Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



How can you believe in me, when you receive honor from one another and do not desire the honor which comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes. For, had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for it was of me that Moses wrote; read more.
But, if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my teaching?"

"Are there not," replied Jesus, "these words in your Law--'I said "Ye are gods"'? If those to whom God's word were addressed were said to be 'gods'--and Scripture cannot be set aside-- Do you say of one whom the Father has consecrated and sent as his Messenger to the world 'You are blaspheming,' because I said 'I am God's Son'? read more.
If I am not doing the work that my Father is doing, do not believe me; If I am doing it, even though you do not believe me, believe what that work shows; so that you may understand, and understand more and more clearly, that the Father is in union with me, and I with the Father."

"Have I been all this time among you," said Jesus, "and yet you, Philip, have not recognized me? He who has seen me has seen the Father, how can you say, then, 'Show us the Father'? Do not you believe that I am in union with the Father, and the Father with me? In giving you my teaching I am not speaking on my own authority; but the Father himself, always in union with me, does his own work. Believe me," he said to them all, "when I say that I am in union with the Father and the Father with me, or else believe me on account of the work itself.


All who, when they sin, are without Law will also perish without Law; while all who, when they sin, are under Law, will be judged as being under Law.

Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes.


In the Beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. He was in the Beginning with God; Through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him. read more.
That which came into being in him was Life; and the Life was the Light of Man; And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overpowered it. There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John; He came as a witness--to bear witness to the Light that through him all men might believe. He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness to the Light. That was the True Light which enlightens every man coming into the world. He was in the world; and through him the world came into being--yet the world did not know him. He came to his own--yet his own did not receive him.

So that all men may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son fails to honor the Father who sent him. In truth I tell you that he who listens to my Message and believes him who sent me, has Immortal Life, and does not come under condemnation, but has already passed out of Death into Life. In truth I tell you that a time is coming, indeed it is already here, when the Dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and when those who listen will live. read more.
For, just as the Father has inherent Life within him, so also he has granted to the Son to have inherent Life within him; And, because he is Son of Man, he has also given him authority to act as judge. Do not wonder at this; for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice, And will come out--those who have done good rising to Life, and those who have lived evil lives rising for condemnation. I can do nothing of myself; I judge as I am taught; and the judgment that I give is just, because my aim is not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. If I bear testimony to myself, my testimony is not trustworthy; It is another who bears testimony to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is trustworthy. You have yourselves sent to John, and he as testified to the Truth. But the testimony which I receive is not from man; I am saying this for your Salvation. He was the 'Lamp that was burning' and shining, and you were ready to rejoice, for a time, in his light. But the testimony which I have is of greater weight than John's; for the work that the Father has given me to carry out-- the work that I am doing--is in itself proof that the Father has sent me as his Messenger. The Father who has sent me has himself borne testimony to me. You have neither listened to his voice, not seen his form; And you have not taken his Message home to your hearts, because you do not believe him whom he sent as his Messenger. You search the Scriptures, because you think that you find in them Immortal Life; And, though it is those very Scriptures that bear testimony to me, you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not receive honor from men, But I know this of you, that you have not the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe in me, when you receive honor from one another and do not desire the honor which comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes. For, had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for it was of me that Moses wrote; But, if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my teaching?"


So that all men may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son fails to honor the Father who sent him. In truth I tell you that he who listens to my Message and believes him who sent me, has Immortal Life, and does not come under condemnation, but has already passed out of Death into Life. In truth I tell you that a time is coming, indeed it is already here, when the Dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and when those who listen will live. read more.
For, just as the Father has inherent Life within him, so also he has granted to the Son to have inherent Life within him; And, because he is Son of Man, he has also given him authority to act as judge. Do not wonder at this; for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice, And will come out--those who have done good rising to Life, and those who have lived evil lives rising for condemnation. I can do nothing of myself; I judge as I am taught; and the judgment that I give is just, because my aim is not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. If I bear testimony to myself, my testimony is not trustworthy; It is another who bears testimony to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is trustworthy. You have yourselves sent to John, and he as testified to the Truth. But the testimony which I receive is not from man; I am saying this for your Salvation. He was the 'Lamp that was burning' and shining, and you were ready to rejoice, for a time, in his light. But the testimony which I have is of greater weight than John's; for the work that the Father has given me to carry out-- the work that I am doing--is in itself proof that the Father has sent me as his Messenger. The Father who has sent me has himself borne testimony to me. You have neither listened to his voice, not seen his form; And you have not taken his Message home to your hearts, because you do not believe him whom he sent as his Messenger. You search the Scriptures, because you think that you find in them Immortal Life; And, though it is those very Scriptures that bear testimony to me, you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not receive honor from men, But I know this of you, that you have not the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe in me, when you receive honor from one another and do not desire the honor which comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes. For, had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for it was of me that Moses wrote; But, if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my teaching?"

"This is what I told you," he said, "when I was still with you--that everything that had been written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, must be fulfilled." Then he enabled them to understand the meaning of the Scriptures, saying to them: "Scripture says that the Christ should suffer, and that he should rise again from the dead on the third day,


It is of what has been in existence from the Beginning, of what we have heard, of what we have seen with our eyes, of what we watched reverently and touched with our hands--it is about the Word who is the Life that we are now writing. That Life was made visible, and we have seen it, and now bear our testimony to it, and tell you of that Immortal Life, which was with the Father and was made visible to us. It is of what we have seen and heard that we now tell you, so that you may have communion with us. And our communion is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

To this Peter and the Apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a cross. It is this Jesus whom God has exalted to his right hand, to be a Guide and a Savior, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. read more.
And we are witness to the truth of this, and so is the Holy Spirit--the gift of God to those who obey him."

You yourselves know the story which spread through all Judea, how, beginning form Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed-- The story, I mean, of Jesus of Nazareth, and how God consecrated him his Christ by enduing him with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and curing all who were under the power of the Devil, because God was with him. We are ourselves, too, witnesses to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem; yet they put him to death by hanging him on a cross! read more.
This Jesus God raised on the third day, and enabled him to appear, Not indeed to every one, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God--to us, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead. Further, God charged us to proclaim to the people, and solemnly affirm, that it is Jesus who has been appointed by God Judge of the living and the dead. To him it is that all the Prophets bear witness, when they say that every one who believes in him receives through his Name forgiveness of sins."

There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John; He came as a witness--to bear witness to the Light that through him all men might believe. He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness to the Light. read more.
That was the True Light which enlightens every man coming into the world. He was in the world; and through him the world came into being--yet the world did not know him. He came to his own--yet his own did not receive him. But to all who did receive him he gave power to become Children of God--to those who believe in his Name. For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to will of man did they owe the new Life, but to God. And the Word became Man, and dwelt among us, (We saw his glory--the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth. (John bears witness to him; he cried aloud--for it was he who spoke--"'He who is Coming' after me is now before me, for he was ever first");

So that all men may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son fails to honor the Father who sent him. In truth I tell you that he who listens to my Message and believes him who sent me, has Immortal Life, and does not come under condemnation, but has already passed out of Death into Life. In truth I tell you that a time is coming, indeed it is already here, when the Dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and when those who listen will live. read more.
For, just as the Father has inherent Life within him, so also he has granted to the Son to have inherent Life within him; And, because he is Son of Man, he has also given him authority to act as judge. Do not wonder at this; for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice, And will come out--those who have done good rising to Life, and those who have lived evil lives rising for condemnation. I can do nothing of myself; I judge as I am taught; and the judgment that I give is just, because my aim is not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. If I bear testimony to myself, my testimony is not trustworthy; It is another who bears testimony to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is trustworthy. You have yourselves sent to John, and he as testified to the Truth. But the testimony which I receive is not from man; I am saying this for your Salvation. He was the 'Lamp that was burning' and shining, and you were ready to rejoice, for a time, in his light. But the testimony which I have is of greater weight than John's; for the work that the Father has given me to carry out-- the work that I am doing--is in itself proof that the Father has sent me as his Messenger. The Father who has sent me has himself borne testimony to me. You have neither listened to his voice, not seen his form; And you have not taken his Message home to your hearts, because you do not believe him whom he sent as his Messenger. You search the Scriptures, because you think that you find in them Immortal Life; And, though it is those very Scriptures that bear testimony to me, you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not receive honor from men, But I know this of you, that you have not the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe in me, when you receive honor from one another and do not desire the honor which comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes. For, had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for it was of me that Moses wrote; But, if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my teaching?"



So, when the Apostles had met together, they asked Jesus this question--"Master, is this the time when you intend to re-establish the Kingdom for Israel?" His answer was: "It is not for you to know times or hours, for the Father has reserved these for his own decision; But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit shall have descended upon you, and shall be witnesses for me not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." read more.
No sooner had Jesus said this than he was caught up before their eyes, and a cloud received him from their sight. While they were still gazing up into the heavens, as he went, suddenly two men, clothed in white, stood beside them, And said: "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the heavens? This very Jesus, who has been taken from you into the heavens, will come in the very way in which you have seen him go into the heavens."

While the man still clung to Peter and John, the people all quickly gathered round them in the Colonnade named after Solomon, in the greatest astonishment. On seeing this, Peter said to the people: "Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this? and why do you stare at us, as though we, by any power or piety of our own, had enabled this man to walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has done honor to his Servant Jesus--him whom you gave up and disowned before Pilate, when he had decided to set him free. read more.
You, I say, disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for the release of a murderer! The very Guide to Life you put to death! But God raised him from the dead--and of that we are ourselves witnesses.

To those to whom, through the justice of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, there has been granted faith equally privileged with our own, from Simon Peter, a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. May blessing and peace be yours in ever-increasing measure, as you advance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord. For his divine power has given us everything that is needful for a life of piety, as we advance in the knowledge of him who called us by a glorious manifestation of his goodness. read more.
For it was through this that he gave us what we prize as the greatest of his promises, that through them you might participate in the divine nature, now that you have fled from the corruption in the world, resulting from human passions. Yes, and for this very reason do your best to supplement your faith by goodness, goodness by knowledge, knowledge by self-control, self-control by endurance, endurance by piety, piety by brotherly affection, and brotherly affection by love. For, when these virtues are yours, in increasing measure, they prevent your being indifferent to, or destitute of, a fuller knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Surely the man who has not these virtues is shortsighted even to blindness, and has chosen to forget that he has been purified from his sins of the past! Therefore, Brothers, do your best to put God's Call and Selection of you beyond all doubt; for, if you do this, you will never fall. For thus you will be given a triumphant admission into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I shall, therefore, always be ready to remind you of all this, even though you know it and are firmly established in the Truth that you now hold. But I think it my duty, as long as I live in this 'tent,' to rouse you by awakening memories of the past; for I know that the time for this 'tent' of mine to be put away is soon coming, as our Lord Jesus Christ himself assured me. So I will do my best to enable you, at any time after my departure, to call these truths to mind. For we were not following cleverly devised stories when we told you of the Coming in power of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eye-witnesses of his majesty.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to make known to his servants, concerning what must shortly take place, and which he sent and revealed by his angel to his servant John, who testified to the Message of God and to the testimony to Jesus Christ, omitting nothing of what he had seen.