Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



Time after time, in every Synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders. Verse ConceptsForeign ThingsBlasphemy


I am thankful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has been my strength, for showing that he thought me worthy of trust by appointing me to his ministry, though I once used to blaspheme, and to persecute, and to insult. Yet mercy was shown me, because I acted in ignorance, while still an unbeliever;

while one who does not know his master's wishes, but acts so as to deserve a flogging, will receive but few. From every one to whom much has been given much will be expected, and from the man to whom much has been entrusted the more will be demanded. Verse ConceptsGiving, Of TalentsResponsibility, To GodSin, Nature OfStewardshipTrustworthinessWork, Divine And HumanIgnorance Of EvilGod's NeedsFaithful In MuchThose To Whom God GivesAccountabilityResponsibility




And yet, my Brothers, I know that you acted as you did from ignorance, and your rulers also. Verse ConceptsSin, Nature OfIgnorance Of EvilKnowing FactsIgnorance of Godignorance

I am thankful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has been my strength, for showing that he thought me worthy of trust by appointing me to his ministry, though I once used to blaspheme, and to persecute, and to insult. Yet mercy was shown me, because I acted in ignorance, while still an unbeliever;

I am thankful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has been my strength, for showing that he thought me worthy of trust by appointing me to his ministry, though I once used to blaspheme, and to persecute, and to insult. Yet mercy was shown me, because I acted in ignorance, while still an unbeliever;

while one who does not know his master's wishes, but acts so as to deserve a flogging, will receive but few. From every one to whom much has been given much will be expected, and from the man to whom much has been entrusted the more will be demanded. Verse ConceptsGiving, Of TalentsResponsibility, To GodSin, Nature OfStewardshipTrustworthinessWork, Divine And HumanIgnorance Of EvilGod's NeedsFaithful In MuchThose To Whom God GivesAccountabilityResponsibility




And yet, my Brothers, I know that you acted as you did from ignorance, and your rulers also. Verse ConceptsSin, Nature OfIgnorance Of EvilKnowing FactsIgnorance of Godignorance



Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Are not you yourselves my work achieved in union with the Lord? Verse ConceptsPaul, Apostle To GentilesOne's DeedsWorking For The Lord

Last of all, he appeared even to me, who am, as it were, the abortion. Verse ConceptsResurrection Of Christ, AppearancesUntimelinessChrist AppearingEnd Of ActionsAbortion

I am thankful to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has been my strength, for showing that he thought me worthy of trust by appointing me to his ministry, though I once used to blaspheme, and to persecute, and to insult. Yet mercy was shown me, because I acted in ignorance, while still an unbeliever;

You heard, no doubt, of my conduct when I was devoted to Judaism--how I persecuted the Church of God to an extent beyond belief, and made havoc of it, Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him-- "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the voice answered; read more.
"Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one. When Saul got up from the ground, though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So his men led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus; And for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink. Now there was at Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to whom, in a vision, the Lord said: "Ananias." "Yes, Lord," he answered. "Go at once," said the Lord, "to the 'Straight Street', and ask at Judas's house for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. He is at this moment praying, And he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, so that he may recover his sight." "Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I have heard from many people about this man--how much harm he has done at Jerusalem to your People there. And, here, too, he holds authority from the Chief Priests to put in chains all those who invoke your Name." But the Lord said to him: "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to uphold my Name before the Gentiles and their kings, and the people of Israel. I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my Name." So Ananias went, entered the house, and, placing his hands on Saul, said: "Saul, my Brother, I have been sent by the Lord--by Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here--so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Instantly it seemed as if a film fell from Saul's eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, And, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus, And at once began in the Synagogues to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. All who heard him were amazed. "Is not this," they asked, "the man who worked havoc in Jerusalem among those that invoke this Name, and who had also come here for the express purpose of having such persons put in chains and taken before the Chief Priests?" Saul's influence, however, kept steadily increasing, and he confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by the proofs that he gave that Jesus was the Christ.

In my persecution of this Cause I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike-- And to that the High Priest himself and all the Council can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment. While I was still on my way, just as I was getting close to Damascus, about mid-day, suddenly there flashed from the heavens a great light all round me. read more.
I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' I replied. Then the voice said 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.' The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker's voice. Then I said 'What am I to do, Lord?' 'Get up and go into Damascus,' The Lord said to me, 'and there you shall be told all that you have been appointed to do.' In consequence of that dazzling light I could not see, but my companions held me by the hand, till I reached Damascus. There a man named Ananias, a strict observer of our Law, well spoken of by all the Jewish inhabitants, came to see me. Standing close to me, he said 'Saul, my Brother, recover your sight.' And then and there I recovered my sight and looked up at him. Then he said 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from his lips; For you shall be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just seen and heard. And now why wait any longer: Be baptized at once, wash away your sins, and invoke his Name. After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance, And saw Jesus saying to me 'Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' 'Lord,' I answered, 'these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in Synagogue after Synagogue, those who believed in you;

I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the Name of Jesus of Nazareth; And I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the Chief Priests, I myself threw many of the People of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it. Time after time, in every Synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders. read more.
It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the Chief Priests, That at mid-day, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all round me and those traveling with me. We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew-- 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. And the Lord said: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;

As to zeal, I was a persecutor of the Church; as to such righteousness as is due to Law, I proved myself blameless. Verse ConceptseagernessRestored In Jesus ChristPerfection, HumanZealFulfilling The LawPlea Of InnocenceThe Church UniversalPersecutionzealots


And that was why the Jews began to persecute Jesus--because he did things of this kind on the Sabbath. Verse ConceptsPersecution, Nature OfPlottingPersecution Of ChristThe Sabbath And ChristWhy People Did Things

The men who killed both the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and persecuted us also. They do not try to please God, and they are enemies to all mankind, Verse ConceptsExcommunicationKilling ProphetsProphets KilledChrist Was KilledNot Pleasing GodRaceprophets


while one who does not know his master's wishes, but acts so as to deserve a flogging, will receive but few. From every one to whom much has been given much will be expected, and from the man to whom much has been entrusted the more will be demanded. Verse ConceptsGiving, Of TalentsResponsibility, To GodSin, Nature OfStewardshipTrustworthinessWork, Divine And HumanIgnorance Of EvilGod's NeedsFaithful In MuchThose To Whom God GivesAccountabilityResponsibility




And yet, my Brothers, I know that you acted as you did from ignorance, and your rulers also. Verse ConceptsSin, Nature OfIgnorance Of EvilKnowing FactsIgnorance of Godignorance

while one who does not know his master's wishes, but acts so as to deserve a flogging, will receive but few. From every one to whom much has been given much will be expected, and from the man to whom much has been entrusted the more will be demanded. Verse ConceptsGiving, Of TalentsResponsibility, To GodSin, Nature OfStewardshipTrustworthinessWork, Divine And HumanIgnorance Of EvilGod's NeedsFaithful In MuchThose To Whom God GivesAccountabilityResponsibility




And yet, my Brothers, I know that you acted as you did from ignorance, and your rulers also. Verse ConceptsSin, Nature OfIgnorance Of EvilKnowing FactsIgnorance of Godignorance