Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



I say again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!" Verse ConceptsExaggerationsHumourNeedlesSharp ToolsEntering The KingdomEasy For PeopleOther OpeningsKingdom Of GodGoing To HeavenimpossibleThe Narrow Gate



Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. Verse ConceptsKingdom Of God, Entry IntoReceived OutcastsPeople Going BeforeEntering The KingdomTwo SonsObeying PeopleThe Will Of MenGoing To Heavenwhorestaxessurprises

And, noticing a solitary fig tree by the road-side, he went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. So he said to it: "Never again shall fruit be gathered off you." And suddenly the fruit tree withered up. When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment: "How suddenly the fig tree withered up!"

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. read more.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him. Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad. When the time for the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce. But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way. As a last resource he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him. Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" "Miserable wretches!" they exclaimed, "he will put them to a miserable death, and he will let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will pay him his share of the produce at the proper times." Then Jesus added: "Have you never read in the Scriptures?-- 'The very stone which the builders despised--Has now itself become the corner-stone; This corner-stone has come from the Lord, And is marvelous in our eyes.' And that, I tell you, is why the Kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation that does produce the fruit of the Kingdom. Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls--it will scatter him as dust."

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. read more.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. read more.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.

(All the people, when they heard this, and even the tax- gatherers, having accepted John's baptism, acknowledged the justice of God. Verse ConceptsJohn's BaptismPrejudiceTax CollectorsReceived OutcastsBaptised By JohnBaptismtaxes

Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. Verse ConceptsKingdom Of God, Entry IntoReceived OutcastsPeople Going BeforeEntering The KingdomTwo SonsObeying PeopleThe Will Of MenGoing To Heavenwhorestaxessurprises

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. read more.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

And now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, they are saying 'Here is a glutton and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and outcasts!' And yet Wisdom is vindicated by her actions." Verse ConceptsGluttonyGood FriendsFeastingAlcoholdrinking, abstention fromHumiliationTax CollectorsTaxJesus As Son Of ManFellowship With SinnersAccused Of DrunkennessEating And DrinkingJustified By WorksMinistry Of The Son Of ManAlcoholicsvindicationalcoholismdrunkardsJesus Eating

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples: "Why does your Teacher eat in the company of tax-gatherers and outcasts?" Verse ConceptsFaultsComplaintsStatusTax CollectorsPharisees Concerned About ChristFinding Fault With Jesustaxespharisees

If he refuses to listen to them, speak to the Church; and, if he also refuses to listen to the Church, treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax-gatherer. Verse ConceptsChurchProblem SolvingPagansSin, God's Judgment OnTax CollectorsDisfellowshipAvoiding ForeignersEach Local ChurchTreating OthersConflictGoing To ChurchFamily Conflict

Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. Verse ConceptsKingdom Of God, Entry IntoReceived OutcastsPeople Going BeforeEntering The KingdomTwo SonsObeying PeopleThe Will Of MenGoing To Heavenwhorestaxessurprises

The Pharisee stood forward and began praying to himself in this way--'O God, I thank thee that I am not like other men-- thieves, rogues, adulterers--or even like this tax-gatherer. Verse ConceptsExtortion, Examples OfAttitudes, in prayerHypocrisy, Description OfPrejudiceStandingStatusTax CollectorsHypocrites, Description OfSelf DelusionEvildoersNot Like PeopleAvoid AdulteryWe Thank GodConfession of sin

For, if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax-gatherers do this! And, if you show courtesy to your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do this!

Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. Verse ConceptsKingdom Of God, Entry IntoReceived OutcastsPeople Going BeforeEntering The KingdomTwo SonsObeying PeopleThe Will Of MenGoing To Heavenwhorestaxessurprises

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. read more.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

And now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, they are saying 'Here is a glutton and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and outcasts!' And yet Wisdom is vindicated by her actions." Verse ConceptsGluttonyGood FriendsFeastingAlcoholdrinking, abstention fromHumiliationTax CollectorsTaxJesus As Son Of ManFellowship With SinnersAccused Of DrunkennessEating And DrinkingJustified By WorksMinistry Of The Son Of ManAlcoholicsvindicationalcoholismdrunkardsJesus Eating

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples: "Why does your Teacher eat in the company of tax-gatherers and outcasts?" Verse ConceptsFaultsComplaintsStatusTax CollectorsPharisees Concerned About ChristFinding Fault With Jesustaxespharisees

If he refuses to listen to them, speak to the Church; and, if he also refuses to listen to the Church, treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax-gatherer. Verse ConceptsChurchProblem SolvingPagansSin, God's Judgment OnTax CollectorsDisfellowshipAvoiding ForeignersEach Local ChurchTreating OthersConflictGoing To ChurchFamily Conflict

Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you. Verse ConceptsKingdom Of God, Entry IntoReceived OutcastsPeople Going BeforeEntering The KingdomTwo SonsObeying PeopleThe Will Of MenGoing To Heavenwhorestaxessurprises

The Pharisee stood forward and began praying to himself in this way--'O God, I thank thee that I am not like other men-- thieves, rogues, adulterers--or even like this tax-gatherer. Verse ConceptsExtortion, Examples OfAttitudes, in prayerHypocrisy, Description OfPrejudiceStandingStatusTax CollectorsHypocrites, Description OfSelf DelusionEvildoersNot Like PeopleAvoid AdulteryWe Thank GodConfession of sin


Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad. When the time for the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce. But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. read more.
A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way. As a last resource he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him. Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" "Miserable wretches!" they exclaimed, "he will put them to a miserable death, and he will let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will pay him his share of the produce at the proper times."


For the Kingdom of Heaven is like an employer who went out in the early morning to hire laborers for his vineyards. He agreed with the laborers to pay them two shillings a day, and sent them into his vineyard. On going out again, about nine o'clock, he saw some others standing in the market-place, doing nothing. read more.
'You also may go into my vineyard,' he said, 'and I will pay you what is fair.' So the men went. Going out again about mid-day and about three o'clock, he did as before. When he went out about five, he found some other men standing there, and said to them 'Why have you been standing here all day long, doing nothing?' 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. 'You also may go into my vineyard,' he said. In the evening the owner of the vineyard said to his steward 'Call the laborers, and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, and ending with the first. Now when those who had been hired about five o'clock went up, they received two shillings each. So, when the first went up, they thought that they would receive more, but they also received two shillings each; On which they began to grumble at their employer. 'These last,' they said, 'have done only one hour's work, and yet you have put them on the same footing with us, who have borne the brunt of the day's work, and the heat.' 'My friend,' was his reply to one of them, 'I am not treating you unfairly. Did not you agree with me for two shillings? Take what belongs to you, and go. I choose to give to this last man the same as to you. Have not I the right to do as I choose with what is mine? Are you envious because I am liberal?' So those who are last will be first, and the first last."

And Jesus told them this parable-- "A man, who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, came to look for fruit on it, but could not find any. So he said to his gardener 'Three years now I have come to look for fruit on this fig tree, without finding any! Cut it down. Why should it rob the soil?' 'Leave it this one year more, Sir,' the man answered, 'till I have dug round it and manured it. read more.
Then, if it bears in future, well and good; but if not, you can have it cut down.'"


What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. read more.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.


What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.' 'Yes, sir,' he answered; but he did not go. Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went. read more.
Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.