Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen.

But all this is but the beginning of the agonies. At that time they will turn you over to torture, and will murder you, and you will be hated by all the heathen, because you bear my name. Then many will fall by the way, and will betray one another and hate one another. read more.
Many false prophets will appear and mislead many people; and because of the increasing crime wave, most people's love will grow cold. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen.



Just then a man in the crowd said to Him, "Tell my brother to share with me our inheritance." But He said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or umpire in your affairs?" And then He said to them, "Be ever on the alert and always on your guard against every form of greed, because a man's life does not consist in his possessions, even though they are abundant." read more.
Then He told them a story, as follows: "A certain rich man's lands yielded bountifully. So he began to argue with himself, 'What am I to do, because I have nowhere to store my crops?' Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store all my grains and my goods. Then I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Go on taking your ease; continue to eat, drink, and enjoy yourself."' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is to be demanded of you. Then who will have all that you have prepared?' So it is with the man who continues to pile up possessions for himself, and is not rich in God."










Jesus sent these twelve out, after giving them the following charge: "Do not go to the heathen, or to any Samaritan town, but rather to the lost sheep of Israel's house. And as you go continue to preach, 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' read more.
Keep on curing the sick, raising the dead, healing lepers, and driving out demons. You received and gave no pay; you must give and take none. Do not accept gold or silver or even copper money for your purse, and do not take a bag for your journey, nor two shirts, nor any shoes, nor a staff, for the workman deserves his support. Into whatever town or village you go, inquire for some deserving person, and stay at his house until you leave the place. As you go into his house, wish it well, and if the house should prove deserving, may your good wish for peace upon it come true, but if not, may your good wish bring peace to yourselves. And whoever will not welcome you, or listen to your words, on leaving that place shake off from your feet its very dust. I tell you, the punishment on the day of judgment will be lighter for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. "Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one town, flee to a different one. For I solemnly say to you, you will not cover all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man returns. No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master. The pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and the slave should be satisfied to become like his master. If men have called the Head of the house Beelzebub, how much worse names will they heap upon the members of His family! So you must never be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, nor a secret that will not be known. What I speak to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered in your ears, you must proclaim from housetops. You must never be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather you must keep on fearing Him who can destroy both soul and body in the pit. Do not sparrows sell for a cent apiece? And yet not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father's notice. Even the very hairs on your head have all been counted by God. So stop being afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Therefore, everyone who will own me before men I will own before my Father in heaven, but anyone who disowns me before men I will disown before my Father in heaven. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be members of his own family. Anybody who loves father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me, and nobody is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and follow me. Anybody who gains his lower life will lose the higher life, and anybody who loses his lower life for my sake will gain the higher life. "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes Him who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive the same reward as a prophet, and whoever welcomes an upright man as such will receive the same reward as the upright man. And I solemnly say to you, no one who gives a cup of cold water to one of the least of my disciples, because he is a disciple, will ever fail to get his reward."

And if any place refuses to welcome you or to listen to you, when you leave there shake off the very dust from the soles of your feet as a warning to them." Verse ConceptsGesturesFeetHospitality, A Duty Of God's PeopleOpportunities, And SalvationWiping DustPeople Abandoning Peoplefatedustwelcome

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on before Him, two by two, to every town or place which He was going to visit. So He was saying to them: "The harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are scarce. So pray the Lord of the harvest to send out reapers to His harvest-field. Go on. Listen! I am sending you out as lambs surrounded by wolves. read more.
Do not carry a purse, a bag, or shoes, and do not stop to say 'Good morning' to anybody on the road. Whenever you go to a house for headquarters, first say, 'Peace to this household.' And if anyone there loves peace, your peace will come upon him; but if not, it will come back to you. Stay on at the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the workman deserves his support. Do not keep moving about from house to house. And if you go into any town and they welcome you, continue to eat what is offered you, to cure the sick there, and to say, 'The kingdom of God is close upon you.' But if you go into any town and they do not welcome you, go out into the streets and say, 'We are wiping off against you the very dust from your town that has stuck to our feet. But understand this, the kingdom of God is close by.' I tell you, on that day the punishment will be lighter for Sodom than for that town. A curse on you, Chorazin! A curse on you, Bethsaida! For if the wonder-works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, long ago they would have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But at the judgment the punishment will be lighter for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven? No, you are to go down to the regions of the dead. Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever pays no attention to you pays no attention to me, and whoever pays no attention to me pays no attention to Him who sent me."

This is the instruction which I entrust to you, my son Timothy, which is in accordance with the prophetic utterances formerly made about you, that you may, aided by them, continue to fight the good fight, by keeping your hold on faith and a good conscience; for some have thrust the latter aside and so have made shipwreck of their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan to be so disciplined that they will stop their abusive speech.

Show 3 more verses
Never reprove an older man, but always appeal to him as a father. Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, with perfect purity. Always care for widows who are really dependent. read more.
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in the treatment of their own families, and to pay the debt they owe their parents or grandparents, for this is acceptable to God. But a woman who is really a widow and lives alone has fixed her hope on God, and night and day devotes herself to prayers and entreaties, while a widow who gives herself up to luxury is really dead though still alive. Continue to give these directions so that the people may be without reproach. Whoever fails to provide for his own relatives, and especially for those of his immediate family, has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. No widow under sixty years of age should be put on this roll. A widow must have had but one husband, must have a reputation for doing good deeds, as bringing up children, being hospitable to strangers, washing the feet of God's people, helping people in distress, or devoting herself to any sort of doing good. Keep the young widows off this roll, for when they get to indulging their lower nature in opposition to Christ, they want to marry, and so deserve censure for breaking their previous pledge. Besides, as they get the habit of gadding about from house to house, they learn to be idle, and not only idle but gossips and busybodies, talking of things they ought not to mention. So I would have the younger women marry, have children, and keep house, so as not to give our opponents any occasion for slander. For some widows have already turned aside to follow Satan. If a Christian woman has widowed relatives, she should help them, and let the church be free from the burden, so that it can help the widows who are really dependent. Elders who do their duties well should be considered as deserving twice the salary they get especially those who keep on toiling in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox when he is treading out the grain," and, "The workman deserves his pay." Make it a rule not to consider a charge preferred against an elder, unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. Those who are guilty reprove in public, so that others may be warned. I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, to carry out these instructions without prejudice and with perfect impartiality. Make it a rule not to ordain anyone in haste, and not to be responsible for the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

For this reason I now remind you to rekindle and keep burning the fire of the divine gift which came upon you when I laid my hands upon you. For the Spirit that God has given us does not impart timidity but power and love and self-control. So you must never be ashamed of me His prisoner, but suffer for the good news in fellowship with me and by the power of God. read more.
For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with anything that we had done, but in accordance with His own purpose and unmerited favor which was shown us through union with Christ Jesus eternal ages ago, but has only recently been made known through the appearance of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who through the good news has put a stop to the power of death, and brought life and immortality to light. Of this good news I have been appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. This is why I am suffering so, but I am not ashamed of it, for I know whom I have trusted and I am absolutely sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Continue to be an example in wholesome instructions which you learned from me, in the faith and love that come through union with Christ Jesus.

I solemnly charge you, before God and Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, preach the message, stay at it in season and out of season; convince, reprove, exhort people with perfect patience as a teacher. For a time will come when they will not listen to wholesome teaching, but to gratify their own evil desires will surround themselves with teachers who teach to gratify their own evil desires, because their ears are itching so to be tickled, read more.
and they will cease to listen to the truth and will turn to listen to myths. But you, on your part, must always keep your head cool, suffer hardship, do your work as a herald of the good news, and so fill your ministry to the brim. My life, indeed, is already ebbing out, and the time has come for me to sail away. I have fought the fight for the good, I have run my race, I have kept faith. Now the crown for doing right awaits me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not only me but also all who have loved His appearing.

But as they opposed and abused him, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads! I am not to blame for it myself. Hereafter I am going to the heathen." Verse ConceptsGentiles, In NtConfrontationBlood, as symbol of guiltInsultsSpiritual Warfare, Causes OfAbuse, To God's PeopleRejection Of God's CallShakingName CallingThe Gentiles ConversionPreaching Gospel To ForeignersResponsibility For Blood ShedPeople Abandoning PeopleBlasphemy



And whoever will not welcome you, or listen to your words, on leaving that place shake off from your feet its very dust. I tell you, the punishment on the day of judgment will be lighter for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. "Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. read more.
Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one town, flee to a different one. For I solemnly say to you, you will not cover all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man returns. No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master. The pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and the slave should be satisfied to become like his master. If men have called the Head of the house Beelzebub, how much worse names will they heap upon the members of His family! So you must never be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, nor a secret that will not be known. What I speak to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered in your ears, you must proclaim from housetops. You must never be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather you must keep on fearing Him who can destroy both soul and body in the pit. Do not sparrows sell for a cent apiece? And yet not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father's notice. Even the very hairs on your head have all been counted by God. So stop being afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Therefore, everyone who will own me before men I will own before my Father in heaven, but anyone who disowns me before men I will disown before my Father in heaven. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be members of his own family. Anybody who loves father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me, and nobody is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and follow me. Anybody who gains his lower life will lose the higher life, and anybody who loses his lower life for my sake will gain the higher life. "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes Him who sent me.

I therefore protest to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I never shrank from telling you God's whole plan.

"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. read more.
But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one town, flee to a different one. For I solemnly say to you, you will not cover all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man returns.

But all this is but the beginning of the agonies. At that time they will turn you over to torture, and will murder you, and you will be hated by all the heathen, because you bear my name. Then many will fall by the way, and will betray one another and hate one another. read more.
Many false prophets will appear and mislead many people; and because of the increasing crime wave, most people's love will grow cold. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

Yet you have continued to stand by me in my trials; and as my Father has conferred on me a kingdom, so I confer on you the privilege of eating and drinking at my table in my kingdom and of sitting on thrones and judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. read more.
But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everybody, because you bear my name. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. read more.
But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

And Jesus left the temple, and was going away, when His disciples came up to Him, to show Him the temple buildings. But He answered them, "Do you see all these things? I solemnly say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be torn down." While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to Him by themselves, and said, "Tell us when this is to take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age." read more.
Jesus answered, "Look out that no one misleads you about it, for many will come bearing the name of the Messiah, and saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many people. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars; take care not to be scared out of your wits. They have to come, but that is not the end yet. For nation will go to war with nation, and kingdom with kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. But all this is but the beginning of the agonies. At that time they will turn you over to torture, and will murder you, and you will be hated by all the heathen, because you bear my name.

As He was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Look, Teacher! What stupendous stones, what beautiful buildings!" Jesus said to him, "Are you looking in wonder at these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another that will not be torn down." As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, in a private group, were asking Him, read more.
"When will all this take place? Tell us. And what will be the sign that it is about to be put into effect?" Jesus began to say to them: "Look out that no one misleads you about it. Many will come bearing the name of Messiah, and saying, 'I am He,' and they will mislead many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of war, stop getting alarmed. They have to come, but the end is not yet. For one nation will go to war with another, and one kingdom with another. There will be earthquakes in many places; there will be famines. But this is only the beginning of the agonies. So you must be on the lookout for yourselves; they will turn you over to courts, and to synagogues where you will be beaten, and you must appear before governors and kings for my sake, to testify to them. But before the end comes, the good news must be proclaimed to all the heathen. Now when they take you to court for trial, do not be worrying beforehand about what you should say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you that will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everybody, because you bear my name. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

Now while some people were talking about the temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and votive-offerings, He said, "As for all this that you are admiring, the time is coming when not one stone will be left upon another, that will not be torn down." Then they asked Him, "Teacher, when will this be? And what is the sign that it is about to take place?" read more.
So He said, "You must take care not to be misled about it! For many will come bearing the name of Messiah, and saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, never be panic-stricken. For this has to take place first, but the end will not come all at once." Then He continued to say to them, "One nation will go to war with another, and one kingdom with another. There will be great earthquakes and pestilences and famines in various places, and there will be dreadful portents and awful signs in the sky. But before all this takes place, people will arrest you and persecute you, and turn you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. It will furnish you an opportunity to testify. So you must purpose in your hearts not to prepare beforehand how to make your defense, for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute. Yes, you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be continuously hated by everyone, because you bear my name.

"I am the real vine, and my Father is the cultivator. He cuts away any branch on me that stops bearing fruit, and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more. You are already pruned because of the teaching that I have given you. read more.
You must remain in union with me and I will remain in union with you. Just as no branch by itself can bear fruit unless it remains united to the vine, so you cannot unless you remain in union with me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him will bear abundant fruit, because you cannot do anything cut off from union with me. If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is thrown away as a mere branch and is dried up; then it is picked up and thrown into the fire and burned up. If you remain in union with me and my words remain in you, you may ask whatever you please and you shall have it. By your continuously bearing abundant fruit and in this way proving yourselves to be real disciples of mine, my Father is glorified. I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. You must remain in my love. If you continue to keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. "I have told you these things, that the joy which I have had may remain in you and that your joy may be complete. This is my command to you, to keep on loving one another as I have loved you. No one can show greater love than this, the giving of his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you keep on doing what I command you to do. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing; I now call you friends, because I have told you everything that I have learned from my Father. You have not chosen me; I have chosen you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, that your fruit may remain too, so that the Father may grant you, as bearers of my name, whatever you ask Him for. "What I command you to do is, to keep on loving one another. If the world continues to hate you, remember that it has first hated me. If you belonged to the world, the world would love what is its own. But it is because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, that the world hates you.

When Jesus had said all these things, He lifted His eyes to heaven and said: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that He may glorify you, just as you have given Him authority over all mankind to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him. Now eternal life means knowing you as the only true God and knowing Jesus your messenger as Christ. read more.
I have glorified you down here upon the earth by completing the work which you have given me to do. So now, Father, glorify me up there in your presence just as you did before the world existed. "I have made your very self known to the men whom you have given me out of the world. At first they were yours, but now you have given them to me, and they have obeyed your message. Now they have come to know that everything you have given me really comes from you; for I have given them the teachings that you gave me, and they have accepted them, and they have come to know in reality that I did come from you, and so they are convinced that you did send me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world now, but only for those whom you have given me, because they are yours -- really, all that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine -- and I have been glorified through them. And now I am no longer to be in the world, but they are to stay on in the world, while I am going to be with you. Holy Father, keep them by the power which you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. As long as I was with them, I kept them by your power which you gave me, and I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who is now doomed to be lost, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now I am going to be with you, and I am saying these things while still in the world, that the joy which I experience may be fully experienced in their own souls. I have given them your message, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to it.

it is so because the message that you have heard from the beginning is this: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain who belonged to the evil one and butchered his brother. And why did he butcher him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's upright. You must not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.


For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on exhibition at the disgraced end of the procession, as they do with men who are doomed to die in the arena. For we have become a spectacle to the universe, to angels as well as men. For Christ's sake we are held as fools, while you through union with Christ are men of wisdom. We are weak; you are strong. You are held in honor; we in dishonor. To this very hour we have gone hungry, thirsty, poorly clad; we have been roughly knocked around; we have had no home. read more.
We have worked hard with our own hands for a living. When abused by people, we bless them. When persecuted, we patiently bear it. When we are slandered by them, we try to conciliate them. To this very hour we have been made the filth of the world, the scum of the universe!

As He was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Look, Teacher! What stupendous stones, what beautiful buildings!" Jesus said to him, "Are you looking in wonder at these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another that will not be torn down." As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, in a private group, were asking Him, read more.
"When will all this take place? Tell us. And what will be the sign that it is about to be put into effect?" Jesus began to say to them: "Look out that no one misleads you about it. Many will come bearing the name of Messiah, and saying, 'I am He,' and they will mislead many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of war, stop getting alarmed. They have to come, but the end is not yet. For one nation will go to war with another, and one kingdom with another. There will be earthquakes in many places; there will be famines. But this is only the beginning of the agonies. So you must be on the lookout for yourselves; they will turn you over to courts, and to synagogues where you will be beaten, and you must appear before governors and kings for my sake, to testify to them. But before the end comes, the good news must be proclaimed to all the heathen. Now when they take you to court for trial, do not be worrying beforehand about what you should say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you that will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everybody, because you bear my name. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. read more.
But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one town, flee to a different one. For I solemnly say to you, you will not cover all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man returns. No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master. The pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and the slave should be satisfied to become like his master. If men have called the Head of the house Beelzebub, how much worse names will they heap upon the members of His family!

And Jesus left the temple, and was going away, when His disciples came up to Him, to show Him the temple buildings. But He answered them, "Do you see all these things? I solemnly say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be torn down." While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to Him by themselves, and said, "Tell us when this is to take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age." read more.
Jesus answered, "Look out that no one misleads you about it, for many will come bearing the name of the Messiah, and saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many people. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars; take care not to be scared out of your wits. They have to come, but that is not the end yet. For nation will go to war with nation, and kingdom with kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. But all this is but the beginning of the agonies. At that time they will turn you over to torture, and will murder you, and you will be hated by all the heathen, because you bear my name. Then many will fall by the way, and will betray one another and hate one another.

Now while some people were talking about the temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and votive-offerings, He said, "As for all this that you are admiring, the time is coming when not one stone will be left upon another, that will not be torn down." Then they asked Him, "Teacher, when will this be? And what is the sign that it is about to take place?" read more.
So He said, "You must take care not to be misled about it! For many will come bearing the name of Messiah, and saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, never be panic-stricken. For this has to take place first, but the end will not come all at once." Then He continued to say to them, "One nation will go to war with another, and one kingdom with another. There will be great earthquakes and pestilences and famines in various places, and there will be dreadful portents and awful signs in the sky. But before all this takes place, people will arrest you and persecute you, and turn you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. It will furnish you an opportunity to testify. So you must purpose in your hearts not to prepare beforehand how to make your defense, for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute. Yes, you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be continuously hated by everyone, because you bear my name. And yet not a single hair on your head will perish. By your endurance you will win your souls.

"I am the real vine, and my Father is the cultivator. He cuts away any branch on me that stops bearing fruit, and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more. You are already pruned because of the teaching that I have given you. read more.
You must remain in union with me and I will remain in union with you. Just as no branch by itself can bear fruit unless it remains united to the vine, so you cannot unless you remain in union with me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him will bear abundant fruit, because you cannot do anything cut off from union with me. If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is thrown away as a mere branch and is dried up; then it is picked up and thrown into the fire and burned up. If you remain in union with me and my words remain in you, you may ask whatever you please and you shall have it. By your continuously bearing abundant fruit and in this way proving yourselves to be real disciples of mine, my Father is glorified. I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. You must remain in my love. If you continue to keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. "I have told you these things, that the joy which I have had may remain in you and that your joy may be complete. This is my command to you, to keep on loving one another as I have loved you. No one can show greater love than this, the giving of his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you keep on doing what I command you to do. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing; I now call you friends, because I have told you everything that I have learned from my Father. You have not chosen me; I have chosen you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, that your fruit may remain too, so that the Father may grant you, as bearers of my name, whatever you ask Him for. "What I command you to do is, to keep on loving one another. If the world continues to hate you, remember that it has first hated me. If you belonged to the world, the world would love what is its own. But it is because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, that the world hates you. Remember what I once told you: No slave is greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they have observed my teaching, they will observe yours too.

"I have told you these things to keep you from falling over stumbling blocks. Men will turn you out of their synagogues. Yes, indeed, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think that he is rendering a religious service to God. They will do this, because they have never come to know God nor me. read more.
But I have told you these things that when the time does come, you may remember that I told you. I did not tell you these things at the start, because I was with you.

"Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. read more.
But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

And Jesus left the temple, and was going away, when His disciples came up to Him, to show Him the temple buildings. But He answered them, "Do you see all these things? I solemnly say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be torn down." While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to Him by themselves, and said, "Tell us when this is to take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age." read more.
Jesus answered, "Look out that no one misleads you about it, for many will come bearing the name of the Messiah, and saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many people. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars; take care not to be scared out of your wits. They have to come, but that is not the end yet. For nation will go to war with nation, and kingdom with kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. But all this is but the beginning of the agonies. At that time they will turn you over to torture, and will murder you, and you will be hated by all the heathen, because you bear my name.

As He was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Look, Teacher! What stupendous stones, what beautiful buildings!" Jesus said to him, "Are you looking in wonder at these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another that will not be torn down." As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, in a private group, were asking Him, read more.
"When will all this take place? Tell us. And what will be the sign that it is about to be put into effect?" Jesus began to say to them: "Look out that no one misleads you about it. Many will come bearing the name of Messiah, and saying, 'I am He,' and they will mislead many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of war, stop getting alarmed. They have to come, but the end is not yet. For one nation will go to war with another, and one kingdom with another. There will be earthquakes in many places; there will be famines. But this is only the beginning of the agonies. So you must be on the lookout for yourselves; they will turn you over to courts, and to synagogues where you will be beaten, and you must appear before governors and kings for my sake, to testify to them. But before the end comes, the good news must be proclaimed to all the heathen. Now when they take you to court for trial, do not be worrying beforehand about what you should say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you that will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everybody, because you bear my name. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

Now while some people were talking about the temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and votive-offerings, He said, "As for all this that you are admiring, the time is coming when not one stone will be left upon another, that will not be torn down." Then they asked Him, "Teacher, when will this be? And what is the sign that it is about to take place?" read more.
So He said, "You must take care not to be misled about it! For many will come bearing the name of Messiah, and saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, never be panic-stricken. For this has to take place first, but the end will not come all at once." Then He continued to say to them, "One nation will go to war with another, and one kingdom with another. There will be great earthquakes and pestilences and famines in various places, and there will be dreadful portents and awful signs in the sky. But before all this takes place, people will arrest you and persecute you, and turn you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. It will furnish you an opportunity to testify. So you must purpose in your hearts not to prepare beforehand how to make your defense, for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute. Yes, you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be continuously hated by everyone, because you bear my name.

"I am the real vine, and my Father is the cultivator. He cuts away any branch on me that stops bearing fruit, and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more. You are already pruned because of the teaching that I have given you. read more.
You must remain in union with me and I will remain in union with you. Just as no branch by itself can bear fruit unless it remains united to the vine, so you cannot unless you remain in union with me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him will bear abundant fruit, because you cannot do anything cut off from union with me. If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is thrown away as a mere branch and is dried up; then it is picked up and thrown into the fire and burned up. If you remain in union with me and my words remain in you, you may ask whatever you please and you shall have it. By your continuously bearing abundant fruit and in this way proving yourselves to be real disciples of mine, my Father is glorified. I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. You must remain in my love. If you continue to keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. "I have told you these things, that the joy which I have had may remain in you and that your joy may be complete. This is my command to you, to keep on loving one another as I have loved you. No one can show greater love than this, the giving of his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you keep on doing what I command you to do. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing; I now call you friends, because I have told you everything that I have learned from my Father. You have not chosen me; I have chosen you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, that your fruit may remain too, so that the Father may grant you, as bearers of my name, whatever you ask Him for. "What I command you to do is, to keep on loving one another. If the world continues to hate you, remember that it has first hated me. If you belonged to the world, the world would love what is its own. But it is because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, that the world hates you.

When Jesus had said all these things, He lifted His eyes to heaven and said: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that He may glorify you, just as you have given Him authority over all mankind to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him. Now eternal life means knowing you as the only true God and knowing Jesus your messenger as Christ. read more.
I have glorified you down here upon the earth by completing the work which you have given me to do. So now, Father, glorify me up there in your presence just as you did before the world existed. "I have made your very self known to the men whom you have given me out of the world. At first they were yours, but now you have given them to me, and they have obeyed your message. Now they have come to know that everything you have given me really comes from you; for I have given them the teachings that you gave me, and they have accepted them, and they have come to know in reality that I did come from you, and so they are convinced that you did send me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world now, but only for those whom you have given me, because they are yours -- really, all that is mine is yours, and all that is yours is mine -- and I have been glorified through them. And now I am no longer to be in the world, but they are to stay on in the world, while I am going to be with you. Holy Father, keep them by the power which you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. As long as I was with them, I kept them by your power which you gave me, and I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who is now doomed to be lost, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now I am going to be with you, and I am saying these things while still in the world, that the joy which I experience may be fully experienced in their own souls. I have given them your message, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to it.

it is so because the message that you have heard from the beginning is this: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain who belonged to the evil one and butchered his brother. And why did he butcher him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's upright. You must not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.