Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, yet educated in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and instructed according to the strict discipline of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as you all are this day. And I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women,

And Saul, still breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the chief priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus, for the synagogues, that, if he should find any who were of this persuasion, either men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven. read more.
And when he had fallen to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? He answered: "Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; and I surpassed in Judaism many of my own age and nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the tradition of my fathers.

as it respects zeal, persecuting the church; as it respects righteousness which is by law, blameless. Verse ConceptseagernessRestored In Jesus ChristPerfection, HumanZealFulfilling The LawPlea Of InnocenceThe Church UniversalPersecutionzealots


If, then, the whole church come together into the same place, and all speak in tongues, and there come in unlearned men, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad? Verse ConceptsLanguages ConfusedAssemblyChurch OrderChurch GatheringsNot Believing The GospelEach Local ChurchReckoned Insane


But if he refuse to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he also refuse to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen man and a publican. Verse ConceptsChurchProblem SolvingPagansSin, God's Judgment OnTax CollectorsDisfellowshipAvoiding ForeignersEach Local ChurchTreating OthersConflictGoing To ChurchFamily Conflict

For, in the first place, when you come together in the church, I hear that there are schisms among you, and I partly believe it: Verse ConceptsAttending ChurchAssemblyDivision Among ChristiansSchismsWeakness In DivisionDivisions Of OpinionTrusting Other PeopleEach Local ChurchMental Abusedivision

Yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Verse ConceptsFive ThingsThinking ArightTeaching In The ChurchEach Local ChurchLanguageThe TonguespeakingMaturityorder

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church: but let him speak to himself, and to God. Verse ConceptsPraying QuietlyCurbing SpeechSoliloquyThe Tonguespeaking

for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints. Let your women keep silence in the assemblies; for they ire not permitted to speak; but they must be in subjection, as also says the law.

For I am the least of the apostles, and I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Verse ConceptsGuilt, Human Aspects OfPainful MemoriesSelf AbasementUnworthinessInferiorityThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionGoing To Churchimportance

For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

as it respects zeal, persecuting the church; as it respects righteousness which is by law, blameless. Verse ConceptseagernessRestored In Jesus ChristPerfection, HumanZealFulfilling The LawPlea Of InnocenceThe Church UniversalPersecutionzealots

And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to speak impiously; and, being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. Verse ConceptsForeign ThingsBlasphemy


For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him twofold more a child of hell than yourselves. Verse ConceptsExploitationsJudaismMission, Of IsraelPharisees, Beliefs OfPassing OverSonsTravelHypocrites, Description OfGehennaProselytesSea TravelOnly One PersonDouble PenaltyCrossing To The Other SideHypocrisy


And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the street that is called Straight, and in quire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for behold, he is praying; and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias, coming in and laying his hand on him, that he may receive his sight. But Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints in Jerusalem; read more.
and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. But the Lord said to him: Go; for he is a vessel chosen by me to bear my name before nations and kings, and the sons of Israel.

While I was engaged in these things, and was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, while I was on the road, I saw, King, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying, in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. read more.
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? He replied, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But arise, and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness of the things which you have seen, and of those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom now I send you, in order to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among the sanctified, by faith in me.

For I speak to you, Gentiles; inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I do honor to my ministry, Verse ConceptsGentiles, In NtMission, Of The ChurchPreaching Gospel To ForeignersGentilesMinistry

For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; and I surpassed in Judaism many of my own age and nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the tradition of my fathers. But when God, who chose me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, was pleased read more.
to reveal his Sou in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I at once declined all conference with flesh and blood:

For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of the Christ Jesus on account of you Gentiles, if, indeed, you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God, which was given to me for your benefit, that by revelation was made known to me the mystery, (as I briefly wrote above, read more.
so that, when you read, you can see my understanding in the mystery of the Christ,) which, in other generations, was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in the Christ, through the gospel, of which I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God which was given to me, in proportion to the energy of his power: to me, who am by far the least of all the saints, has this grace been given, that I might preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of the Christ,

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord-? Are you not my work in the Lord? Verse ConceptsPaul, Apostle To GentilesOne's DeedsWorking For The Lord


And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me power, because he counted me faithful, and put me into the ministry; me, I say, who before was a reviler and a persecutor and an overbearing man. But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief:

For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven. And when he had fallen to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? He answered: "Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you persecute. read more.
But rise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do. The men who journeyed with him stood amazed; for they heard a voice, but saw no one. And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one; but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple in Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision: Ananias. He answered: Behold me, Lord. And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the street that is called Straight, and in quire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for behold, he is praying; and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias, coming in and laying his hand on him, that he may receive his sight. But Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. But the Lord said to him: Go; for he is a vessel chosen by me to bear my name before nations and kings, and the sons of Israel. For I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name. And Ananias went, and entered the house, and laying his hands on him, said: Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he instantly received his sight; and he arose, and was immersed. And, having taken food, he was strengthened. And he was with the disciples in Damascus for some days; and immediately he preached Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Sou of God. And all that heard him were astonished, and said: Is not this he who destroyed in Jerusalem those that call on this name, and who has come hither for this purpose, that he might carry them bound to the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confuted the Jews that dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

And I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women, as the chief priest and the whole body of elders will testify for me. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring those, also, who were there, bound to Jerusalem, that they might be punished. But it came to pass, that, as I was on my journey, and was drawing near to Damascus, about midday, there suddenly shone from heaven a great light round about me; read more.
and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? And I answered, Who art thou Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you persecute. They who were with me saw the light, and were afraid, but did not understand the voice of him who spoke to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there you shall be told of all things that are appointed for you to do. And as I could not see for the glory of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good report from all the Jews that dwelt there, came to me, and standing by me, said, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And the same hour I looked upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know his will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of his mouth; for you shall be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, why do you delay? Arise, and be immersed, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. And it came to pass, after I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance, and saw him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I threw into prison, and scourged, in every synagogue, those who believed on thee;

I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazarene. And this I did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests: and when they were put to death, I gave my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to speak impiously; and, being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. read more.
While I was engaged in these things, and was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, while I was on the road, I saw, King, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying, in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? He replied, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

And at that time there was a great persecution against the church that was in Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Verse ConceptsFugitivesChristiansdispersion, theJerusalem, Significance OfSamaritansChurch, Description OfChurch, Examples OfThe Church ScatteredAssentingApproval To KillThe Apostles In Action

For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

And Saul, still breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the chief priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus, for the synagogues, that, if he should find any who were of this persuasion, either men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven. read more.
And when he had fallen to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? He answered: "Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But rise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do. The men who journeyed with him stood amazed; for they heard a voice, but saw no one. And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one; but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple in Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision: Ananias. He answered: Behold me, Lord. And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the street that is called Straight, and in quire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for behold, he is praying; and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias, coming in and laying his hand on him, that he may receive his sight. But Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name.

They are ardently attached to you, but not honorably; in deed, they desire to exclude us, that you may be ardently attached to them. Verse ConceptsExcommunicationmotives

For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; and I surpassed in Judaism many of my own age and nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the tradition of my fathers.

For I testify for them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God's plan of justification, and seeking to establish their own plan of justification, they have not submitted to God's plan of justification.


And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said to him: You see, brother, how many myriads of the Jews there are that believe, and they are all zealous for the law. Verse ConceptsZealMany In The ChurchSalvation For IsraelSpecific Praising Of GodTaking The Law To Heartzealots


And a certain scribe came and said to him.: Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou goest. And Jesus said to him: The foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have roosts; but the Son of man has not where to lay his head.

And it came to pass, as they were going on their journey, that a certain man said to him: Lord, I will follow thee wherever thou shalt go. And Jesus said to him: The foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have roosts, but the Son of man has not where to lay his head.

Some, indeed, preach the Christ, because of envy and a contentious disposition, and some because of good-will. These do it from love, because they know that I am set for the defense of the gospel; those preach Christ from a contentious disposition, not sincerely, thinking that they will add affliction to my bonds. read more.
What difference does this make? Christ is, nevertheless, preached in every way, whether in pretense or in truth; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice:

as it respects zeal, persecuting the church; as it respects righteousness which is by law, blameless. Verse ConceptseagernessRestored In Jesus ChristPerfection, HumanZealFulfilling The LawPlea Of InnocenceThe Church UniversalPersecutionzealots

And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to speak impiously; and, being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. Verse ConceptsForeign ThingsBlasphemy


For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him twofold more a child of hell than yourselves. Verse ConceptsExploitationsJudaismMission, Of IsraelPharisees, Beliefs OfPassing OverSonsTravelHypocrites, Description OfGehennaProselytesSea TravelOnly One PersonDouble PenaltyCrossing To The Other SideHypocrisy