Thematic Bible: Stoicism


Thematic Bible





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.

Then He called the people to Him along with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must say, 'No' to self, put the cross on his shoulders, and keep on following me. For whoever wants to save his higher life, will have to give up the lower life, and whoever gives up his lower life for me and for the good news, will save the higher life.

Then He said to them all, "If anyone chooses to be my disciple, he must say 'No' to self, put the cross on his shoulders daily, and continue to follow me. For whoever chooses to save his lower life will lose his higher life, but whoever gives up his lower life for my sake will save his higher life. For what benefit will it be to a man to gain the whole world and lose or forfeit himself? read more.
For whoever is ashamed of me and my teaching, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when He comes back in all the splendor of His Father and of the holy angels.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she pleases, except that he must be a Christian. But in my opinion she will be happier, if she remains as she is, and I think too that I have God's Spirit.

Now I take up the matters about which you wrote me. It may be good thing for a man to remain unmarried; but because of so much sexual immorality every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman a husband of her own. The husband must always give his wife what is due her, and the wife too must do so for her husband. read more.
The wife does not have the right to do as she pleases with her own body; the husband has his right to it. In the same way the husband does not have the right to do as he pleases with his own body; the wife has her right to it. You husbands and wives must stop refusing each other what is due, unless you agree to do so just for awhile, so as to have plenty of time for prayer, and then to be together again, so as to keep Satan from tempting you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this by way of concession, not by way of command. However, I should like for everyone to be just as I am myself, yet each of us has his own special gift from God, one for one way, another for another. To unmarried people and to widows I would say this: It would be a fine thing for them to remain single, as I am. But if they do not practice self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burning in the fire of passion.

About unmarried women I have no command from the Lord, but I will give you my opinion as of one who is trustworthy, since I have had mercy shown me by the Lord. Now this is my opinion in the light of the present distress: That it is a good thing for a man to remain as he is.

I want you to be free from worldly worries. An unmarried man is concerned about the affairs of the Lord. A married man is concerned about the affairs of the world, and how he can please his wife, and so his devotion is divided.

but I see another power operating in my lower nature in conflict with the power operated by my reason, which makes me a prisoner to the power of sin which is operating in my lower nature. Verse ConceptsBodily LimbsSpiritual Warfare, As ConflictLiving Not For The MaterialEvil PrinciplesPrinciples Of WarMind BattlesGoing Through the MotionsstruggleWarLife StrugglesThe MindConflictStrugglesBeing DifferentBeing Uniquelawworkingmindset

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made of flesh that is frail, sold into slavery to sin. Indeed, I do not understand what I do, for I do not practice what I want to do, but I am always doing what I hate. But if I am always doing what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is right. read more.
Now really it is not I that am doing these things, but it is sin which has its home within me. For I know that nothing good has its home in me; that is, in my lower self; I have the will but not the power to do what is right. Indeed, I do not do the good things that I want to do, but I do practice the evil things that I do not want to do. But if I do the things that I do not want to do, it is really not I that am doing these things, but it is sin which has its home within me. So I find this law: When I want to do right, the wrong is always in my way. For in accordance with my better inner nature I approve God's law, but I see another power operating in my lower nature in conflict with the power operated by my reason, which makes me a prisoner to the power of sin which is operating in my lower nature. Wretched man that I am! Who can save me from this deadly lower nature?





But I keep on beating and bruising my body and making it my slave, so that I, after I have summoned others to the race, may not myself become unfit to run. Verse ConceptsLicentiousnessCastawaysBodyAsceticism, TypesLustMortificationSelf DisciplineConduct, ProperDietsMinisters, Should BeBeating OneselfMaking SlavesslaveryRacetrainingmyself

Some of the Epicurean and the Stoic philosophers began to debate with him; and some said, "What is this scraps-of-truth-picker trying to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities." They said so because he was telling the good news of Jesus and the resurrection. Verse ConceptsBabblersevangelism, nature ofPhilosophyResurrection, Of The DeadFalse Teachers, Examples OfScoffersAmateursAmbiguityEncouraged To Serve Foreign gods

This very John had his clothing made of camel's hair, and wore a leather belt around his waist; his food was dried locusts and wild honey. Verse ConceptsLeatherClothingBeltsAsceticism, People PracticingHairsInsectsJohn The BaptistLocustsWaistsHoneyHairclothHair GarmentsChristmas Tree