Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Alertness » What to be aware of
'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves. And, take ye heed of men, for they will give you up to sanhedrims, and in their synagogues they will scourge you, and before governors and kings ye shall be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.
Each of his friend -- beware ye, And on any brother, do not trust, For every brother doth utterly supplant, For every friend slanderously doth walk, And each at his friend they mock, And truth they do not speak, They taught their tongue to speak falsehood, To commit iniquity they have laboured. thy dwelling is in the midst of deceit, Through deceit they refused to know Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
And a certain one said to him, out of the multitude, 'Teacher, say to my brother to divide with me the inheritance.' And he said to him, 'Man, who set me a judge or a divider over you?' And he said unto them, 'Observe, and beware of the covetousness, because not in the abundance of one's goods is his life.' read more.
And he spake a simile unto them, saying, 'Of a certain rich man the field brought forth well; and he was reasoning within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where I shall gather together my fruits? and he said, This I will do, I will take down my storehouses, and greater ones I will build, and I will gather together there all my products and my good things, and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up for many years, be resting, eat, drink, be merry. And God said to him, Unthinking one! this night thy soul they shall require from thee, and what things thou didst prepare -- to whom shall they be? so is he who is treasuring up to himself, and is not rich toward God.'
And he spake a simile unto them, saying, 'Of a certain rich man the field brought forth well; and he was reasoning within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where I shall gather together my fruits? and he said, This I will do, I will take down my storehouses, and greater ones I will build, and I will gather together there all my products and my good things, and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up for many years, be resting, eat, drink, be merry. And God said to him, Unthinking one! this night thy soul they shall require from thee, and what things thou didst prepare -- to whom shall they be? so is he who is treasuring up to himself, and is not rich toward God.'
look to the dogs, look to the evil-workers, look to the concision;
Animals » Lions » Wolves, a type of the wicked
'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves.
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;
for I have known this, that there shall enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves unto you, not sparing the flock,
Bearing fruit » Everything being known by the fruit it bears
'For there is not a good tree making bad fruit, nor a bad tree making good fruit; for each tree from its own fruit is known, for not from thorns do they gather figs, nor from a bramble do they crop a grape. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart doth bring forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart doth bring forth that which is evil; for out of the abounding of the heart doth his mouth speak.
Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves. From their fruits ye shall know them; do men gather from thorns grapes? or from thistles figs?
'Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad, for from the fruit is the tree known.
Names » Of the wicked » Wolves
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
False prophets » Described as » Crafty
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
Sheep » False prophets assume the simple appearance
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
Teachers » FALSE » Admonition against
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
'When there ariseth in your midst a prophet, or a dreamer of a dream, and he hath given unto thee a sign or wonder, and the sign and the wonder hath come which he hath spoken of unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (which thou hast not known), and serve them, thou dost not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of the dream, for Jehovah your God is trying you, to know whether ye are loving Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul;
Whoever therefore may loose one of these commands -- the least -- and may teach men so, least he shall be called in the reign of the heavens, but whoever may do and may teach them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
saying, 'On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees; all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not, for they say, and do not; for they bind together burdens heavy and grievous to be borne, and lay upon the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them. read more.
'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ. And the greater of you shall be your ministrant, and whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the sanctuary, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the sanctuary -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold? And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift? 'He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it; and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it; and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect. 'Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness; so also ye outwardly indeed do appear to men righteous, and within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous, and 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 testify to yourselves, that ye are sons of them who did murder the prophets; and ye -- ye fill up the measure of your fathers. 'Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?
'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ. And the greater of you shall be your ministrant, and whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the sanctuary, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the sanctuary -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold? And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift? 'He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it; and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it; and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect. 'Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness; so also ye outwardly indeed do appear to men righteous, and within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous, and 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 testify to yourselves, that ye are sons of them who did murder the prophets; and ye -- ye fill up the measure of your fathers. 'Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?
'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.' And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; read more.
but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.' And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand: not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.' Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.' And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.' And Jesus said, 'Are ye also yet without understanding? do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth? but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man; for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings: these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'
but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings -- commands of men.' And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand: not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.' Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?' And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up; let them alone, guides they are -- blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.' And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.' And Jesus said, 'Are ye also yet without understanding? do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth? but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man; for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings: these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'
and the Pharisee having seen, did wonder that he did not first baptize himself before the dinner. And the Lord said unto him, 'Now do ye, the Pharisees, the outside of the cup and of the plate make clean, but your inward part is full of rapine and wickedness; unthinking! did not He who made the outside also the inside make? read more.
But what ye have give ye as alms, and, lo, all things are clean to you. 'But woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and every herb, and ye pass by the judgment, and the love of God; these things it behoveth to do, and those not to be neglecting. 'Woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye are as the unseen tombs, and the men walking above have not known.' And one of the lawyers answering, saith to him, 'Teacher, these things saying, us also thou dost insult;' and he said, 'And to you, the lawyers, woe! because ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves with one of your fingers do not touch the burdens. 'Woe to you, because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Then do ye testify, and are well pleased with the works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and ye do build their tombs; because of this also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets, and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute, that the blood of all the prophets, that is being poured forth from the foundation of the world, may be required from this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yes, I say to you, It shall be required from this generation. 'Woe to you, the lawyers, because ye took away the key of the knowledge; yourselves ye did not enter; and those coming in, ye did hinder.'
But what ye have give ye as alms, and, lo, all things are clean to you. 'But woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and every herb, and ye pass by the judgment, and the love of God; these things it behoveth to do, and those not to be neglecting. 'Woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye are as the unseen tombs, and the men walking above have not known.' And one of the lawyers answering, saith to him, 'Teacher, these things saying, us also thou dost insult;' and he said, 'And to you, the lawyers, woe! because ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves with one of your fingers do not touch the burdens. 'Woe to you, because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Then do ye testify, and are well pleased with the works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and ye do build their tombs; because of this also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets, and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute, that the blood of all the prophets, that is being poured forth from the foundation of the world, may be required from this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yes, I say to you, It shall be required from this generation. 'Woe to you, the lawyers, because ye took away the key of the knowledge; yourselves ye did not enter; and those coming in, ye did hinder.'
Wolf » Figurative » Of the enemies of the righteous
'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves.
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;
for I have known this, that there shall enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves unto you, not sparing the flock,
Wolves » Illustrative » Of false teachers
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
for I have known this, that there shall enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves unto you, not sparing the flock,
Wolves » Wolves, a type of the wicked
'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves.
'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.
and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;
for I have known this, that there shall enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves unto you, not sparing the flock,