Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Decision » Instances of » The disciples
I have run the great Race; I have finished the Course; I have kept the Faith. And now the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just Judge, will give me on 'That Day'--and not only to me, but to all who have loved his Appearing.
And this will fulfil my earnest expectation and hope that I shall have no cause for shame, but that, with unfailing courage, now as hitherto, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by my life or by my death, For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
For I am not ashamed of the Good News; it is the power of God which brings Salvation to every one who believes in Christ, to the Jew first, but also to the Greek.
Talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him.
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the Common Life of the Church, to the Breaking of the Bread and to the Prayers.
It is true that I am not with you in person, but I am with you in spirit, and am glad to see the good order and the unbroken front resulting from your faith in Christ.
But Simon Peter answered: "Master, to whom shall we go? Immortal Life is in your teaching; And we have learned to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."
"But we," said Peter, "we left what belonged to us and followed you."
Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial--
Defense » Of paul
Paul fixed his eyes upon the Council, and began: "Brothers, for my part, I have always ordered my life before God, with a clear conscience, up to this very day." At this, the High Priest Ananias ordered the men standing near to strike him on the mouth; Whereupon Paul turned to him and said: "God will strike you, you white-washed wall! Are you sitting there to try me in accordance with law, and yet, in defiance of law, order me to be struck?" read more.
The people standing near said to Paul: "Do you know that you are insulting God's High Priest?" "I did not know, Brothers, that it was the High Priest," said Paul, "for Scripture says--'Of the Ruler of thy People thou shalt speak no ill'." Noticing that some of those present were Sadducees and others Pharisees, Paul called out in the Council: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees. It is on the question of hope for the dead and of their resurrection that I am on my trial."
The people standing near said to Paul: "Do you know that you are insulting God's High Priest?" "I did not know, Brothers, that it was the High Priest," said Paul, "for Scripture says--'Of the Ruler of thy People thou shalt speak no ill'." Noticing that some of those present were Sadducees and others Pharisees, Paul called out in the Council: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees. It is on the question of hope for the dead and of their resurrection that I am on my trial."
On a sign from the Governor, Paul made this reply: "Knowing, as I do, for how many years you have acted as Judge to this nation, it is with confidence that I undertake my own defense. For you can easily ascertain that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship at Jerusalem, Where my prosecutors never found me holding discussions with any one, or causing a crowd to collect--either in the Temple, or in the Synagogues, or about the city; read more.
And they cannot establish the charges which they are now making against me. This, however, I do acknowledge to you, that it is as a believer in the Cause which they call heretical, that I worship the God of my ancestors. At the same time, I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the prophets; And I have a hope that rests in God--a hope which they also cherish--that there will one day be a resurrection of good and bad alike. This being so, I strive at all times to keep my conscience clear before both God and man. After some years' absence I had come to bring charitable gifts to my nation, and to make offerings; And it was while engaged in this that they found me in the Temple, after completing a period of purification, but not with any crowd or disorder. There were, however, some Jews from Roman Asia who ought to have been here before you, and to have made any charge that they may have against me-- Or else let my opponents here say what they found wrong in me when I was before the Council, Except as to the one sentence that I shouted out as I stood among them--'It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial before you to-day'."
And they cannot establish the charges which they are now making against me. This, however, I do acknowledge to you, that it is as a believer in the Cause which they call heretical, that I worship the God of my ancestors. At the same time, I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the prophets; And I have a hope that rests in God--a hope which they also cherish--that there will one day be a resurrection of good and bad alike. This being so, I strive at all times to keep my conscience clear before both God and man. After some years' absence I had come to bring charitable gifts to my nation, and to make offerings; And it was while engaged in this that they found me in the Temple, after completing a period of purification, but not with any crowd or disorder. There were, however, some Jews from Roman Asia who ought to have been here before you, and to have made any charge that they may have against me-- Or else let my opponents here say what they found wrong in me when I was before the Council, Except as to the one sentence that I shouted out as I stood among them--'It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial before you to-day'."
Turning to Paul, Agrippa said: "You are at liberty to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. "I have been congratulating myself, King Agrippa," he said, "that it is before you that I have to make my defense to-day, with regard to all the charges brought against me by Jews, Especially as you are so well-versed in all the customs and questions of the Jewish world. I beg you therefore to give me a patient hearing. read more.
My life, then, from youth upwards, was passed, from the very first, among my own nation, and in Jerusalem, and is within the knowledge of all Jews; And they have always known--if they choose to give evidence- -that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true Pharisee. Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial-- A promise which our Twelve Tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused--and by Jews themselves! Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead? I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the Name of Jesus of Nazareth; And I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the Chief Priests, I myself threw many of the People of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it. Time after time, in every Synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders. It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the Chief Priests, That at mid-day, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all round me and those traveling with me. We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew-- 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. And the Lord said: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; But get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I shall yet appear to you, Since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God's People, by faith in me.' After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision; On the contrary, first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and then through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles as well, I began to preach repentance and conversion to God, and a life befitting that repentance. This is why the Jews seized me in the Temple, and made attempts upon my life. However I have received help from God to this very day, and so stand here, and bear my testimony to high and low alike--without adding a word to what the Prophets, as well as Moses, declared should happen-- That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of Light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles."
My life, then, from youth upwards, was passed, from the very first, among my own nation, and in Jerusalem, and is within the knowledge of all Jews; And they have always known--if they choose to give evidence- -that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true Pharisee. Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial-- A promise which our Twelve Tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused--and by Jews themselves! Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead? I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the Name of Jesus of Nazareth; And I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the Chief Priests, I myself threw many of the People of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it. Time after time, in every Synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders. It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the Chief Priests, That at mid-day, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all round me and those traveling with me. We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew-- 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. And the Lord said: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; But get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I shall yet appear to you, Since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God's People, by faith in me.' After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision; On the contrary, first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and then through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles as well, I began to preach repentance and conversion to God, and a life befitting that repentance. This is why the Jews seized me in the Temple, and made attempts upon my life. However I have received help from God to this very day, and so stand here, and bear my testimony to high and low alike--without adding a word to what the Prophets, as well as Moses, declared should happen-- That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of Light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles."
Hope » In God's promises
Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial-- A promise which our Twelve Tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused--and by Jews themselves!
The promises of God » Made to » The fathers
Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial-- A promise which our Twelve Tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused--and by Jews themselves!