Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Afflicted saints » Examples of afflicted saints
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.
His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus."
Verse Concepts
Character » Instances of firmness » Paul
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.
His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!"
Christian ministers » Say good-bye to the congregation
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him. Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time, serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- read more.
and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
Courage » Instances of personal bravery » Paul, in going to jerusalem, despite his impressions that bonds and imprisonments awaited him
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.
But when he dealt with the subjects of justice, self-control, and the judgement which was soon to come, Felix became alarmed and said, "For the present leave me, and when I can find a convenient opportunity I will send for you."
Verse Concepts
But this I confess to you--that in the way which they style a heresy, I worship the God of our forefathers, believing everything that is taught in the Law or is written in the Prophets,
Verse Concepts
Duty » Pressure of » It makes the message imperative
Now at the time when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was preaching fervently and was solemnly telling the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
Verse Concepts
As for us, what we have seen and heard we cannot help speaking about."
Verse Concepts
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
Verse Concepts
Ephesus » Paul visits and preaches in
They put in at Ephesus, and there Paul left his companions behind. As for himself, he went to the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. When they asked him to remain longer he did not consent, but took leave of them with the promise, "I will return to you, God willing." So he set sail from Ephesus.
For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia; since he was very desirous of being in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of the Harvest Festival. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him. Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time, read more.
serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
Holy spirit » The holy spirit witnessing
The Spirit Himself bears witness, along with our own spirits, to the fact that we are children of God;
Verse Concepts
"I am the Vine--the True Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me--if it bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are cleansed--through the teaching which I have given you. read more.
Continue in me, and let me continue in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself--that is, if it does not continue in the vine--so neither can you if you do not continue in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned. "If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you. By this is God glorified--by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being true disciples of mine. As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you: continue in my love. If you obey my commands, you will continue in my love, as I have obeyed my Father's commands and continue in His love. "These things I have spoken to you in order that I may have joy in you, and that your joy may become perfect. This is my commandment to you, to love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this--a man laying down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all that I have heard from the Father I have made known to you. It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you. "Thus I command you to love one another. If the world hates you, remember that it has first had me as the fixed object of its hatred. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own property. But because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world--for that reason the world hates you. Bear in mind what I said to you, 'A servant is not superior to his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. But they will inflict all this suffering upon you on account of your bearing my name--because they do not know Him who sent me. "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but as the case stands they are without excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them, as I have, such miracles as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin; but they have in fact seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this has been so, in order that the saying may be fulfilled which stands written in their Law, 'They have hated me without any reason.' "When the Advocate is come whom I will send to you from the Father's presence--the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father's presence--He will be a witness concerning me. And you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the first.
Continue in me, and let me continue in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself--that is, if it does not continue in the vine--so neither can you if you do not continue in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned. "If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you. By this is God glorified--by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being true disciples of mine. As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you: continue in my love. If you obey my commands, you will continue in my love, as I have obeyed my Father's commands and continue in His love. "These things I have spoken to you in order that I may have joy in you, and that your joy may become perfect. This is my commandment to you, to love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this--a man laying down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all that I have heard from the Father I have made known to you. It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you. "Thus I command you to love one another. If the world hates you, remember that it has first had me as the fixed object of its hatred. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own property. But because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world--for that reason the world hates you. Bear in mind what I said to you, 'A servant is not superior to his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. But they will inflict all this suffering upon you on account of your bearing my name--because they do not know Him who sent me. "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but as the case stands they are without excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them, as I have, such miracles as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin; but they have in fact seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this has been so, in order that the saying may be fulfilled which stands written in their Law, 'They have hated me without any reason.' "When the Advocate is come whom I will send to you from the Father's presence--the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father's presence--He will be a witness concerning me. And you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the first.
The God of our forefathers has raised Jesus to life, whom you crucified and put to death. God has exalted Him to His right hand as Chief Leader and as Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. And we--and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him--are witnesses as to these things."
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me.
For this reason I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles-- if, that is, you have heard of the work which God has graciously entrusted to me for your benefit, and that by a revelation the truth hitherto kept secret was made known to me as I have already briefly explained it to you. read more.
By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--
By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--
And the Holy Spirit also gives us His testimony; for when He had said,
Verse Concepts
Who but the man that believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world? Jesus Christ is He who came with water and blood; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who gives testimony-- because the Spirit is the Truth. For there are three that give testimony-- the Spirit, the water, and the blood;
Joy » Instances of » Of paul, when he went up to jerusalem
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.
Miletus » And sends to ephesus for the elders of the congregation, and addresses them at
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him. Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time, serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- read more.
and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
Missionary journeys » Ac 13-14 » Third - with timothy and others
After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out on a tour, visiting the whole of Galatia and Phrygia in order, and strengthening all the disciples. Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, a man of great learning and well versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed by word of mouth in the way of the Lord, and, being full of burning zeal, he used to speak and teach accurately the facts about Jesus, though he knew of no baptism but John's. read more.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Priscilla and Aquila, after hearing him, took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. Then, as he had made up his mind to cross over into Greece, the brethren wrote to the disciples in Corinth begging them to give him a kindly welcome. Upon his arrival he rendered valuable help to those who through grace had believed; for he powerfully and in public overcame the Jews in argument, proving to them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples. "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." "Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied. "John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. They numbered in all about twelve men. Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God. But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall. This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Lord's Message. God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality. Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them. But there were also some wandering Jewish exorcists who undertook to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches." There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this. "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?" And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded. All the people of Ephesus, Jews as well as Greeks, came to know of this. There was widespread terror, and they began to hold the name of the Lord Jesus in high honour. Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been, and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins. Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph! When matters had reached this point, Paul decided in his own mind to travel through Macedonia and Greece, and go to Jerusalem. "After that," he said, "I must also see Rome." But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia. Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith. There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ. He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours; and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands. There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank--she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world." After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!" The riot and uproar spread through the whole city, till at last with one accord they rushed into the Theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were fellow travellers with Paul. Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so. A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre. The people, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing and some another; for the assembly was all uproar and confusion, and the greater part had no idea why they had come together. Then some of the people crowded round Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand to get silence, was prepared to make a defence to the people. No sooner, however, did they see that he was a Jew, than there arose from them all one roar of shouting, lasting about two hours. "Great is the Ephesian Diana," they said. At length the Recorder quieted them down. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who is there of all mankind that needs to be told that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Zeus? These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly. For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. If, however, Demetrius and the mechanics who support his contention have a grievance against any one, there are Assize-days and there are Proconsuls: let the persons interested accuse one another. But if you desire anything further, it will have to be settled in the regular assembly. For in connexion with to-day's proceedings there is danger of our being charged with attempted insurrection, there having been no real reason for this riot; nor shall we be able to justify the behaviour of this disorderly mob." With these words he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and, after speaking words of encouragement to them, he took his leave, and started for Macedonia. Passing through those districts he encouraged the disciples in frequent addresses, and then came into Greece, and spent three months there. The Jews having planned to waylay him whenever he might be on the point of taking ship for Syria, he decided to travel back by way of Macedonia. He was accompanied as far as the province of Asia by Sopater the Beroean, the son of Pyrrhus; by the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and by the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These brethren had gone on and were waiting for us in the Troad. But we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined them in the Troad, where we remained for a week. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul, who was going away the next morning, was preaching to them, and prolonged his discourse till midnight. Now there were a good many lamps in the room upstairs where we all were, and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. This lad, gradually sinking into deep sleep while Paul preached at unusual length, overcome at last by sleep, fell from the second floor and was taken up dead. Paul, however, went down, threw himself upon him, and folding him in his arms said, "Do not be alarmed; his life is still in him." Then he went upstairs again, broke bread, and took some food; and after a long conversation which was continued till daybreak, at last he parted from them. They had taken the lad home alive, and were greatly comforted. The rest of us had already gone on board a ship, and now we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for so he had arranged, he himself intending to go by land. Accordingly, when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. Sailing from there, we arrived the next day off Chios. On the next we touched at Samos; and on the day following reached Miletus. For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia; since he was very desirous of being in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of the Harvest Festival. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him. Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time, serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship. When, at last, we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran in a straight course to Cos; the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Finding a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and put to sea. After sighting Cyprus and leaving that island on our left, we continued our voyage to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem. When, however, our time was up, we left and went on our way, all the disciples and their wives and children coming to see us off. Then, after kneeling down on the beach and praying, we took leave of one another; and we went on board, while they returned home. As for us, our voyage was over when having sailed from Tyre we reached Ptolemais. here we inquired after the welfare of the brethren, and remained a day with them. On the morrow we left Ptolemais and went on to Caesarea, where we came to the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses; and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea. When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!" A few days afterwards we loaded our baggage-cattle and continued our journey to Jerusalem.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Priscilla and Aquila, after hearing him, took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. Then, as he had made up his mind to cross over into Greece, the brethren wrote to the disciples in Corinth begging them to give him a kindly welcome. Upon his arrival he rendered valuable help to those who through grace had believed; for he powerfully and in public overcame the Jews in argument, proving to them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples. "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." "Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied. "John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. They numbered in all about twelve men. Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God. But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall. This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Lord's Message. God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality. Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them. But there were also some wandering Jewish exorcists who undertook to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches." There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this. "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?" And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded. All the people of Ephesus, Jews as well as Greeks, came to know of this. There was widespread terror, and they began to hold the name of the Lord Jesus in high honour. Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been, and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins. Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph! When matters had reached this point, Paul decided in his own mind to travel through Macedonia and Greece, and go to Jerusalem. "After that," he said, "I must also see Rome." But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia. Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith. There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ. He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours; and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands. There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank--she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world." After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!" The riot and uproar spread through the whole city, till at last with one accord they rushed into the Theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were fellow travellers with Paul. Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so. A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre. The people, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing and some another; for the assembly was all uproar and confusion, and the greater part had no idea why they had come together. Then some of the people crowded round Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand to get silence, was prepared to make a defence to the people. No sooner, however, did they see that he was a Jew, than there arose from them all one roar of shouting, lasting about two hours. "Great is the Ephesian Diana," they said. At length the Recorder quieted them down. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who is there of all mankind that needs to be told that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Zeus? These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly. For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. If, however, Demetrius and the mechanics who support his contention have a grievance against any one, there are Assize-days and there are Proconsuls: let the persons interested accuse one another. But if you desire anything further, it will have to be settled in the regular assembly. For in connexion with to-day's proceedings there is danger of our being charged with attempted insurrection, there having been no real reason for this riot; nor shall we be able to justify the behaviour of this disorderly mob." With these words he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and, after speaking words of encouragement to them, he took his leave, and started for Macedonia. Passing through those districts he encouraged the disciples in frequent addresses, and then came into Greece, and spent three months there. The Jews having planned to waylay him whenever he might be on the point of taking ship for Syria, he decided to travel back by way of Macedonia. He was accompanied as far as the province of Asia by Sopater the Beroean, the son of Pyrrhus; by the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and by the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These brethren had gone on and were waiting for us in the Troad. But we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined them in the Troad, where we remained for a week. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul, who was going away the next morning, was preaching to them, and prolonged his discourse till midnight. Now there were a good many lamps in the room upstairs where we all were, and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. This lad, gradually sinking into deep sleep while Paul preached at unusual length, overcome at last by sleep, fell from the second floor and was taken up dead. Paul, however, went down, threw himself upon him, and folding him in his arms said, "Do not be alarmed; his life is still in him." Then he went upstairs again, broke bread, and took some food; and after a long conversation which was continued till daybreak, at last he parted from them. They had taken the lad home alive, and were greatly comforted. The rest of us had already gone on board a ship, and now we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for so he had arranged, he himself intending to go by land. Accordingly, when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. Sailing from there, we arrived the next day off Chios. On the next we touched at Samos; and on the day following reached Miletus. For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia; since he was very desirous of being in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of the Harvest Festival. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him. Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time, serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship. When, at last, we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran in a straight course to Cos; the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Finding a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and put to sea. After sighting Cyprus and leaving that island on our left, we continued our voyage to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem. When, however, our time was up, we left and went on our way, all the disciples and their wives and children coming to see us off. Then, after kneeling down on the beach and praying, we took leave of one another; and we went on board, while they returned home. As for us, our voyage was over when having sailed from Tyre we reached Ptolemais. here we inquired after the welfare of the brethren, and remained a day with them. On the morrow we left Ptolemais and went on to Caesarea, where we came to the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses; and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea. When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!" A few days afterwards we loaded our baggage-cattle and continued our journey to Jerusalem.
Paul » His resolute determination to go to jerusalem despite repeated warnings
Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem.
Verse Concepts
and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea. When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. read more.
His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!"
His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!"
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me.
Paul » Going » Jerusalem
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. read more.
"And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
"And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
Paul's » First - with barnabas and john mark ac 13-14 » Third - with timothy and others
After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out on a tour, visiting the whole of Galatia and Phrygia in order, and strengthening all the disciples. Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, a man of great learning and well versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed by word of mouth in the way of the Lord, and, being full of burning zeal, he used to speak and teach accurately the facts about Jesus, though he knew of no baptism but John's. read more.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Priscilla and Aquila, after hearing him, took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. Then, as he had made up his mind to cross over into Greece, the brethren wrote to the disciples in Corinth begging them to give him a kindly welcome. Upon his arrival he rendered valuable help to those who through grace had believed; for he powerfully and in public overcame the Jews in argument, proving to them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples. "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." "Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied. "John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. They numbered in all about twelve men. Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God. But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall. This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Lord's Message. God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality. Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them. But there were also some wandering Jewish exorcists who undertook to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches." There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this. "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?" And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded. All the people of Ephesus, Jews as well as Greeks, came to know of this. There was widespread terror, and they began to hold the name of the Lord Jesus in high honour. Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been, and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins. Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph! When matters had reached this point, Paul decided in his own mind to travel through Macedonia and Greece, and go to Jerusalem. "After that," he said, "I must also see Rome." But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia. Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith. There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ. He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours; and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands. There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank--she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world." After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!" The riot and uproar spread through the whole city, till at last with one accord they rushed into the Theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were fellow travellers with Paul. Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so. A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre. The people, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing and some another; for the assembly was all uproar and confusion, and the greater part had no idea why they had come together. Then some of the people crowded round Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand to get silence, was prepared to make a defence to the people. No sooner, however, did they see that he was a Jew, than there arose from them all one roar of shouting, lasting about two hours. "Great is the Ephesian Diana," they said. At length the Recorder quieted them down. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who is there of all mankind that needs to be told that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Zeus? These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly. For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. If, however, Demetrius and the mechanics who support his contention have a grievance against any one, there are Assize-days and there are Proconsuls: let the persons interested accuse one another. But if you desire anything further, it will have to be settled in the regular assembly. For in connexion with to-day's proceedings there is danger of our being charged with attempted insurrection, there having been no real reason for this riot; nor shall we be able to justify the behaviour of this disorderly mob." With these words he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and, after speaking words of encouragement to them, he took his leave, and started for Macedonia. Passing through those districts he encouraged the disciples in frequent addresses, and then came into Greece, and spent three months there. The Jews having planned to waylay him whenever he might be on the point of taking ship for Syria, he decided to travel back by way of Macedonia. He was accompanied as far as the province of Asia by Sopater the Beroean, the son of Pyrrhus; by the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and by the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These brethren had gone on and were waiting for us in the Troad. But we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined them in the Troad, where we remained for a week. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul, who was going away the next morning, was preaching to them, and prolonged his discourse till midnight. Now there were a good many lamps in the room upstairs where we all were, and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. This lad, gradually sinking into deep sleep while Paul preached at unusual length, overcome at last by sleep, fell from the second floor and was taken up dead. Paul, however, went down, threw himself upon him, and folding him in his arms said, "Do not be alarmed; his life is still in him." Then he went upstairs again, broke bread, and took some food; and after a long conversation which was continued till daybreak, at last he parted from them. They had taken the lad home alive, and were greatly comforted. The rest of us had already gone on board a ship, and now we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for so he had arranged, he himself intending to go by land. Accordingly, when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. Sailing from there, we arrived the next day off Chios. On the next we touched at Samos; and on the day following reached Miletus. For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia; since he was very desirous of being in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of the Harvest Festival. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him. Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time, serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship. When, at last, we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran in a straight course to Cos; the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Finding a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and put to sea. After sighting Cyprus and leaving that island on our left, we continued our voyage to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem. When, however, our time was up, we left and went on our way, all the disciples and their wives and children coming to see us off. Then, after kneeling down on the beach and praying, we took leave of one another; and we went on board, while they returned home. As for us, our voyage was over when having sailed from Tyre we reached Ptolemais. here we inquired after the welfare of the brethren, and remained a day with them. On the morrow we left Ptolemais and went on to Caesarea, where we came to the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses; and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea. When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!" A few days afterwards we loaded our baggage-cattle and continued our journey to Jerusalem.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Priscilla and Aquila, after hearing him, took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. Then, as he had made up his mind to cross over into Greece, the brethren wrote to the disciples in Corinth begging them to give him a kindly welcome. Upon his arrival he rendered valuable help to those who through grace had believed; for he powerfully and in public overcame the Jews in argument, proving to them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. During the stay of Apollos in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples. "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." "Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied. "John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. They numbered in all about twelve men. Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God. But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall. This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Lord's Message. God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality. Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them. But there were also some wandering Jewish exorcists who undertook to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches." There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this. "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?" And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded. All the people of Ephesus, Jews as well as Greeks, came to know of this. There was widespread terror, and they began to hold the name of the Lord Jesus in high honour. Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been, and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins. Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph! When matters had reached this point, Paul decided in his own mind to travel through Macedonia and Greece, and go to Jerusalem. "After that," he said, "I must also see Rome." But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia. Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith. There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ. He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours; and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands. There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank--she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world." After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!" The riot and uproar spread through the whole city, till at last with one accord they rushed into the Theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were fellow travellers with Paul. Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so. A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre. The people, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing and some another; for the assembly was all uproar and confusion, and the greater part had no idea why they had come together. Then some of the people crowded round Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand to get silence, was prepared to make a defence to the people. No sooner, however, did they see that he was a Jew, than there arose from them all one roar of shouting, lasting about two hours. "Great is the Ephesian Diana," they said. At length the Recorder quieted them down. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who is there of all mankind that needs to be told that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Zeus? These facts, then, being unquestioned, it becomes you to maintain your self-control and not act recklessly. For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. If, however, Demetrius and the mechanics who support his contention have a grievance against any one, there are Assize-days and there are Proconsuls: let the persons interested accuse one another. But if you desire anything further, it will have to be settled in the regular assembly. For in connexion with to-day's proceedings there is danger of our being charged with attempted insurrection, there having been no real reason for this riot; nor shall we be able to justify the behaviour of this disorderly mob." With these words he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and, after speaking words of encouragement to them, he took his leave, and started for Macedonia. Passing through those districts he encouraged the disciples in frequent addresses, and then came into Greece, and spent three months there. The Jews having planned to waylay him whenever he might be on the point of taking ship for Syria, he decided to travel back by way of Macedonia. He was accompanied as far as the province of Asia by Sopater the Beroean, the son of Pyrrhus; by the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and by the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These brethren had gone on and were waiting for us in the Troad. But we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined them in the Troad, where we remained for a week. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul, who was going away the next morning, was preaching to them, and prolonged his discourse till midnight. Now there were a good many lamps in the room upstairs where we all were, and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. This lad, gradually sinking into deep sleep while Paul preached at unusual length, overcome at last by sleep, fell from the second floor and was taken up dead. Paul, however, went down, threw himself upon him, and folding him in his arms said, "Do not be alarmed; his life is still in him." Then he went upstairs again, broke bread, and took some food; and after a long conversation which was continued till daybreak, at last he parted from them. They had taken the lad home alive, and were greatly comforted. The rest of us had already gone on board a ship, and now we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for so he had arranged, he himself intending to go by land. Accordingly, when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. Sailing from there, we arrived the next day off Chios. On the next we touched at Samos; and on the day following reached Miletus. For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia; since he was very desirous of being in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of the Harvest Festival. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him. Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time, serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews-- and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes, and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord. "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face. Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you. For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood. I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock; and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people. No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me. In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all; and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship. When, at last, we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran in a straight course to Cos; the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Finding a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and put to sea. After sighting Cyprus and leaving that island on our left, we continued our voyage to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem. When, however, our time was up, we left and went on our way, all the disciples and their wives and children coming to see us off. Then, after kneeling down on the beach and praying, we took leave of one another; and we went on board, while they returned home. As for us, our voyage was over when having sailed from Tyre we reached Ptolemais. here we inquired after the welfare of the brethren, and remained a day with them. On the morrow we left Ptolemais and went on to Caesarea, where we came to the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses; and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea. When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!" A few days afterwards we loaded our baggage-cattle and continued our journey to Jerusalem.
Pressure of duty » It makes the message imperative
Now at the time when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was preaching fervently and was solemnly telling the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
Verse Concepts
As for us, what we have seen and heard we cannot help speaking about."
Verse Concepts
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
Verse Concepts
Prudence » Instances of » Paul » Lack of
and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly, grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.
and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea. When he arrived he took Paul's loincloth, and bound his own feet and arms with it, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the owner of this loincloth, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" As soon as we heard these words, both we and the brethren at Caesarea entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. read more.
His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!"
His reply was, "What can you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief? Why, as for me, I am ready not only to go to Jerusalem and be put in chains, but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." So when he was not to be dissuaded, we ceased remonstrating with him and said, "The Lord's will be done!"
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me. But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace. read more.
"And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face.
"And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face.
Witness » The holy spirit witnessing
The Spirit Himself bears witness, along with our own spirits, to the fact that we are children of God;
Verse Concepts
"I am the Vine--the True Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me--if it bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are cleansed--through the teaching which I have given you. read more.
Continue in me, and let me continue in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself--that is, if it does not continue in the vine--so neither can you if you do not continue in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned. "If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you. By this is God glorified--by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being true disciples of mine. As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you: continue in my love. If you obey my commands, you will continue in my love, as I have obeyed my Father's commands and continue in His love. "These things I have spoken to you in order that I may have joy in you, and that your joy may become perfect. This is my commandment to you, to love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this--a man laying down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all that I have heard from the Father I have made known to you. It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you. "Thus I command you to love one another. If the world hates you, remember that it has first had me as the fixed object of its hatred. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own property. But because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world--for that reason the world hates you. Bear in mind what I said to you, 'A servant is not superior to his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. But they will inflict all this suffering upon you on account of your bearing my name--because they do not know Him who sent me. "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but as the case stands they are without excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them, as I have, such miracles as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin; but they have in fact seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this has been so, in order that the saying may be fulfilled which stands written in their Law, 'They have hated me without any reason.' "When the Advocate is come whom I will send to you from the Father's presence--the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father's presence--He will be a witness concerning me. And you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the first.
Continue in me, and let me continue in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself--that is, if it does not continue in the vine--so neither can you if you do not continue in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who continues in me and in whom I continue bears abundant fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned. "If you continue in me and my sayings continue in you, ask what you will and it shall be done for you. By this is God glorified--by your bearing abundant fruit and thus being true disciples of mine. As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you: continue in my love. If you obey my commands, you will continue in my love, as I have obeyed my Father's commands and continue in His love. "These things I have spoken to you in order that I may have joy in you, and that your joy may become perfect. This is my commandment to you, to love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this--a man laying down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all that I have heard from the Father I have made known to you. It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you. "Thus I command you to love one another. If the world hates you, remember that it has first had me as the fixed object of its hatred. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own property. But because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world--for that reason the world hates you. Bear in mind what I said to you, 'A servant is not superior to his master.' If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. But they will inflict all this suffering upon you on account of your bearing my name--because they do not know Him who sent me. "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but as the case stands they are without excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them, as I have, such miracles as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin; but they have in fact seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this has been so, in order that the saying may be fulfilled which stands written in their Law, 'They have hated me without any reason.' "When the Advocate is come whom I will send to you from the Father's presence--the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father's presence--He will be a witness concerning me. And you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the first.
The God of our forefathers has raised Jesus to life, whom you crucified and put to death. God has exalted Him to His right hand as Chief Leader and as Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. And we--and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him--are witnesses as to these things."
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me.
For this reason I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles-- if, that is, you have heard of the work which God has graciously entrusted to me for your benefit, and that by a revelation the truth hitherto kept secret was made known to me as I have already briefly explained it to you. read more.
By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--
By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--
And the Holy Spirit also gives us His testimony; for when He had said,
Verse Concepts
Who but the man that believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world? Jesus Christ is He who came with water and blood; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who gives testimony-- because the Spirit is the Truth. For there are three that give testimony-- the Spirit, the water, and the blood;