Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible






thereupon Paul stood up, and having made sign with his hand for their attention, he said, men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. the God of Israel made choice of our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourn'd in Egypt, from whence he conducted them by the terror of his arm. for forty years he maintain'd them in the wilderness. read more.
after that he distributed to them by lot the territorys of seven nations, which he destroyed in Canaan. after these transactions, which lasted about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges to the time of the prophet Samuel: when having demanded a king, God gave them Saul the son of Cis, of the tribe of Benjamin: the government of both having lasted forty years, God removed Saul, and rais'd up David to be their king, to whom he gave this testimonial, " I have found David the son of Jesse: he is a man most acceptable to me, and he will execute all my orders." it is of his posterity that God, pursuant to his promise, has rais'd up Jesus to be the saviour of Israel. before his appearance, John had preach'd the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. and in the discharge of his mission, he said, "who do you think I am? I am not the Messias. but there comes another after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to untie." It is to you, my brethren, who are the children of Abraham, and to all who fear God among you, that this salutary news is sent. as for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and their senators, by their not knowing who he was, and by condemning him, they have accomplished the declarations of the prophets, which are read every sabbath-day: although they could not convict him of any thing capital, yet they demanded of Pilate, that he should be put to death. after they had accomplished all that was written concerning him, he was taken down from the cross, and laid in a sepulchre: but God raised him from the dead: and for many days he was seen by those, who had accompany'd him from Galilee to Jerusalem: and they are now his witnesses to the people. to you therefore we declare, that the promise which God had made to the fathers, he has now perform'd to us, who are their children, by his having raised up Jesus again. agreeable to what is written in the first psalm, "thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee." and to show that he rais'd him from the dead, never more to return to corruption, he said thus, "I will faithfully perform the promises, which I made to David." wherefore in another place he says, "thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption." for David, after he had serv'd in his time the designs of providence, died and was buryed with his fathers, and was subject to corruption. but he, whom God hath raised, was not subject to corruption. know then, my brethren, it is by him, that the remission of sins is offer'd to you: by him, every one who believes, is purged from all that guilt, for which the law of Moses had made no such provision. take care then, that what the prophets predicted may not happen to you, "consider you despisers, be surpriz'd and turn pale, for I shall perform a work in your days, which you will not believe, whoever shall declare it unto you." When Paul and Barnabas were gone out of the Jewish synagogue, the Gentiles desired them to entertain them on the same subject, the following sabbath. when the assembly was separated, many Jews and religious proselytes followed after, to whom the apostles address'd themselves, and exhorted them to persevere in the divine dispensation.

for though you may have ten thousand christian preceptors, you cannot have many fathers; since it was I that first instructed you in the gospel of Christ Jesus:

if I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for your being christians is the proof of my apostleship.

but whether I or they labour'd most, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

you are my epistle, your conversion being writ in. my heart, known and read by all men: which shows you to be the epistle of Christ, written by my ministration, not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on living tables of the heart.




Paul an apostle (not from men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the father who raised him from the dead) and all the brethren,

but when it pleased God, who ordained me from my birth, and called me by his especial favour, to reveal his son to me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not thereupon apply my self to any man;


Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the divine appointment to the converts which are at Ephesus, who stand firm in the faith of Christ Jesus:

Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the divine appointment, and Timothy our brother,


Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, appointed by God to declare the promise, which Jesus Christ has made of eternal life;


Paul a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to declare the faith which recommends men to the divine favour, and to convince them of that truth, which leads to piety,

for I am the meanest of the apostles, not worthy the name of an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

and has in due time manifested by the preaching of his word, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our saviour:

For this I was establish'd the herald, the apostle, and doctor of the Gentiles. this has drawn upon me the evils I suffer.

then he said, the God of our fathers has singled you out to be acquainted with his will, to see the just one, and to hear the words of his mouth: that you might testify to all men, what you have seen and heard. why should you now delay? arise, be baptized, and cleansed from your sins, by invoking the name of the Lord. read more.
at length being return'd to Jerusalem, one day as I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance. then I saw JESUS, who said to me, "make haste, and go out of Jerusalem immediately: for they will not receive the attestations you would give of me." Lord, said I, they know it is I that imprison'd those who believed on thee, and caus'd them to be scourg'd in the assemblies: that I was present, when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, that I abetted the slaughter, and watch'd the clothes of those who slew him. but the Lord said to me, "be gone, for I will send you far hence, even to the Gentiles."

but rise upright upon thy feet: for I have appear'd to thee in order to establish you my minister in testifying both what you have seen, and what I shall hereafter show to you, by delivering you from this people, and from the Gentiles to whom I now send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and partake of the inheritance of the saints, by believing on me."

Am I not free? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not you become christians by my labour? if I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for your being christians is the proof of my apostleship.


if I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you: for your being christians is the proof of my apostleship.