Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in this city, and carefully educated under the teaching of Gamaliel in the law of our forefathers. I was zealous for God, as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way even to the death, and kept on binding both men and women and putting them in jail,

Now Saul, as he was still breathing threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that if he found any men or women belonging to The Way he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem. As he traveled on he finally approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. read more.
He dropped to the ground; then he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He asked, "Who are you, sir?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

I myself, indeed, once thought it my duty to take extreme measures in hostility to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, and how I outstripped many of my own age among my people in my devotion to the Jewish religion, because I surpassed all others in my zeal for the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

by the standard set by zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and measured by the uprightness reached by keeping the law, I was faultless. Verse ConceptseagernessRestored In Jesus ChristPerfection, HumanZealFulfilling The LawPlea Of InnocenceThe Church UniversalPersecutionzealots

constantly praising God and always having the favor of all the people. And every day the Lord continued to add to them the people who were being saved. Verse ConceptsChurchProgressPredestination, Spiritual EventsChurch, IncreasingHuman FavourAdditionsMany In The ChurchAdding PeopleSymbols of the Holy SpiritBeing SavedFavorHaving A Good DayGoing To Churchgroups

Hence, if the whole church has met and everybody speaks in ecstasy, and illiterate people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are crazy? Verse ConceptsLanguages ConfusedAssemblyChurch OrderChurch GatheringsNot Believing The GospelEach Local ChurchReckoned Insane



For, in the first place, when you meet as a congregation, I hear that there are cliques among you, and I partly believe it. Verse ConceptsAttending ChurchAssemblyDivision Among ChristiansSchismsWeakness In DivisionDivisions Of OpinionTrusting Other PeopleEach Local ChurchMental Abusedivision

But in the public congregation I would rather speak five words with my mind in action, in order to instruct the people too, than ten thousand words in ecstasy. Verse ConceptsFive ThingsThinking ArightTeaching In The ChurchEach Local ChurchLanguageThe TonguespeakingMaturityorder

But if there is no one to explain it, let him keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God alone. Verse ConceptsPraying QuietlyCurbing SpeechSoliloquyThe Tonguespeaking

for God is not a God of disorder but of order, as it is in all the churches of God's people. Women must keep quiet in the churches, for no permission is given them to speak. On the contrary, they must take a subordinate place, just as the law says.

For I belong to the lowest rank of the apostles, and am not fit to bear the title apostle, because I once persecuted the church of God. Verse ConceptsGuilt, Human Aspects OfPainful MemoriesSelf AbasementUnworthinessInferiorityThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionGoing To Churchimportance

You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

by the standard set by zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and measured by the uprightness reached by keeping the law, I was faultless. Verse ConceptseagernessRestored In Jesus ChristPerfection, HumanZealFulfilling The LawPlea Of InnocenceThe Church UniversalPersecutionzealots

I had them punished and tried to force them to use abusive language; in my extreme fury against them I continued to pursue them even into distant towns. Verse ConceptsForeign ThingsBlasphemy


You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you scour land and sea to win a single convert, and when he is won you make him twice as fit for the pit as you are. Verse ConceptsExploitationsJudaismMission, Of IsraelPharisees, Beliefs OfPassing OverSonsTravelHypocrites, Description OfGehennaProselytesSea TravelOnly One PersonDouble PenaltyCrossing To The Other SideHypocrisy


And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called 'The Straight Street,' and ask at the house of Judas for one named Saul, from Tarsus, for he is now praying there. He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, to restore his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard many people tell of this man, especially the great sufferings he has brought on your people in Jerusalem. read more.
Now he is here and has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call upon your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name to the heathen and their kings, and to the descendants of Israel.

While in this business I once was on my way to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests, and on the road at noon, your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, flash around me and my fellow-travelers. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you continue to persecute me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the goad.' read more.
'Who are you, Sir?' said I. 'I am Jesus,' the Lord said, 'whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you my servant and a witness to me of the things which you have seen and those which I shall yet enable you to see. I will continue to rescue you from the Jewish people and from the heathen to whom I am going to send you, to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'

Yes, I now am speaking to you who are a part of the heathen peoples. As I am an apostle to the heathen peoples, I am making the most of my ministry to them, to see Verse ConceptsGentiles, In NtMission, Of The ChurchPreaching Gospel To ForeignersGentilesMinistry

You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, and how I outstripped many of my own age among my people in my devotion to the Jewish religion, because I surpassed all others in my zeal for the traditions handed down by my forefathers. But when God, who had already set me apart from my birth, and had called me by His unmerited favor, read more.
chose to unveil His Son in me, so that I might preach the good news about Him among the heathen, at once, before I conferred with any human creatures,

This is why I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the heathen -- that is, if you have heard how God's favor has been entrusted to me for you, and how by revelation the secret was made known to me, as I have briefly written before. read more.
By reading this you will be able to understand my insight into the secret about the Christ -- which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets -- that the heathen through union with Christ Jesus are fellow-heirs with the Jews, are members with them of the same body, and sharers with them of the promise through the good news, for which I was called to serve in accordance with the gift of God's unmerited favor which was bestowed on me by the exercise of His power-- yes, on me, the very least of all His people, this unmerited favor was bestowed -- that I might preach as good news to the heathen the boundless riches of Christ,

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


I am always thanking Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me strength for it, for thinking me trustworthy and putting me into the ministry, though I once used to abuse, persecute, and insult Him. But mercy was shown me by Him, because I did it in ignorance and unbelief,

You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

As he traveled on he finally approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He dropped to the ground; then he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He asked, "Who are you, sir?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. read more.
But get up and go into the city, and there it will be told you what you ought to do." His fellow-travelers stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could not see anyone. Then Saul got up off the ground, but he could not see anything, although his eyes were wide open. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus, and for three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink anything. Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!" And he answered, "Yes, Lord, I am here." And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called 'The Straight Street,' and ask at the house of Judas for one named Saul, from Tarsus, for he is now praying there. He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, to restore his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard many people tell of this man, especially the great sufferings he has brought on your people in Jerusalem. Now he is here and has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call upon your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name to the heathen and their kings, and to the descendants of Israel. For I am going to show him how great are the sufferings he must endure for my name's sake." So Ananias left and went to that house, and there he laid his hands upon Saul, and said, "Saul, my. brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming here, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And all at once something like scales fell from his eyes, he regained his sight, got up and was baptized, and after taking some food he felt strong again. For several days he stayed with the disciples at Damascus, and at once he began to preach in their synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. And all who heard him were astounded and said, "Is not this the man who harassed those who called upon this name in Jerusalem, and has come here expressly for the purpose of putting them in chains and taking them back to the high priests?" But Saul grew stronger and stronger and continued to put to utter confusion the Jews who lived in Damascus, by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

I persecuted this Way even to the death, and kept on binding both men and women and putting them in jail, as the high priest and the whole council will bear me witness. Indeed, I had received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on the way there to bind those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished. But on my way, just before I reached Damascus, suddenly about noon a blaze of light from heaven flashed around me, read more.
and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?' I answered, 'Who are you, Sir?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.' The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of Him who was speaking to me. Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' And the Lord answered, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you what you are destined to do.' Since I could not see because of the dazzling sheen of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions and in this way I reached Damascus. There a man named Ananias, a man devout in strict accordance with the law, of good reputation among all the Jews who lived there, came to see me, and standing by my side said to me, 'Saul, my brother, recover your sight!' Then instantly I did recover it and looked at him, and he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to learn His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear Him speak, because you are to be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, why are you waiting? Get up and be baptized and wash your sins away by calling on His name.' After I had come back to Jerusalem, one day while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance, and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and at once get out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' So I said, 'Lord, they know for themselves that from one synagogue to another I used to imprison and flog those who believed in you,

I myself, indeed, once thought it my duty to take extreme measures in hostility to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. That was what I did at Jerusalem; yes, I received authority from the high priests and shut behind the prison bars many of God's people. Yes, when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them, and often in all the synagogues I had them punished and tried to force them to use abusive language; in my extreme fury against them I continued to pursue them even into distant towns. read more.
While in this business I once was on my way to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests, and on the road at noon, your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, flash around me and my fellow-travelers. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you continue to persecute me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the goad.' 'Who are you, Sir?' said I. 'I am Jesus,' the Lord said, 'whom you are persecuting.

Saul heartily approved of his being put to death. So on that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all of them, except the apostles, were scattered over Judea and Samaria. Verse ConceptsFugitivesChristiansdispersion, theJerusalem, Significance OfSamaritansChurch, Description OfChurch, Examples OfThe Church ScatteredAssentingApproval To KillThe Apostles In Action

You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

Now Saul, as he was still breathing threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that if he found any men or women belonging to The Way he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem. As he traveled on he finally approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. read more.
He dropped to the ground; then he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He asked, "Who are you, sir?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and go into the city, and there it will be told you what you ought to do." His fellow-travelers stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could not see anyone. Then Saul got up off the ground, but he could not see anything, although his eyes were wide open. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus, and for three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink anything. Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!" And he answered, "Yes, Lord, I am here." And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called 'The Straight Street,' and ask at the house of Judas for one named Saul, from Tarsus, for he is now praying there. He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, to restore his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard many people tell of this man, especially the great sufferings he has brought on your people in Jerusalem. Now he is here and has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call upon your name."

These men are paying you special attention, but not sincerely. They want to shut you off from me, so that you may keep on paying them special attention. Verse ConceptsExcommunicationmotives

You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, and how I outstripped many of my own age among my people in my devotion to the Jewish religion, because I surpassed all others in my zeal for the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but they are not intelligently so. For they were ignorant of God's way of right standing and were trying to set up one of their own, and so would not surrender to God's way of right standing.


They gave the glory to God, when they heard it, and said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousand believers there are among the Jews, all of them zealous champions of the law. Verse ConceptsZealMany In The ChurchSalvation For IsraelSpecific Praising Of GodTaking The Law To Heartzealots


And a scribe came up and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you may go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, even wild birds have roosts, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

While they were going along the road, a man said to Him, "I will follow you wherever you go." But Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, even wild birds have roosts, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

Some, indeed, are actually preaching Christ because they are moved by jealousy and partisanship, but others are doing so from the motive of good will; the latter, indeed, are doing so from love to me, for they know that I am providentially put here to defend the good news; the former are preaching Christ from the motive of rivalry, not in sincerity, supposing that this is making it harder for me to bear my imprisonment. read more.
What difference then does it make? In one way or another, whether in pretense or in sincerity, Christ is being preached, and that is the thing that makes me glad; yes, more too, I will continue to be glad of it,

by the standard set by zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and measured by the uprightness reached by keeping the law, I was faultless. Verse ConceptseagernessRestored In Jesus ChristPerfection, HumanZealFulfilling The LawPlea Of InnocenceThe Church UniversalPersecutionzealots

I had them punished and tried to force them to use abusive language; in my extreme fury against them I continued to pursue them even into distant towns. Verse ConceptsForeign ThingsBlasphemy


You have heard, indeed, of my former conduct as an adherent of the Jewish religion, how I kept on furiously persecuting the church of God, and tried to destroy it, Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you scour land and sea to win a single convert, and when he is won you make him twice as fit for the pit as you are. Verse ConceptsExploitationsJudaismMission, Of IsraelPharisees, Beliefs OfPassing OverSonsTravelHypocrites, Description OfGehennaProselytesSea TravelOnly One PersonDouble PenaltyCrossing To The Other SideHypocrisy