Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Alertness » What to be aware of
Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to sanhedrims, and scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.
Take ye heed every one of his friend, and confide not in any brother; for every brother only supplanteth, and every friend goeth about with slander. And they act deceitfully every one with his neighbour, and speak not the truth: they teach their tongue to speak falsehood, they weary themselves with perverse dealing. Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith Jehovah.
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
And a person said to him out of the crowd, Teacher, speak to my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he said to him, Man, who established me as a judge or a divider over you? And he said to them, Take heed and keep yourselves from all covetousness, for it is not because a man is in abundance that his life is in his possessions. read more.
And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not a place where I shall lay up my fruits. And he said, This will I do: I will take away my granaries and build greater, and there I will lay up all my produce and my good things; and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good things laid by for many years; repose thyself, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall be what thou hast prepared? Thus is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not a place where I shall lay up my fruits. And he said, This will I do: I will take away my granaries and build greater, and there I will lay up all my produce and my good things; and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good things laid by for many years; repose thyself, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall be what thou hast prepared? Thus is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
See to dogs, see to evil workmen, see to the concision.
Animals » Lions » Wolves, a type of the wicked
Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves.
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
but he who serves for wages, and who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf seizes them and scatters the sheep.
For I know this, that there will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock;
Bearing fruit » Everything being known by the fruit it bears
For there is no good tree which produces corrupt fruit, nor a corrupt tree which produces good fruit; for every tree is known by its own fruit, for figs are not gathered from thorns, nor grapes vintaged from a bramble. The good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good; and the wicked man out of the wicked, brings forth what is wicked: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather a bunch of grapes from thorns, or from thistles figs?
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt. For from the fruit the tree is known.
Names » Of the wicked » Wolves
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
False prophets » Described as » Crafty
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
Sheep » False prophets assume the simple appearance
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
Teachers » FALSE » Admonition against
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
If there arise among you a prophet, or one that dreameth dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass that he told unto thee, when he said, Let us go after other gods, whom thou hast not known, and let us serve them, thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams; for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Whosoever then shall do away with one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whosoever shall practise and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.
saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat: all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not, but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger. read more.
And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But ye, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all ye are brethren. And call not any one your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens. Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ. But the greatest of you shall be your servant. And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for ye do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in. no translation Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when he is become such, ye make him twofold more the son of hell than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor. Fools and blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it. And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it. And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance. Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just, and ye say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets: and ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers. Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But ye, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all ye are brethren. And call not any one your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens. Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ. But the greatest of you shall be your servant. And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for ye do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in. no translation Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when he is become such, ye make him twofold more the son of hell than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor. Fools and blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it. And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it. And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance. Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just, and ye say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets: and ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers. Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
Why do thy disciples transgress what has been delivered by the ancients? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. But he answering said to them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching? For God commanded saying, Honour father and mother; and, He that speaks ill of father or mother, let him die the death. read more.
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever it be by which received from me thou wouldest be profited: and he shall in no wise honour his father or his mother; and ye have made void the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching. Hypocrites! well has Esaias prophesied about you, saying, This people honour me with the lips, but their heart is far away from me; but in vain do they worship me, teaching as teachings commandments of men. And having called to him the crowd, he said to them, Hear and understand: Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man; but what goes forth out of the mouth, this defiles the man. Then his disciples, coming up, said to him, Dost thou know that the Pharisees, having heard this word, have been offended? But he answering said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. Leave them alone; they are blind leaders of blind: but if blind lead blind, both will fall into a ditch. And Peter answering said to him, Expound to us this parable. But he said, Are ye also still without intelligence? Do ye not yet apprehend, that everything that enters into the mouth finds its way into the belly, and is cast forth into the draught? but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies; these are the things which defile man; but the eating with unwashen hands does not defile man.
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever it be by which received from me thou wouldest be profited: and he shall in no wise honour his father or his mother; and ye have made void the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching. Hypocrites! well has Esaias prophesied about you, saying, This people honour me with the lips, but their heart is far away from me; but in vain do they worship me, teaching as teachings commandments of men. And having called to him the crowd, he said to them, Hear and understand: Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man; but what goes forth out of the mouth, this defiles the man. Then his disciples, coming up, said to him, Dost thou know that the Pharisees, having heard this word, have been offended? But he answering said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. Leave them alone; they are blind leaders of blind: but if blind lead blind, both will fall into a ditch. And Peter answering said to him, Expound to us this parable. But he said, Are ye also still without intelligence? Do ye not yet apprehend, that everything that enters into the mouth finds its way into the belly, and is cast forth into the draught? but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies; these are the things which defile man; but the eating with unwashen hands does not defile man.
But the Pharisee seeing it wondered that he had not first washed before dinner. But the Lord said to him, Now do ye Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inward parts are full of plunder and wickedness. Fools, has not he who has made the outside made the inside also? read more.
But rather give alms of what ye have, and behold, all things are clean to you. But woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgment and the love of God: these ye ought to have done, and not have left those aside. Woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye love the first seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market-places. Woe unto you, for ye are as the sepulchres which appear not, and the men walking over them do not know it. And one of the doctors of the law answering says to him, Teacher, in saying these things thou insultest us also. And he said, To you also woe, doctors of the law, for ye lay upon men burdens heavy to bear, and yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. Ye bear witness then, and consent to the works of your fathers; for they killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. For this reason also the wisdom of God has said, I will send to them prophets and apostles, and of these shall they kill and drive out by persecution, that the blood of all the prophets which has been poured out from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yea, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, the doctors of the law, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; yourselves have not entered in, and those who were entering in ye have hindered.
But rather give alms of what ye have, and behold, all things are clean to you. But woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the judgment and the love of God: these ye ought to have done, and not have left those aside. Woe unto you, Pharisees, for ye love the first seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market-places. Woe unto you, for ye are as the sepulchres which appear not, and the men walking over them do not know it. And one of the doctors of the law answering says to him, Teacher, in saying these things thou insultest us also. And he said, To you also woe, doctors of the law, for ye lay upon men burdens heavy to bear, and yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. Ye bear witness then, and consent to the works of your fathers; for they killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. For this reason also the wisdom of God has said, I will send to them prophets and apostles, and of these shall they kill and drive out by persecution, that the blood of all the prophets which has been poured out from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yea, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, the doctors of the law, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; yourselves have not entered in, and those who were entering in ye have hindered.
Wolf » Figurative » Of the enemies of the righteous
Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves.
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
but he who serves for wages, and who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf seizes them and scatters the sheep.
For I know this, that there will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock;
Wolves » Illustrative » Of false teachers
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
For I know this, that there will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock;
Wolves » Wolves, a type of the wicked
Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves.
But beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves.
but he who serves for wages, and who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf seizes them and scatters the sheep.
For I know this, that there will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock;