Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel.



It is all the doing of the God who has reconciled me to himself through Christ and has permitted me to be a minister of his reconciliation. For in Christ God reconciled the world to himself instead of counting men's trespasses against them; and he entrusted me with the message of his reconciliation. So I am an envoy for Christ, God appealing by me, as it were ??be reconciled to God, I entreat you on behalf of Christ. read more.
For our sakes He made him to be sin who himself knew nothing of sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


But when Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this? Why do you stare at us, as if we had made him walk by any power or piety of ours? The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified Jesus his servant, whom you delivered up and repudiated before Pilate. Pilate had decided to release him, but you repudiated the Holy and Just One; the boon you asked was a murderer, read more.
and you killed the pioneer of Life. But God raised him from the dead, as we can bear witness. (He it is who has given strength to this man whom you see and know, by faith in His name; it is the faith He inspires which has made the man thus hale and whole before you all.) Now I know, brothers, that you acted in ignorance, like your rulers ??18 though this was how God fulfilled what he had announced beforehand by the lips of all the prophets, namely the sufferings of his Christ. Repent then, and turn to have your sins blotted out, so that a breathing-space may be vouchsafed you, and that the Lord may send Jesus your long-decreed Christ, who must be kept in heaven till the period of the great Restoration. Ages ago God spoke of this by the lips of his holy prophets; for Moses said, The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brotherhood, as he raised me: you must listen to whatever he may tell you. Any soul that will not listen to this prophet shall be exterminated from the People; and all the prophets who have spoken since Samuel and his successors have also announced these days. Now you are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers when he said to Abraham, all families on earth shall be blessed in your offspring. It was for you first that God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. read more.
There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus,

But Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. Certainly we cannot give up speaking of what we have seen and heard."

With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. Verse Conceptselders, as community leadersSanhedrinTeachersDaybreakTeaching In The ChurchAt DaybreakBringing People Out Of Other PlacesDisciples In The Temple

Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. read more.
To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, read more.
"Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.


Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. read more.
To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. Verse Conceptselders, as community leadersSanhedrinTeachersDaybreakTeaching In The ChurchAt DaybreakBringing People Out Of Other PlacesDisciples In The Temple

Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. read more.
To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. read more.
To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

So they called the men in and ordered them not to speak or teach a single sentence about the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. Certainly we cannot give up speaking of what we have seen and heard."


Then the high priest brought many accusations against him, and once more Pilate asked him, "Have you no reply to make? Look at all their charges against you." But, to the astonishment of Pilate, Jesus answered no more.

Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. read more.
He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation."

Said the high priest, "Is this true?" "Listen, brothers and fathers," said Stephen. "The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before ever he stayed in Haran, and said to him, 'Leave your land and your countrymen and come to whatever land I show you.' read more.
Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and stayed in Haran. From Haran God shifted him, after his father's death, to this land which you now inhabit. But he did not give him any inheritance in it, not even a foot of the land. All be did was to promise that he would give it as a possession to him and to his offspring after him (he at the 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. But,' said God, 'I will pass sentence on the nation that has made them slaves, and then they will get away to worship me in this Place.' God also gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, whom he circumcised on the eighth day, Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. Out of jealousy the patriarchs sold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him, rescuing him from all his troubles and allowing him to find favour for his wisdom with Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him viceroy over Egypt and over all his own household. Now a famine came over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, attended with great misery, so that our ancestors could not find provender. But, hearing there was food in Egypt, Jacob sent our ancestors on their first visit to that country; at their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's lineage. Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his kinsfolk, amounting to seventy-five souls; and Jacob went south to Egypt. When he and our ancestors died, they were carried across to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. As the time approached for the promise God had made to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, till another king arose to rule Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph. He took a cunning method with our race; he oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to expose their infants, to prevent them from surviving. It was at this period that Moses was born, a divinely beautiful child. For three months he was brought up in his father's house; then he was exposed, but Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. So Moses was educated in all the culture of the Egyptians; he was a strong man in speech and action. When he had completed his fortieth year, it occurred to him to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. He saw one of them being badly treated, so he defended him, struck down the Egyptian, and thus avenged the man who had been wronged. (He thought his brothers would understand God was going to bring them deliverance by means of him, but they did not understand.) Next day he came upon two of them fighting and tried to pacify them. "You are brothers!" he said, "why injure one another?" But the man who was injuring his neighbour pushed him aside. "Who made you ruler and umpire over us?" he asked. "Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" At that Moses fled; he became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he had two sons born to him. At the close of forty years an angel [of the Lord] appeared to him in the flames of a burning thorn-bush, in the desert of mount Sinai. When Moses saw this, he marvelled at the sight; and as he went up to look at it, the voice of the Lord said, 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.' Moses was so terrified that he did not dare to look at the bush. But the Lord said to him, 'Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is sacred ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, I have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you back to Egypt.' The Moses they refused, when they said, 'Who made you ruler and umpire?' ??that was the very man whom God sent to rule and to redeem them, by aid of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush. He it was who led them forth, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert during forty years. (This was the Moses who told the sons of Israel, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brotherhood, as he raised me.') This was the man who at the assembly in the desert intervened between the angel who spoke to him on mount Sinai and our fathers; he received living Words to be given to us. But our fathers would not submit to him; they pushed him aside and hankered secretly after Egypt. They told Aaron, 'Make gods that will march in front of us! As for this Moses who led us out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him!' They actually made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to this idol, and grew festive over what their own hands had manufactured. So God turned from them, abandoning them to the worship of the starry Host ??as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did you offer me victims and sacrifices during the forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? No, it was the tent of Moloch and the star-symbol of Rephan your god that you carried, figures that you manufactured for worship. So now I will transport you beyond Babylon! In the desert our fathers had the tent of witness as arranged by Him who told Moses to make it after the pattern he had seen. It was passed on and borne in by our fathers as with Joshua they took possession of the territory of the nations whom God drove out before our fathers. So it remained down to the days of David. He found favour with God and asked permission to devise a dwelling for the God of Jacob. It was Solomon, however, who built him a house. And yet the most High does not dwell in houses made by hands. As the prophet says, Heaven is my throne, the earth is a footstool for my feet! What house would you build me? saith the Lord. On what spot could I settle? Did not my hand make all this? Stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ear, you are always resisting the holy Spirit! As with your fathers, so with you! Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Just One. And here you have betrayed him, murdered him! ??53 you who got the Law that angels transmitted, and have not obeyed it!" When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. He, full of the holy Spirit, gazed up at heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of man standing at God's right hand!"

With a steady look at the Sanhedrin Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived with a perfectly good conscience before God down to the present day." Then the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next Paul to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul said to him, "You whitewashed wall, God will strike you! You sit there to judge me by the Law, do you? And you break the Law by ordering me to be struck!" read more.
The bystanders said, "What! would you rail at God's high priest?" "Brothers," said Paul, "I did not know he was high priest" (for it is written, You must not speak evil of any ruler of your people). Then, finding half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisees, Paul shouted to them, "I am a Pharisee, brothers, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection from the dead that I am on trial!" When he said this, a quarrel broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; the meeting was divided.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel.

Treat one another with the same spirit as you experience in Christ Jesus. Though he was divine by nature, he did not set store upon equality with God but emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant; born in human guise read more.
and appearing in human form, he humbly stooped in his obedience even to die, and to die upon the cross. Therefore God raised him high and conferred on him a Name above all names, so that before the Name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven, on earth, and underneath the earth, and every tongue confess that 'Jesus Christ is Lord,' to the glory of God the Father.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel.

you know how it spread over the whole of Judaea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John ??38 how God consecrated Jesus of Nazaret with the holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and curing all who were harassed by the devil; for God was with him. As for what he did in the land of the Jews and of Jerusalem, we can testify to that. They slew him by hanging him on a gibbet, but God raised him on the third day, and allowed him to be seen read more.
not by all the People but by witnesses whom God had previously selected, by us who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead, when he enjoined us to preach to the People, testifying that this was he whom God has appointed to be judge of the living and of the dead. All the prophets testify that everyone who believes in him is to receive remission of sins through his Name."

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly sphere! He chose us in him ere the world was founded, to be consecrated and unblemished in his sight, destining us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ. Such was the purpose of his will, read more.
redounding to the praise of his glorious grace bestowed on us in the Beloved, in whom we enjoy our redemption, the forgiveness of our trespasses, by the blood he shed.

thanking the Father who has qualified us to share the lot of the saints in the Light, rescuing us from the power of the Darkness and transferring us to the realm of his beloved Son! In him we enjoy our redemption, that is, the forgiveness of sins.


[Chapters he cuts away any branch on me which is not bearing fruit, and cleans every branch which does bear fruit, to make it bear richer fruit. You are already clean, by the word I have spoken to you. read more.
Remain in me, as I remain in you: just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, without remaining on the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, as I in him, bears rich fruit (because apart from me you can do nothing). If anyone does not remain in me he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers up; then the branches are gathered and thrown into the fire to be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then ask whatever you like and you shall have it. As you bear rich fruit and prove yourselves my disciples, my Father is glorified. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain within my love. If you keep my commands you will remain within my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain within his love. I have told you this, that my joy may be within you and your joy complete. This is my command: you are to love one another as I have loved you. To lay life down for his friends, man has no greater love than that. You are my friends ??if you do what I command you; & I call you servants no longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing: I call you friends, because I have imparted to you all that I have learned from my Father. are placed in the middle of verse 13:31] "I am the real Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser; You have not chosen me, it is I who have chosen you, appointing you to go and bear fruit ??fruit that lasts, so that the Father may grant you whatever you ask in my name. This is what I command you, to love one another. If the world hates you, remember it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love what it owned; it is because you do not belong to the world, because I have chosen you from the world, that the world hates you. Remember what I told you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they hold to my word, they will hold to yours. They will do all this to you on account of my name, because they know not him who sent me. They would not be guilty, if I had not come and spoken to them; but, as it is, they have no excuse for their sin ??23 he who hates me hates my Father also. They would not be guilty, if I had not done deeds among them such as no one has ever done; but, as it is, they have seen ??and they have hated ??both me and my Father. It is that the word written in their Law may be fulfilled: they hated me for no cause. When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which issues from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you too are witnesses, for you have been with me from the very beginning.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

Now here I go to Jerusalem under the binding force of the Spirit. What will befall me there, I do not know. Only, I know this, that in town after town the holy Spirit testifies to me that bonds and troubles are awaiting me.

For this reason I Paul, I whom Jesus has made a prisoner for the sake of you Gentiles ??2 for surely you have heard how the grace of God which was vouchsafed me in your interests has ordered it, how the divine secret was disclosed to me by a revelation (if you read what I have already written briefly about this, you can understand my insight into that secret of Christ read more.
which was not disclosed to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his sacred apostles and prophets by the Spirit),

Besides, we have the testimony of the holy Spirit; for after saying, Verse ConceptsThe Witness Of The SpiritTaught By The Spirit

Who is the world's conqueror but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Jesus Christ, he it is who came by water, blood, and Spirit ??not by the water alone, but by the water and the blood. The Spirit is the witness to this, for the Spirit is truth.


Jesus answered, "If anyone loves me he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up our abode with him. He who does not love me does not obey my word; and what you hear me say is not my word but the word of the Father who sent me. I have told you all this while I am still with you, read more.
but the Helper, the holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and recall to you everything I have said.

When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which issues from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you too are witnesses, for you have been with me from the very beginning.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

Besides, we have the testimony of the holy Spirit; for after saying, Verse ConceptsThe Witness Of The SpiritTaught By The Spirit


Now on the last day, the great day, of the festival, Jesus stood and cried aloud, "If anyone is athirst, let him come to me and drink; he who believes in me ??out of his body, as scripture says, streams of living water will flow" (he meant by this the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive: ??as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus had not been glorified yet).

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

So I tell you, ask and the gift will be yours, seek and you will find, knock and the door will open to you; for everyone who asks receives, the seeker finds, the door is opened to anyone who knocks. What father among you, if asked by his son for a loaf, will hand him a stone? Or, if asked for a fish, will hand him a serpent instead of a fish? read more.
Or, if asked for an egg, will he hand him a scorpion? Well, if for all your evil you know to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father give the holy Spirit from heaven to those who ask him?"

The apostles and the presbyters met to investigate this question, and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it. The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us;

I John, your brother and your companion in the distress and realm and patient endurance which Jesus brings, found myself in the island called Patmos, for adhering to God's word and the testimony of Jesus. Verse ConceptsCompanionsIslandsKingdom Of God, Entry IntoLonelinessParticipation, In ChristWitnessing, And Holy SpiritSolitudePeople Of The KingdomSharing In ChristSubsequent Witness To ChristEnduranceperserverancepartnershipperseveringChristians Being Called Brothers

They laid hands on them and, as it was now evening, put them in custody till next morning. (A number of those who heard them speak believed, bringing up their numbers to [about] five thousand.) Next morning a meeting was held in Jerusalem of their rulers, elders and scribes, read more.
which was attended by the high priest Annas, by Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high priest's family. They made the men stand before them and inquired, "By what authority, in whose name, have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus, but as they saw the man who had been healed standing beside them, they could say nothing. Ordering them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin, they proceeded to hold a consultation. "What are we to do with these men?" they said. "It is plain to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that a miracle has admittedly been worked by them. That we cannot deny. However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name." So they called the men in and ordered them not to speak or teach a single sentence about the Name of Jesus.

they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, "Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." read more.
With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.

It was about that time that king Herod laid hands of violence on some members of the church. James the brother of John he slew with the sword, and when he saw this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.) read more.
After arresting him he put him in prison, handing him over to a guard of sixteen soldiers, with the intention of producing him to the People after the passover. So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church. The very night before Herod meant to have him produced, Peter lay asleep between two soldiers; he was fastened by two chains, and sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. But an angel of the Lord flashed on him, and a light shone in the cell; striking Peter on the side he woke him, saying, "Quick, get up!" The fetters dropped from his hands, and the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. Then said the angel, "Put on your coat and follow me." And he followed him out, not realizing that what the angel did was real, but imagining that he saw a vision. When they had passed the first guard and the second they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; they passed out, and after they had gone through one street, the angel immediately left him. Then Peter came to his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating." When he grasped the situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where a number had met for prayer. When he knocked at the door of the porch, a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer it; but as soon as she recognized Peter's voice, instead of opening the door she ran inside from sheer joy and announced that Peter was standing in front of the porch. "You are mad," they said. But she insisted it was true. "It is his angel," they said. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door they were amazed to see him. He beckoned to them to keep quiet and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Report this to James," he said, "and to the brothers." And off he went to another place. Now when day broke there was a great commotion among the soldiers over what could have become of Peter. Herod made inquiries for him but could not find him; so, after cross-examining the guards, he ordered them off to death. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea, where he spent some time.

This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, read more.
"Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.

which was attended by the high priest Annas, by Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high priest's family. They made the men stand before them and inquired, "By what authority, in whose name, have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, read more.
if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus, but as they saw the man who had been healed standing beside them, they could say nothing. Ordering them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin, they proceeded to hold a consultation. "What are we to do with these men?" they said. "It is plain to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that a miracle has admittedly been worked by them. That we cannot deny. However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name." So they called the men in and ordered them not to speak or teach a single sentence about the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. Certainly we cannot give up speaking of what we have seen and heard." Then they threatened them still further and let them go; on account of the people they found themselves unable to find any means of punishing them, for everybody was glorifying God over what had happened

This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, read more.
"Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name;

This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, read more.
"Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel.

So when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with taxgatherers and sinners?" When Jesus heard it he said, "Those who are strong have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill. Go and learn the meaning of this word, I care for mercy not for sacrifice. For I have not come to call just men but sinners."

So when some scribes of the Pharisees saw he was eating with sinners and taxgatherers they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat and drink with taxgatherers and sinners?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "Those who are strong have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill: I have not come to call just men but sinners."

But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with taxgatherers and sinners?" Jesus replied to them, "Healthy people have no need of a doctor, but those who are ill: I have not come to call just men but sinners to repentance."

While they were speaking to the people, they were surprised by the priests, the commander of the temple, and the Sadducees, who were annoyed at them teaching the people and proclaiming Jesus as an instance of resurrection from the dead. They laid hands on them and, as it was now evening, put them in custody till next morning.

This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, read more.
"Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles.

It is of what existed from the very beginning, of what we heard, of what we saw, of what we witnessed and touched with our own hands, it is of the Logos of Life (the Life has appeared; we saw it, we testify to it, we bring you word of that eternal Life which existed with the Father and was disclosed to us) ??3 it is of what we heard and saw that we bring you word, so that you may share our fellowship; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. read more.
To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

you know how it spread over the whole of Judaea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John ??38 how God consecrated Jesus of Nazaret with the holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and curing all who were harassed by the devil; for God was with him. As for what he did in the land of the Jews and of Jerusalem, we can testify to that. They slew him by hanging him on a gibbet, but God raised him on the third day, and allowed him to be seen read more.
not by all the People but by witnesses whom God had previously selected, by us who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead, when he enjoined us to preach to the People, testifying that this was he whom God has appointed to be judge of the living and of the dead. All the prophets testify that everyone who believes in him is to receive remission of sins through his Name."

A man appeared, sent by God, whose name was John: he came for the purpose of witnessing, to bear testimony to the Light, so that all men might believe by means of him. He was not the Light; it was to bear testimony to the Light that he appeared. read more.
The real Light, which enlightens every man, was coming then into the world: he entered the world ??the world which existed through him ??yet the world did not recognize him; he came to what was his own, yet his own folk did not welcome him. On those who have accepted him, however, he has conferred the right of being children of God, that is, on those who believe in his Name, who owe this birth of theirs to God, not to human blood, nor to any impulse of the flesh or of man. So the Logos became flesh and tarried among us; we have seen his glory ??glory such as an only son enjoys from his father ??seen it to be full of grace and reality. (John testified to him with the cry, 'This was he of whom I said, my successor has taken precedence of me, for he preceded me.')

that all men may honour the Son as they honour the Father. (He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.) Truly, truly I tell you, he who listens to my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life; he will incur no sentence of judgment, he has already passed from death across to life. Truly, truly I tell you, the time is coming, it has come already, when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will live; read more.
for as the Father has life in himself, so too he has granted the Son to have life in himself, and also granted him authority to act as judge, since he is Son of man. Do not wonder at this; for there is a time coming when all who are in the tombs will listen to his voice and come out, the doers of good to be raised to life, ill-doers to be raised for the sentence of judgment. I can do nothing of my own accord; I pass judgment on men as I am taught by God, and my judgment is just, because my aim is not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I testify to myself, then my evidence is not valid; I have Another to bear testimony to me, and I know the evidence he bears for me is valid. You sent to John, and he bore testimony to the truth (though I accept no testimony from man ??I only speak of this testimony, that you may be saved); he was a burning and a shining lamp, and you chose to rejoice for a while in his light. But I possess a testimony greater than that of John, for the deeds which the Father has granted me to accomplish, the very deeds on which I am engaged, are my testimony that the Father has sent me. The Father who sent me has also borne testimony to me himself; but his voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, his word you have not kept with you, because you do not believe him whom he sent. You search the scriptures, imagining you possess eternal life in their pages ??and they do testify to me ??40 but you refuse to come to me for life. I accept no credit from men, but I know there is no love to God in you; here am I, come in the name of my Father, and you will not accept me: let someone else come in his own name, and you will accept him! How can you believe, you who accept credit from one another instead of aiming at the credit which comes from the only God? Do not imagine I am going to accuse you to the Father; Moses is your accuser, Moses who is your hope! For if you believed Moses you would believe me, since it was of me that he wrote. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you ever believe what I say?"



Now when they met, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time you are going to restore the Realm to Israel?" But he told them, "It is not for you to know the course and periods of time that the Father has fixed by his own authority. You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses at Jerusalem, throughout all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." read more.
On saying this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him out of sight. As he went up, their eyes were fixed on heaven; but just then two men stood beside them dressed in white, who said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? This Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back, just as you have seen him depart to heaven."

As he clung to Peter and John, all the people rushed awestruck to them in what was called Solomon's portico. But when Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this? Why do you stare at us, as if we had made him walk by any power or piety of ours? The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified Jesus his servant, whom you delivered up and repudiated before Pilate. Pilate had decided to release him, read more.
but you repudiated the Holy and Just One; the boon you asked was a murderer, and you killed the pioneer of Life. But God raised him from the dead, as we can bear witness.

Symeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been allotted a faith of equal privilege with ours, by the equity of our God and saviour Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied to you by the knowledge of our Lord. Inasmuch as his power divine has bestowed on us every requisite for life and piety by the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence ??4 bestowing on us thereby promises precious and supreme, that by means of them you may escape the corruption produced within the world by lust, and participate in the divine nature ??5 for this very reason, do you contrive to make it your whole concern to furnish your faith with resolution, resolution with intelligence, read more.
intelligence with self-control, self-control with stedfastness, stedfastness with piety, piety with brotherliness, brotherliness with Christian love. For as these qualities exist and increase with you, they render you active and fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; whereas he who has not these by him is blind, shortsighted, oblivious that he has been cleansed from his erstwhile sins. So be the more eager, brothers, to ratify your calling and election, for as you practise these qualities you will never make a slip; you will thus be richly furnished with the right of entry into the eternal realm of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Hence I mean to keep on reminding you of this, although you are aware of it and are fixed in the Truth as it is; so long as I am in this tent, I deem it proper to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know my tent must be folded up very soon ??as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me. Yes, and I will see to it that even when I am gone, you will keep this constantly in mind. For it was no fabricated fables that we followed when we reported to you the power and advent of our Lord Jesus Christ; we were admitted to the spectacle of his sovereignty,

Show 1 more verse
A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God granted him for his servants, to show them what must come to pass very soon; he disclosed it by sending it through his angel to his servant John, who now testifies to what is God's word and Jesus Christ's testimony ??to what he saw.


[Chapters he cuts away any branch on me which is not bearing fruit, and cleans every branch which does bear fruit, to make it bear richer fruit. You are already clean, by the word I have spoken to you. read more.
Remain in me, as I remain in you: just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, without remaining on the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, as I in him, bears rich fruit (because apart from me you can do nothing). If anyone does not remain in me he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers up; then the branches are gathered and thrown into the fire to be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then ask whatever you like and you shall have it. As you bear rich fruit and prove yourselves my disciples, my Father is glorified. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain within my love. If you keep my commands you will remain within my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain within his love. I have told you this, that my joy may be within you and your joy complete. This is my command: you are to love one another as I have loved you. To lay life down for his friends, man has no greater love than that. You are my friends ??if you do what I command you; & I call you servants no longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing: I call you friends, because I have imparted to you all that I have learned from my Father. are placed in the middle of verse 13:31] "I am the real Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser; You have not chosen me, it is I who have chosen you, appointing you to go and bear fruit ??fruit that lasts, so that the Father may grant you whatever you ask in my name. This is what I command you, to love one another. If the world hates you, remember it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love what it owned; it is because you do not belong to the world, because I have chosen you from the world, that the world hates you. Remember what I told you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they hold to my word, they will hold to yours. They will do all this to you on account of my name, because they know not him who sent me. They would not be guilty, if I had not come and spoken to them; but, as it is, they have no excuse for their sin ??23 he who hates me hates my Father also. They would not be guilty, if I had not done deeds among them such as no one has ever done; but, as it is, they have seen ??and they have hated ??both me and my Father. It is that the word written in their Law may be fulfilled: they hated me for no cause. When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which issues from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you too are witnesses, for you have been with me from the very beginning.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

Now here I go to Jerusalem under the binding force of the Spirit. What will befall me there, I do not know. Only, I know this, that in town after town the holy Spirit testifies to me that bonds and troubles are awaiting me.

For this reason I Paul, I whom Jesus has made a prisoner for the sake of you Gentiles ??2 for surely you have heard how the grace of God which was vouchsafed me in your interests has ordered it, how the divine secret was disclosed to me by a revelation (if you read what I have already written briefly about this, you can understand my insight into that secret of Christ read more.
which was not disclosed to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his sacred apostles and prophets by the Spirit),

Besides, we have the testimony of the holy Spirit; for after saying, Verse ConceptsThe Witness Of The SpiritTaught By The Spirit

Who is the world's conqueror but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Jesus Christ, he it is who came by water, blood, and Spirit ??not by the water alone, but by the water and the blood. The Spirit is the witness to this, for the Spirit is truth.