Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible




It is the Holy Spirit who [Note: The Greek word here is "that" instead of "who"] gives life [i.e., understanding the spiritual nature of Jesus' teaching can produce spiritual life]; the flesh is of no value [i.e., understanding Jesus' teaching only in a physical sense makes it worthless]. The words I have spoken to you are [from the] Holy Spirit and [they give] life. Verse ConceptsJesus Statements About The SpiritSpiritual Malnutritioneternal life, nature ofGospel, Descriptions OfGrace, And Holy SpiritProfitsRegenerationThe Holy Spirit, And PreachingThe Holy Spirit, And RegenerationThe Holy Spirit, And ScriptureThe Holy Spirit Giving LifeThat Which Is SpiritualLife In A Material WorldSpiritual lifeValueThe Power Of Wordsefficiency

For all forms of flesh are similar to grass, and all the splendor of [a person's] flesh is like the flower [which blossoms] from the grass. [But as with] grass, [a person's flesh] withers, and its flower [i.e., his splendor] falls off. Verse ConceptsMidlife CrisisThe Glory Of ManImperfection, Influence OfMortalitySymbolsBeauty, Temporal Nature OfMan As GrassThe Frailty Of ManThe Shortness Of TimeGrass WitheredImminent TomorrowLike GrassThe World Being TemporaryDeathAbrasionBeauty Of NatureRosesThe Beauty Of Nature




Be alert and pray, so that you do not give in to temptation. The spirit of a person is truly willing [i.e., to do a certain thing], but his physical nature is [often] too weak [to carry it out]." Verse ConceptsPrayerfulnessReadinessSatan, As TempterSpirit, Nature OfSpiritual Warfare, As ConflictTemptation, ResistingWatchfulness, Of BelieversWeakness, SpiritualEnticementLimitations Of The BodyBeing TemptedPeople WillingTemptation

Thank God [that I can be rescued] through [the power of] Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I personally [try to] serve God's law with my mind, but [all too often] I serve the law of sin with my flesh [i.e., submitting in weakness to my human desires]. Verse ConceptsFreedom, Of The WillThank God!The MindServing God

But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses. read more.
Now those things done by the sinful, physical nature [of a person] are evident; they are these: sexual immorality, moral impurity, indecent conduct, idol worship, occultic practices, hatefulness, dissension, jealousy, angry outbursts, factious spirits, divisiveness, party spirits, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you again, as I have done before, that those people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.




For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh, for the desire to do good is present in my heart, but the ability to carry it out [consistently] is not. Verse ConceptsFlesh, Description OfdesiresPoverty, SpiritualHelplessnessThe Lust Of The FleshMasturbationNothingPeople's Inability To Serve GodNot Going GoodNothing GoodLife StrugglesDoing The Right ThingThe Beauty Of NatureDrugs

Thank God [that I can be rescued] through [the power of] Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I personally [try to] serve God's law with my mind, but [all too often] I serve the law of sin with my flesh [i.e., submitting in weakness to my human desires]. Verse ConceptsFreedom, Of The WillThank God!The MindServing God


For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. Verse ConceptsFaultsThe Attitude Towards The FleshFlesh As The Sinful NatureSpiritual Warfare, As ConflictSpiritual Warfare, Enemies InDepravity Of ManThe Holy Spirit, And SanctificationResisting Holy SpiritGod OpposingEvil DesiresGod's DesiresOne's DeedsMind BattlesHuman Nature, OvercomingstruggleLife StrugglesSpiritual WarfareConflictStrugglesactingWorld Opposed To God

Therefore, none of those who are in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus will be condemned. For the Holy Spirit's law which provides [never ending] life for those in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus has freed me from the law that requires [spiritual] death for sinning. For what the law was not able to do [for mankind], since it was [too] weak [to deliver them from condemnation] because fleshly people [were unable to obey it perfectly], God condemned sin in the flesh [i.e., sin was declared evil and its power over man broken]. God did this by sending His own Son in a body like sinful man's, and to destroy sin, read more.
so that the requirements of the law could be [considered] fulfilled in us, who do not live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, but according to [the promptings of] the Holy Spirit. For those people who are [controlled] by the flesh think about [i.e., desire] what the flesh wants; but those who are [controlled] by the Holy Spirit [desire] what the Holy Spirit wants.

But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses.

But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to.

For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. Verse ConceptsFaultsThe Attitude Towards The FleshFlesh As The Sinful NatureSpiritual Warfare, As ConflictSpiritual Warfare, Enemies InDepravity Of ManThe Holy Spirit, And SanctificationResisting Holy SpiritGod OpposingEvil DesiresGod's DesiresOne's DeedsMind BattlesHuman Nature, OvercomingstruggleLife StrugglesSpiritual WarfareConflictStrugglesactingWorld Opposed To God

Or, do you not know that evil people will not possess God's kingdom? Do not be misled: neither will sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor those who are sexually unfaithful to their mates, nor homosexual perverts. [Note: The Greek uses two words here, denoting both the passive and active partners in male homosexual acts]. And neither will thieves, nor greedy people, nor drunkards, nor abusive talkers, nor swindlers possess God's kingdom. And some of you have practiced such things, but you were washed [i.e., from your sins. See Acts 22:16]; you were dedicated [i.e., set apart for God's service]; you were made right with God in the name [i.e., by the authority] of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit of our God.

But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses. read more.
Now those things done by the sinful, physical nature [of a person] are evident; they are these: sexual immorality, moral impurity, indecent conduct, idol worship, occultic practices, hatefulness, dissension, jealousy, angry outbursts, factious spirits, divisiveness, party spirits, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you again, as I have done before, that those people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

"But when the Son of man comes [back] in [all] His splendor, accompanied by all the angels, then He will sit on His throne of splendor. And people from all the nations will be assembled in front of Him and He will separate them from one another, like a shepherd separating his sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right side, but the goats at His left. read more.
Then the King will say to those at His right side, 'You who are blessed by my Father, come and receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you since the creation of the world, for [when] I was hungry, you fed me; [when] I was thirsty, you gave me [something] to drink; [when] I came [to you as] a stranger, you gave me a place to stay; when I was without adequate clothing, you gave me something to wear; [when] I was sick, you came to visit me; [when] I was in prison, you came to see me.' Then those who had done what was right [i.e., the ones at His right side] replied, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you? Or thirsty, and give you [something] to drink? And when [did you come as] a stranger, and we gave you a place to stay? Or [when were you] without adequate clothing, and we gave you something to wear? And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to visit you?' And the King will answer them and say, 'Truly I tell you, since you did all this for one of my least [significant] brothers, you did it for me.' Then He [i.e., the King] will say to those at His left side, 'Go away from me, you who are cursed [by God], into the never ending fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels. For [when] I was hungry, you did not feed me; [when] I was thirsty, you did not give me anything to drink; [when] I came [to you as] a stranger, you did not give me a place to stay; [when I] did not have adequate clothing, you did not give me anything to wear; when I was sick, or in prison, you did not visit me.' They will reply, 'Lord, when did we [ever] see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or inadequately dressed, or sick, or in prison, and not provide for your needs?' Then the Lord will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, since you did not do it for one of these least [significant brothers of mine], you did not do it for me.' And these [i.e., the ones at His left side] will go away to never ending punishment, but those who did what was right will go to never ending life."

For you [should] know this for certain: No sexually immoral or [morally] impure person, or greedy person, who is [the same as] an idol worshiper, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Do not let anyone deceive you with empty words, for because of such things, the wrath of God will fall upon people who are disobedient [to Him]. So, do not participate with such individuals,

But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses.

But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses. read more.
Now those things done by the sinful, physical nature [of a person] are evident; they are these: sexual immorality, moral impurity, indecent conduct, idol worship, occultic practices, hatefulness, dissension, jealousy, angry outbursts, factious spirits, divisiveness, party spirits, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you again, as I have done before, that those people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to.




For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh, for the desire to do good is present in my heart, but the ability to carry it out [consistently] is not. Verse ConceptsFlesh, Description OfdesiresPoverty, SpiritualHelplessnessThe Lust Of The FleshMasturbationNothingPeople's Inability To Serve GodNot Going GoodNothing GoodLife StrugglesDoing The Right ThingThe Beauty Of NatureDrugs

Thank God [that I can be rescued] through [the power of] Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I personally [try to] serve God's law with my mind, but [all too often] I serve the law of sin with my flesh [i.e., submitting in weakness to my human desires]. Verse ConceptsFreedom, Of The WillThank God!The MindServing God


For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. Verse ConceptsFaultsThe Attitude Towards The FleshFlesh As The Sinful NatureSpiritual Warfare, As ConflictSpiritual Warfare, Enemies InDepravity Of ManThe Holy Spirit, And SanctificationResisting Holy SpiritGod OpposingEvil DesiresGod's DesiresOne's DeedsMind BattlesHuman Nature, OvercomingstruggleLife StrugglesSpiritual WarfareConflictStrugglesactingWorld Opposed To God

But, so that I would not become too conceited over the tremendous revelations [I received], a "thorn in the flesh" was given to me as a messenger from Satan to torment me. [Note: This "thorn" was probably some physical handicap, possibly defective eyesight. See Gal. 4:14-15; 6:11]. Verse Conceptsevil, origins ofEnjoyment, Lack OfBodyGod, Purpose OfMinistry, Qualifications ForPainSatan, Kingdom OfThornsWeakness, PhysicalBeneficial Afflictions For HumilityAfflictions, Benefits OfSatan, Work OfAfflictions Of MinistersDamage To The BodySigns Of Possible Demon PossessionSatanharassment



For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. Verse ConceptsFaultsThe Attitude Towards The FleshFlesh As The Sinful NatureSpiritual Warfare, As ConflictSpiritual Warfare, Enemies InDepravity Of ManThe Holy Spirit, And SanctificationResisting Holy SpiritGod OpposingEvil DesiresGod's DesiresOne's DeedsMind BattlesHuman Nature, OvercomingstruggleLife StrugglesSpiritual WarfareConflictStrugglesactingWorld Opposed To God

And everyone who [strenuously] competes in athletic events exercises self-control during training. Now they do this to receive a laurel wreath that withers, but we [do it to receive] a lasting crown. So, I run with a purpose and I fight that way [too]; I do not just shadow box. But I work out and get my body in shape [i.e., spiritually], so that after preaching to other people, I myself do not become disqualified [i.e., for winning the prize from God. See verse 24].


But, I am saying to you, live in harmony with the Holy Spirit's [desire for you] and [then] you will not [always] be giving in to the wrong desires of your body. For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. But, if you are led by [what] the Holy Spirit [wants you to do], you are not under [obligation to meet the requirements of] the law of Moses.

But, so that I would not become too conceited over the tremendous revelations [I received], a "thorn in the flesh" was given to me as a messenger from Satan to torment me. [Note: This "thorn" was probably some physical handicap, possibly defective eyesight. See Gal. 4:14-15; 6:11]. Verse Conceptsevil, origins ofEnjoyment, Lack OfBodyGod, Purpose OfMinistry, Qualifications ForPainSatan, Kingdom OfThornsWeakness, PhysicalBeneficial Afflictions For HumilityAfflictions, Benefits OfSatan, Work OfAfflictions Of MinistersDamage To The BodySigns Of Possible Demon PossessionSatanharassment



For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to. Verse ConceptsFaultsThe Attitude Towards The FleshFlesh As The Sinful NatureSpiritual Warfare, As ConflictSpiritual Warfare, Enemies InDepravity Of ManThe Holy Spirit, And SanctificationResisting Holy SpiritGod OpposingEvil DesiresGod's DesiresOne's DeedsMind BattlesHuman Nature, OvercomingstruggleLife StrugglesSpiritual WarfareConflictStrugglesactingWorld Opposed To God

And everyone who [strenuously] competes in athletic events exercises self-control during training. Now they do this to receive a laurel wreath that withers, but we [do it to receive] a lasting crown. So, I run with a purpose and I fight that way [too]; I do not just shadow box. But I work out and get my body in shape [i.e., spiritually], so that after preaching to other people, I myself do not become disqualified [i.e., for winning the prize from God. See verse 24].