Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible













On the contrary, O man, who are you who answers back to God? Will what is molded say to the one who molded [it], "Why did you make me like this"? Or does the potter not have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump a vessel that [is] for {honorable use} and [one] that [is] for {ordinary use}? And [what] if God, wanting to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? read more.
And [he did so] in order that he could make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory, us whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he also says in Hosea, "I will call those [who were] not my people, 'My people,' and those [who were] not loved, 'Loved.' And it will be in the place where it was said to them, 'You [are] not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

For [as I] was passing through and observing carefully your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, 'To an unknown God.' Therefore what you worship without knowing [it], this I proclaim to you-- the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands [as if he] needed anything, [because] he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. read more.
And he made from one [man] every nation of humanity to live on all the face of the earth, determining [their] fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation, to search for God, if perhaps indeed they might feel around for him and find [him]. And indeed he is not far away from each one of us, for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.' Therefore, [because we] are offspring of God, we ought not to think the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and thought.

For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery [leading] to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, read more.
and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together [with him] so that we may also be glorified together [with him].

Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation [is there between] righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship [does] light [have] with darkness? And what agreement [does] Christ [have] with Beliar? Or what share [does] a believer [have] with an unbeliever? And what agreement [does the] temple of God [have] with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk about [among them], and I will be their God and they will be my people." read more.
Therefore "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me," says the all-powerful Lord.

Do all [things] without grumbling and disputing, in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,

See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called children of God, and we are! Because of this the world does not know us: because it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever he is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.


For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery [leading] to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, read more.
and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together [with him] so that we may also be glorified together [with him].

Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation [is there between] righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship [does] light [have] with darkness? And what agreement [does] Christ [have] with Beliar? Or what share [does] a believer [have] with an unbeliever? And what agreement [does the] temple of God [have] with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk about [among them], and I will be their God and they will be my people." read more.
Therefore "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me," says the all-powerful Lord.

And [while] he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing there outside, desiring to speak to him. And someone told him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing there outside desiring to speak to you." But he answered [and] said to the one who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" read more.
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Behold my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father [who is] in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother."

And his mother and his brothers arrived, and standing outside, they sent [word] to him to summon him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers [are] outside looking for you." And he answered them [and] said, "Who is my mother or my brothers?" read more.
And looking around at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, this person is my brother and sister and mother."

Now his mother and brothers came to him, and they were not able to meet with him because of the crowd. And it was reported to him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to see you." But he answered [and] said to them, "These are my mother and my brothers--the ones who hear the word of God and do [it].

but we see Jesus, for a short [time] made lower than the angels, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that apart from God he might taste death on behalf of everyone. For it was fitting for him for whom [are] all [things] and through whom [are] all [things] in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings. For both the one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified [are] all from one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers,




For you [are] our father, although Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh [are] our father, Our Redeemer from [of] old [is] your name.




Then David blessed Yahweh in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, "Blessed [are] you, O Yahweh, God of Israel, our father forever and ever!





For you [are] our father, although Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh [are] our father, Our Redeemer from [of] old [is] your name.




Then David blessed Yahweh in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, "Blessed [are] you, O Yahweh, God of Israel, our father forever and ever!





For you [are] our father, although Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh [are] our father, Our Redeemer from [of] old [is] your name.




Then David blessed Yahweh in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, "Blessed [are] you, O Yahweh, God of Israel, our father forever and ever!




For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery [leading] to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, read more.
and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together [with him] so that we may also be glorified together [with him].



And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba! (Father!)," so that you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, also an heir through God.



in order that he might redeem those under the law, in order that we might receive the adoption.










So Peter opened [his] mouth [and] said, "In truth I understand that God is not one who shows partiality, but in every nation the one who fears him and who does what is right is acceptable to him.


But you, dear friends, [by] building yourselves up in your most holy faith, [by] praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

and [for] this same [reason], and [by] applying all diligence, supply with your faith excellence of character, and with excellence of character, knowledge, and with knowledge, self-control, and with self-control, patient endurance, and with patient endurance, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly love, and with brotherly love, love. read more.
For [if] these [things] are yours and are increasing, this does not make [you] useless or unproductive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For [the one] for whom these [things] [are] not present is blind, being nearsighted, {having forgotten the cleansing} of his former sins.

"Teacher, which commandment [is] greatest in the law?" And he said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. read more.
And the second [is] like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

Consequently, [there is] now no condemnation for those [who are] in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what [was] impossible for the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God [did]. [By] sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, read more.
in order that the requirement of the law would be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are [living] according to the flesh are intent on the things of the flesh, but those [who are living] according to the Spirit [are intent on] the things of the Spirit. For the mindset of the flesh [is] death, but the mindset of the Spirit [is] life and peace, because the mindset of the flesh [is] enmity toward God, for [it is] not subjected to the law of God, for [it is] not able [to do so], and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person {does not belong to him}. But if Christ [is] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin, but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also make alive your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you. So then, brothers, we are obligated not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery [leading] to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together [with him] so that we may also be glorified together [with him]. For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.

Brothers, the desire of my heart and my prayer to God on behalf of them [is] for [their] salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For ignoring the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. read more.
For Christ [is the] end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness [that is] from the law: "The person who does [this] will live by it." But the righteousness from faith speaks like this: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down), or "Who will descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near to you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim), that if you confess with your mouth "Jesus [is] Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation. For the scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For [there] is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same [Lord] [is] Lord of all, who is rich to all who call upon him. For "everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such things [there] is no law. Now those {who belong to Christ} have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires. read more.
If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.

See to it that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue good toward one another and toward all [people]. Rejoice always, pray constantly, read more.
give thanks in everything; for this [is] the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but examine all [things]; hold fast to [what is] good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, if you carry out the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, [and thus] are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one [point only] has become guilty of all [of it]. read more.
For the one who said "Do not commit adultery" also said "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. Thus speak and thus act as those who are going to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment [is] merciless to the one who has not practiced mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What [is] the benefit, my brothers, if someone says [that he] has faith but does not have works? That faith [is] not able to save him, [is it]? If a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking food for the day, and one of you should say to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and {eat well}," but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what [is] the benefit? Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder! But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works [when he] offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works the faith was perfected. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And likewise was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works [when she] welcomed the messengers and sent [them] out by a different route? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.


For all those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery [leading] to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, read more.
and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together [with him] so that we may also be glorified together [with him].

Therefore, [because] Christ suffered in the flesh, you also equip yourselves with the same way of thinking, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,


Because of this, I endure all [things] for the sake of the chosen, in order that they also may obtain salvation [which is] in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying [is] trustworthy: For if we died with [him], we will also live with [him]; if we endure, we will also reign with [him]; if we deny [him], he also will deny us;

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: "This is what the first and the last says, who was dead and came to life: 'I know your affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those {who call themselves Jews} and are not, but [are] a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of [the things] which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw [some] of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

And I saw thrones, and they sat down on them, and authority to judge was granted to them. And [I saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and did not receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand, and they came to life and reigned with Christ [for] a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.) This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over this person the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years.

But whatever [things] were gain to me, these [things] I have considered loss because of Christ. {More than that}, even consider all [things] to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all [things], and consider [them] dung, in order that I may gain Christ and may be found in him, not having my righteousness [which is] from the law, but [which is] through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith, read more.
so that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

For the eyes of the Lord [are] on the righteous, and his ears [are open to] their prayer. But the face of the Lord [is] against those who do evil. And who [is] the one who will harm you if you are a zealous adherent for what is good? But even if you might suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed. And do not be afraid of their intimidation or be disturbed, read more.
but set Christ apart [as] Lord in your hearts, always ready to [make] a defense to anyone who asks you [for] an accounting concerning the hope [that is] in you. But [do so] with courtesy and respect, having a good conscience, so that in [the things] in which you are slandered, the ones who malign your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For [it is] better to suffer for doing good, {if God wills it}, than for doing evil.


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