Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



'I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day. 'And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

And Saul, yet breathing of threatening and slaughter to the disciples of the Lord, having gone to the chief priest, did ask from him letters to Damascus, unto the synagogues, that if he may find any being of the way, both men and women, he may bring them bound to Jerusalem. And in the going, he came nigh to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from the heaven, read more.
and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?' And he said, 'Who art thou, Lord?' and the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute; hard for thee at the pricks to kick;'

I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved me many things to do,

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it, and I was advancing in Judaism above many equals in age in mine own race, being more abundantly zealous of my fathers' deliverances,

according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!



If, therefore, the whole assembly may come together, to the same place, and all may speak with tongues, and there may come in unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?


And if he may not hear them, say it to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to thee as the heathen man and the tax-gatherer.

for first, indeed, ye coming together in an assembly, I hear of divisions being among you, and partly I believe it,

but in an assembly I wish to speak five words through my understanding, that others also I may instruct, rather than myriads of words in an unknown tongue.

and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God.

for God is not a God of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints. Your women in the assemblies let them be silent, for it hath not been permitted to them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law saith;

for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I did persecute the assembly of God,

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it,


according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!

and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining them to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting them even unto strange cities.

On the evil are both hands to do it well, The prince is asking -- also the judge -- for recompence, And the great -- he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it,

Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves.



and the Lord saith unto him, 'Having risen, go on unto the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, one by name Saul of Tarsus, for, lo, he doth pray, and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again.' And Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he did to Thy saints in Jerusalem, read more.
and here he hath authority from the chief priests, to bind all those calling on Thy name.' And the Lord said unto him, 'Be going on, because a choice vessel to Me is this one, to bear My name before nations and kings -- the sons also of Israel;

In which things, also, going on to Damascus -- with authority and commission from the chief priests -- at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light -- and those going on with me; and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick! read more.
'And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute; but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things in which I will appear to thee, delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that is toward me.

For to you I speak -- to the nations -- inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify;

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it, and I was advancing in Judaism above many equals in age in mine own race, being more abundantly zealous of my fathers' deliverances, and when God was well pleased -- having separated me from the womb of my mother, and having called me through His grace -- read more.
to reveal His Son in me, that I might proclaim him good news among the nations, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood,

For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you the nations, if, indeed, ye did hear of the dispensation of the grace of God that was given to me in regard to you, that by revelation He made known to me the secret, according as I wrote before in few words -- read more.
in regard to which ye are able, reading it, to understand my knowledge in the secret of the Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit -- that the nations be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in the Christ, through the good news, of which I became a ministrant, according to the gift of the grace of God that was given to me, according to the working of His power; to me -- the less than the least of all the saints -- was given this grace, among the nations to proclaim good news -- the untraceable riches of the Christ,


Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord?

And last of all -- as to the untimely birth -- he appeared also to me,

And I give thanks to him who enabled me -- Christ Jesus our Lord -- that he did reckon me stedfast, having put me to the ministration, who before was speaking evil, and persecuting, and insulting, but I found kindness, because, being ignorant, I did it in unbelief,

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it,

And in the going, he came nigh to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from the heaven, and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?' And he said, 'Who art thou, Lord?' and the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute; hard for thee at the pricks to kick;' read more.
trembling also, and astonished, he said, 'Lord, what dost thou wish me to do?' and the Lord said unto him, 'Arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what it behoveth thee to do.' And the men who are journeying with him stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice but seeing no one, and Saul arose from the earth, and his eyes having been opened, he beheld no one, and leading him by the hand they brought him to Damascus, and he was three days without seeing, and he did neither eat nor drink. And there was a certain disciple in Damascus, by name Ananias, and the Lord said unto him in a vision, 'Ananias;' and he said, 'Behold me, Lord;' and the Lord saith unto him, 'Having risen, go on unto the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, one by name Saul of Tarsus, for, lo, he doth pray, and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again.' And Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he did to Thy saints in Jerusalem, and here he hath authority from the chief priests, to bind all those calling on Thy name.' And the Lord said unto him, 'Be going on, because a choice vessel to Me is this one, to bear My name before nations and kings -- the sons also of Israel; for I will shew him how many things it behoveth him for My name to suffer.' And Ananias went away, and did enter into the house, and having put upon him his hands, said, 'Saul, brother, the Lord hath sent me -- Jesus who did appear to thee in the way in which thou wast coming -- that thou mayest see again, and mayest be filled with the Holy Spirit.' And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, he saw again also presently, and having risen, was baptized, and having received nourishment, was strengthened, and Saul was with the disciples in Damascus certain days, and immediately in the synagogues he was preaching the Christ, that he is the Son of God. And all those hearing were amazed, and said, 'Is not this he who laid waist in Jerusalem those calling on this name, and hither to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?' And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

'And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women, as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished, and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me, read more.
I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute -- and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me -- and I said, What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been appointed for thee to do. 'And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus, and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling there, having come unto me and stood by me, said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him; and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of his mouth, because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard; and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord. 'And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance, and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me; and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved me many things to do, which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them, and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining them to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting them even unto strange cities. read more.
In which things, also, going on to Damascus -- with authority and commission from the chief priests -- at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light -- and those going on with me; and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick! 'And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;


And Saul was assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution upon the assembly in Jerusalem, all also were scattered abroad in the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles;

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it,

And Saul, yet breathing of threatening and slaughter to the disciples of the Lord, having gone to the chief priest, did ask from him letters to Damascus, unto the synagogues, that if he may find any being of the way, both men and women, he may bring them bound to Jerusalem. And in the going, he came nigh to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from the heaven, read more.
and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?' And he said, 'Who art thou, Lord?' and the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute; hard for thee at the pricks to kick;' trembling also, and astonished, he said, 'Lord, what dost thou wish me to do?' and the Lord said unto him, 'Arise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what it behoveth thee to do.' And the men who are journeying with him stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice but seeing no one, and Saul arose from the earth, and his eyes having been opened, he beheld no one, and leading him by the hand they brought him to Damascus, and he was three days without seeing, and he did neither eat nor drink. And there was a certain disciple in Damascus, by name Ananias, and the Lord said unto him in a vision, 'Ananias;' and he said, 'Behold me, Lord;' and the Lord saith unto him, 'Having risen, go on unto the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, one by name Saul of Tarsus, for, lo, he doth pray, and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again.' And Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he did to Thy saints in Jerusalem, and here he hath authority from the chief priests, to bind all those calling on Thy name.'


they are zealous for you -- yet not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous;

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it, and I was advancing in Judaism above many equals in age in mine own race, being more abundantly zealous of my fathers' deliverances,

for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for not knowing the righteousness of God, and their own righteousness seeking to establish, to the righteousness of God they did not submit.


and they having heard, were glorifying the Lord. They said also to him, 'Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law,


and a certain scribe having come, said to him, 'Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go;' and Jesus saith to him, 'The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may lay the head.'

And it came to pass, as they are going on in the way, a certain one said unto him, 'I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go, sir;' and Jesus said to him, 'The foxes have holes, and the fowls of the heaven places of rest, but the Son of Man hath not where he may recline the head.'

Certain, indeed, even through envy and contention, and certain also through good-will, do preach the Christ; the one, indeed, of rivalry the Christ do proclaim, not purely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds, and the other out of love, having known that for defence of the good news I am set: read more.
what then? in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed -- and in this I rejoice, yea, and shall rejoice.


according to zeal persecuting the assembly! according to righteousness that is in law becoming blameless!

and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining them to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting them even unto strange cities.

On the evil are both hands to do it well, The prince is asking -- also the judge -- for recompence, And the great -- he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.

for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it,

Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves.