Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



from the time of His baptism by John down to the day when He was taken up from us, must be added to our number as a witness to His resurrection."

Then Jerusalem and all Judea, even the whole Jordan district, continued to go out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as one by one they continued to confess their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? read more.
Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess,


Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, by saying, "I have need to be baptized by you, and you come to me!" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for this is the fitting way for both of us to do our full duty to God." Then he yielded to Him. read more.
And as soon as Jesus was baptized, He at once went up out of the water, and look! the heavens opened, and John saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove upon Him,

Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven, or from men?" They argued it out among themselves in this way, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

John the Baptizer appeared in the desert and was preaching a baptism conditioned on repentance to obtain the forgiveness of sins. And people from all over Judea and everybody in Jerusalem kept on going out to him and being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

I have baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit." Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as soon as He started to come up out of the water, He saw the heavens split open and the Spirit coming down like a dove to enter Him.

Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer me."

So he used to say to the crowds that continued to come out there to be baptized by him: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance that you profess, and do not even begin to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather,' for I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones.

Then even the tax-collectors came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what ought we to do?"

Now when all the people had been baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was still praying, heaven opened

And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, vindicated the righteous requirements of God by submitting to John's baptism, but the Pharisees and experts in the law thwarted God's purpose for themselves by refusing to be baptized by him.

was John's baptism from heaven or from men?"

so they asked him, "Why are you baptizing then, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I am baptizing only in water. There is standing among you One with whom you are not acquainted.

This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.


I did not know Him myself, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, is the One who is to baptize in the Holy Spirit.'

But John too was baptizing people at Aenon, near Salim, for there was plenty of water there, and so the people were coming and being baptized.

He again crossed the Jordan at the place where John at first used to baptize, and there He stayed.


You know the story yourselves that spread all over Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached,

and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

He then asked, "With what sort of baptism then were you baptized?" They answered, "With John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."



and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor and store His wheat in His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with fire that never can be put out." Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. read more.
But John tried to prevent Him, by saying, "I have need to be baptized by you, and you come to me!"

He kept preaching the following message, "After me there is coming One who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit." Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Now while the people were on tiptoe in their expectations, and they were all arguing in their hearts about John whether he was himself the Christ, John expressly answered them all, "I am baptizing you in water only, but there is coming the One who is stronger than I am, whose shoestrings I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor, and store His wheat in His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with fire inextinguishable." read more.
So with many and varied exhortations John continued to proclaim the good news to the people. But Herod the governor, because he was repeatedly reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the wicked deeds that Herod had done, added this on top of it all, that he put John in prison. Now when all the people had been baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was still praying, heaven opened

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, "Look! He is the Lamb of God who is to take away the world's sin. This is the One about whom I said, 'After me there is coming a man who has already been put before me, because He existed before me.' I did not know Him myself, but I came baptizing in water, that He might be made known to Israel." read more.
Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I did not know Him myself, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, is the One who is to baptize in the Holy Spirit.' I did see it; and my testimony is that He is the Son of God."

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy.



and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

In those days John the Baptist appeared, and kept preaching in the desert of Judea, and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, when he said: "Here is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; Make the paths straight for him.'" read more.
This very John had his clothing made of camel's hair, and wore a leather belt around his waist; his food was dried locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea, even the whole Jordan district, continued to go out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as one by one they continued to confess their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather? For I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones. Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree then that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire;

He kept preaching the following message, "After me there is coming One who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

John expressly answered them all, "I am baptizing you in water only, but there is coming the One who is stronger than I am, whose shoestrings I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire;

John answered them, "I am baptizing only in water. There is standing among you One with whom you are not acquainted. He is to become my successor, because He has been put before me, and I am not fit to untie His shoestrings." This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. read more.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, "Look! He is the Lamb of God who is to take away the world's sin. This is the One about whom I said, 'After me there is coming a man who has already been put before me, because He existed before me.' I did not know Him myself, but I came baptizing in water, that He might be made known to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I did not know Him myself, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, is the One who is to baptize in the Holy Spirit.' I did see it; and my testimony is that He is the Son of God."

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."


But John too was baptizing people at Aenon, near Salim, for there was plenty of water there, and so the people were coming and being baptized.

as John, before His coming, had already preached baptism as an expression of repentance, for all the people of Israel.

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."

Then Jerusalem and all Judea, even the whole Jordan district, continued to go out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as one by one they continued to confess their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? read more.
Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather? For I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones. Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree then that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor and store His wheat in His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with fire that never can be put out."



and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "So far from that, we never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He then asked, "With what sort of baptism then were you baptized?" They answered, "With John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." read more.
On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy.


"Stop letting your hearts be troubled; keep on believing in God, and also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places; if there were not, I would have told you, for I am going away to make ready a place for you.

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."









In this way you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spiritual utterance which owns that Jesus Christ has come in human form comes from God, and no spiritual utterance which disowns Jesus can come from God; it is the utterance of Antichrist. You have heard that it is coming, and right now it is already in the world.

And yet in spite of all this, even among the leading men many came to believe in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not own it, for fear of being turned out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men instead of the praise of God.

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who practice doing the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, was it not in your name that we prophesied, and in your name that we drove out demons, and in your name that we did many wonder-works?' And then I will say to them openly, 'I never knew you at all. Go away from me, you who practiced doing wrong.'

Therefore, everyone who will own me before men I will own before my Father in heaven, but anyone who disowns me before men I will disown before my Father in heaven.

John testified to Him and cried out, for this was the one who said, "The One who is coming after me has been put before me, because He existed before me." For from His bounty we have all received spiritual blessing after spiritual blessing. For while the law was given through Moses, spiritual blessing and truth have come through Jesus Christ. read more.
No one has ever seen God; the only son, Deity Himself, who lies upon His Father's breast, has made him known.

His parents said this, because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone owned Jesus as the Christ, he should be shut out of the synagogues. This is why his parents said, "He is of age, ask him." So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know this man is a sinner." read more.
Then he answered, "I do not know whether He is a sinner. I do know one thing, that once I was blind but now I can see." Again they said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He make your eyes to see again?" He answered them, "I have already told you and you would not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples, do you?" Then they jeered him, and said, "You are a disciple of His yourself, but we are disciples of Moses. We do know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this fellow comes from." The man answered them, "Well, there is something strange about this! You do not know where He comes from! And yet He has made my eyes to see! We know that God does not listen to sinful men, but He does listen to anyone who worships God and lives to do His will. It has never been heard of in this world that anyone ever made the eyes of a man who was born blind to see. If this man had not come from God, He could not have done anything like this." Then they retorted, "You were born in total depravity, and yet you are trying to teach us!" And so they turned him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard that they had turned the man out of the synagogue; so He found him and said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man yourself?" He answered, "Who is He, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." Jesus answered him, "You have seen Him; you are talking to Him right now!" So he said, "Lord, I believe!" Then he worshiped Him.

Then Philip opened his mouth, and starting from this passage, he told him the good news about Jesus. As they continued down the road, they came to some water, and the official said, "Look! here is some water! What is there to keep me from being baptized?" Omitted Text.

By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was wholly absorbed in preaching the message and was enthusiastically assuring the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,

For if with your lips you acknowledge the fact that Jesus is Lord, and in your hearts you believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For in their hearts people exercise the faith that leads to right standing, and with their lips they make the acknowledgment which means salvation. For the Scripture says, "No one who puts his faith in Him will ever be put to shame."




Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy.

For just as we have many parts united in our physical bodies, and the parts do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are united in one body through union with Christ, and we are individually parts of one another. As we have gifts that differ in accordance with the favor God has shown us, if it is that of preaching, let it be done in proportion to our faith; read more.
or of practical service, in the field of service; or of a teacher, in the field of teaching; or of one who encourages others, in the field of encouragement; or one who gives his money, with liberality; or one who leads others, with earnestness; or one who does deeds of charity, with cheerfulness.

About spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be without information. You know that when you were heathen you were in the habit of going off, wherever you might be led, after idols that could not speak. So I want to inform you that no one speaking under the power of the Spirit of God can say, "Jesus is accursed!" and no one except one under the power of the Holy Spirit can really say, "Jesus is Lord!" read more.
There are varieties of gifts, but the Spirit is the same in all; there are varieties of service, but the Lord to be served is the same; there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who does all things by putting energy in us all. To each of us is given a special spiritual illumination for the common good. To one, wise speech is given by the Spirit; to another, by the same Spirit, intelligent speech is given; to another, through union with the same Spirit, faith; to another, by one and the same Spirit, power to cure the sick; to another, power for working wonders; to another, prophetic insight; to another, the power to discriminate between the true Spirit and false spirits; to another, various ecstatic utterances; and to another, the power to explain them. But the one and same Spirit accomplishes all these achievements, and apportions power to each of us as He chooses.



and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor and store His wheat in His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with fire that never can be put out." Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. read more.
But John tried to prevent Him, by saying, "I have need to be baptized by you, and you come to me!"

He kept preaching the following message, "After me there is coming One who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit." Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Now while the people were on tiptoe in their expectations, and they were all arguing in their hearts about John whether he was himself the Christ, John expressly answered them all, "I am baptizing you in water only, but there is coming the One who is stronger than I am, whose shoestrings I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor, and store His wheat in His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with fire inextinguishable." read more.
So with many and varied exhortations John continued to proclaim the good news to the people. But Herod the governor, because he was repeatedly reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the wicked deeds that Herod had done, added this on top of it all, that he put John in prison. Now when all the people had been baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was still praying, heaven opened

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, "Look! He is the Lamb of God who is to take away the world's sin. This is the One about whom I said, 'After me there is coming a man who has already been put before me, because He existed before me.' I did not know Him myself, but I came baptizing in water, that He might be made known to Israel." read more.
Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I did not know Him myself, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, is the One who is to baptize in the Holy Spirit.' I did see it; and my testimony is that He is the Son of God."

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy.




Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."





Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you that are in union with Christ.


Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."

as it is written in the sermon-book of the prophet Isaiah: "Here is a voice of one shouting in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord, make the paths straight for Him. Every ravine must be filled up, and every mountain and hill leveled down; the crooked places must become straight roads, and the rough roads must be made smooth, And all mankind must see the salvation of God.'"

He answered, "Elijah does come and will get everything ready.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah: "Here I send my messenger ahead of you; He will prepare your way. He is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; make the paths straight for Him.'" John the Baptizer appeared in the desert and was preaching a baptism conditioned on repentance to obtain the forgiveness of sins. read more.
And people from all over Judea and everybody in Jerusalem kept on going out to him and being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he used to live on dried locusts and wild honey. He kept preaching the following message, "After me there is coming One who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must drink no wine nor strong drink, and so he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his birth. And he will turn many of Israel's descendants to the Lord their God. He will go before Him in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the upright, to make ready for the Lord a people perfectly prepared."

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready His ways, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because the heart of our God is merciful. And so the day will dawn upon us from on high, read more.
to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

He came for the purpose of testifying, to testify to the light, so that everyone through him might come to believe. He was not the light; he came to testify to the light.

John testified to Him and cried out, for this was the one who said, "The One who is coming after me has been put before me, because He existed before me."

Then they said to him, "Who are you? Tell us, so that we can have an answer to give to those who sent us. What have you to say for yourself?" He said, "I am a voice of one shouting in the desert, 'Make the road straight for the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." Now the messengers belonged to the party of the Pharisees; read more.
so they asked him, "Why are you baptizing then, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I am baptizing only in water. There is standing among you One with whom you are not acquainted. He is to become my successor, because He has been put before me, and I am not fit to untie His shoestrings." This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

I did not know Him myself, but I came baptizing in water, that He might be made known to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I did not know Him myself, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, is the One who is to baptize in the Holy Spirit.' read more.
I did see it; and my testimony is that He is the Son of God."

There is someone else who testifies to me, and I know that the testimony which He gives to me is of force. You yourselves sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. However, I do not accept mere human testimony, but I am saying this that you may be saved. read more.
John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining, and you decided for a time to delight yourselves in his light.

as John, before His coming, had already preached baptism as an expression of repentance, for all the people of Israel. As John was closing his career, he said, 'What do you take me to be? I am not the Christ; no, but He is coming after me, and I am not fit to untie the shoes on His feet.'



and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

In those days John the Baptist appeared, and kept preaching in the desert of Judea, and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, when he said: "Here is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; Make the paths straight for him.'" read more.
This very John had his clothing made of camel's hair, and wore a leather belt around his waist; his food was dried locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea, even the whole Jordan district, continued to go out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as one by one they continued to confess their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather? For I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones. Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree then that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire;

He kept preaching the following message, "After me there is coming One who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

John expressly answered them all, "I am baptizing you in water only, but there is coming the One who is stronger than I am, whose shoestrings I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire;

John answered them, "I am baptizing only in water. There is standing among you One with whom you are not acquainted. He is to become my successor, because He has been put before me, and I am not fit to untie His shoestrings." This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. read more.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, "Look! He is the Lamb of God who is to take away the world's sin. This is the One about whom I said, 'After me there is coming a man who has already been put before me, because He existed before me.' I did not know Him myself, but I came baptizing in water, that He might be made known to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I did not know Him myself, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, is the One who is to baptize in the Holy Spirit.' I did see it; and my testimony is that He is the Son of God."

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."


After spending some time there, he started out again, and by a definite schedule traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia, imparting new strength to all the disciples. Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, a learned man, and skillful in the use of the Scriptures. He had been instructed about the way of the Lord, and with spiritual fervor he was speaking and was accurately teaching some details about Jesus, although he knew of no baptism but John's. read more.
He started speaking courageously in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home with them and more accurately explained the way of God to him. Because he wished to cross to Greece, the brothers wrote and urged the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival he rendered great service to those who through God's favor had believed, for he successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul, by passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "So far from that, we never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He then asked, "With what sort of baptism then were you baptized?" They answered, "With John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy. In all there were about twelve men. He went to the synagogue there and for three months courageously spoke, keeping up his discussions and continuing to persuade them about the kingdom of God. But as some of them grew harder and harder and refused to believe, actually criticizing The Way before the people, he left them, withdrew his disciples, and continued his discussions in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that everybody living in the province of Asia, Greeks as well as Jews, heard the Lord's message. God also continued to do such wonder-works through Paul as an instrument that the people carried off to the sick, towels or aprons used by him, and at their touch they were cured of their diseases, and the evil spirits went out of them. But some wandering Jews who claimed to be driving out the evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits in them, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Sceva, a Jewish high priest, had seven sons who were doing this. But on one occasion the evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know and Paul I know about, but who are you?" So the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped upon them and so violently overpowered two of them that they ran out of the house stripped of their clothes and wounded. This at once became known to everybody living in Ephesus, Greeks as well as Jews, and awe fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. And many who became believers kept coming and confessing and uncovering their former practices. Many people who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them up before the public gaze. They estimated the price of them and found it to be ten thousand dollars. In a way of just such power as this the Lord's message kept on spreading and prevailing. After these events had been brought to a close, Paul under the guidance of the Spirit decided to pass through Macedonia and Greece on his way to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have gone there I must see Rome too." So he sent off to Macedonia two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, while he stayed on for a while in Asia. Now just about that time a great commotion arose about The Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, by manufacturing silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing in great profits to his workmen. He called together his workmen, and others engaged in similar trades, and said to them: "Men, you well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours, and you see and hear that, not only in Ephesus but all over the province of Asia, this man Paul has led away a vast number of people by persuading them, telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. Now the danger facing us is, not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into contempt and that she whom all Asia and all the world now worship will soon be dethroned from her majestic glory!" When they heard this, they became furious and kept on shouting, "Great Artemis of Ephesus!" So the whole city was thrown into confusion and with one impulse the people rushed into the theatre and dragged with them two Macedonians, Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions. Paul wanted to go into the assembly and address the people, but the disciples would not let him. Some of the public officials in Asia, who were friendly to him, also sent word to him, begging him not to risk himself in the theatre. So they kept on shouting, some one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority of them did not know why they had met. Some of the crowd concluded that it was Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front, and since Alexander had made a gesture of the hand as though he would make a defense before the people. But as soon as they saw that he was a Jew, a shout went up from them all as the shout of one man, lasting for two hours: "Great Artemis of Ephesus!" At last the city recorder quieted the mob and said: "Men of Ephesus, who in the world does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell down from heaven? So, as this cannot be denied, you must be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here, although they are not guilty of sacrilege or of abusive speech against our goddess. So then, if Demetrius and his fellow-workmen have a charge against anybody, there are the courts and the judges; let them go to law. But if you require anything beyond this, it must be settled in the regular assembly. For we are in danger of being charged with rioting for today's assembly, as there is not a single reason we can give for it." With these words he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he bade them goodbye and started off for Macedonia. He passed through those districts and by continuing to talk to them encouraged the people. He then went on to Greece where he stayed three months. Just as he was about to sail for Syria, he changed his mind and returned by way of Macedonia, because a plot against him had been laid by the Jews. He had as companions Sopater, the son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. They went on to Troas and waited there for us, while we, after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, sailed from Philippi, and five days after joined them at Troas, where we spent a week. On the first day of the week when we had met to break bread, Paul addressed them, since he was leaving the next day, and prolonged his speech till midnight. There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we met, and a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting by the window, was gradually overcome by heavy drowsiness, as Paul kept speaking longer and longer, and at last he went fast asleep and fell from the third story to the ground and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell on him and embraced him, and said, "Stop being alarmed, his life is still in him." So he went back upstairs, and broke the bread and ate with them, and after talking with them extendedly, even till daylight, he left them. Then they took the boy home alive, and were greatly comforted. We had already gone on board the ship and set sail for Assos, where we were to take Paul on board; for it had been so arranged by him, as he intended to travel there on foot. So when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and sailed on to Mitylene. On the next day we sailed from there and arrived off Chios. On the next day we crossed to Samos, and the next we reached Miletus. For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia; for he was eager, if possible, to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived among you all the time from the day I first set foot in the province of Asia, and how I continued to serve the Lord with all humility and in tears, through the trials that befell me because of the plots of the Jews. I never shrank from telling you anything that was for your good, nor from teaching you in public and in private, but constantly and earnestly I urged Greeks as well as Jews to turn with repentance to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus. And I am here now on my way to Jerusalem, because I am impelled by the Spirit to do so, though I am not aware what will befall me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit emphatically assures me that imprisonment and sufferings are awaiting me. But now I count as nothing the sacrifice of my life, if only I can finish my race and render the service entrusted to me by the Lord Jesus, of faithfully telling the good news of God's favor. And now I know that none of you among whom I went about preaching the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore protest to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I never shrank from telling you God's whole plan. Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, so as to continue to be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. Because I know that after I have gone violent wolves will break in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will appear who will try, by speaking perversions of truth, to draw away the disciples after them. So ever be on your guard and always remember that for three years, night and day, I never ceased warning you one by one, and that with tears. And now I commit you to the Lord, and to the message of His favor, which is able to build you up and to give you your proper possession among all God's consecrated people. I have never coveted any man's silver or gold or clothes. You know yourselves that these hands of mine provided for my own needs and for my companions. In everything I showed you that by working hard like this we must help those who are weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It makes one happier to give than to get.'" After he had finished this speech, he fell on his knees with them all and prayed. There was loud weeping by them all, as they threw their arms around Paul's neck and kept on kissing him with affection, (44:37) because they were especially pained at his saying that they would never see his face again. Then they went down to the ship with him. When we had torn ourselves away from them, we struck a bee line for Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. There we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, and so we went aboard and sailed away. After sighting Cyprus and leaving it on our left, we sailed on for Syria, and put in at Tyre, for the ship was to unload her cargo there. So we looked up the disciples there and stayed a week with them. Because of impressions made by the Spirit they kept on warning Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left there and went on, and all of them with their wives and children accompanied us out of town. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed; there we bade one another goodbye, and we went aboard the ship, while they went back. On finishing the sail from Tyre we landed at Ptolemais. Here we greeted the brothers and spent a day with them. The next day we left there and went on to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses. While we were spending some days here, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to see us and took Paul's belt and with it bound his own hands and feet, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says, 'The Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt like this, and then will turn him over to the heathen.'" When we heard this, we and all the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? Why, I am ready not only to be bound at Jerusalem but to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So, since he would not yield to our appeal, we stopped begging him, and said, "The Lord's will be done!" After this we got ready and started up to Jerusalem.


After spending some time there, he started out again, and by a definite schedule traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia, imparting new strength to all the disciples. Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, a learned man, and skillful in the use of the Scriptures. He had been instructed about the way of the Lord, and with spiritual fervor he was speaking and was accurately teaching some details about Jesus, although he knew of no baptism but John's. read more.
He started speaking courageously in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home with them and more accurately explained the way of God to him. Because he wished to cross to Greece, the brothers wrote and urged the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival he rendered great service to those who through God's favor had believed, for he successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul, by passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "So far from that, we never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He then asked, "With what sort of baptism then were you baptized?" They answered, "With John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus." On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy. In all there were about twelve men. He went to the synagogue there and for three months courageously spoke, keeping up his discussions and continuing to persuade them about the kingdom of God. But as some of them grew harder and harder and refused to believe, actually criticizing The Way before the people, he left them, withdrew his disciples, and continued his discussions in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that everybody living in the province of Asia, Greeks as well as Jews, heard the Lord's message. God also continued to do such wonder-works through Paul as an instrument that the people carried off to the sick, towels or aprons used by him, and at their touch they were cured of their diseases, and the evil spirits went out of them. But some wandering Jews who claimed to be driving out the evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits in them, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Sceva, a Jewish high priest, had seven sons who were doing this. But on one occasion the evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know and Paul I know about, but who are you?" So the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped upon them and so violently overpowered two of them that they ran out of the house stripped of their clothes and wounded. This at once became known to everybody living in Ephesus, Greeks as well as Jews, and awe fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. And many who became believers kept coming and confessing and uncovering their former practices. Many people who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them up before the public gaze. They estimated the price of them and found it to be ten thousand dollars. In a way of just such power as this the Lord's message kept on spreading and prevailing. After these events had been brought to a close, Paul under the guidance of the Spirit decided to pass through Macedonia and Greece on his way to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have gone there I must see Rome too." So he sent off to Macedonia two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, while he stayed on for a while in Asia. Now just about that time a great commotion arose about The Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, by manufacturing silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing in great profits to his workmen. He called together his workmen, and others engaged in similar trades, and said to them: "Men, you well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours, and you see and hear that, not only in Ephesus but all over the province of Asia, this man Paul has led away a vast number of people by persuading them, telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. Now the danger facing us is, not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into contempt and that she whom all Asia and all the world now worship will soon be dethroned from her majestic glory!" When they heard this, they became furious and kept on shouting, "Great Artemis of Ephesus!" So the whole city was thrown into confusion and with one impulse the people rushed into the theatre and dragged with them two Macedonians, Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions. Paul wanted to go into the assembly and address the people, but the disciples would not let him. Some of the public officials in Asia, who were friendly to him, also sent word to him, begging him not to risk himself in the theatre. So they kept on shouting, some one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority of them did not know why they had met. Some of the crowd concluded that it was Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front, and since Alexander had made a gesture of the hand as though he would make a defense before the people. But as soon as they saw that he was a Jew, a shout went up from them all as the shout of one man, lasting for two hours: "Great Artemis of Ephesus!" At last the city recorder quieted the mob and said: "Men of Ephesus, who in the world does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell down from heaven? So, as this cannot be denied, you must be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here, although they are not guilty of sacrilege or of abusive speech against our goddess. So then, if Demetrius and his fellow-workmen have a charge against anybody, there are the courts and the judges; let them go to law. But if you require anything beyond this, it must be settled in the regular assembly. For we are in danger of being charged with rioting for today's assembly, as there is not a single reason we can give for it." With these words he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he bade them goodbye and started off for Macedonia. He passed through those districts and by continuing to talk to them encouraged the people. He then went on to Greece where he stayed three months. Just as he was about to sail for Syria, he changed his mind and returned by way of Macedonia, because a plot against him had been laid by the Jews. He had as companions Sopater, the son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. They went on to Troas and waited there for us, while we, after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, sailed from Philippi, and five days after joined them at Troas, where we spent a week. On the first day of the week when we had met to break bread, Paul addressed them, since he was leaving the next day, and prolonged his speech till midnight. There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we met, and a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting by the window, was gradually overcome by heavy drowsiness, as Paul kept speaking longer and longer, and at last he went fast asleep and fell from the third story to the ground and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell on him and embraced him, and said, "Stop being alarmed, his life is still in him." So he went back upstairs, and broke the bread and ate with them, and after talking with them extendedly, even till daylight, he left them. Then they took the boy home alive, and were greatly comforted. We had already gone on board the ship and set sail for Assos, where we were to take Paul on board; for it had been so arranged by him, as he intended to travel there on foot. So when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and sailed on to Mitylene. On the next day we sailed from there and arrived off Chios. On the next day we crossed to Samos, and the next we reached Miletus. For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia; for he was eager, if possible, to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived among you all the time from the day I first set foot in the province of Asia, and how I continued to serve the Lord with all humility and in tears, through the trials that befell me because of the plots of the Jews. I never shrank from telling you anything that was for your good, nor from teaching you in public and in private, but constantly and earnestly I urged Greeks as well as Jews to turn with repentance to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus. And I am here now on my way to Jerusalem, because I am impelled by the Spirit to do so, though I am not aware what will befall me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit emphatically assures me that imprisonment and sufferings are awaiting me. But now I count as nothing the sacrifice of my life, if only I can finish my race and render the service entrusted to me by the Lord Jesus, of faithfully telling the good news of God's favor. And now I know that none of you among whom I went about preaching the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore protest to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I never shrank from telling you God's whole plan. Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, so as to continue to be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. Because I know that after I have gone violent wolves will break in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will appear who will try, by speaking perversions of truth, to draw away the disciples after them. So ever be on your guard and always remember that for three years, night and day, I never ceased warning you one by one, and that with tears. And now I commit you to the Lord, and to the message of His favor, which is able to build you up and to give you your proper possession among all God's consecrated people. I have never coveted any man's silver or gold or clothes. You know yourselves that these hands of mine provided for my own needs and for my companions. In everything I showed you that by working hard like this we must help those who are weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It makes one happier to give than to get.'" After he had finished this speech, he fell on his knees with them all and prayed. There was loud weeping by them all, as they threw their arms around Paul's neck and kept on kissing him with affection, (44:37) because they were especially pained at his saying that they would never see his face again. Then they went down to the ship with him. When we had torn ourselves away from them, we struck a bee line for Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. There we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, and so we went aboard and sailed away. After sighting Cyprus and leaving it on our left, we sailed on for Syria, and put in at Tyre, for the ship was to unload her cargo there. So we looked up the disciples there and stayed a week with them. Because of impressions made by the Spirit they kept on warning Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left there and went on, and all of them with their wives and children accompanied us out of town. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed; there we bade one another goodbye, and we went aboard the ship, while they went back. On finishing the sail from Tyre we landed at Ptolemais. Here we greeted the brothers and spent a day with them. The next day we left there and went on to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses. While we were spending some days here, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to see us and took Paul's belt and with it bound his own hands and feet, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says, 'The Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt like this, and then will turn him over to the heathen.'" When we heard this, we and all the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? Why, I am ready not only to be bound at Jerusalem but to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So, since he would not yield to our appeal, we stopped begging him, and said, "The Lord's will be done!" After this we got ready and started up to Jerusalem.


In those days John the Baptist appeared, and kept preaching in the desert of Judea, and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, when he said: "Here is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; Make the paths straight for him.'" read more.
This very John had his clothing made of camel's hair, and wore a leather belt around his waist; his food was dried locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea, even the whole Jordan district, continued to go out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as one by one they continued to confess their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather? For I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones. Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree then that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire;

Then Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism that was an expression of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was to come after him; that is, in Jesus."

in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the message of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert. And he went all over the Jordan valley, preaching a baptism conditioned on repentance to obtain the forgiveness of sins,