Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



But Peter and the apostles said in reply. "We must obey God rather than man. The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus, whom you slew by hanging him on a tree. "Him God has exalted at his right hand as Prince and Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. read more.
"And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

So they summoned them, and ordered them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John said in reply. "Do you decide whether in the sight of God it is right to obey you rather than God; but for our part, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."


When the chief priests continued making many accusations against him, Pilate repeatedly questioned him. "Do you make no answer?" he said, "See, how many accusations they are making." But Jesus no longer made any answer, at which Pilate wondered.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them. "Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being examined today concerning a benefit conferred upon a cripple, as to how has this man been cured, "be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand before you strong and well. read more.
"For he is the Stone, cast aside by you builders, which has become the head stone of the corner. "There is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, in which we must be saved."

And the high priest said, "Are these things so?" Stephen answered. "Listen, brothers and fathers. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, "Leave your country and your kindred, and come to whatever land I will show you. read more.
"So he left Chaldea and settled in Haran, and from there, after his father's death, God moved him to this land which you inhabit. "But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground; yet he promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity??e at that time being childless. "What God said was this. "'His offspring will sojourn in a foreign land where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. "'And the nation, whichever it is, that enslaves them I will judge, said God, 'and after ward they shall come out, and they shall worship me in this place. "Then he gave him a covenant of circumcision, and under this covenant he became the father of Isaac, whom he circumcised on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve Patriarchs. "The patriarchs out of jealousy sold Joseph into Egypt. "But God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him grace and wisdom, when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him Governor over Egypt, and over all the royal household. "Then there came a famine over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress, so that our ancestors could not find food. "But Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt, and sent our ancestors there on their first visit. "On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's parentage. "Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his family, numbering seventy-five souls, to come to him; "and Jacob went down into Egypt. "There he died, and our ancestors also, and they were carried across to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. "but as the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise which God made to Abraham, the people multiplied and increased in Egypt; "until there arose a king who knew not Joseph. "He dealt craftily with our race, and oppressed our forefathers, by making them expose their infants so that they should not live. "In this time Moses was born, a divinely beautiful child, who was brought up for three months in his father's house. "When he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and brought him up as her own son. "So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and works. "And when he was forty years old it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel; "and when he saw one of them wronged he wrought redress for the one overpowered, by striking down the Egyptian. "(Now he supposed that his brothers would understand how God by his hand was bringing them deliverance; but they did not.) "Next day he came upon two of them fighting, and tried to make peace between them. "'Sirs,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you wronging each other?' "But the man who was ill-treating his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, "'Who made you a magistrate and ruler over us? "'Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' "Alarmed at this question, Moses fled from the land, and went to live in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons. "But at the end of forty years there appeared to him, in the desert of Mt. Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire, in a bush. "When Moses saw it he was astonished at the sight. But when he drew near to look, the voice of the Lord said, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "And Moses trembled and dared not gaze. "And the Lord said: "Take off your sandals, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. "Truly I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groans, and am come down to rescue them; and now, come, I will send you into Egypt. "This Moses whom they refused when they said, Who made you to be a ruler and a judge? that same Moses we find God sending as a ruler and a redeemer by the hand in the bush. "This was he who brought them out, after he had shown signs and wonders in the wilderness, for forty years. "It was this Moses who said to the Children of Israel, "God will raise up a Prophet for you from among your brothers, as he did me. "This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness along with the angel who spoke to him in Mt. Sinai, and with our ancestors to whom he gave living words to hand down to us. "To him our ancestors would not be obedient, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt. "Said they to Aaron. "Make Gods for us who shall march in front of us! As for this Moses who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him. "And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to this idol, and began to rejoice over what they had made with their hands. "So God turned from them, and gave them up to the worship of the heavenly host, as it is written in the book of the Prophets. "Did you offer unto me slain beasts as sacrifices during the forty years in the wilderness, O House of Israel? No, it was the Tabernacle of Moloch and the star-symbol of the god Rempha that you lifted up??he images which you made in order to worship them; so I will carry you away beyond Babylon. "In the wilderness our ancestors had the Tabernacle of Testimony built, as he appointed who told Moses to make it according to the pattern he had seen. "That tabernacle was brought in by our ancestors, in their turn, when they under Joshua entered on the possession of the nations whom God thrust out before them, until the days of David. "David obtained favor with God, and asked permission to find a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob. "But it was Solomon who built him a house. "Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as said the prophet. "The heaven is my throne, And the earth the footstool of my feet; What kind of house will you build for me? saith the Lord. Or what resting-place shall I have? Did not my hand make this universe? "Stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Ghost! As your fathers did, so do you. "Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become??53 "you who received the law, given through angels, and obeyed it not." As they heard these words they became furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look, I see heaven open," he said, "And the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."

With a stedfast gaze at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived with a good conscience before God to this day." Then the High Priest Ananias ordered those who stood near Paul to strike him on the mouth. "You whited sepulcher," exclaimed Paul, "God will strike you! You are sitting there to judge me according to the law, are you? And do you command me to be struck, contrary to the Law?" read more.
"Do you rail at God's high priest?" said the bystanders. "Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest," exclaimed Paul, "for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of my people." Then perceiving that half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisee, he cried out in the Sanhedrin. "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial!" When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting was divided.


Then perceiving that half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisee, he cried out in the Sanhedrin. "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial!" When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; the Pharisees affirm them all. read more.
Then a great clamor arose; some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisaic party stood up, and contended. "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?" But when the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul in pieces, ordered the troops to march down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.


Then came up some Sadducees, men who say there is no resurrection. They too questioned him, saying. "Teacher, Moses taught us that if a man's brother die, and leave a wife behind him, but no child, that his brother is to marry the widow and to raise up a family for his brother. There were once seven brothers, the eldest of whom married a wife, and died leaving no family. read more.
The second married her, and died without offspring; the third likewise; and the seven had her, and died without issue. And last of all the woman too died. In the resurrection whose wife shall she be? For the seven had her as wife." "Is not this the reason for your error," Jesus answered them, "that you know not the Scripture nor the power of God? When they rise from the dead men do not marry, and women are not given in marriage, but they are as the angels are in heaven. But in regard to the rising again of the dead, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are in grave error."

Next came some of the Sadducees who deny that there is resurrection, and they asked him. "Teacher, Moses wrote a law for us that if a man's brother should die, but leave no children, his brother should take up his wife and raise up his children for his brother. "Now there were seven brothers. the first took a wife and died childless, read more.
"and the second and third took her, "and likewise all the seven, but left no children when they died. "Last of all the woman died too. "In the resurrection whose wife shall she be? For they all seven had her as wife." "People in this world marry and are given in marriage," said Jesus, "but those who are counted worthy to reach that world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage. "For indeed they cannot die any more; they are equal to the angels, and through being sons of the resurrection are sons of God. "But that the dead are raised, even Moses clearly implied in the passage about the Bush, when he calls the Lord. "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. "Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for to him all are alive.' Then some of the Scribes said, "Teacher, that was nobly said," for they no longer dared to ask him any questions.

That very day there came to him some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection. and they questioned him. "Master," they said, "Moses taught that if a man dies without issue, his brother is to marry the widow, and raise up a family for his brother. "Now there were of our number seven brothers; and the first married and died. As he had no children, he left his wife to his brother; read more.
"In the same way the second also died, and the third, unto the seventh. "Last of all the woman died. "In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? They all had her." In answer Jesus said: "You err because you do not know the Scriptures, nor the power of God. "For in the resurrection men do not marry, nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven. "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, did you never read what was spoken to you by God, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." And when the crowds heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. As soon as the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together,

When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; the Pharisees affirm them all.


Then perceiving that half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisee, he cried out in the Sanhedrin. "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial!" When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; the Pharisees affirm them all. read more.
Then a great clamor arose; some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisaic party stood up, and contended. "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?"


When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; the Pharisees affirm them all. Then a great clamor arose; some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisaic party stood up, and contended. "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?" read more.
But when the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul in pieces, ordered the troops to march down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.


When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting was divided.


Then perceiving that half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisee, he cried out in the Sanhedrin. "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial!" When he said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and Sadducees; the meeting was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; the Pharisees affirm them all. read more.
Then a great clamor arose; some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisaic party stood up, and contended. "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?" But when the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul in pieces, ordered the troops to march down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.