Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



in his own flesh he put an end to the feud of the Law with its code of commands, so as to make peace by the creation of a new Man in himself out of both parties, Verse ConceptsNew ThingsLaws, AbolishedLaw, And GospelRitual LawRitualSalvation, Nature OfLaw, TemporaryAbolish, Evil ThingsAnnulmentTwo GroupsNew LifeChurch Distinct From IsraelMaking Peace With God


These men who are keen upon you getting circumcised are just men who want to make a grand display in the flesh ??it is simply to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Verse ConceptsExclusivenessOutward AppearanceLiving For The MaterialNecessity Of CircumcisionOutward CompulsionSignificance Of Christ's CrucifixionPersecutionThe Crosstrying

But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisaic party got up and said, "Gentiles must be circumcised and told to observe the law of Moses." 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. read more.
The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them. Well now, why are you trying to impose a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we ourselves could bear? No, it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we believe and are saved, in the same way as they are." So the whole meeting was quieted and listened to Barnabas and Paul recounting the signs and wonders God had performed by them among the Gentiles. When they had finished speaking, James spoke. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. Symeon has explained how it was God's original concern to secure a People from among the Gentiles to bear his Name. This agrees with the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent, its ruins I will rebuild and erect it anew, that the rest of men may seek for the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name, saith the Lord, who makes this known from of old. Hence, in my opinion, we ought not to put fresh difficulties in the way of those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but write them injunctions to abstain from whatever is contaminated by idols, from sexual vice, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from tasting blood; for Moses has had his preachers from the earliest ages in every town, where he is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath." Then the apostles and the presbyters, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their number and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. The men selected were Judas (called Bar-Sabbas) and Silas, prominent members of the brotherhood. They conveyed the following letter. "The apostles and the presbyters of the brotherhood to the brothers who belong to the Gentiles throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: greeting. Having learned that some of our number, quite unauthorized by us, have unsettled you with their teaching and upset your souls, we have decided unanimously to select some of our number and send them to you along with our beloved Paul and Barnabas who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We therefore send Judas and Silas with the following message, which they will also give to you orally. The holy Spirit and we have decided not to impose any extra burden on you, apart from these essential requirements: abstain from food that has been offered to idols, from tasting blood, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from sexual vice. Keep clear of all this and you will prosper. Goodbye."

Well then, there is one God, a God who will justify the circumcised as they believe and the uncircumcised on the score of faith. Verse ConceptsCircumcision, spiritualMonotheismJustification Under The GospelGod Is OneNecessity Of CircumcisionRighteous By FaithThe Gospel To Jew And Gentile

Now is that description of bliss meant for the circumcised, or for the uncircumcised as well? Abraham's faith, I repeat, was counted to him as righteousness. In what way? When he was a circumcised man or an uncircumcised man? Not when he was circumcised, but when he was uncircumcised. He only got circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which belonged to his faith as an uncircumcised man. The object of this was to make him the father of all who believe as uncircumcised persons and thus have righteousness counted to them,

Was a man circumcised at the time he was called? Then he is not to efface the marks of it. Has any man been called when he was uncircumcised? Then he is not to get circumcised. Circumcision counts for nothing, uncircumcision counts for nothing; obedience to God's commands is everything.

But even my companion Titus, Greek though he was, was not obliged to be circumcised. There were traitors of false brothers, who had crept in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus; they did aim at enslaving us again.

Here, listen to Paul! I tell you, if you get circumcised, Christ will be no use to you. I insist on this again to everyone who gets circumcised, that he is obliged to carry out the whole of the Law. You are for justification by the Law? Then you are done with Christ, you have deserted grace, read more.
for it is by faith that 'we' wait in the Spirit for the righteousness we hope for; in Christ Jesus circumcision is not valid, neither is uncircumcision, but only faith active in love. You were doing splendidly. Who was it that prevented you from obeying the Truth? That sort of suasion does not come from Him who called you! (A morsel of dough will leaven the whole lump.) I feel persuaded in the Lord that you will not go wrong. But he who unsettles you will have to meet his doom, no matter who he is. I am 'still preaching circumcision myself,' am I? Then, brothers, why am I still being persecuted? And so the stumbling-block of the cross has lost its force, forsooth!

Remember, then, that once upon a time you Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 'the Uncircumcision' by that so-called 'Circumcision' which is itself the product of human hands in the flesh ??12 remember you were in those days outside Christ, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the Promise, devoid of hope and God within the world. Verse ConceptsCircumcision, physicalBodyLiving For The MaterialNecessity Of Circumcision

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Christ, I mean, became a servant to the circumcised in order to prove God's honesty by fulfilling His promises to the fathers, Verse ConceptsCertaintyPatriarchsGod's Promise To AbrahamSalvation For Israelvindication









He is no Jew who is merely a Jew outwardly, nor is circumcision something outward in the flesh; he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual not literal ??praised by God, not by man.






Christ, I mean, became a servant to the circumcised in order to prove God's honesty by fulfilling His promises to the fathers, and also in order that the Gentiles should glorify God for His mercy ??as it is written, Therefore will I offer praise to Thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name;

Beware of anyone getting hold of you by means of a theosophy which is specious make-believe, on the lines of human tradition, corresponding to the Elemental spirits of the world and not to Christ. It is in Christ that the entire Fulness of deity has settled bodily, it is in him that you reach your full life, and he is the Head of every angelic Ruler and Power; read more.
in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision, when you were buried with him in your baptism and thereby raised with him as you believed in the power of the God who raised him from the dead. For though you were dead in your trespasses, your flesh uncircumcised, He made you live with Christ, He forgave us all our trespasses, He cancelled the regulations that stood against us ??all these obligations he set aside when he nailed them to the cross, when he cut away the angelic Rulers and Powers from us, exposing them to all the world and triumphing over them in the cross.



















Beware of anyone getting hold of you by means of a theosophy which is specious make-believe, on the lines of human tradition, corresponding to the Elemental spirits of the world and not to Christ. It is in Christ that the entire Fulness of deity has settled bodily, it is in him that you reach your full life, and he is the Head of every angelic Ruler and Power; read more.
in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision, when you were buried with him in your baptism and thereby raised with him as you believed in the power of the God who raised him from the dead. For though you were dead in your trespasses, your flesh uncircumcised, He made you live with Christ, He forgave us all our trespasses,

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As God's own chosen, then, as consecrated and beloved, be clothed with compassion, kindliness, humility, gentleness, and good temper ??13 forbear and forgive each other in any case of complaint; as Christ forgave you, so must you forgive.

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life within you. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood possesses eternal life (and I will raise him up on the last day), for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. read more.
He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains within me, as I remain within him.

My dear children, I am writing this to you that you may not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ the just; he is himself the propitiation for our sins, though not for ours alone but also for the whole world. This is how we may be sure we know him, by obeying his commands. read more.
He who says, 'I know him,' but does not obey his commands, is a liar and the truth is not in him; but whoever obeys his word, in him love to God is really complete. This is how we may be sure we are in him: he who says he 'remains in him' ought to live as he lived.

"Lord," said Philip, "let us see the Father; that is all we want." Jesus said to him, "Philip, have I been with you all this time, and yet you do not understand me? He who has seen me has seen the Father. What do you mean by saying, 'Let us see the Father'? Do you not believe I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you all I do not speak of my own accord; it is the Father who remains ever in me, who is performing his own deeds. read more.
Believe me, I am in the Father and the Father is in me: ??or else, believe because of the deeds themselves. Truly, truly I tell you, he who believes in me will do the very deeds I do, and still greater deeds than these. For I am going to the Father, and I will do whatever you ask in my name, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; I will do whatever you ask me in my name. If you love me you will keep my commands, and I will ask the Father to give you another Helper to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth: the world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him, but you know him, because he remains with you and will be within you. I will not leave you forlorn; I am coming to you. A little while longer and the world will see me no more; but you will see me, because I am living and you will be living too. You will understand, on that day, that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.

Why, look at your own ranks, my brothers; not many wise men (that is, judged by human standards), not many leading men, not many of good birth, have been called! No, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame what is strong; God has chosen what is mean and despised in the world ??things which are not, to put down things that are; read more.
that no person may boast in the sight of God. This is the God to whom you owe your being in Christ Jesus, whom God has made our 'Wisdom,' that is, our righteousness and consecration and redemption;

Beware of anyone getting hold of you by means of a theosophy which is specious make-believe, on the lines of human tradition, corresponding to the Elemental spirits of the world and not to Christ. It is in Christ that the entire Fulness of deity has settled bodily, it is in him that you reach your full life, and he is the Head of every angelic Ruler and Power; read more.
in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision, when you were buried with him in your baptism and thereby raised with him as you believed in the power of the God who raised him from the dead.

If our heart does not condemn us, beloved, then we have confidence in approaching God, and we get from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. Now this is what he commands, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he has commanded us to do; read more.
he who obeys his commands remains within him ??and He remains within him. And this is how we may be sure he remains within us, by means of the Spirit he has given us.

We know that we belong to God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil One. We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us insight to know Him who is the Real God; and we are in Him who is real, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the real God, this is life eternal.

Beware of anyone getting hold of you by means of a theosophy which is specious make-believe, on the lines of human tradition, corresponding to the Elemental spirits of the world and not to Christ. It is in Christ that the entire Fulness of deity has settled bodily, it is in him that you reach your full life, and he is the Head of every angelic Ruler and Power; read more.
in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision, when you were buried with him in your baptism and thereby raised with him as you believed in the power of the God who raised him from the dead. For though you were dead in your trespasses, your flesh uncircumcised, He made you live with Christ, He forgave us all our trespasses, He cancelled the regulations that stood against us ??all these obligations he set aside when he nailed them to the cross, when he cut away the angelic Rulers and Powers from us, exposing them to all the world and triumphing over them in the cross.



no powers of the Height or of the Depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to part us from God's love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Verse ConceptsdepthLove, Nature OfChrist, Names ForAgape LoveSpiritual DepthsNothing MissingGod's Love For UsGod's Creation
















And if your right hand is a hindrance to you, cut it off and throw it away: better for you to lose one of your members than to have all your body thrown into Gehenna. Verse ConceptsBodily LimbsSending Things AwayCausing Others To StumbleCutting Off Hands And FeetEvil For The Right HandThe Entrance Of SinUseful ThingsWorry And StressInfidelityLosing Someonecutting














but one of the Presbyters told me, "Weep not; lo, the Lion of Judah's tribe, the Scion of David, he has won the power of opening the scroll and its seven seals." Verse ConceptsdefeatLions, Figurative Use OfLionsRootsSealsNames And Titles For ChristJesus As Son Of DavidPromised VictorySeven ThingsThe Act Of OpeningOpening DocumentsChrist OvercomingDo Not MournPeople Of JudahLion Of The Tribe Of Judah

Then to the angel of the church at Laodicea write thus: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation. I know your doings, you are neither cold nor hot ??would you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth. read more.
You declare, 'I am rich, I am well off, I lack nothing!' ??not knowing you are a miserable creature, pitiful, poor, blind, naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich, white raiment to clothe you and prevent the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to rub on your eyes, that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love; so be in warm earnest and repent. Lo, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me. 'The conqueror I will allow to sit beside me on my throne, as I myself have conquered and sat down beside my Father on his throne.'

Beware of anyone getting hold of you by means of a theosophy which is specious make-believe, on the lines of human tradition, corresponding to the Elemental spirits of the world and not to Christ. It is in Christ that the entire Fulness of deity has settled bodily, it is in him that you reach your full life, and he is the Head of every angelic Ruler and Power; read more.
in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision, when you were buried with him in your baptism and thereby raised with him as you believed in the power of the God who raised him from the dead. For though you were dead in your trespasses, your flesh uncircumcised, He made you live with Christ, He forgave us all our trespasses, He cancelled the regulations that stood against us ??all these obligations he set aside when he nailed them to the cross, when he cut away the angelic Rulers and Powers from us, exposing them to all the world and triumphing over them in the cross.



Jesus replied, "You believe it, at last? Behold, the time is coming, it has come already, when you will be scattered to your homes, everyone of you, leaving me alone. But I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said all this to you that in me you may have peace; in the world you have trouble, but courage! I have conquered the world.


As for the ten horns you have seen, they are ten kings who have no royal power as yet, but receive royal authority for an hour along with the Beast; they are of one mind, and they confer their power and authority upon the Beast. They will wage war on the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings ??the Lamb and the elect, the chosen, the faithful who are with him."