Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible




For just as there are in the one human body many parts, and these parts have not all the same function; so collectively we form one body in Christ, while individually we are linked to one another as its members. But since we have special gifts which differ in accordance with the diversified work graciously entrusted to us, if it is prophecy, let the prophet speak in exact proportion to his faith; read more.
if it is the gift of administration, let the administrator exercise a sound judgement in his duties. The teacher must do the same in his teaching; and he who exhorts others, in his exhortation. He who gives should be liberal; he who is in authority should be energetic and alert; and he who succours the afflicted should do it cheerfully.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them the members of a prostitute? No, indeed. Or do you not know that a man who has to do with a prostitute is one with her in body? For God says, "The two shall become one." But he who is in union with the Master is one with Him in spirit.

The cup of blessing, which we bless, does it not mean a joint-participation in the blood of Christ? The loaf of bread which we break, does it not mean a joint-participation in the body of Christ? Since there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; we, all of us, share in that one loaf.

For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ. For, in fact, in one Spirit all of us--whether we are Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free men--were baptized to form but one body; and we were all nourished by that one Spirit. For the human body does not consist of one part, but of many. read more.
Were the foot to say, "Because I am not a hand I am not a part of the body," that would not make it any the less a part of the body. Or were the ear to say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," that would not make it any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the nostrils be? But, as a matter of fact, God has arranged the parts in the body--every one of them--as He has seen fit. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But, as a matter of fact, there are many parts and but one body. It is also impossible for the eye to say to the hand, "I do not need you;" or again for the head to say to the feet, "I do not need you." No, it is quite otherwise. Even those parts of the body which are apparently somewhat feeble are yet indispensable; and those which we deem less honorable we clothe with more abundant honor; and so our ungraceful parts come to have a more abundant grace, while our graceful parts have everything they need. But it was God who built up the body, and bestowed more abundant honor on the part that felt the need, that there might be no disunion in the body, but that all the members might entertain the same anxious care for one another's welfare. And if one part is suffering, every other part suffers with it; or if one part is receiving special honor, every other part shares in the joy. As for you, you are the body of Christ, and individually you are members of it. And by God's appointment there are in the Church--first Apostles, secondly Prophets, thirdly teachers. Then come miraculous powers, and then ability to cure diseases or render loving service, or powers of organization, or varieties of the gift of 'tongues.' Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all teachers? Have all miraculous powers? Have all ability to cure diseases? Do all speak in 'tongues'? Do all interpret? But always seek to excel in the greater gifts. And now I will point out to you a way of life which transcends all others.

and what the transcendent greatness of His power in us believers as seen in the working of His infinite might when He displayed it in Christ by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His own right hand in the heavenly realms, high above all other government and authority and power and dominion, and every title of sovereignty used either in this Age or in the Age to come. read more.
God has put all things under His feet, and has appointed Him universal and supreme Head of the Church, which is His Body, the completeness of Him who everywhere fills the universe with Himself.

I, then, the prisoner for the Master's sake, entreat you to live and act as becomes those who have received the call that you have received-- with all lowliness of mind and unselfishness, and with patience, bearing with one another lovingly, and earnestly striving to maintain, in the uniting bond of peace, the unity given by the Spirit. read more.
There is but one body and but one Spirit, as also when you were called you had one and the same hope held out to you. There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who rules over all, acts through all, and dwells in all. Yet to each of us individually grace was given, measured out with the munificence of Christ. For this reason Scripture says: "He re-ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and gave gifts to men." (Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth? He who descended is the same as He who ascended again far above all the Heavens in order to fill the universe.) And He Himself appointed some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, in order fully to equip His people for the work of serving--for the building up of Christ's body-- till we all of us arrive at oneness in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and at mature manhood and the stature of full-grown men in Christ. So we shall no longer be babes nor shall we resemble mariners tossed on the waves and carried about with every changing wind of doctrine according to men's cleverness and unscrupulous cunning, making use of every shifting device to mislead. But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ. Dependent on Him, the whole body--its various parts closely fitting and firmly adhering to one another-- grows by the aid of every contributory link, with power proportioned to the need of each individual part, so as to build itself up in a spirit of love.

Married women, submit to your own husbands as if to the Lord; because a husband is the Head of his wife as Christ also is the Head of the Church, being indeed the Saviour of this His Body. And just as the Church submits to Christ, so also married women should be entirely submissive to their husbands. read more.
Married men, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up to death for her; in order to make her holy, cleansing her with the baptismal water by the word, that He might present the Church to Himself a glorious bride, without spot or wrinkle or any other defect, but to be holy and unblemished. So too married men ought to love their wives as much as they love themselves. He who loves his wife loves himself. For never yet has a man hated his own body. On the contrary he feeds and cherishes it, just as Christ feeds and cherishes the Church; because we are, as it were, parts of His Body. "For this reason a man is to leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall be as one." That is a great truth hitherto kept secret: I mean the truth concerning Christ and the Church. Yet I insist that among you also, each man is to love his own wife as much as he loves himself, and let a married woman see to it that she treats her husband with respect.


Yet to each of us individually grace was given, measured out with the munificence of Christ. For this reason Scripture says: "He re-ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and gave gifts to men." (Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth? read more.
He who descended is the same as He who ascended again far above all the Heavens in order to fill the universe.) And He Himself appointed some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, in order fully to equip His people for the work of serving--for the building up of Christ's body--

"Do not cling to me," said Jesus, "for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But take this message to my brethren: 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Verse ConceptsGod, Fatherhood OfClothingJesus Christ, Ascension OfNames And Titles For The ChristianBrotherhoodAdmirationClinging To PeopleJesus Returning To The FatherRelationship Of Father And SonYou Are Our GodChrist Our BrotherChristians Being Called Brothers

So the Lord Jesus after having thus spoken to them was taken up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. Verse ConceptsGospel, Historical Foundation OfJesus Christ, Ascension OfExaltation Of ChristRight SidesGoing To Heaven

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise again from among the dead; and that proclamation would be made, in His name, of repentance and forgiveness of sins to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem. read more.
You are witnesses as to these things. And remember that I am about to send out my Father's promised gift to rest upon you. But, as for you, wait patiently in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." And He brought them out to within view of Bethany, and then lifted up His hands and blessed them. And while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into Heaven.

There is no one who has gone up to Heaven, but there is One who has come down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man whose home is in Heaven. And just as Moses lifted high the serpent in the Desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Now just before the Feast of the Passover this incident took place. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father; and having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. While supper was proceeding, the Devil having by this time suggested to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, the thought of betraying Him, Jesus, although He knew that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was now going to God,

Yet to each of us individually grace was given, measured out with the munificence of Christ. For this reason Scripture says: "He re-ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and gave gifts to men." (Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth? read more.
He who descended is the same as He who ascended again far above all the Heavens in order to fill the universe.)

And, corresponding to that figure, the water of baptism now saves you--not the washing off of material defilement, but the craving of a good conscience after God--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at God's right hand, having gone into Heaven, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

"I am the bread of Life," replied Jesus; "he who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never, never thirst. But it is as I have said to you: you have seen me and yet you do not believe. Every one whom the Father gives me will come to me, and him who comes to me I will never on any account drive away. read more.
For I have left Heaven and have come down to earth not to seek my own pleasure, but to do the will of Him who sent me.

There is no one who has gone up to Heaven, but there is One who has come down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man whose home is in Heaven. And just as Moses lifted high the serpent in the Desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

Yet to each of us individually grace was given, measured out with the munificence of Christ. For this reason Scripture says: "He re-ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and gave gifts to men." (Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth? read more.
He who descended is the same as He who ascended again far above all the Heavens in order to fill the universe.)

Again He said to them, "I am going away. Then you will try to find me, but you will die in your sins. Where I am going, it is impossible for you to come." The Jews began to ask one another, "Is he going to kill himself, do you think, that he says, 'Where I am going, it is impossible for you to come'?" "You," He continued, "are from below, I am from above: you are of this present world, I am not of this present world.

although He knew that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was now going to God, Verse ConceptsChristmasCertaintyUniverseChrist Knowing About HimselfChrist's OriginGod Giving To The SonInteraction Of Father And SonThe Father's Activity Regarding ChristFathers Love

For this reason Scripture says: "He re-ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and gave gifts to men." Verse ConceptsLibertyChrist, The Head Of The ChurchCaptivity, MetaphoricallyNew Testament Claiming Old Testament Is Inspiredthe Gifts of God

He who descended is the same as He who ascended again far above all the Heavens in order to fill the universe.) Verse ConceptsUniverseExaltation Of ChristBeing Filled With GodChrist Going DownThe Earth Filled With GodGoing To Heavenorder