4 Bible Verses about Christian Ministers

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few; so pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to gather his harvest."

He said to them, "The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few; so pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to gather his harvest.

Brothers, I beg of you, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit inspires, rally round me by praying to God for me; pray that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judaea, and also that my mission to Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints. Then, by God's will, I shall gladly come to you and rest beside you.

Let me have your cooperation in prayer, so that many a soul may render thanks to him on my behalf for the boon which many have been the means of him bestowing on myself.

praying at all times in the Spirit with all manner of prayer and entreaty ??be alive to that, attend to it unceasingly, interceding on behalf of all the saints and on my behalf also, that I may be allowed to speak and open my lips in order to expound fully and freely that open secret of the gospel for the sake of which I am in custody as its envoy. Pray that I may have freedom to declare it as I should.

Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner salutes you; so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, about whom you have got instructions (if he comes to you, give him a welcome);

Brothers, we beg you to respect those who are working among you, presiding over you in the Lord and maintaining discipline; hold them in special esteem and affection, for the sake of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

Remember your leaders, the men who spoke the word of God to you; look back upon the close of their career, and copy their faith.

You had all the miracles that mark an apostle done for you fully and patiently ??miracles, wonders, and deeds of power.

for our gospel came to you not with mere words but also with power and with the holy Spirit, with ample conviction on our part (you know what we were to you, for your own good),

hold fast the word of life, so that I can be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because I have not run or worked for nothing.

So Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said, "Listen, men of Israel and you who reverence God. The God of this People Israel chose our fathers; he multiplied the people as they sojourned in the land of Egypt and with arm uplifted led them out of it. For about forty years he bore with them in the desert, read more.
and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan he gave them their land as an inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years. After that he gave them judges, down to the prophet Samuel. Then it was that they begged for a king, and God gave them forty years of Saul, the son of Kish, who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. After deposing him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he bore this testimony that 'In David, the son of Jessai, I have found a man after my own heart, who will obey all my will.' From his offspring God brought to Israel, as he had promised, a saviour in Jesus, before whose coming John had already preached a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. And as John was closing his career he said, 'What do you take me for? I am not He; no, he is coming after me, and I am not fit to untie the sandals on his feet!' Brothers, sons of Abraham's race and all among you who reverence God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers, by condemning him in their ignorance, fulfilled the words of the prophets which are read every sabbath; though they could find him guilty of no crime that deserved death, they begged Pilate to have him put to death, and, after carrying out all that had been predicted of him in scripture, they lowered him from the gibbet and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead. For many days he was seen by those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem; they are now his witnesses to the People. So we now preach to you the glad news that the promise made to the fathers has been fulfilled by God for us their children, when he raised Jesus. As it is written in the second psalm, thou art my son, to-day have I become thy father. And as a proof that he has raised him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has said this: I will give you the holiness of David that fails not. Hence in another psalm he says, thou wilt not let thy holy One suffer decay. Of course David, after serving God's purpose in his own generation, died and was laid beside his fathers; he suffered decay, but He whom God raised did not suffer decay. So you must understand, my brothers, that remission of sins is proclaimed to you through him, and that by him everyone who believes is absolved from all that the law of Moses never could absolve you from. Beware then in case the prophetic saying applies to you: Look, you disdainful folk, wonder at this and perish for in your days I do a deed, a deed you will never believe, not though one were to explain it to you." As Paul and Barnabas went out, the people begged to have all this repeated to them on the following sabbath. After the synagogue broke up, a number of the Jews and the devout proselytes followed them; Paul and Barnabas talked to them and encouraged them to hold by the grace of God.

You may have thousands to superintend you in Christ, but you have not more than one father. It was I who in Christ Jesus became your father by means of the gospel.

So they were repelled by him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet never goes without honour except in his native place and in his home."

Now in the local church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Symeon (called Niger) and Lucius the Cyrenian, besides Manaen (a foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unless your Father wills it. The very hairs on your head are all numbered; fear not, then, you are worth far more than sparrows!

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. But the very hairs on your head are all numbered; fear not, you are worth far more than sparrows.

So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church.

So now, O Lord, consider the threats of these men, and grant that thy servants may be perfectly fearless in speaking thy word,

and they prayed, "O Lord, who readest the hearts of all, do thou single out from these two men him whom thou hast chosen to fill the place in this apostolic ministry which Judas left in order to go to his own place."

Then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot went and said to the high priests, "What will you give me for betraying him to you?" And they weighed out for him thirty silver pieces. From that moment he sought a good opportunity to betray him.

With the money paid him for his crime he purchased an estate; but swelling up he burst in two, and all his bowels poured out ??19 a fact which became known to all the residents in Jerusalem, so that the estate got the name, in their language, of Akeldamach or The Ground of Blood.

Then Judas his betrayer saw he was condemned, and repented; he brought back the thirty silver pieces to the high priests and elders, saying, "I did wrong in betraying innocent blood." "What does that matter to us?" they said, "it is your affair, not ours!" Then he flung down the silver pieces in the temple and went off and hung himself.

and as they were eating he said, "One of you is going to betray me." They were greatly distressed at this, and each of them said to him, "Lord, surely it is not me." He answered, "One who has dipped his hand into the same dish as myself is going to betray me. read more.
The Son of man goes the road that the scripture has described for him, but woe to the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better that man had never been born!" Then Judas his betrayer said, "Surely it is not me, rabbi?" He said to him, "Is it not?"

While he was still speaking, up came Judas, one of the twelve, accompanied by a large mob with swords and cudgels who had come from the high priests and the elders of the people. Now his betrayer had given them a signal; he said, " Whoever I kiss, that is the man." So he went up at once to Jesus; "Hail, rabbi!" he said, and kissed him. read more.
Jesus said, "My man, do your errand." Then they laid hands on Jesus and seized him.

they have gone wrong by leaving the straight road, by following the road of Balaam son of Bosor, who liked the profits of evil-doing ??16 but he got reproved for his malpractice: a dumb ass spoke with human voice and checked the prophet's infatuation.

Well, for the office of a bishop a man must be above reproach; he must be only married once, he must be temperate, master of himself, unruffled, hospitable, a skilled teacher,

Deacons are only to be married once, and they must manage their children and households properly.

Have we no right to travel with a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, like the brothers of the Lord, like Cephas himself?

On entering the house of Peter, Jesus noticed his mother-in-law was down with fever,

But as they opposed and abused him, he shook out his garments in protest, saying, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not responsible! After this I will go to the Gentiles."

Whoever will not receive you or listen to your message, leave that house or town and shake off the very dust from your feet. I tell you truly, on the day of judgment it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorra than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise like serpents and guileless like doves. read more.
Beware of men, they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be haled before governors and kings for my sake ??it will be a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. Now, when they bring you up for trial, do not trouble yourselves about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will come to you at the moment, for you are not the speakers, it is the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, the father will betray his child, children will rise against their parents and put them to death, and you will be hated by all men on account of my name; but he will be saved who holds out to the very end. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; truly I tell you, you will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of man arrives. A scholar is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord; enough for the scholar to fare like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If men have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they miscall his servants! Fear them not: ??nothing is veiled that shall not be revealed, or hidden that shall not be known; what I tell you in the dark, you must utter in the open, what you hear in a whisper you must proclaim on the housetop. Have no fear of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul: rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unless your Father wills it. The very hairs on your head are all numbered; fear not, then, you are worth far more than sparrows! Everyone who will acknowledge me before men, I will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven; and whoever will disown me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Do not imagine I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; yes, a man's own household will be his enemies. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me: he who will not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives Him who sent me.

Therefore do I protest before you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you; I never shrank from letting you know the entire purpose of God.

He spoke at some length to them in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow, and as he sowed some seeds fell on the road and the birds came and ate them up. Some other seeds fell on stony soil where they had not much earth, and shot up at once because they had no depth of soil; read more.
but when the sun rose they got scorched and withered away because they had no root. Some other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. Some other seeds fell on good soil and bore a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirtyfold.

"Listen, a sower went out to sow, and as he sowed it chanced that some seed fell on the road, and the birds came and ate it up; some other seed fell on stony soil where it had not much earth, and it shot up at once because it had no depth of earth, read more.
but when the sun rose it got scorched and withered away, because it had no root; some other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, so it bore no crop; some other seed fell on good soil and bore a crop that sprang up and grew, yielding at the rate of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." He added, "Anyone who has ears to hear, let him listen to this." When he was by himself his adherents and the twelve asked him about the parable, and he said to them: "The open secret of the Realm of God is granted to you, but these outsiders get everything by way of parables, so that for all their seeing they may not perceive, and for all their hearing they may not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven." And he said to them, "You do not understand this parable? Then how are you to understand the other parables? The sower sows the word. As for those 'on the road,' when the seed is sown there ??as soon as they hear it, Satan at once comes and carries off the word sown within them. Similarly those who are sown 'on stony soil' are the people who on hearing the word accept it with enthusiasm; but they have no root in themselves, they do not last; the next thing is that when the word brings trouble or persecution, they are at once repelled. Another set are those who are sown 'among thorns'; they listen to the word, but the worries of the world and the delight of being rich and all the other passions come in to choke the word; so it proves unfruitful. As for those who were sown 'on good soil,' these are the people who listen to the word and take it in and bear fruit at the rate of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the road and was trampled down, and the wild birds ate it up; some other seed dropped on the rock, but it withered away when it sprang up because it had no moisture; some other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up along with it and choked it; read more.
some other seed fell on sound soil, and springing up bore a crop, a hundredfold." When he said this he called out, "He who has an ear, let him listen to this."

but those who had seized Jesus took him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.

"You know the passover is to be held two days after this; and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified." Then the high priests and the elders of the people met in the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas

Jesus said nothing. Then the high priest addressed him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus said to him, "Even so! But I tell you, in future you will all see the Son of man seated at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his dress and cried, "He has blasphemed! What more evidence do we want? Look, you have heard his blasphemy for yourselves!

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, "You know nothing about it ??50 you do not understand it is in your own interests that one man should die for the People, instead of the whole nation being destroyed." (He did not say this simply of his own accord; he was high priest that year, and his words were a prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation,

At their prayer the place of meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the holy Spirit, speaking God's word fearlessly;

But when Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this? Why do you stare at us, as if we had made him walk by any power or piety of ours? The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified Jesus his servant, whom you delivered up and repudiated before Pilate. Pilate had decided to release him, but you repudiated the Holy and Just One; the boon you asked was a murderer, read more.
and you killed the pioneer of Life. But God raised him from the dead, as we can bear witness. (He it is who has given strength to this man whom you see and know, by faith in His name; it is the faith He inspires which has made the man thus hale and whole before you all.) Now I know, brothers, that you acted in ignorance, like your rulers ??18 though this was how God fulfilled what he had announced beforehand by the lips of all the prophets, namely the sufferings of his Christ. Repent then, and turn to have your sins blotted out, so that a breathing-space may be vouchsafed you, and that the Lord may send Jesus your long-decreed Christ, who must be kept in heaven till the period of the great Restoration. Ages ago God spoke of this by the lips of his holy prophets; for Moses said, The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brotherhood, as he raised me: you must listen to whatever he may tell you. Any soul that will not listen to this prophet shall be exterminated from the People; and all the prophets who have spoken since Samuel and his successors have also announced these days. Now you are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers when he said to Abraham, all families on earth shall be blessed in your offspring. It was for you first that God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. read more.
There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus,

But Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. Certainly we cannot give up speaking of what we have seen and heard."

With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men.

Copy me, brothers, one and all of you, and notice those who live by the example you get from me.

Not that we have no right to such support; it was simply to give you a pattern to copy.

Let no one slight you because you are a youth, but set the believers an example of speech, behaviour, love, faith, and purity.

not by way of lording it over your charges but proving a pattern to the flock.

To Jews I have become like a Jew, to win over Jews; to those under the Law I have become as one of themselves ??though I am not under the Law myself ??to win over those under the Law; to those outside the Law I have become like one of themselves ??though I am under Christ's law, not outside God's Law ??to win over those outside the Law; to the weak I have become as weak myself, to win over the weak. To all men I have become all things, to save some by all and every means. read more.
And I do it all for the sake of the gospel, to secure my own share in it.

'All things are lawful'? Yes, but not all are good for us. 'All things are lawful'? Yes, but not all are edifying.

But if someone tells you, 'This was sacrificial meat,' then do not eat it; you must consider the man who told you, and also take conscience into account ??29 his conscience, I mean, not your own; for why should one's own freedom be called in question by someone else's conscience? If one partakes of food after saying a blessing over it, why should one be denounced for eating what one has given thanks to God for? So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, let it be all done for the glory of God. read more.
Put no stumbling-block in the way of Jews or Greeks or the church of God. Such is my own rule, to satisfy all men in all points, aiming not at my own advantage but at the advantage of the greater number ??at their salvation.

But let that pass, you say; I was not a burden to you, no, but I was clever enough to dupe you with my tricks? Was I?

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray over them. The disciples checked the people,

Now people brought children for him to touch them, and the disciples checked them;

Now people even brought their infants for him to touch them; when the disciples noticed it they checked them,

But he made no answer to her. Then his disciples came up and pressed him, saying, "Send her away, she is wailing behind us."

But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife as well as for all the wickedness that he, Herod, had committed,

"Repent, the Reign of heaven is near." (This was the man spoken of by the prophet Isaiah: The voice of one who cries in the desert, 'Make the way ready for the Lord, level the paths for him.') This John had his clothes made of camel's hair, with a leather girdle round his loins; his food was locusts and wild honey. read more.
Then Jerusalem and the whole of Judaea and all the Jordan-district went out to him and got baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he noticed a number of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who told you to flee from the coming Wrath? Now, produce fruit that answers to your repentance, instead of presuming to say to yourselves, 'We have a father in Abraham.' I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! The axe is lying all ready at the root of the trees; any tree that is not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand, he will clean out his threshing-floor, his wheat he will gather into the granary, but the straw he will burn with fire unquenchable."

John had told Herod, "You have no right to your brother's wife." Herodias had a grudge against him; she wanted him killed but she could not manage it, for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing he was a just and holy man; so he protected John ??he was greatly exercised when he listened to him, still he was glad to listen to him. read more.
Then came a holiday, when Herod held a feast on his birthday for his chief officials and generals and the notables of Galilee. The daughter of Herodias went in and danced to them, and Herod and his guests were so delighted that the king said to the girl, "Ask anything you like and I will give you it." He swore to her, "I will give you whatever you want, were it the half of my realm." So she went out and said to her mother, "What am I to ask?" "John the Baptizer's head," she answered. Then she hurried in at once and asked the king, saying, "I want you to give me this very moment John the Baptist's head on a dish." The king was very vexed, but for the sake of his oaths and his guests he did not like to disappoint her; so the king at once sent one of the guard with orders to bring his head. The man went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a dish, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

To the crowds who came out to get baptized by him John said, "You brood of vipers, who told you to flee from the coming Wrath? Now, produce fruits that answer to your repentance, instead of beginning to say to yourselves, 'We have a father in Abraham.' I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! The axe is lying all ready at the root of the trees; any tree that is not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

he granted some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to shepherd and teach,

Again he asked him, for the second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Why, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Then be a shepherd to my sheep," said Jesus. For the third time he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Now Peter was vexed at being asked a third time, "Do you love me?" So he replied; "Lord, you know everything, you can see I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. Truly, truly I tell you, you put on your own girdle and went wherever you wanted, when you were young; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone to gird you, and you will be taken where you have no wish to go"

Meanwhile as the crowd was gathering in its thousands till they trod on one another, he proceeded to say to his disciples first of all, "Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy,

Woe to you, blind guides that you are! you say, 'Swear by the sanctuary, and it means nothing; but swear by the gold of the sanctuary, and the oath is binding.'

Jesus said to them, "See and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They argued among themselves, "But we have not brought any bread!" When Jesus noted this he said, "How little trust you have in me! Why all this talk, because you have brought no bread? read more.
Do you not understand even yet? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? And the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? Why do you not see that I was not speaking to you about bread? No, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they realized that what he told them to beware of was not leaven but the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

fain, in our yearning affection for you, to impart not only the gospel of God to you but our very souls as well ??you had so won our love.

It is only natural for me to be thinking of you all in this way, for alike in my prison and as I defend and vindicate the gospel, I bear in mind how you all share with me in the grace divine.

We always thank God for you all when we mention you constantly in our prayers, as we recall your active faith and labour of love and patient hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father. O brothers beloved by God, we know he has chosen you;

how (as you know) we treated each of you as a father treats his children, beseeching you, encouraging you, and charging you

Besides, while Moses was faithful in every department of God's house as an attendant ??by way of witness to the coming revelation ??6 Christ is faithful as a Son over God's house. Now we are this house of God, if we will only keep confident and proud of our hope.

he is faithful to Him who appointed him. For while Moses also was faithful in every department of God's house,

But certain individuals came down from Jerusalem and taught the brothers that "unless you get circumcised after the custom of Moses you cannot be saved."

so pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to gather his harvest."

Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus and brother Timotheus, to our beloved fellow-worker Philemon,

Therefore do I protest before you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you; I never shrank from letting you know the entire purpose of God.

You got that lesson from our beloved fellow-servant Epaphras, a minister of Christ who is faithful to your interests;

As for Epaphroditus, however, my brother, my fellow-worker, my fellow-soldier, and your messenger to meet my wants, I think it necessary to send you him at once,

Join the ranks of those who bear suffering, like a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civil pursuits; his aim is to satisfy his commander.

You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses at Jerusalem, throughout all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him."

Now get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you to my service as a witness to what you have seen and to the visions you shall have of me.

he granted some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to shepherd and teach,

They all broke into loud lamentation and falling upon the neck of Paul kissed him fondly, sorrowing chiefly because he told them they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

but, when our time was up, we started on our journey, escorted by them, women and children and all, till we got outside the town. Then, kneeling on the beach, we prayed and said goodbye to one another. We went on board and they went home.

and their doctrine spreads like a gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus;

Such is the gospel which I was called to serve by the endowment of God's grace which was vouchsafed me, by the energy of his power;

as a priest of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the service of God's gospel. My aim is to make the Gentiles an acceptable offering, consecrated by the holy Spirit.

This is how you are to look upon us, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's secret truths.

I prove myself at all points a true minister of God, by great endurance, by suffering, by troubles, by calamities,

PAUL and Timotheus, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, as well as to the bishops and deacons:

Judas, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, to those who have been called, who are beloved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

Whatever happens, be self-possessed, flinch from no suffering, do your work as an evangelist, and discharge all your duties as a minister.

he granted some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to shepherd and teach,

Shun that, O man of God, aim at integrity, piety, faith, love, stedfastness, and suavity;

and when day broke he summoned his disciples, choosing twelve of them, to whom he gave the name of 'apostles':

O heaven, rejoice over her! Saints, apostles, prophets, rejoice! For God has avenged you on her now."

Presbyters who are efficient presidents are to be considered worthy of ample remuneration, particularly those who have the task of preaching and teaching:

Now I make this appeal to your presbyters (for I am a presbyter myself, I was a witness of what Christ suffered and I am to share the glory that will be revealed),

Then, fourteen years later, I went up to Jerusalem again, accompanied by Barnabas; I took Titus with me also. (It was in consequence of a revelation that I went up at all.) I submitted the gospel I am in the habit of preaching to the Gentiles, submitting it privately to the authorities, to make sure that my course of action would be and had been sound. But even my companion Titus, Greek though he was, was not obliged to be circumcised. read more.
There were traitors of false brothers, who had crept in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus; they did aim at enslaving us again. But we refused to yield for a single instant to their claims; we were determined that the truth of the gospel should hold good for you. Besides, the so-called 'authorities' (it makes no difference to me what their status used to be ??God pays no regard to the externals of men), these 'authorities' had no additions to make to my gospel. On the contrary, when they saw I had been entrusted with the gospel for the benefit of the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been for the circumcised (for He who equipped Peter to be an apostle of the circumcised equipped me as well for the uncircumcised), and when they recognized the grace I had been given, then the so-called 'pillars' of the church, James and Cephas and John, gave myself and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. Our sphere was to be the Gentiles, theirs the circumcised.

But the God who had set me apart from my very birth called me by his grace, and when he chose to reveal his Son to me, that I might preach him to the Gentiles, instead of consulting with any human being, instead of going up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I went off at once to Arabia, and on my return I came back to Damascus. read more.
Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Cephas. I stayed a fortnight with him. I saw no other apostle, only James the brother of the Lord. (I am writing you the sheer truth, I swear it before God!) Then I went to the districts of Syria and of Cilicia. Personally I was quite unknown to the Christian churches of Judaea; they merely heard that 'our former persecutor is now preaching the faith he once harried,' which made them praise God for me.

But how are they to invoke One in whom they do not believe? And how are they to believe in One of whom they have never heard? And how are they ever to hear, without a preacher?

and I was appointed to be its herald and apostle (I am not telling a lie, it is quite true), to teach the Gentiles faith and truth.

Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and for their knowledge of the Truth that goes with a religious life,

James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: greeting.

so he said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for men."

so Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me and I will make you fish for men."

Then he made the disciples at once embark in the boat and cross before him towards Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd;

And he said to them, "Come away to some lonely spot and get a little rest" (for there were many people coming and going, and they could get no time even to eat). So they went away privately in the boat to a lonely spot.

As for the secret symbol of the seven stars which you have seen in my right hand, and of the seven golden lamp stands ??the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To the angel of the church at Ephesus write thus: ??These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who moves among the seven golden lampstands:

As for the secret symbol of the seven stars which you have seen in my right hand, and of the seven golden lamp stands ??the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To the angel of the church at Ephesus write thus: ??These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who moves among the seven golden lampstands:

But while Barnabas wanted to take John (who was called Mark) along with them,

So in irritation they parted company, Barnabas taking Mark with him and sailing for Cyprus,

besides, he has been appointed by the churches to travel with me on the business of administering this fund to the glory of the Lord. His appointment has my full consent,

Titus is my colleague, he shares my work for you, and these brothers of mine are apostles of the church, a credit to Christ.

So those who accepted what he said were baptized; about three thousand souls were brought in, that day.

During the course of the day of Pentecost they were all together, when suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a violent blast of wind, which filled the whole house where they were seated. They saw tongues like flames distributing themselves, one resting on the head of each, read more.
and they were all filled with the holy Spirit ??they began to speak in foreign tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to express themselves.

There came to Ephesus a Jew called Apollos, who was a native of Alexandria, a man of culture, strong in his knowledge of the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and he preached and taught about Jesus with ardour and accuracy, though all the baptism he knew was that of John. In the synagogue he was very outspoken at first; but when Aquila and Priscilla listened to him, they took him home and explained more accurately to him what the Way of God really meant. read more.
As he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers wrote and urged the disciples there to give him a welcome. And on his arrival he proved of great service to those who by God's grace had believed, for he publicly refuted the Jews with might and main, showing from the scriptures that the messiah was Jesus.

And the crowds attended like one man to what was said by Philip, listening to him and watching the miracles he performed.

But when they believed Philip, who preached the gospel of the Reign of God and the name of Jesus, they had themselves baptized, both men and women;

So there was great rejoicing in that town.

Then he took them at that very hour of the night and washed their wounds and got baptized instantly, he and all his family. He took them up to his house and put food before them, overjoyed like all his household at having believed in God.

I am suffering now on your behalf, but I rejoice in that; I would make up the full sum of all that Christ has to suffer in my person on behalf of the church, his Body; for I am a minister of the church by the divine commission which has been granted me in your interests, to make a full presentation of God's message ??26 of that open secret which, though concealed from ages and generations of old, has now been disclosed to the saints of God.

and their doctrine spreads like a gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus; they have failed in the Truth by arguing that the resurrection has taken place already, and they are undermining some people's faith.

As for Epaphroditus, however, my brother, my fellow-worker, my fellow-soldier, and your messenger to meet my wants, I think it necessary to send you him at once, for he has been yearning for you all. He has been greatly concerned because you heard he was ill. And he was ill, nearly dead with illness. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me, to save me from having one sorrow upon another. read more.
So I am specially eager to send him, that you may be glad when you see him again, and thus my own anxiety may be lightened. Give him a welcome in the Lord, then, with your hearts full of joy. Value men like that, for he nearly died in the service of Christ by risking his life to make up for the services you were not here to render me.

Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, salutes you ??a servant of Christ Jesus who is always earnest in prayer for you, that you may stand firm like mature and convinced Christians, whatever be the will of God for you. I can testify to his exertions on your behalf and on behalf of those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Thanks be to God who has inspired Titus with an interest in you equal to my own; he has indeed responded to my request, but he is off to you by his own choice, so keen is his interest in you.

On that foundation anyone may build gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, but in every case the nature of his work will come out; the Day will show what it is, for the Day breaks in fire, and the fire will test the work of each, no matter what that work may be. If the structure raised by any man survives, he will be rewarded; read more.
if a man's work is burnt up, he will be a loser ??and though he will be saved himself, he will be snatched from the very flames.

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the presbyters of the church. When they came to him, he said, "You know quite well how I lived among you all the time ever since I set foot in Asia, how I served the Lord in all humility, with many a tear and many a trial which I encountered owing to the plots of the Jews, read more.
how I never shrank from letting you know anything for your good, or from teaching you alike in public and from house to house, bearing my testimony, both to Jews and Greeks, of repentance before God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Now here I go to Jerusalem under the binding force of the Spirit. What will befall me there, I do not know. Only, I know this, that in town after town the holy Spirit testifies to me that bonds and troubles are awaiting me. But then, I set no value on my own life as compared with the joy of finishing my course and fulfilling the commission I received from the Lord Jesus to attest the gospel of the grace of God. I know to-day that not one of you will ever see my face again ??not one of you among whom I moved as I preached the Reign. Therefore do I protest before you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you; I never shrank from letting you know the entire purpose of God. Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you guardians; shepherd the church of the Lord which he has purchased with his own blood. I know that when I am gone, fierce wolves will get in among you, and they will not spare the flock; yes. and men of your own number will arise with perversions of the truth to draw the disciples after them. So be on the alert, remember how for three whole years I never ceased night and day to watch over each one of you with tears. And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace; he is able to upbuild you and give you your inheritance among all the consecrated. Silver, gold, or apparel I never coveted; you know yourselves how these hands of mine provided everything for my own needs and for my companions. I showed you how this was the way to work hard and succour the needy, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, 'To give is happier than to get.'" With these words he knelt down and prayed beside them all. They all broke into loud lamentation and falling upon the neck of Paul kissed him fondly, sorrowing chiefly because he told them they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

Despite it all, these visionaries pollute their flesh, scorn the Powers celestial, and scoff at the angelic Glories. Now the very archangel Michael, when he disputed the body of Moses with Satan, did not dare to condemn him with scoffs; what he said was, The Lord rebuke you! But these people scoff at anything they do not understand; and whatever they do understand, like irrational animals, by mere instinct, that proves their ruin.

This filled the high priest Annas and his allies, the Sadducean party, with bitter jealousy; they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, read more.
"Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.

and when he saw this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.) After arresting him he put him in prison, handing him over to a guard of sixteen soldiers, with the intention of producing him to the People after the passover. So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church. read more.
The very night before Herod meant to have him produced, Peter lay asleep between two soldiers; he was fastened by two chains, and sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. But an angel of the Lord flashed on him, and a light shone in the cell; striking Peter on the side he woke him, saying, "Quick, get up!" The fetters dropped from his hands, and the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. Then said the angel, "Put on your coat and follow me." And he followed him out, not realizing that what the angel did was real, but imagining that he saw a vision. When they had passed the first guard and the second they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; they passed out, and after they had gone through one street, the angel immediately left him. Then Peter came to his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating." When he grasped the situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where a number had met for prayer. When he knocked at the door of the porch, a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer it; but as soon as she recognized Peter's voice, instead of opening the door she ran inside from sheer joy and announced that Peter was standing in front of the porch. "You are mad," they said. But she insisted it was true. "It is his angel," they said. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door they were amazed to see him. He beckoned to them to keep quiet and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Report this to James," he said, "and to the brothers." And off he went to another place. Now when day broke there was a great commotion among the soldiers over what could have become of Peter. Herod made inquiries for him but could not find him; so, after cross-examining the guards, he ordered them off to death. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea, where he spent some time.

Peter moved here and there among them all, and it happened that in the course of his tours he came down to visit the saints who stayed at Lydda. There he found a man called Aeneas who had been bed-ridden for eight years with paralysis. "Aeneas," said Peter, "Jesus the Christ cures you! Get up and make your bed!" He got up at once. read more.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Saron saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

and started next morning for Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip the evangelist (he belonged to the Seven, and had four unmarried daughters who prophesied). We stayed with him. While we remained there for a number of days, a prophet called Agabus came down from Judaea.

It was only after our escape that we found out the island was called Malta. The natives showed us uncommon kindness, for they lit a fire and welcomed us all to it, as the rain had come on and it was chilly. Now Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, when a viper crawled out with the heat and fastened on his hand. read more.
When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer! He has escaped the sea, but Justice will not let him live." However, he shook off the creature into the fire and was not a whit the worse. The natives waited for him to swell up or drop down dead in a moment, but after waiting a long while and observing that no harm had befallen him, they changed their minds and declared he was a god. There was an estate in the neighbourhood which belonged to a man called Publius, the governor of the island; he welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. His father, it so happened, was laid up with fever and dysentery, but Paul went in to see him and after prayer laid his hands on him and cured him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick folk in the island also came and got cured; they made us rich presents and furnished us, when we set sail, with all we needed.

Now Simon noticed that the holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands; so he brought them money, saying, "Let me share this power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit." Peter said to him, "Death to you and your money, for dreaming you could buy the gift of God! read more.
You come in for no share or lot in this religion. Your heart is all wrong in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask God whether you cannot be forgiven for your heart's purpose. For I see you are a bitter poison and a pack of evil."

They covered the whole island as far as Paphos, where they fell in with a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet called Bar-Jesus; he belonged to the suite of the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man who called for Barnabas and Saul and demanded to hear the word of God. But the sorcerer Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) tried to divert the proconsul from the faith. read more.
So Saul (who is also called Paul), filled with the holy Spirit, looked steadily at him and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all good, full of all craft and all cunning, will you never stop diverting the straight paths of the Lord? See here, the Lord's hand will fall on you, and you will be blind, unable for a time to see the sun." In a moment a dark mist fell upon him, and he groped about for someone to take him by the hand.

Now Simon noticed that the holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands; so he brought them money, saying, "Let me share this power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the holy Spirit." Peter said to him, "Death to you and your money, for dreaming you could buy the gift of God! read more.
You come in for no share or lot in this religion. Your heart is all wrong in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask God whether you cannot be forgiven for your heart's purpose. For I see you are a bitter poison and a pack of evil."

Now if the administration of death which was engraved in letters of stone, was invested with glory ??so much so, that the children of Israel could not gaze at the face of Moses on account of the dazzling glory that was fading from his face; surely the administration of the Spirit must be invested with still greater glory. If there was glory in the administration that condemned, then the administration that acquits abounds far more in glory read more.
(indeed, in view of the transcendent glory, what was glorious has thus no glory at all); if what faded had its glory, then what lasts will be invested with far greater glory.

I asked Titus to go, and with him I sent our brother. Titus did not make anything out of you, did he? And did not I act in the same spirit as he did? Did I not take the very same steps?

He also came down to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple called Timotheus, the son of a believing Jewess and a Greek father. He had a good reputation among the brothers at Lystra and Iconium; so, as Paul wished him to go abroad with him, he took and circumcised him on account of the local Jews, all of whom knew his father had been a Greek. read more.
As they travelled on from town to town, they handed over to the people the resolutions which the apostles and the presbyters in Jerusalem had decided were to be obeyed;

As they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, "Come! set me apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and let them go.

Now for some time previous a man called Simon had been practising magic arts in the town, to the utter astonishment of the Samaritan nation; he made himself out to be a great person, and all sorts and conditions of people attached themselves to him, declaring he was that Power of God which is known as 'the Great Power.' They attached themselves to him because he had dazzled them with his skill in magic for a considerable time.

So it is no surprise if his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their doom will answer to their deeds.

set them an example of good conduct; be sincere and serious in your teaching, let your words be sound and such that no exception can be taken to them, so that the opposite side may be confounded by finding nothing that they can say to our discredit.

Then Judas his betrayer saw he was condemned, and repented; he brought back the thirty silver pieces to the high priests and elders, saying, "I did wrong in betraying innocent blood." "What does that matter to us?" they said, "it is your affair, not ours!" Then he flung down the silver pieces in the temple and went off and hung himself. read more.
The high priests took the money and said, "It would be wrong to put this into the treasury, for it is the price of blood." So after consulting they bought with it the Potter's Field, to serve as a burying-place for strangers.

So he despatched two of his assistants to Macedonia, Timotheus and Erastus, while he himself stayed on awhile in Asia.

We therefore send Judas and Silas with the following message, which they will also give to you orally.

while Paul selected Silas and went off, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

In the synagogue he was very outspoken at first; but when Aquila and Priscilla listened to him, they took him home and explained more accurately to him what the Way of God really meant.

This plan commended itself to the whole body, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nikolaos a proselyte from Antioch; these men they presented to the apostles, who, after prayer, laid their hands upon them.

You have a gift that came to you transmitted by the prophets, when the presbytery laid their hands upon you; do not neglect that gift.

You must serve one another, each with the talent he has received, as efficient stewards of God's varied grace.

And the Lord's servant must not be a man of strife; he must be kind to everybody, a skilled teacher, a man who will not resent injuries;

So I began to weep bitterly because no one had been found fit to open the scroll or look into it; but one of the Presbyters told me, "Weep not; lo, the Lion of Judah's tribe, the Scion of David, he has won the power of opening the scroll and its seven seals."

Titus is my colleague, he shares my work for you, and these brothers of mine are apostles of the church, a credit to Christ.

So I am an envoy for Christ, God appealing by me, as it were ??be reconciled to God, I entreat you on behalf of Christ.

he was a burning and a shining lamp, and you chose to rejoice for a while in his light.

As an example of fortitude and endurance, brothers, take the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord.

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you guardians; shepherd the church of the Lord which he has purchased with his own blood.

Then he removed to the house of a devout proselyte called Titus Justus, which adjoined the synagogue.

and as he belonged to the same trade he stayed with them and they all worked together. (They were workers in leather by trade.)

In Joppa Peter stayed for some time, at the house of Simon a tanner.

Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and let them go.

Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, who was assigned his position with the eleven apostles.

and he has further qualified me to be the minister of a new covenant ??a covenant not of written law but of spirit; for the written law kills but the Spirit makes alive.

I have written to the church; only, Diotrephes, who likes to take the lead among them, repudiates me.

This is how you are to look upon us, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's secret truths.

[For a bishop must be above reproach ??he is a steward of God's house ??he must not be presumptuous or hot-tempered or a drunkard or violent or addicted to pilfering;

(It is Christ Jesus as Lord, not myself, that I proclaim; I am simply a servant of yours for Jesus' sake.)

Tychicus, that beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord, will give you all information about me.

I sent Timotheus our brother, a minister of God in the gospel of Christ, for your strengthening and encouragement in the faith,

Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and for their knowledge of the Truth that goes with a religious life,

It is only natural for me to be thinking of you all in this way, for alike in my prison and as I defend and vindicate the gospel, I bear in mind how you all share with me in the grace divine.

if he did not spare the ancient world but kept Noah, the herald of righteousness, safe with seven others, when he let loose the deluge on the world of impious men:

And summoning the twelve he proceeded to send them out two by two; he gave them power over the unclean spirits,

exactly as these have been handed down to us by the original eyewitnesses who were in the service of the Gospel Message,

I appeal to you too, as a worker with God, do not receive the grace of God in vain.