knowledge on that matter. Knowledge gives people airs; love is what builds up character.

For if somebody sees you, who are intelligent about this matter, attending a dinner in an idol's temple, will not he, with his sensitive conscience, be led to eat meat that is offered to idols?

Have you no houses to eat and drink in? Or do you mean to show your contempt for the church of God, and to humiliate those who have none? What can I say to you? Can I approve of you? Not in this matter certainly.

See how earnest this God-given pain has made you! how eager to clear yourselves, how indignant, how alarmed, how eager to see me, how zealous, how avenging! At every point you have proved that you are clear of this matter.

But I send the brothers so that our pride in you may not have a fall in this matter, but you may be all ready as I have told them you will;

I am confident in the Lord that you will not take a different view. The man who is unsettling you will have to pay the penalty for it, no matter who he is.

No one is to wrong or defraud his brother in this matter, for the Lord avenges all such things, as we told you before, in the most solemn terms.

It is faith that enables us to see that the universe was created at the command of God, so that the world we see did not simply arise out of matter.

Then in my vision I heard an eagle flying in midair say in a loud voice, "Alas! Alas! Alas for the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other blasts of the three angels who are going to blow their trumpets!"

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with eternal good news to announce to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

Then I saw an angel standing on the sun, and shouting in a loud voice to all the birds that fly in midair, "Come! Gather for God's great banquet,