Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible





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.

Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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, read more.
so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross;

and by him it willed to reconcile in his own person all on earth and in heaven alike, in a peace made by the blood of his cross. Once you were estranged yourselves, your hearts hostile to him in evildoing; but now he has reconciled you by dying in his mortal body, so as to set you consecrated and unblemished and irreproachable in his presence ??23 that is, if you adhere to the foundations and stability of the faith, instead of moving away from the hope you have learned in the gospel, that gospel which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I Paul was made a minister.


(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus.

John said to him, "Master, we saw a man casting out daemons in your name, but we stopped him because he is not a follower of ours." Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; he who is not against you is for you."

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out daemons in your name; but he does not follow us, and so we stopped him." Jesus said, "Do not stop him; no one who performs any miracle in my name will be ready to speak evil of me. He who is not against us is for us. read more.
Whoever gives you a cup of water because you belong to Christ, I tell you truly, he shall not miss his reward.

Well then, if God has given them exactly the same gift as he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I ??how could I try to thwart God?" On hearing this they desisted and glorified God, saying, "So God has actually allowed the Gentiles to repent and live!"

But certain individuals came down from Jerusalem and taught the brothers that "unless you get circumcised after the custom of Moses you cannot be saved." As a sharp dispute and controversy sprang up between them and Paul and Barnabas, it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas, along with some others of their number, should go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and presbyters at Jerusalem about this question. The church sped them on their journey, and they passed through both Phoenicia and Syria informing the brothers, to the great joy of all, that the Gentiles were turning to God. read more.
On arriving at Jerusalem they were received by the church, the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported how God had been with them and what he had done. 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. 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." When the messengers were despatched, they went down to Antioch and after gathering the whole body they handed them the letter. On reading it the people rejoiced at the encouragement it brought;

PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (which he promised of old by his prophets in the holy scriptures) concerning his Son, who was born of David's offspring by natural descent read more.
and installed as Son of God with power by the Spirit of holiness when he was raised from the dead ??concerning Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom I have received the favour of my commission to promote obedience to the faith for his sake among all the Gentiles, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ: to all in Rome who are beloved by God, called to be saints, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To Greeks and to barbarians, to wise and to foolish alike, I owe a duty. Hence my eagerness to preach the gospel to you in Rome as well. For I am proud of the gospel; it is God's saving power for everyone who has faith, for the Jew first and for the Greek as well.

for no person will be acquitted in his sight on the score of obedience to law. What the Law imparts is the consciousness of sin. But now we have a righteousness of God disclosed apart from law altogether; it is attested by the Law and the prophets, but it is a righteousness of God which comes by believing in Jesus Christ. And it is meant for all who have faith. No distinctions are drawn. read more.
All have sinned, all come short of the glory of God, but they are justified for nothing by his grace through the ransom provided in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as the means of propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to demonstrate the justice of God in view of the fact that sins previously committed during the time of God's forbearance had been passed over; it was to demonstrate his justice at the present epoch, showing that God is just himself and that he justifies man on the score of faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is ruled out absolutely. On what principle? On the principle of doing deeds? No, on the principle of faith. We hold a man is justified by faith apart from deeds of the Law altogether. Or is God only the God of Jews? Is he not the God of the Gentiles as well? Surely he is. Well then, there is one God, a God who will justify the circumcised as they believe and the uncircumcised on the score of faith. Then 'by this faith' we 'cancel the Law'? Not for one moment! We uphold the Law.

As we are justified by faith, then, let us enjoy the peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have got access to this grace where we have our standing, and triumph in the hope of God's glory.

For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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, so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross; read more.
he came with a gospel of peace for those far away (that is, for you) and for those who were near,

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In it there is no room for Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free man; Christ is everything and everywhere. 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. And above all you must be loving, for love is the link of the perfect life. read more.
Also, let the peace of Christ be supreme within your hearts ??that is why you have been called as members of the one Body. And you must be thankful.







He mediates a new covenant for this reason, that those who have been called may obtain the eternal inheritance they have been promised, now that a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions involved in the first covenant. Verse ConceptsFreedom, Through Jesus ChristCovenant, the newAtonement, in NTHeirsReceiving An InheritanceInheritance, SpiritualMediationMoses, Significance OfNewnessRansomRedemption, In NtRevelation, In OtTypesChrist, The MediatorGod's Call, ResultsAdvocatesEternal PossessionThe Effect Of Christ's DeathRedemptionPromisesThe Blood Of JesuscovenantNew

Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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, read more.
so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross; he came with a gospel of peace for those far away (that is, for you) and for those who were near, for it is through him that we both enjoy our access to the Father in one Spirit.


For there is one Body and one Spirit ??as you were called for the one hope that belongs to your call ??5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over us all, who pervades us all, who is within us all.



(for many as we are, we are one Bread, one Body, since we all partake of the one Bread). Verse ConceptsBread, Figurative OfUnity, God's Goal OfChurch, Unity OfShowbreadOne ChurchOne Material ThingSharingThe Bodycommunion




may they all be one! As thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, so may they be in us ??that the world may believe thou hast sent me. Yea, I have given them the glory thou gavest me, that they may be one as we are one ??23 I in them and thou in me ??that they may be made perfectly one, so that the world may recognize that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.

In our one body we have a number of members, and the members have not all the same function; so too, for all our numbers, we form one Body in Christ and we are severally members one of another.

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As the human body is one and has many members, all the members of the body forming one body for all their number, so is it with Christ. For by one Spirit we have all been baptized into one Body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen; we have all been imbued with one Spirit. Why, even the body consists not of one member but of many. read more.
If the foot were to say, 'Because I am not the hand, I do not belong to the body,' that does not make it no part of the body. If the ear were to say, 'Because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body,' that does not make it no part of the body. If the body were all eye, where would hearing be? If the body were all ear, where would smell be? As it is, God has set the members in the body, each as it pleased him. If they all made up one member, what would become of the body? As it is, there are many members and one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.' Quite the contrary. We cannot do without those very members of the body which are considered rather delicate, just as the parts we consider rather dishonourable are the very parts we invest with special honour; our indecorous parts get a special care and attention which does not need to be paid to our more decorous parts. Yes, God has tempered the body together, with a special dignity for the inferior parts, so that there may be no disunion in the body, but that the various members should have a common concern for one another. Thus if one member suffers, all the members share its suffering; if one member is honoured, all the members share its honour. Now you are Christ's Body, and severally members of it.

you are all sons of God by your faith in Christ Jesus (for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus.

so to order it in the fulness of the ages that all things in heaven and earth alike should be gathered up in Christ ??11 in the Christ in whom we have had our heritage allotted us (as was decreed in the design of him who carries out everything according to the counsel of his will), Verse ConceptsCompletionUniverseVictory, Over Spiritual ForcesSecret ThingsGathered By GodThe Time AppointedGod's PlansDispensationsUnityGod's PlanGod's TimingThe EarthGods PlanReconciliationGod's CreationEverything Happening For A ReasonGods TimingBeing PositiveGod's Plan For UsEnd TimesGod's Timing And PlanMaturitygatheringfulfillment

For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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, so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross; read more.
he came with a gospel of peace for those far away (that is, for you) and for those who were near, for it is through him that we both enjoy our access to the Father in one Spirit. Thus you are strangers and foreigners no longer, you share the membership of the saints, you belong to God's own household,

in him the whole structure is welded together and rises into a sacred temple in the Lord, Verse ConceptsSanctuaryChurch, Unity OfGrowth Of The ChurchJoined To The ChurchGrowingconstructionstructure


for the equipment of the saints, for the business of the ministry, for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ, till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ ??14 instead of remaining immature, blown from our course and swayed by every passing wind of doctrine, by the adroitness of men who are dexterous in devising error;








but omit the court outside the temple, do not measure that, for it has been given over to the Gentiles; and the city will be under their heel for two and forty months. Verse ConceptsThree And A Half YearsForeigners In The Holy PlacesTrampling Placesprepping

Besides, their minds were dulled, for to this very day, when the Old Testament is read aloud, the same veil hangs. Veiled from them the fact that the glory fades in Christ! Yes, down to this day, whenever Moses is read aloud, the veil rests on their heart; though whenever they turn to the Lord, the veil is removed.


Thus there is no doom now for those who are in Christ Jesus; the law of the Spirit brings the life which is in Christ Jesus, and that law has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the Law, weakened here by the flesh, could not do; by sending his own Son in the guise of sinful flesh, to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, read more.
in order to secure the fulfilment of the Law's requirements in our lives, as we live and move not by the flesh but by the Spirit.

Surely you know, my brothers ??for I am speaking to men who know what law means ??that the law has hold over a person only during his lifetime! Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is alive; but if the husband dies, she is done with the law of 'the husband.' Accordingly, she will be termed an adulteress if she becomes another man's while her husband is alive; but if her husband dies, she is freed from the law of 'the husband,' so that she is no adulteress if she becomes another man's. read more.
It is the same in your case, my brothers. The crucified body of Christ made you dead to the Law, so that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead that we might be fruitful to God. For when we were unspiritual, the sinful cravings excited by the Law were active in our members and made us fruitful to Death; but now we are done with the Law, we have died to what once held us, so that we can serve in a new way, not under the written code as of old but in the Spirit. What follows, then? That 'the Law is equivalent to sin'? Never! Why, had it not been for the Law, I would never have known what sin meant! Thus I would never have known what it is to covet, unless the Law had said, You must not covet. The command gave an impulse to sin, and sin resulted for me in all manner of covetous desire ??for sin, apart from law, is lifeless. I lived at one time without law myself, but when the command came home to me, sin sprang to life and I died; the command that meant life proved death for me. The command gave an impulse to sin, sin beguiled me and used the command to kill me. So the Law at any rate is holy, the command is holy, just, and for our good. Then did what was meant for my good prove fatal to me? Never! It was sin; sin resulted in death for me by making use of this good thing. This was how sin was to be revealed in its true nature; it was to use the command to become sinful in the extreme. The Law is spiritual; we know that. But then I am a creature of the flesh, in the thraldom of sin. I cannot understand my own actions; I do not act as I want to act; on the contrary, I do what I detest. Now, when I act against my wishes, that means I agree that the Law is right. That being so, it is not I who do the deed but sin that dwells within me. For in me (that is, in my flesh) no good dwells, I know; the wish is there, but not the power of doing what is right. I cannot be good as I want to be, and I do wrong against my wishes. Well, if I act against my wishes, it is not I who do the deed but sin that dwells within me. So this is my experience of the Law: I want to do what is right, but wrong is all I can manage; I cordially agree with God's law, so far as my inner self is concerned, but then I find quite another law in my members which conflicts with the law of my mind and makes me a prisoner to sin's law that resides in my members. Miserable wretch that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? God will! Thanks be to him through Jesus Christ our Lord! [Move second part of this vers to follow vs 23] (Thus, left to myself, I serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.)

but since we know a man is justified simply by faith in Jesus Christ and not by doing what the Law commands, we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus so as to get justified by faith in Christ and not by doing what the Law commands ??for by doing what the Law commands no person shall be justified. If it is discovered that in our quest for justification in Christ we are 'sinners' as well as the Gentiles, does that make Christ an agent of sin? Never! I really convict myself of transgression when I rebuild what I destroyed. read more.
For through the Law I died to the Law that I might live for God; I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me; the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. I do not annul God's grace; but if righteousness comes by way of the Law, then indeed Christ's death was useless.

Whereas a curse rests on all who rely upon obedience to the Law; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not hold by all that is written in the book of the law, to perform it. And because no one is justified on the score of the Law before God (plainly, the just shall live by faith, ??12 and the Law is not based on faith: no, he who performs these things shall live by them), Christ ransomed us from the curse of the Law by becoming accursed for us (for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a gibbet), read more.
that the blessing of Abraham might reach the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

So with us. When we were under age, we lived under the thraldom of the Elemental spirits of the world; but when the time had fully expired, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to ransom those who were under the Law, that we might get our sonship. read more.
It is because you are sons that God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying 'Abba! Father!' So you are servant no longer but son, and as son you are also heir, all owing to God. In those days, when you were ignorant of God, you were in servitude to gods who are really no gods at all; but now that you know God ??or rather, are known by God ??how is it you are turning back again to the weakness and poverty of the Elemental spirits? Why do you want to be enslaved all over again by them? You observe days and months and festal seasons and years! Why, you make me afraid I may have spent my labour on you for nothing!

Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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,







For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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,



Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart;


Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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, read more.
so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross;

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.

For when we were still in weakness, Christ died in due time for the ungodly. For the ungodly! Why, a man will hardly die for the just ??though one might bring oneself to die, if need be, for a good man. But God proves his love for us by this, that Christ died for us when we were still sinners. read more.
Much more then, now that we are justified by his blood, shall we be saved by him from Wrath. If we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son when we were enemies, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we triumph in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we now enjoy our reconciliation.

For as the Law has a mere shadow of the bliss that is to be, instead of representing the reality of that bliss, it never can perfect those who draw near with the same annual sacrifices that are perpetually offered. Otherwise, they would surely have ceased to be offered; for the worshippers, once cleansed, would no longer be conscious of sins! As it is, they are an annual reminder of sins read more.
(for the blood of bulls and goats cannot possibly remove sins!). Hence, on entering the world he says, Thou hast no desire for sacrifice or offering; it is a body thou hast prepared for me ??6 in holocausts and sin-offerings thou takest no delight. So I said, 'Here I come ??in the roll of the book this is written of me ??I come to do thy will, O God.' He begins by saying, thou hast no desire for, thou takest no delight in, sacrifices and offerings and holocausts and sin-offerings (and these are what are offered in terms of the Law); he then adds, Here I come to do thy will. He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And it is by this will that we are consecrated, because Jesus Christ once for all has offered up his body. Again, while every priest stands daily at his service, offering the same sacrifices repeatedly, sacrifices which never can take sins away ??12 He offered a single sacrifice for sins and then seated himself for all time at the right hand of God, to wait until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has made the sanctified perfect for all time.

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. read more.
He is the likeness of the unseen God, born first before all the creation ??16 for it was by him that all things were created both in heaven and on earth, both the seen and the unseen, including Thrones, angelic Lords, celestial Powers and Rulers; all things have been created by him and for him; he is prior to all, and all coheres in him. Also, he is the head of the Body, that is, of the church, in virtue of his primacy as the first to be born from the dead ??that gives him pre-eminence over all. For it was in him that the divine Fulness willed to settle without limit, and by him it willed to reconcile in his own person all on earth and in heaven alike, in a peace made by the blood of his cross. Once you were estranged yourselves, your hearts hostile to him in evildoing; but now he has reconciled you by dying in his mortal body, so as to set you consecrated and unblemished and irreproachable in his presence ??23 that is, if you adhere to the foundations and stability of the faith, instead of moving away from the hope you have learned in the gospel, that gospel which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I Paul was made a minister.

what we do see is Jesus who was put lower than the angels for a little while to suffer death, and who has been crowned with glory and honour that by God's grace he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was befitting that He for whom and by whom the universe exists, should perfect the Pioneer of their salvation by suffering. For sanctifier and sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, read more.
saying, 'I will proclaim thy name to my brothers, in the midst of the church I will sing of thee,' and again, 'I will put my trust in him,' and again, 'Here am I and the children God has given me.' Since the children then share blood and flesh, he himself participated in their nature, so that by dying he might crush him who wields the power of death (that is to say, the devil) and release from thraldom those who lay under a life-long fear of death. (For of course it is not angels that he succours, it is the offspring of Abraham.) He had to resemble his brothers in every respect, in order to prove a merciful and faithful high priest in things divine, to expiate the sins of the People.



but omit the court outside the temple, do not measure that, for it has been given over to the Gentiles; and the city will be under their heel for two and forty months. Verse ConceptsThree And A Half YearsForeigners In The Holy PlacesTrampling Placesprepping


Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart;



Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart;





Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; 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, read more.
so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross; he came with a gospel of peace for those far away (that is, for you) and for those who were near, for it is through him that we both enjoy our access to the Father in one Spirit.

Jesus told them this allegory, but they did not understand what he was saying to them; so he said to them again, "Truly, truly I tell you, I am the shepherd of the sheep; all who ever came before me have been thieves and robbers ??but the sheep would not listen to them. read more.
(I am the Gate; whoever enters by me will be saved, he will go in and out and find pasture.) The thief only comes to steal, to slay, and to destroy: I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd; a good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. The hired man, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, deserts them when he sees the wolf coming; he runs away, leaving the wolf to tear and scatter them, just because he is a hired man, who has no interest in the sheep. I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father,) and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, which do not belong to this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; so it will be one flock, one shepherd.