Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible




Jesus return'd by the influence of the spirit into Galilee, where his same quickly spread over all the country; for he preach'd in their synagogues with universal applause. being come to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; according to his custom, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and standing up to read, read more.
they delivered to him the book of the prophet Esaias, and upon opening the book, that passage occurr'd, where it is written, "the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord."

at the relation of which they unanimously lift up their voice to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God who hast made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is therein: who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, "why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ." read more.
for it was truly against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, that Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, united themselves in this city,

you know, how his fame spread from Galilee through all Judea, after the baptism which John had preach'd: how Jesus of Nazareth divinely inspired by the holy spirit, and with miraculous power, went about doing good, and healing all that were under the oppression of the devil: because God was with him.

but to the son he saith, "God is thy throne for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of equity. thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy peers."


at the relation of which they unanimously lift up their voice to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God who hast made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is therein: who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, "why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ." read more.
for it was truly against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, that Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, united themselves in this city,

Saul still breathing out nothing but threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and demanded letters for the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any of this sect, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was on his journey, and near Damascus, on a sudden, a light from heaven surrounded him, read more.
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? and he said, who art thou, Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is hard for thee to kick against the goad. Then trembling with the fright Saul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? and the Lord said to him,]

I am the genuine vine, and my father is the vintager. every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he takes away: as for the branch that bears fruit, he prunes it clean, to make it more fruitful. you are already clean by the instructions I have given you. read more.
be attach'd to me, and I shall be so to you. as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self, except it be attach'd to the vine: so neither can you, except you continue attach'd to me. I am the vine, you are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for independent of me ye can do nothing. if a man abide not in me, he is cast away as withered branches that are gather'd up to be thrown into the fire, where they are burned. if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask what ye will, and you shall obtain it. my father will be honour'd by your bearing much fruit, and you will have the honour of being my disciples. as the father has loved me, and I have loved you: so do you persevere in your love to me. your love to me will be in keeping my commandments: even as I love my father by keeping his commandments. These things have I spoken to you, that you might have some present comfort, and that hereafter your joy might be compleat. this is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. there cannot be greater love than that of a man, who lays down his life for his friends. you will be my friends, if you do what I have commanded you. henceforth I do not treat you as servants; for the servant is unacquainted with his master's affairs: but I have treated you as friends; for what I have learnt of my father, I have communicated to you. it was not you that chose me, but I that chose you, and establish'd you, that your travels may be fruitful, and your fruit be lasting: so that whatever ye shall ask of the father for my sake, he will give it you. Above all I enjoin you, to love one another. if the world hate you, consider that it hated me before it hated you. if you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world does hate you. remember what I told you, "the servant is not greater than his master." if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have been spies upon my discourse, they will be so upon yours. but all these things will they do unto you, out of hatred to my name, because they know not him that sent me. if I had not appear'd, and inform'd them, they would have been innocent: but now they have no excuse for their sin. he that hateth me, hateth my father also. if I had not done among them such works as no other ever did, they had been innocent: but though they have seen them, yet they hate both me and my father. so that the passage is fulfilled that is written in their law, "they hated me without a cause."

then the man departed to acquaint the Jews, that it was Jesus who had cured him. upon which occasion the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he did such things on the sabbath-day. But Jesus answered them, my father works without intermission, and so do I. read more.
therefore the Jews were the more eager to kill him, because he had not only violated the sabbath, but likewise, because he had said that God was his proper father, making himself equal with God.

as I was upon the road, advanc'd near Damascus, about mid-day, all of a sudden a great light from heaven broke all around me. I fell to the ground, and heard a voice pronounce these words, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" I answered, who art thou, Lord? it answered, "I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute."