4 Bible Verses about Christian Ministers

After Moses, the servant of the LORD, had died, the LORD spoke to Nun's son Joshua, announcing to him, "My servant Moses is dead. Now get ready to cross the Jordan River you and all the people to the land that I'm giving the Israelis. I'm giving you every place where the sole of your foot falls, just as I promised Moses. read more.
Your territorial border will extend from the wilderness to the Lebanon Mountains, to the river that great River Euphrates all the land of the Hittites as far as the Mediterranean Sea where the sun sets. No one will be victorious against you for the rest of your life. I'll be with you just like I was with Moses I'll neither fail you nor abandon you. "Be strong and courageous, because you'll be leading this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Only be strong and very courageous to ensure that you obey all the instructions that my servant Moses gave you turn neither to the right nor to the left from it so that you may succeed wherever you go. This set of instructions is not to cease being a part of your conversations. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to carry out everything that's written in it, for then you'll prosper and succeed. I've commanded you, haven't I? Be strong and courageous. Don't be fearful or discouraged, because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Later, the LORD told Aaron, "You, your sons, and your father's tribe with you are to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. Also, you and your sons with you are to bear the iniquity of your priesthood. Moreover, bring your brothers from your father's tribe of Levi with you, so they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you stand in the presence of the Tent of Testimony. They are to take care of your concerns and all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But they're not to approach the holy vessels or the altar. That way, neither you nor they will die. read more.
They are to join you to maintain services related to the Tent of Meeting, for all the responsibilities involved with the tent. But no unauthorized person is to approach you. Take care of the sanctuary and the services of the altar so that there won't be any more wrath on the Israelis. Notice that I've taken your brothers, the descendants of Levi, from among the Israelis, giving them to you as a gift from the LORD to perform the service of the Tent of Meeting. Now you and your sons with you are to maintain your priestly duties and all matters that concern the altar and what is housed within the veil. You are to perform these services. I'm giving you the priesthood as a gift of service, but any unauthorized person who approaches is to be put to death."

"Select Nun's son Joshua. The Spirit is in that man," the LORD answered Moses. "You are to lay your hand on him and make him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the entire community. Then you are to set him in charge right before their eyes, turning over your authority to him so that the entire community of Israel knows to obey him. read more.
You are to make him stand in the presence of Eleazar the priest, who is to inquire on his behalf using the Urim in the presence of the LORD regarding a decision of judgment, because by his command he and all the Israelis with him will go out or come in." So Moses did what the LORD had commanded him. He took Joshua, made him stand in the presence of Eleazar the priest and the entire community, laid his hands on him, and charged him, just as the LORD had commanded, using Moses' authority.

Then Moses called on Joshua and told him in the presence of everyone in Israel, "Be strong and courageous, because you'll bring this people to the land that the LORD your God had promised to give your ancestors. You will be the one who causes them to possess it. Indeed, the LORD is the one who will keep on walking in front of you. He'll be with you and won't leave you or abandon you, so never be afraid and never be dismayed."

Then the LORD told Moses: "Look! Because your time to die is approaching, call Joshua, present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, and then I will commission him." Moses and Joshua complied and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. So the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud that stood above the entrance. Then the LORD told Moses, "Look! You are about to join your ancestors. Afterwards, this people will rebel and commit prostitution with the foreign gods of the land that they are about to enter to possess. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I made with them. read more.
When that happens, my anger will burn against them, because they will have abandoned me. I'll hide my face from them, they will be consumed, and many evils and distresses will find them. When this happens, they will say, "These troubles have happened to us because God isn't among us.' I'll surely hide my face in that day on account of the evil that they will have done for they turned to other gods." "Now write this song and teach it to the Israelis. Put this song in their very mouths, so that it will be a witness for me against the Israelis, because after I've brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey that I promised to their ancestors by an oath, they'll eat, grow fat, and then they'll turn to other gods and serve them, while despising me and breaking my covenant. Then, when many evils and troubles will have come upon them, this song will serve as a witness against them, since their descendants won't fail to sing it. I know the plan that they are devising even before I bring them into the land that I promised them by an oath." So Moses wrote the song that very day and taught it to the Israelis. Then the LORD charged Nun's son Joshua, "Be strong and courageous, because you'll bring the Israelis to the land that I promised to them by an oath. I'll be with you."

Then he told his disciples, "The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest."

So he instructed them, "The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest.

Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and by the love that the Spirit produces, to join me in my struggle, earnestly praying to God for me that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, and that if it's God's will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.

as you also help us by your prayers for us. Then many people will thank God on our behalf because of the favor shown us through the prayers of many.

Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request. Likewise, be alert with your most diligent efforts and pray for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that, when I begin to speak, the right words will come to me. Then I will boldly make known the secret of the gospel, for whose sake I am an ambassador in chains, desiring to declare the gospel as boldly as I should.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have received instructions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him.

Brothers, we ask you to show your appreciation for those who work among you, set an example for you in the Lord, and instruct you. Hold them in the highest regard, loving them because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Remember your leaders, those who have spoken God's word to you. Think about the impact of their lives, and imitate their faith.

Then Moses called on Joshua and told him in the presence of everyone in Israel, "Be strong and courageous, because you'll bring this people to the land that the LORD your God had promised to give your ancestors. You will be the one who causes them to possess it.

However, Nun's son Joshua, your assistant, will go there. Encourage him, for he will cause Israel to take possession of it.

The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience signs, wonders, and powerful actions.

for the gospel we brought did not come to you in words only, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Indeed, you know what kind of people we proved to be while we were with you, acting on your behalf.

as you hold firmly to the word of life. Then I will be proud when the Messiah returns that I did not run in vain or work hard in vain.

Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen! The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made them a great people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with a public display of power he led them out of there. After he had put up with them for 40 years in the wilderness, read more.
he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan. Then God gave their land to the Israelis as an inheritance for about 450 years. "After that, he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. When they demanded a king, God gave them Kish's son Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. Then God removed Saul and made David their king, about whom he testified, "I have found that David, the son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my wishes.' It was from this man's descendants that God, as he promised, brought to Israel a Savior, who is Jesus. Before Jesus' appearance, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel. When John was finishing his work, he said, "Who do you think I am? I'm not the Messiah. No, but he is coming after me, and I'm not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.' "My brothers, descendants of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the message of this salvation has been sent. For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who Jesus was, condemned him and so fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Although they found no reason to sentence him to death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These are now his witnesses to the people. We're telling you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.' God raised him from the dead, never to experience decay, as he said, "I'll give you the holy promises made to David.' In another Psalm he says, "You will not let your Holy One experience decay.' Now David, after he had served God's purpose in his own generation, died and was buried with his ancestors, and so he experienced decay. However, the man whom God raised did not experience decay. "Therefore, brothers, you must understand that through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the Law of Moses. So be careful that what the prophets said doesn't happen to you: "Look, you mockers! Be amazed and die! Since I am performing an action in your days, one that you would not believe even if someone told you!'" As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept urging them to tell them the same things the next Sabbath. When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who kept talking to them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.

You may have 10,000 mentors who work for the Messiah, but not many fathers. For in the Messiah Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

And they were offended by him.

"Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

So pay attention! I'm going to make you just as obstinate and unyielding as they are. I'm making you harder than flint like diamond! So you are not to fear them or be intimidated by how they look at you, since they're a rebellious group."

Then the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly with an angry attitude as the hand of the LORD rested on me.

"How long, LORD, must I cry out for help, but you won't listen? I'm crying out to you, "Violence!' but you aren't providing deliverance. Why are you forcing me to look at iniquity and to stare at wickedness? Social havoc and oppression are all around me; there are legal conflicts, and disputes abound.

After these things occurred, certain officials approached me and said "The people of Israel, the priests, and the descendants of Levi have not separated themselves from the people of the lands or from the detestable behavior of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites, because they and their sons have married foreign women. As a result, the holy people have mingled themselves among the nations of these lands. As a matter of fact, the senior officials and the rulers have been foremost in this sin."

Descendants of the Priests: Descendants of Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that name. These people searched for their ancestral registrations but they couldn't be located. Accordingly, they were assigned an "unclean" status and couldn't be priests.

Here is a list of priestly descendants who were found to have married foreign women. From Jeshua's descendants: Jozadak's son and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. Pleading guilty, they promised to divorce their wives. Then they offered a ram from their flocks for their offense. From Immer's descendants: Hanani and Zebadiah. read more.
From Harim's descendants: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. From Pashhur's descendants: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. From the descendants of Levi: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who supervised the store rooms of the Temple of our God and who was related to Tobiah, had prepared a great chamber for him, in the place where they used to place the grain offerings, incense, and vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that was mandated for the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gate keepers, and the priests' offerings. During all of this time, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to the king in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon. After a while I obtained permission from the king read more.
to return to Jerusalem. I learned of the evil thing that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in furnishing him with a room in the courts of the Temple of God. I was greatly upset, so I threw out all of Tobiah's property from the room. I ordered them to purify the chambers, and then they brought back the vessels from the Temple of God, along with the grain offerings and incense. I also learned that the allotments for the descendants of Levi had not been distributed. As a result, the descendants of Levi and singers who were responsible for the service had each left to go back to their fields. So I confronted the officials and asked, "Why is the Temple of God neglected?" Then I gathered them together and put them back in their places. Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil into the storerooms. I appointed over the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the descendants of Levi; and next to them Zaccur's son Hanan, the grandson of Mattaniah, because they had been considered faithful. Their duties were to distribute to their associates.

One of the sons of Eliashib the high priest's son Joiada was a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the descendants of Levi.

Now Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who grew up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch.

When the Guild of Prophets who lived in Bethel came out to greet Elisha, they asked him, "You are aware, aren't you, that later today the LORD is going to remove your master from being your mentor?" "Of course I'm aware of it," he said. "Calm down."

Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw a group of prophets caught up in prophetic ecstasy, with Samuel standing beside them leading them. Then the Spirit of God came on Saul's messengers, and they also were caught up in prophetic ecstasy.

The Guild of Prophets who lived in Jericho approached Elisha and asked him, "You are aware, aren't you, that later today the LORD is going to remove your master from being your mentor?" "Of course I'm aware of it," he said. "Calm down."

As soon as the Guild of Prophets who lived adjacent to Jericho saw Elisha, they began to announce, "The spirit of Elijah is at rest on Elisha!" So they came out to meet him and they greeted him by bowing low to the ground in front of him.

And although the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers won't hide themselves anymore, but your own eyes will see your teachers.

"Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren't they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's permission. Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted! So stop being afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows."

Elijah the foreigner, who was an alien resident from Gilead, told Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, in whose presence I'm standing, there will be neither dew nor rain these next several years, except when I say so." Later, this message came to him from the LORD: "Leave here and go into hiding at the Wadi Cherith, where it enters the Jordan River. read more.
You will be able to drink from that brook, and I've commanded some crows to sustain you there." So Elijah left and did exactly what the LORD had told him to do he went to live near the Wadi Cherith, where it enters the Jordan River. Crows would bring him bread and meat both in the morning and in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. But after a while, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then this message came to him from the LORD: "Get up, move to Zarephath in Sidon, and stay there. Look! I've commanded a widow to sustain you there." So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance to the city, a widow was there gathering sticks. So he asked her, "Please, may I have some water in a cup so I can have a drink." While she was on her way to get the water, he called out to her, "Would you please also bring me a piece of bread while you're at it?" "As the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have so much as a muffin, just a handful of flour in a bowl and some oil left in a bottle. Now I'm going to find some sticks so I can cook a last meal for my son and for me. Then we're going to eat it and die." But Elijah told her, "You can stop being afraid. Go and do what you said, but first make me a muffin and bring it to me. Then make a meal for yourself and for your son, because this is what the LORD God of Israel says: "That jar of flour will not run out, nor will that bottle of oil become empty until the very day that the LORD sends rain on the surface of the ground.'" So she went out and did precisely what Elijah told her to do. As a result, Elijah, the widow, and her son were fed for days. The jar of flour never ran out and the bottle of oil never became empty, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.

Ahab complained to Jezebel about everything that Elijah had done, especially the part about him killing all the prophets of Baal with a sword. Jezebel sent a messenger to tell Elijah, "May the gods do the same to me and even more if tomorrow about this time I haven't made you like one of those prophets you had killed." Elijah was terrified, so he got up and ran for his life to Beer-sheba, which is part of Judah, and left his servant there read more.
and ran for a day's journey deep into the wilderness. He found a juniper tree, sat down under it, and prayed that he could die. He asked God, "Enough! LORD! Take my life, because I'm not better than my ancestors!" Then he lay down and went to sleep under the juniper tree. All of a sudden, there was an angel, who kept grabbing him and telling him, "Get up! Eat!" So he looked around, and there near his head was a muffin sitting on top of some heated stones, along with a jar of water. Elijah ate and drank and then lay down again. Later, the angel of the LORD came a second time, grabbed him, and said "Get up! Eat! The journey ahead is too difficult for you!" So Elijah got up, ate and drank, and survived on that one meal for 40 days and nights as he set out on his journey to Horeb, God's mountain. Elijah arrived at a cave and stayed there. All of a sudden this message came from the LORD: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" "I've been very zealous for the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies," he replied. "The Israelis have abandoned your covenant, demolished your altars, executed your prophets with swords, and I that's right, just me! am the only one left. Now they're seeking my life, to get rid of me!" "Go out," he responded, "and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD." And there was the LORD, passing by! A tremendous, mighty windstorm was tearing at the mountains and breaking the rocks in pieces in the presence of the LORD, but the LORD was not in the windstorm. After the wind there came an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there came fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. As soon as Elijah heard it, he covered his face in his mantle, went outside, and stood at the entrance to the cave. And there a voice spoke to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" "I've been very zealous for the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies," he replied. "The Israelis have abandoned your covenant, demolished your altars, executed your prophets with swords, and I that's right, just me! am the only one left. Now they're seeking my life, to get rid of me!" The LORD replied to him, "Go! Return to Damascus, and when you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram, anoint Nimshi's son Jehu as king over Israel, and anoint Shaphat's son Elisha from Abel-meholah as a prophet to replace you. Whoever escapes from Hazael's sword Jehu will execute, and whoever escapes from Jehu's sword Elisha will put to death. Nevertheless, I've reserved 7,000 in Israel who have neither bowed their knees to Baal nor kissed him."

"Five sparrows are sold for two pennies, aren't they? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Why, even all the hairs on your head have been counted! Stop being afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows."

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God for him was being offered by the assembly.

"And now may the LORD God arise, to your place of rest, you, and the ark of your power! Let your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and cause your godly ones to find their joy in what is good.

Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow your servants to speak your word boldly

May your priests be clothed with righteousness and may your godly ones shout for joy.

Then they prayed, "Lord, you know the hearts of all people. Show us which one of these two men you have chosen to serve in this office of apostle, from which Judas left to go to his own place."

Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests and inquired, "What are you willing to give me if I betray Jesus to you?" They offered him 30 pieces of silver, and from then on he began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

(Now this man bought a field with the money he got for his crime. Falling on his face, he burst open in the middle, and all his intestines gushed out.

Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they replied, "What do we care? Attend to that yourself." Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself.

While they were eating, he said, "I tell all of you with certainty, one of you is going to betray me." Feeling deeply distressed, each one began to ask him, "Surely I am not the one, Lord?" He replied, "The man who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. read more.
The Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him. How terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born." Then Judas, who was going to betray him, asked, "Rabbi, I'm not the one, am I?" Jesus told him, "You have said so."

Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A large crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests and elders of the people. Now the betrayer personally had given them a signal, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him." So Judas immediately went up to Jesus and said, "Hello, Rabbi!" and kissed him tenderly. read more.
Jesus asked him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then the other men surged forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him.

They have left the straight path and wandered off to follow the path of Bosor's son Balaam, who loved the reward he got for doing wrong. But he was rebuked for his offense. A donkey that normally cannot talk spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's insanity.

Balaam responded to Balak's entourage by saying, "Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I won't double-cross the command of the LORD my God in even the slightest way.

Balak asked Balaam, "Didn't I repeatedly send for you to summon you? Why didn't you come to me? I can pay you well, can't I?" Balaam answered Balak, "Well, I'm here now. I've come to you, but I can't just say anything, can I? I'll speak only what God puts in my mouth to say."

But how can I curse those whom God hasn't cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD hasn't denounced?

But in response, Balaam asked, "Shouldn't I be careful to communicate only what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

Therefore, an elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, stable, sensible, respectable, hospitable to strangers, and teachable.

Ministers must be husbands of one wife and must manage their children and their families well.

We have the right to take a believing wife with us like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Cephas, don't we?

When Jesus went into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed, sick with a fever.

"They are not to marry a prostitute or a woman who has been dishonored or who was divorced from her husband, because the priest is holy to his God. Consecrate him, because he's the one who offers the food of your God. He is to be holy for you, because I, the LORD, the one who sanctifies you, am holy. "Now if the daughter of any priest defiles herself by being a prostitute, she defiles her father. She is to be incinerated. read more.
"The high priest among his relatives whose head has been anointed with oil and who has been consecrated to put on the priestly clothing is not to let his hair hang loose or to tear his clothes. He is not to come near any dead body whether the deceased is his father or his mother so as not to defile himself. He is not to go out of the sanctuary or defile the sanctuary of his God, because his God's consecrating oil of anointing rests on him. I am the LORD. "Furthermore, he is to marry a true virgin. He is not to marry a widow or one who has been divorced, has been defiled, or has been a prostitute. Instead, he is to take a virgin from among his people as his wife. "He is not to defile his children among his people, because I am the LORD, who sets him apart."

But when they began to oppose him and insult him, he shook out his clothes in protest and told them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the gentiles."

"Son of Man," he said, "I've appointed you to be a watchman over the house of Israel. Therefore when you hear a message that comes from me, you are to warn them for me. "So when I say to a wicked person, "You're about to die,' if you don't warn or instruct that wicked person that his behavior is wicked so he can live, that wicked person will die in his sin, but I'll hold you responsible for his death. If you warn the wicked person, and he doesn't repent of his wickedness or of his wicked behavior, he'll die in his sin, but you will have saved your own life. read more.
"When a righteous man abandons his righteousness to practice unrighteousness, I'll set a stumbling block before him. He'll die. If you don't warn him, he'll die in his sin and the righteous deeds that he had practiced won't be remembered, but you'll be held responsible for his death. If you warn the righteous person, so that he doesn't commit sin, then he'll live, since he had been warned. And you will have saved your life."

If I should say to a certain wicked person, "You wicked man, you're certainly about to die,' but you don't warn him to turn from his wicked behavior, he'll die in his guilt, but I'll seek retribution for his bloodshed from you.

If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet. I tell all of you with certainty, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!" "Pay attention, now! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves. read more.
Watch out for people who will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, to testify to them and to unbelievers. When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you. It won't be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. "Brother will hand brother over for execution, and a father his child. Children will rebel against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, because I tell all of you with certainty that you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. "A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master. It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they do the same to those of his household!" "So never be afraid of them, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be made known. What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whispered in your ear you must shout from the housetops. Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. "Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren't they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's permission. Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted! So stop being afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows." "Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven." "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword! I came to turn "a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A person's enemies will include members of his own family.' "The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn't worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me. The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me. The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it." "The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.

I therefore declare to you today that I'm not responsible for the blood of any of you, because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God.

Then he began to tell them many things in parables. He said, "Listen! A farmer went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn't deep. read more.
But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they did not have any roots, they dried up. Other seeds fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew higher and choked them out. But other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop, some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.

The one who goes out weeping, carrying a bag of seeds, will surely return with a joyful song, bearing sheaves from his harvest. A Solomonic Song of Ascents

"Listen! A farmer went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. Others fell on stony ground, where they didn't have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once, because the soil wasn't deep. read more.
But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they didn't have any roots, they dried up. Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes came up and choked them out, and they didn't produce anything. But others fell on good soil and produced a crop. They grew up, increased in size, and produced 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown." He added, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!" When he was alone with the Twelve and those around him, they began to ask him about the parables. He told them, "The secret about the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything comes in parables so that "they may see clearly but not perceive, and they may hear clearly but not understand, otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven.'" Then he told them, "You don't understand this parable, so how can you understand any of the parables? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others are like the seeds sown on the stony ground. When they hear the word, at once they joyfully accept it, but since they don't have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away. Still others are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who hear the word, but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can't produce a crop. Others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown."

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, were trampled on, and birds from the sky ate them up. Others fell on stony ground, and as soon as they came up, they dried up because they had no moisture. Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew with them and choked them. read more.
But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced 100 times as much as was planted." As he said this, he called out, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled.

"You know that the Passover will take place in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." Then the high priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.

But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest told him, "I command you by the living God to tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God!" Jesus told him, "You have said so. Nevertheless I tell you, from now on you will see "the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power' and "coming on the clouds of heaven.'" Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Listen! You yourselves have just heard the blasphemy!

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, "You don't know anything! You don't realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed." Now he did not say this on his own initiative. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

Caiaphas was the person who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one man die for the people.

When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak messages from God boldly.

When Peter saw this, he told the people: "Fellow Israelis, why are you wondering about this, and why are you staring at us as if by our own power or godliness we made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and rejected in the presence of Pilate, even though he had decided to let him go. You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you, read more.
and you killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses to that. It is his name that is, by faith in his name that has healed this man whom you see and know. Yes, the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance like your leaders. This is how God fulfilled what he had predicted through the voice of all the prophets that his Messiah would suffer. Therefore, repent and turn to him to have your sins blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and so that he may send you Jesus, whom he appointed long ago to be the Messiah. He must remain in heaven until the time of universal restitution, which God announced long ago through the voice of his holy prophets. In fact, Moses said, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. Any person who will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.' "Indeed, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who followed him, also announced these days. You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he told Abraham, "Through your descendant all the families of the earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning every one of you from your evil ways."

If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed, you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. He is "the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.' read more.
There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Now when the Jewish leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.

But Peter and John answered them, "You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, for we cannot stop talking about what we've seen and heard."

After the apostles heard this, they went into the Temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in.

I haven't run away from being your shepherd, and I haven't longed for the day of sickness. You know what comes out from my lips, it's open before you.

In the beginning of the reign of Josiah's son Jehoiakim, king of Judah, this message came from the LORD: "This is what the LORD says: "Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple and tell those from all the cities of Judah who are coming to worship at the LORD's Temple everything that I've commanded you to say to them. Don't leave out a word! Perhaps they'll listen, and each of them will repent from his evil way. Then I'll change my mind about the disaster I'm planning to bring on them because of their evil deeds. read more.
Say to them, "This is what the LORD says: "If you don't listen to me to follow my Law which I've set before you, and listen to the words of my servants, the prophets, whom I've sent to you over and over but you wouldn't listen then I'll make this house like Shiloh and make this city into a curse to all the nations of the earth.'"'" The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened as Jeremiah spoke these words at the LORD's Temple. As soon as Jeremiah finished saying everything that the LORD had commanded him to say to all the people, the priests, the prophets, and all the people seized him, telling him as they did: "You must certainly die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD that this house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be without an inhabitant?" Then all the people gathered around Jeremiah at the LORD's Temple. When the Judean officials heard all these things, they came up from the king's house to the LORD's Temple and sat in the doorway of the New Gate of the LORD's Temple. The priests and prophets told the officials and all the people, "A death sentence for this man, because he prophesied against this city, as you heard with your own ears!" Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people: "The LORD has sent me to prophesy all the things you heard against this house and against this city. Now, change your habits and your deeds and obey the LORD your God, and the LORD will change his mind about the disaster that he told you about. Look, I'm in your hands, so do with me what you think is good and right. But know for certain that if you kill me, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and its residents because the LORD really did send me to you to say all these things for you to hear."

"This is what the LORD says: "Don't deceive yourselves by saying, "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us," "for they won't go. Indeed, even if you defeated the entire Chaldean army that is fighting against you, and they had only wounded men left in their tents, they would get up and burn this city with fire.'"'"

So Jeremiah came into the cells in the dungeon and remained there for a long time. Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house: "Is there a message from the LORD?" Jeremiah said, "There is," and then he said, "You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon." Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, "What offense have I committed against you, your officials, or these people that you have put me in prison?

Join together in imitating me, brothers, and pay close attention to those who live by the example we have set for you.

It is not as though we did not have that right, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity.

Do not lord it over the people entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.

To the Jews I became like a Jew in order to win Jews. To those under the Law I became like a man under the Law, in order to win those under the Law (although I myself am not under the Law). To those who do not have the Law, I became like a man who does not have the Law in order to win those who do not have the Law. However, I am not free from God's Law, but I'm subject to the Messiah's law. To the weak I became weak in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some of them. read more.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel in order to have a share in its blessings.

Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up.

However, if someone says to you, "This was offered as a sacrifice," don't eat it, both out of consideration for the one who told you and also for the sake of conscience. I mean, of course, his conscience, not yours. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience? If I eat with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of what I am thankful for? read more.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Don't become a stumbling block to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself try to please everybody in every way. I don't look out for my own benefit, but rather for the benefit of many people, so that they might be saved.

Granting that I have not been a burden to you, was I a clever schemer who trapped you by some trick?

Then some little children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Some people were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Now some people were even bringing their infants to Jesus to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people not to do that.

But he didn't answer her at all. Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, "Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows us."

Now Herod the tetrarch had been rebuked by John because he had married his brother's wife Herodias and because of all of the other evil things Herod had done.

"Repent, because the kingdom from heaven is near!" He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said, "He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!'" John had clothing made of camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and wild honey. read more.
Then the people of Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire region along the Jordan began flocking to him, being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins. But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don't think you can say to yourselves, "We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn't producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water as evidence of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire."

John had been telling Herod, "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she couldn't do it because Herod was afraid of John. He knew that John was a righteous and holy man, and so he protected him. Whenever he listened to John, he did much of what he said. In fact, he liked listening to him. read more.
An opportunity came during Herod's birthday celebration, when he gave a banquet for his top officials, military officers, and the most important people of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. So the king told the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." He swore with an oath to her, "I'll give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom." So she went out and asked her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist." Immediately the girl hurried back to the king with her request, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The king was deeply saddened, yet because of his oaths and his guests he was reluctant to refuse her. So without delay the king sent a soldier and ordered him to bring John's head. The soldier went and beheaded him in prison. Then he brought John's head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don't begin to say to yourselves, "We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire."

And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,

I'll give you shepherds after my own heart, and they'll shepherd you with knowledge and good sense."

Then he asked him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter told him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus told him, "Take care of my sheep." He asked him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, "Do you love me?" So he told him, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!" Jesus told him, "Feed my sheep. "Truly, I tell you emphatically, when you were young, you would fasten your belt and go wherever you liked. But when you get old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten your belt and take you where you don't want to go."

Balaam responded to Balak's entourage by saying, "Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I won't double-cross the command of the LORD my God in even the slightest way.

But how can I curse those whom God hasn't cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD hasn't denounced?

But in response, Balaam asked, "Shouldn't I be careful to communicate only what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

But Balaam replied to Balak, "I told your messengers, "Even if Balak gives me his palace full of silver and gold, I won't double-cross the command of the LORD and do anything whether good or evil on my own initiative, because I'm going to say whatever the LORD says.' Meanwhile, since I have to return to my people, come and listen while I tell you what this people will be doing to your people in the last days."

Balaam answered Balak, "Well, I'm here now. I've come to you, but I can't just say anything, can I? I'll speak only what God puts in my mouth to say."

Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul's head, kissed him, and said, "The LORD has anointed you Commander-in-Chief over his inheritance, has he not?

Now one day before Saul's arrival, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: "About this time tomorrow I'll send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him as Commander-in-Chief over my people Israel. He'll deliver my people from the control of the Philistines, because I've seen the suffering of my people and because their cry has come up to me."

The LORD told Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I've rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I'm sending you to Jesse from Bethlehem because I've chosen for myself one of his sons as king." Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about this and kill me!" The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, "I've come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.' You are to invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I'll show you what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I tell you." read more.
Samuel did what the LORD said and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came out to meet him trembling, and said, "May your coming be in peace." He said, "Peace, I've come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab, and said, "Surely he's the LORD's anointed." The LORD told Samuel, "Don't look at his appearance or his height, for I've rejected him. Truly, God does not see what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart." Then Jesse summoned Abinadab and brought him before Samuel, and he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Then Jesse brought Shammah, and he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Jesse brought seven of his sons before Samuel, and Samuel told Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." Then Samuel told Jesse, "Are these all the young men?" He said, "There yet remains the youngest one, and right now he's tending the sheep." Samuel told Jesse, "Send someone to get him, for we won't do anything else until he arrives here." So he sent and brought him. He had a dark, healthy complexion, with beautiful eyes, and he was handsome. The LORD said, "Get up and anoint him, for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD came on David from that day forward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

Meanwhile, the people had gathered by the thousands and were trampling on one another. Jesus began to speak first to his disciples. "Watch out for the yeast that is, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees!

"How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, "Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.'

Jesus told them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" As they began to discuss this among themselves, they kept saying, "We didn't bring along any bread." Knowing this, Jesus asked them, "You who have little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don't have any bread? read more.
Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected, or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you collected? How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

We cared so deeply for you that we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives. That is how dear you were to us.

For it is only right for me to think this way about all of you, because you're constantly on my mind. Both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you are partners with me in this privilege.

We always thank God for all of you when we mention you in our prayers. In the presence of our God and Father, we constantly remember how your faith is active, your love is hard at work, and your hope in our Lord Jesus the Messiah is enduring. Brothers whom God loves, we know that he has chosen you,

You know very well that we treated each of you the way a father treats his children.

Moses was faithful in all God's household as a servant who was to testify to what would be said later,

I call heaven and earth to testify against you today! I've set life and death before you today: both blessings and curses. Choose life, that it may be well with you you and your children.

He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was in all God's household,

Heaven and earth will testify against what has occurred today: you'll surely and swiftly be destroyed from the land that you are about to possess by crossing the Jordan River. You won't live long in it, because you'll certainly be exterminated.

At last they cried out to the LORD, "Please, LORD, do not let us perish because of this man's life, and do not hold us responsible for innocent blood, because you, LORD, have done what pleased you."

At this point the mariners became terrified, and each man cried out to his gods. They began to throw the cargo into the sea in order to lighten the vessel. But Jonah had gone down into the vessel's hold, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the captain approached him, and told him, "What are you doing asleep? Get up! Call on your gods! Maybe your god will think about us so we won't die!"

"I'm a Hebrew," he replied, "and I'm afraid of the LORD God of heaven, who made the sea along with the dry land!"

Then the men feared the LORD greatly, offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.

Now Nineveh was a very large city, requiring a three-day journey to cross through it. As Jonah started into the city on the first day's journey, he proclaimed the message, "40 days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!" The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least important. When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his royal garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in ashes. read more.
Then he had this proclamation published throughout Nineveh: "By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything, graze, or drink water. Instead, let both man and animal clothe themselves with sackcloth and cry out to God forcefully. Let every person turn from his evil ways and from his tendency to do violence. Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?"

Now Eli was very old, and he had heard everything that his sons were doing to the Israelis, and how they lay with the women who were serving regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

If a person sins against another, God will mediate for him, but if a person sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?"

Now the sons of Eli were worthless men who did not know the LORD. The custom of the priests with the people was that whenever a person offered a sacrifice, a servant of the priest would come with a three pronged fork in his hand while the meat was boiling, and he would stick it into the boiler or pot, and take everything the fork brought up that is, the priest would take it for himself. This is what they were supposed to do with all the Israelis who came there to Shiloh. read more.
But even before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would come and say to the person offering the sacrifice, "Give me meat to roast for the priest. He won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw." If the man told him, "They must surely burn up the fat first, and then take for yourself whatever you desire," the servant would say, "No, give it now, and if you don't, I'll take it by force!" By doing this, the sin of the young men was very serious in the LORD's sight because the men despised the LORD's offering.

that I had chosen him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer up burnt offerings on my altar, burn incense, and carry the ephod in my presence? And did I not give to your ancestors' family all the Israeli fire-offerings? Why, then, do all of you show contempt for my sacrifice and offering that I've commanded for my dwelling? And you honor your sons more than me in order to fatten yourselves from the best of all the offerings of my people Israel.'

Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul replied, "When? I saw that the people were scattering from me, that you didn't come at the appointed time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. I thought, "The Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal but I've not sought the favor of the LORD,' so I forced myself to offer the burnt offering." Then Samuel told Saul, "You have acted foolishly. You haven't obeyed the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, read more.
but now your kingdom won't be established. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as Commander-in-Chief over his people because you didn't obey that which the LORD commanded you."

This message from the LORD came to Samuel: "I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my commands." Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all night. Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, but Samuel was told, "Saul went up to Carmel to set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and traveled on to Gilgal." read more.
Samuel approached Saul. "May the LORD bless you," Saul said. "I've carried out the LORD's command." Samuel said, "Then what is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle that I hear?" Saul replied, "They brought them from the Amalekites. The people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God, and the rest they completely destroyed." "Be quiet!" Samuel said. "I'll tell you what the LORD told me last night." Saul told him, "Speak." So Samuel replied, "Is it not true that though you were small in your own eyes you became head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed you king over Israel? The LORD sent you on a mission: "Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they're destroyed.' Why didn't you obey the LORD, but grabbed the spoil and did evil in the LORD's sight?" Saul told Samuel, "I did obey the LORD. I went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, I brought Agag king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. The people took some of the spoil sheep, cattle, and the best of what was to be completely destroyed to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." Samuel said, "Does the LORD delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. Indeed, rebellion is the sin of divination, and arrogance is iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected this message from the LORD, he has rejected you from being king." "I've sinned," Saul replied to Samuel. "I've broken the LORD's command and your word, because I was afraid of the people and listened to them. Now, please forgive my sin and return with me so I may worship the LORD." Samuel told Saul, "I won't return with you because you have rejected the message from the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." As Samuel turned to go Saul seized him by the corner of his robe, and it tore. Samuel told him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he's not a man that he should change his mind." "I've sinned," Saul said. "But please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so I may worship the LORD your God." Samuel returned, following Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.

Then some men came down from Judea and started to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Law of Moses, you can't be saved."

So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest."

1From: Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus, and Timothy our brother. To: Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker,

So King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, along with other priests, and asked them, "Why haven't you fixed the leaks in the Temple? Stop receiving donations from your acquaintances for repairing the leaks in the Temple."

so he assembled the priests and descendants of Levi and ordered them, "Go throughout the cities of Judah and take up a collection from all of Israel for the annual upkeep of the Temple of your God. And make sure that you act quickly." But the descendants of Levi did not act quickly, so the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and asked him, "Why haven't you required the descendants of Levi to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the LORD's servant, and the assembly of Israel for the Tent of Testimony?"

I therefore declare to you today that I'm not responsible for the blood of any of you, because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God.

You learned about this gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah on your behalf.

Samuel's descendants included Joel his firstborn and his second son Abijah.

When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. His sons did not follow Samuel's example. Instead, they pursued dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

Meanwhile, I thought it best to send Epaphroditus my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need back to you.

Join me in suffering like a good soldier of the Messiah Jesus. No one serving in the military gets mixed up in civilian matters, for his aim is to please his commanding officer.

But you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him."

"The Lord answered, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

And although the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers won't hide themselves anymore, but your own eyes will see your teachers.

And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,

All of them cried and cried as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him affectionately. They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship.

but when our time there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey. All of them accompanied us with their wives and children out of the city. We knelt on the beach, prayed, and said goodbye to each other. Then we reboarded the ship, and they went back home.

These include Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I handed over to Satan so that they may learn not to blaspheme.

and what they say will spread everywhere like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like that.

Therefore I said: "Look away from me; and let me weep bitter tears; don't try to console me over the destruction of the daughter of my people." For to the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies belongs the day of tumult, trampling, and confusion in the Valley of Vision, and the pulling down of his Temple on its mountain.

Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and asked him, "What did these men have to say? And from where did they come to you?" Hezekiah replied, "From a distant land they came to me from Babylon." "What did they see in your palace?" he asked. "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah replied. "There is nothing in my treasuries that I did not show them." Then Isaiah told Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from the LORD of the Heavenly Armies: read more.
"The days are surely coming when everything in your palace and all that your ancestors have stored up to this day will be carried off to Babylon. They will come in, and nothing will be left,' says the LORD. "Then some of your own sons, who will come from your loins, whom you will father, will be taken away to become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"

"Upon your walls, Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; all day and all night they won't remain silent. You who make mention of the LORD, take no rest,

"Now as for you, Son of Man, I've established you as a sentinel for the house of Israel. So whenever you hear a message from me, you are to warn the people from me.

I have become a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power.

However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

to be a minister of the Messiah Jesus to the gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering brought by gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Think of us as servants of the Messiah and as servant managers entrusted with God's secrets.

But as for you, you will be called priests of the LORD, and you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of the nations, and you will boast about their riches.

Instead, in every way we demonstrate that we are God's servants by tremendous endurance in the midst of difficulties, hardships, and calamities;

From: Paul and Timothy, servants of the Messiah Jesus. To: All the holy ones in Philippi, along with their overseers and ministers, who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.

From: Jude, a servant of Jesus the Messiah, and yet a brother of James. To: Those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept safe by Jesus, the Messiah.

But you must be clear-headed about everything. Endure suffering. Do the work of an evangelist. Devote yourself completely to your ministry.

And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers,

This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelis before his death.

But you, man of God, must flee from all these things. Instead, you must pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness.

When daylight came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles:

Be happy about her, heaven, saints, apostles, and prophets, for God has condemned her for you!"

Elders who handle their duties well should be considered worthy of double compensation, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

Therefore, as a fellow elder, a witness of the Messiah's sufferings, and one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you:

Then fourteen years later, I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. I went in response to a revelation, and in a private meeting with the reputed leaders, I explained to them the gospel that I'm proclaiming to the gentiles. I did this because I was afraid that I was running or had run my life's race for nothing. But not even Titus, who was with me, was forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. read more.
However, false brothers were secretly brought in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in the Messiah Jesus so that they might enslave us. But we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. Now those who were reputed to be important added nothing to my message. (What sort of people they were makes no difference to me, since God pays no attention to outward appearances.) In fact, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised. For the one who worked through Peter by making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me by sending me to the gentiles. So when James, Cephas, and John (who were reputed to be leaders) recognized the grace that had been given me, they gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised.

But when God, who set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him among the gentiles, I did not confer with another human being at any time, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went away to Arabia and then came back to Damascus. read more.
Then three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord's brother. (Before God, what I'm writing to you is the truth.) Then I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. But the churches of the Messiah that are in Judea did not yet know me personally. The only thing they kept hearing was this: "The man who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy!" So they kept glorifying God for what had happened to me.

How, then, can people call on someone they have not believed? And how can they believe in someone they have not heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching?

For this reason I was appointed to be an announcer, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the gentiles. (I am telling you the truth. I am not lying.)

From: Paul, a servant of God, and also an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, to bring the faith to those chosen by God, along with full knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

From: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. To: The twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings.

"Follow me," he told them, "and I will make you fishers of people!"

Jesus told them, "Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of people!"

A young male descendant of Levi happened to be visiting there from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah. The man had left his city Bethlehem in Judah to live wherever he could. As he traveled along, he eventually arrived at Micah's house in the mountainous region of Ephraim, looking for work. Micah asked him, "Where did you come from?" He replied, "I'm a descendant of Levi from Bethlehem in Judah, and I'm going to stay temporarily wherever I can find a place." read more.
So Micah replied, "Come live with me! You can be a spiritual father to me, as well as a priest. I'll pay you ten silver coins a year, plus a priestly uniform and an income." So the descendant of Levi moved in. The descendant of Levi agreed to live with the man, and the young man became like one of the family. Micah set up the descendant of Levi in ministry, and the young man became his priest while he lived in Micah's house. As for Micah, he kept saying, "Now I know the LORD will make me rich, because I have a descendant of Levi for a priest!"

Jesus immediately had his disciples get into a boat and cross to Bethsaida ahead of him, while he sent the crowd away.

He told them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while," because so many people were coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat. So they went away in a boat to a deserted place by themselves.

Then Jehoiada the priest's son Zechariah was clothed by the Spirit of God, and he stood above the people and told them, "This is what God has to say: "Why are you breaking the LORD's commandments. You'll never be successful! Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.'" But the people conspired against him, and at the direct orders of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple.

Right then, Chenaanah's son Zedekiah approached Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. Then he asked him, "How did the Spirit of the LORD move from me to speak to you?" Micaiah replied, "You'll see how when the day comes that you run away to hide yourself in a closet!" Then the king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and place him in the custody of Amon, the city governor. Hand him over to Joash, the king's son. read more.
Give him this order: "Place him in prison on survival rations of bread and water only until I come back safely.'"

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab asked him, "Is it really you, you destroyer of Israel?" But Elijah replied, "I'm no destroyer of Israel. But you and your ancestor's household have been doing that, because you have abandoned the LORD's commandments and have followed the Baals.

So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance to the city, a widow was there gathering sticks. So he asked her, "Please, may I have some water in a cup so I can have a drink." While she was on her way to get the water, he called out to her, "Would you please also bring me a piece of bread while you're at it?" "As the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have so much as a muffin, just a handful of flour in a bowl and some oil left in a bottle. Now I'm going to find some sticks so I can cook a last meal for my son and for me. Then we're going to eat it and die." read more.
But Elijah told her, "You can stop being afraid. Go and do what you said, but first make me a muffin and bring it to me. Then make a meal for yourself and for your son, because this is what the LORD God of Israel says: "That jar of flour will not run out, nor will that bottle of oil become empty until the very day that the LORD sends rain on the surface of the ground.'" So she went out and did precisely what Elijah told her to do. As a result, Elijah, the widow, and her son were fed for days. The jar of flour never ran out and the bottle of oil never became empty, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.

Meanwhile, the messenger who had gone off to summon Micaiah advised him, "Look, everything that the other prophets were saying was unanimously favorable to the king. So please, cooperate with them and speak favorably." "As the LORD lives," Micaiah replied, "I'll say what my God tells me to say."

Now there was an old prophet who lived in Bethel, and his sons went to him and told him everything that the man of God had accomplished that day in Bethel, including the message that he had delivered to the king. "Which way did he go?" their father asked him, since his sons had observed the way that the man of God had taken to return to Judah from Bethel. "Saddle my donkey for me!" he ordered. So they saddled the donkey for him read more.
and he rode off after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. "You're the man of God who came from Judah, aren't you?" the old prophet asked him. "I am," he replied. "Come home with me and have a meal," he told him. But he replied, "I can't go back with you to your home, be in your company, or even eat food or drink water with you in this place, because I've been given a command in the form of this message from the LORD: "You are to eat no food, drink no water, and do not return to Judah by traveling the way by which you go there.'" "I'm a prophet like you," the old man replied, "and an angel spoke to me and delivered this message from the LORD: "Bring him back with you to your house and give him food and water.'" But he was lying, and the man of God accompanied the old prophet back to his house, ate some food, and drank some water. Later, while they were sitting down at the table, a message from the LORD was delivered to the prophet who had brought him back, so he cried out to the man of God from Judah: "This is what the LORD says: "Because you disobeyed a command from the LORD and haven't done what the LORD your God commanded you to do, but instead you returned to eat and drink in the very place that he told you "Eat no food and drink no water," your body will not be buried in the same grave as your ancestors.'" After the meal was over, and the man had eaten food and had drunk water, the old prophet saddled the donkey for him that is, for the man of God whom he had brought back. Not long after the man of God had left, a lion met him along the road and killed him. His body was left lying in the middle of the road with the donkey standing beside it and with the lion also standing next to the body. When some men passed by and noticed the body lying in the middle of the road and the lion standing beside the body, they went straight to the city and told what had happened in the city where the old prophet lived. The prophet who had brought the man of God back from the road learned about it. "It's the man of God who disobeyed the message from the LORD," he said. "That's why the LORD gave him to that lion, which mauled him and killed him, just as the message from the LORD told rebuke him." Then he ordered his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they did. The old prophet went out, located the body on the road where the donkey and the lion were standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. The prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to the city where the old man lived so he could mourn and bury him. He buried the corpse in his own grave and his family mourned for him, crying out, "Oh, no! My brother!" After he had buried the man of God, he gave these instructions to his children: "When I die, bury me in the same grave in which the man of God is buried. Place my bones beside his, because what he predicted by a message from the LORD against the altar in Bethel and the temples built in the high places of the cities of Samaria will certainly come about."

Meanwhile, the messenger who had gone off to summon Micaiah advised him, "Look, everything that the other prophets were saying has been unanimously favorable to the king. So please, cooperate with them and speak favorably." "As the LORD lives," Micaiah replied, "I'll say what my God tells me to say."

But after he had become strong, in his arrogance he acted corruptly and became unfaithful to the LORD his God, and he dared to enter the LORD's Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. Azariah the priest ran after him, along with 80 of the LORD's valiant priests, and they opposed King Uzziah. "Uzziah, it's not for you to burn incense to the LORD," they told him, "but for the priests to do, Aaron's descendants who are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary now, because you have been unfaithful and won't receive any honor from the LORD God." read more.
Uzziah flew into a rage while he held in his hand a censer to burn incense. As he got angry at the priests, leprosy broke out all over his forehead right in front of the priests beside the incense altar in the LORD's Temple. So Azariah the chief priest and all the priests stared at Uzziah, who was infected with leprosy in his forehead! They all rushed at him and hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah was in a hurry to get out anyway, because the LORD had struck him.

The secret meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: the seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches."

"To the messenger of the church in Ephesus, write: "The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands, says this:

The secret meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: the seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches."

"To the messenger of the church in Ephesus, write: "The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands, says this:

Meanwhile, Zadok showed up also, along with all of the descendants of Levi with him, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God and Abiathar approached while all the people finished abandoning the city. The king told Zadok, "Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I'm shown favor in the LORD's sight, then he'll bring me back again and show me both it and the place where it rests. But if he should say something like "I'm not pleased with you,' well then, here I am let him do to me whatever seems right to him." read more.
The king also asked Zadok the priest, "Aren't you a seer, too? Go back to the city in comfort, along with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan.

"Now as for you, Son of Man, your nation's children keep gathering together to talk about you beside the walls and at the doorway to their houses. Everyone tells one another, "Please come! Let's go hear what the LORD has to say!' Then they come to you as a group, sit down right in front of you as if they were my people, hear your words and then they don't do what you say because they're seeking only their own desires, they pursue ill-gotten profits, and they keep following their own self-interests. As far as they are concerned, you sing romantic songs with a beautiful voice and play a musical instrument well. They'll listen to what you have to say, but they won't put it into practice! read more.
When all of this comes about and you can be sure that it will! they'll learn that a prophet has been in their midst."

The officials and all the people told the priests and the prophets, "No death sentence for this man because he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God." Some of the elders of the land got up and told all the assembled people, "Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah to all the people of Judah, "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Zion will be a plowed field, and Jerusalem a ruin. The Temple Mount will be a wooded hill."' read more.
"Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone in Judah kill him? Didn't he fear the LORD and seek the LORD's favor, and so the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he had spoken to them about. We're bringing great disaster on ourselves.

Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch in the king's house, heard that Jeremiah had been put in the cistern. The king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, so Ebed-melech went out of the palace and spoke to the king: "Your majesty, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into the cistern. He will die where he is because of the famine since there is no more bread in the city." read more.
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: "Thirty men are at your disposal. Take them with you and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies." So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the palace, underneath the storeroom. He took worn out rags and worn out clothes from there, and using ropes he lowered them down to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-melech the Ethiopian told Jeremiah, "Put the worn out rags and clothes under your armpits under the ropes," and Jeremiah did as he said. They pulled Jeremiah with the ropes and brought him up from the cistern, but Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Barnabas wanted to take along John, who was called Mark,

The disagreement was so sharp that they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus,

More than that, he has also been selected by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this work of kindness for the glory of the Lord and as evidence of our eagerness to help.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker on your behalf. Our brothers, emissaries from the churches, are bringing glory to the Messiah.

Nathan approached David and said, "There are two men in the city. One is rich and one is poor. The rich man has many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except for one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It used to share his food and drink from his own cup. It even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. A traveler arrived to visit the rich man. Because he was unwilling to take an animal from one of his own flocks or herds to prepare for the guest who had come to visit him, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to visit him." read more.
David flew into a rage at the man and told Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He will restore the lamb four times its value, because he did this thing, and because he did it without compassion." But Nathan replied to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ""I anointed you king and you became king over Israel. ""I delivered you from Saul's control. ""I gave you your former master's household. ""I placed your former master's wives right in your arms. ""I gave you Israel and Judah. ""And if this had been too little, I would have added much more than that to you! ""Why did you despise what the LORD has promised by doing what is detestable in his sight? ""You struck down Uriah the Hittite with a battle sword. ""You took his wife to be your own. ""You killed him with the sword of the Ammonite army. ""Therefore the sword will never leave your household, because you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' "This is what the LORD says: ""Listen very carefully! ""I'm raising up evil against you right out of your own household. ""I'm going to take your wives away from you right before your eyes. ""Then I'll give them to your neighbor. ""And then he's going to have sex with your wives in broad daylight! ""What you did in secret I'm going to do right in front of all Israel and in broad daylight as well!'" At this point, David told Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan responded to David, "There's one other thing: the LORD has forgiven your sin. You won't die. Nevertheless, because you have despised the LORD's enemies with utter contempt, the son born to you will most certainly die."

So those who welcomed his message were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to their number.

When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. read more.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, and well versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Lord's way, and with spiritual fervor he kept speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only about John's baptism. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. read more.
When Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who, through God's grace, had believed. He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

The crowds, hearing his message and seeing the signs that he was doing, paid close attention to what was said by Philip.

But when Philip proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and about the name of Jesus the Messiah, men and women believed and were baptized.

As a result, there was great rejoicing in that city.

At that hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Then he and his entire family were baptized immediately. He brought Paul and Silas upstairs into his house and set food before them. He was thrilled, as was his household, to believe in God.

Now I am rejoicing while suffering for you as I complete in my flesh whatever remains of the Messiah's sufferings on behalf of his body, which is the church. I became its servant as God commissioned me to work for you, so that I may complete my ministry of the word of God.

and what they say will spread everywhere like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like that. They have abandoned the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place, and so they destroy the faith of others.

Nathan approached David and said, "There are two men in the city. One is rich and one is poor. The rich man has many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except for one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It used to share his food and drink from his own cup. It even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. A traveler arrived to visit the rich man. Because he was unwilling to take an animal from one of his own flocks or herds to prepare for the guest who had come to visit him, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to visit him." read more.
David flew into a rage at the man and told Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He will restore the lamb four times its value, because he did this thing, and because he did it without compassion." But Nathan replied to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ""I anointed you king and you became king over Israel. ""I delivered you from Saul's control. ""I gave you your former master's household. ""I placed your former master's wives right in your arms. ""I gave you Israel and Judah. ""And if this had been too little, I would have added much more than that to you! ""Why did you despise what the LORD has promised by doing what is detestable in his sight? ""You struck down Uriah the Hittite with a battle sword. ""You took his wife to be your own. ""You killed him with the sword of the Ammonite army. ""Therefore the sword will never leave your household, because you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' "This is what the LORD says: ""Listen very carefully! ""I'm raising up evil against you right out of your own household. ""I'm going to take your wives away from you right before your eyes. ""Then I'll give them to your neighbor. ""And then he's going to have sex with your wives in broad daylight! ""What you did in secret I'm going to do right in front of all Israel and in broad daylight as well!'" At this point, David told Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan responded to David, "There's one other thing: the LORD has forgiven your sin. You won't die. Nevertheless, because you have despised the LORD's enemies with utter contempt, the son born to you will most certainly die."

Meanwhile, I thought it best to send Epaphroditus my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need back to you. For he has been longing for all of you and is troubled because you heard that he was sick. Indeed, he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow on top of another. read more.
Therefore, I am especially eager to send him so that you may have the joy of seeing him again, and so that I may feel relieved. So joyfully welcome him in the Lord and make sure you honor such people highly, because he came close to death for the work of the Messiah by risking his life to complete what remained unfinished in your service to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of the Messiah Jesus, sends you his greetings. He is always wrestling in his prayers for you, so that you may stand mature, completely convinced of the entire will of God. For I can testify on his behalf that he has a deep concern for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.

But thanks be to God, who placed in the heart of Titus the same dedication to you that I have. He welcomed my request and eagerly went to visit you by his own free will.

Whether a person builds on this foundation with gold, silver, expensive stones, wood, hay, or straw, the workmanship of each person will become evident, for the day of judgment will show what it is, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's action. If what a person has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. read more.
If his work is burned up, he will suffer loss. However, he himself will be saved, but it will be like going through fire.

From Miletus he sent messengers to Ephesus to ask the elders of the church to meet with him. When they came to him, he told them, "You know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day I set foot in Asia. I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. read more.
I never shrank from telling you anything that would help you nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me. But I don't place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. "Now I know that none of you among whom I traveled preaching about the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore declare to you today that I'm not responsible for the blood of any of you, because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God. Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own blood. I know that when I'm gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. Indeed, some of your own men will arise and distort the truth in order to lure the disciples into following them. So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you. "I'm now entrusting you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and secure for you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. I never desired anyone's silver, gold, or clothes. You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who were with me. In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we should help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When Paul had said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. All of them cried and cried as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him affectionately. They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship.

In a similar way, these dreamers also defile their flesh, reject the Lord's authority, and slander his glorious beings. Even the archangel Michael, when he argued with the Devil and fought over the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him. Instead, he said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" Whatever these people do not understand, they slander. Like irrational animals, they are destroyed by the very things they know by instinct.

Then the high priest and all those from the sect of the Sadducees who were with him were filled with jealousy. So they went out, arrested the apostles, and put them in the city jail. But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and led them out. The angel told them, read more.
"Go, stand in the Temple, and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life they can have." After the apostles heard this, they went into the Temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in. When the Temple police got there, they did not find them in the prison. They came back and reported, "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." When the commander of the Temple guards and the high priests heard these words, they were utterly at a loss as to what could have happened to them. Then someone came and told them, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the Temple and teaching the people!" So the commander of the Temple guards went with his men to bring them back without force, because they were afraid of being stoned to death by the people. When they brought them back, they made them stand before the Council, and the high priest began to question them. He said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name, didn't we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man's blood on us!" But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you killed him by hanging him on a tree. God has exalted to his right hand this very man as our Leader and Savior in order to extend repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him." When the Council heard this, they became furious and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while. Then he told them, "Fellow Israelis, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. For in the recent past Theudas appeared, claiming that he was important, and about 400 men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and disappeared. After that man, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and got people to follow him. He, too, died, and all his followers were scattered. "I'm telling you to keep away from these men for now. Leave them alone, because if this plan or movement is of human origin, it will fail. However, if it's from God, you won't be able to stop them, and you may even discover that you are fighting against God!" So they were convinced by him. After calling in the apostles and beating them, they again ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus and let them go. They left the Council, rejoicing to have been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the Name. Every day in the Temple and from house to house they kept teaching and proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah.

When he saw how this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter, too. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. When he arrested Peter, Herod put him in prison and turned him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, planning to bring him out to the people after Passover season. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God for him was being offered by the assembly. read more.
That very night, before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, and guards in front of the door were watching the prisoners. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on his side, woke him up, and said, "Get up quickly!" His chains fell from his wrists. Then the angel told him, "Tuck in your shirt and put on your sandals!" He did this. Then the angel told him, "Put on your coat and follow me!" So Peter went out and began to follow him, not realizing that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate that led into the city. It opened by itself for them, and they went outside and proceeded one block when the angel suddenly left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I'm sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting!" When Peter realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where a large number of people had gathered and were praying. When he knocked at the outer gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. On recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that she didn't open the gate but ran back inside and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. The other people told her, "You're out of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. Then they said, "It's his angel." Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking and knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet, and then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He added, "Tell this to James and the brothers." Then he left and went somewhere else. When morning came, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. Herod searched for him but didn't find him, so he questioned the guards and ordered them to be executed. Then he left Judea, went down to Caesarea, and stayed there for a while.

Now when Peter was going around among all of the disciples, he also visited the saints living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. Peter told him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Messiah is healing you. Get up and put away your mat!" At once he got up, read more.
and all the people who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

The next day, we left and came to Caesarea. We went to the home of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who could prophesy. After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea.

When we were safely on shore, we learned that the island was called Malta. The people who lived there were unusually kind to us. It had started to rain and was cold, so they started a bonfire and invited us to join them around it. Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and put it on the fire. A poisonous snake was forced out by the heat and attached itself to Paul's hand. read more.
When the people who lived there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they told one another, "This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but Justice won't let him live." But he shook the snake into the fire and wasn't harmed. They were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. The governor of the island, whose name was Publius, owned estates in that part of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us with great hospitality for three days. The father of Publius happened to be sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, prayed, and healed him by placing his hands on him. After that had happened, the rest of the sick people on the island went to him and were healed. The islanders honored us in many ways, and when we were about to sail again, they supplied us with everything we needed.

Some time later, Elisha went to Shunem, where he met a prominent and wealthy woman who persuaded him to have a meal with her. As a result, whenever he was in the area, he stopped by to eat with her. So she had a talk with her husband. "Look here! I've learned that this is a holy and godly man who comes by here on a regular basis. Now then, let's build a small upper room and put a bed in it for him there, along with a table, a chair, and a lamp stand. That way, when he comes to visit, he can rest there."

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me this power too, so that when I lay my hands on someone, he will receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter told him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's free gift with money! read more.
You have no part or share in what we're saying, because your heart isn't right with God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart's intent may be forgiven you. For I see that you're being poisoned by bitterness and you're a prisoner of wickedness!"

They went through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish occult practitioner and false prophet named Bar-jesus. He was associated with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the occult practitioner (that is the meaning of his name) continued to oppose them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. read more.
But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked him straight in the eye and said, "You're full of every form of deception and trickery, you son of the Devil, you enemy of all that is right! You'll never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord, will you? The Lord is against you now, and you'll be blind and unable to see the sun for a while!" At that moment a dark mist came over him, and he went around looking for someone to lead him by the hand.

but they had been unable to celebrate it then because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not yet been gathered together in Jerusalem.

so they published a decree that was circulated throughout Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan that they are to come celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel in Jerusalem. The Passover had not been celebrated in great numbers as was being prescribed by the decree.

Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses on account of the Cushite woman that he had married. They asked, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" But the LORD heard it. Now the man Moses was very humble more than any person on earth. read more.
All of a sudden, the LORD told Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "The three of you are to come out to the Tent of Meeting." So the three of them went out. Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. So both of them went forward. Then he told the two of them: "Pay attention to what I have to say! When there is a prophet among you, won't I, the LORD, reveal myself to him in a vision? Won't I speak with him in a dream? But that's not how it is with my servant Moses, since he has been entrusted with my entire household! I speak to him audibly and in visions, not in mysteries. If he can gaze at the image of the LORD, why aren't you afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Because the LORD was very angry with them, he left, but when the cloud ascended from the tent, Miriam had become leprous, as white as snow! Aaron turned toward Miriam, and she had leprosy! Aaron begged Moses, "I pray my lord, please don't hold this sin against us, since we've acted foolishlyand sinned in doing so. Please don't let her be like one of the living dead, who is born with a congenital skin disease."

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me this power too, so that when I lay my hands on someone, he will receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter told him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's free gift with money! read more.
You have no part or share in what we're saying, because your heart isn't right with God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart's intent may be forgiven you. For I see that you're being poisoned by bitterness and you're a prisoner of wickedness!"

Now if the ministry of death that was inscribed in letters of stone came with such glory that the people of Israel could not gaze on Moses' face (because the glory was fading away from it), will not the Spirit's ministry have even more glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, then the ministry of justification has an overwhelming glory. read more.
In fact, that which once had glory lost its glory, because the other glory surpassed it. For if that which fades away came through glory, how much more does that which is permanent have glory?

I encouraged Titus to visit you, and I sent along with him the brother you know so well. Titus didn't take advantage of you, did he? We conducted ourselves with the same spirit, didn't we? We took the very same steps, didn't we?

Paul also went to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish wife whose husband was a Greek. Timothy was highly regarded by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him, so he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who lived in that region, since everyone knew that Timothy's father was a Greek. read more.
As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for them to obey.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work for which I called them." Then they fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and let them go.

In response, Asa flew into a rage and locked up the seer in stocks in the palace prison because of what Hanani had told him. Asa also tortured some of the people of Israel at that time.

Now in that city there was a man named Simon. He was practicing occult arts and thrilling the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. Everyone from the least to the greatest paid close attention to him, saying, "This is what we call the great power of God!" They paid careful attention to him because he had thrilled them for a long time with his occult performances.

So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match their deeds!

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own censer, placed fire in it, covered it with incense, and brought it into the LORD's presence as unauthorized fire that he had never prescribed for them. As a result, fire came out from the LORD's presence and incinerated them. They died while in the LORD's presence.

Now this message from the LORD came to Amittai's son Jonah: "Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city! Then cry out in protest against it, because their evil has come to my attention." But Jonah got up and fled from the LORD to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, secured passage on a ship bound for Tarshish, paid the fare, and boarded, intending to go with the mariners to Tarshish to escape from the LORD. read more.
Then the LORD sent a great wind over the sea, and a severe storm broke out. It seemed as if the ship were about to break up. At this point the mariners became terrified, and each man cried out to his gods. They began to throw the cargo into the sea in order to lighten the vessel. But Jonah had gone down into the vessel's hold, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the captain approached him, and told him, "What are you doing asleep? Get up! Call on your gods! Maybe your god will think about us so we won't die!"

Always set an example for others by doing good actions. Teach with integrity and dignity. Use wholesome speech that cannot be condemned. Then any opponent will be ashamed because he cannot say anything bad about us.

Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they replied, "What do we care? Attend to that yourself." Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself. read more.
The high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put this into the Temple treasury, because it is blood money." So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter's Field as a burial ground for foreigners.

Elisha told him, "Ask her, "Look how you've gone to all this trouble to care for us! What can I do for you? Do you wish to be mentioned to the king or to the head of the army?'" She replied, "I'm at home living among my own people."

Then he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia a while longer.

We have therefore sent Judas and Silas to tell you the same things by word of mouth.

while Paul chose Silas and left after the brothers had entrusted him to the grace of the Lord.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately.

This suggestion pleased the whole group. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy when the elders laid their hands on you.

It is to be a holy portion of the land, set aside for the priests who serve the sanctuary, who approach the LORD to serve him. It is to be a place for their houses, as well as the Holy Place of the sanctuary.

As they serve between the porch and the altar, let the priests and ministers of the LORD weep and pray: "Spare your people, LORD, and do not make your heritage a disgrace so that nations ridicule them. Why should they say among the people, "Where is their God?"'"

As good servant managers of God's grace in its various forms, serve one another with the gift each of you has received.

A servant of the Lord must not argue. Instead, he must be kind to everyone, teachable, willing to suffer wrong,

I'll raise up shepherds over them, and they'll shepherd them. My flock will no longer be afraid or terrified, and none will be missing," declares the LORD.

I began to cry bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. "Stop crying," one of the elders told me. "Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered. He can open the scroll and its seven seals."

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker on your behalf. Our brothers, emissaries from the churches, are bringing glory to the Messiah.

Therefore, we are the Messiah's representatives, as though God were pleading through us. We plead on the Messiah's behalf: "Be reconciled to God!"

That man John was a lamp that burns and brightly shines, and for a while you were willing to rejoice in his light.

Furthermore, we decree that with respect to any of the priests, descendants of Levi, singers, gatekeepers, Temple Servants, or other servants of this Temple of God, it is not to be lawful to impose any tribute, tax, or toll on them.

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Samuel did what the LORD said and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came out to meet him trembling, and said, "May your coming be in peace."

Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own blood.

Then he left that place and went to the home of a man named Titius Justus, who worshipped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.

and because they had the same trade he stayed with them. They worked together because they were tentmakers by trade.

Meanwhile, Peter stayed in Joppa for several days with Simon, a leatherworker.

Then they fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and let them go.

So they drew lots for them, and when the lot fell on Matthias, he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

who has also qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, which is not written but spiritual, because the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

I wrote a letter to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, will not recognize our authority.

"Remember me, my God, and take note of what Tobiah and Sanballat are doing. Also take note of the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who intend to make me afraid."

Think of us as servants of the Messiah and as servant managers entrusted with God's secrets.

Because an overseer is God's servant manager, he must be blameless. He must not be arrogant or irritable. He must not drink too much, be a violent person, or make money in shameful ways.

For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake.

Tychicus will tell you everything that has happened to me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.

and send Timothy, our brother who works with us for God in the gospel of the Messiah, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

From: Paul, a servant of God, and also an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, to bring the faith to those chosen by God, along with full knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

For it is only right for me to think this way about all of you, because you're constantly on my mind. Both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you are partners with me in this privilege.

and if he did not spare the ancient world but protected Noah, a righteous preacher, along with seven others when he brought the flood on the world of ungodly people;

For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he's the messenger of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

He answered, "Micah did such and such for me, and has hired me, so I've become his priest."

He called the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.

just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning,

Since, then, we are working with God, we plead with you not to accept God's grace in vain.