4 Bible Verses about Christian Ministers

Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are scarce. So pray the Lord of the harvest to send out reapers to His harvest field."

So He was saying to them: "The harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are scarce. So pray the Lord of the harvest to send out reapers to His harvest-field.

Now I beg you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit inspires, to wrestle with me in prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who are disobedient, and that the help which I am taking to Jerusalem may be well received by God's people there, so that, if it is God's will, I may come with a happy heart to see you and have a refreshing rest while with you.

because you are helping me by your prayers for me, so that thanks to God will be given by many on my behalf for God's gracious gift to me in answer to the prayers of many.

Keep on praying in the Spirit, with every kind of prayer and entreaty, at every opportunity, be ever on the alert with perfect devotion and entreaty for all God's people, and for me that a message may be given me when I open my lips, so that I may boldly make known the open secret of the good news, for the sake of which I am an envoy in prison: so that, when I tell it, I may speak as courageously as I ought.

Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, wishes to be remembered to you; and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas; if he comes to see you, give him a hearty welcome.

We beg you, brothers, to practice showing respect to those who labor among you, who are your leaders in the Lord's work, and who advise you; continue to hold them in the highest esteem for the sake of the work they do. Practice living at peace with one another.

You must not forget your former leaders, for it was they who brought you the message of God. Consider how they closed their lives; imitate their faith.

The marks that signify the genuine apostle were exhibited among you in my perfect patience, in signs, wonders, and wonder-works.

for our preaching of the good news came to you not entirely in words but with power and with the Holy Spirit and with absolute certainty (for you know the kind of men we were among you for your own sakes).

to hold up the message of life. That will give me ground for boasting on the day of Christ, because neither my career nor my labor has been a failure.

Then Paul got up and motioned with his hand and said: "Fellow Israelites, and you who reverence God, listen! The God of this people Israel chose our forefathers, and made this people important during their stay in Egypt, and then with an uplifted arm He led them out of it. Then after He had fed them forty years in the desert, read more.
He destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave them their land as an inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years. And after that He gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then they demanded a king, and for forty years God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. Then He deposed him and raised up for them David to be king, to whom He bore this testimony, 'I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all that my will requires.' It is from this man's descendants that God, as He promised, has brought to Israel a Saviour in the person of Jesus, as John, before His coming, had already preached baptism as an expression of repentance, for all the people of Israel. As John was closing his career, he said, 'What do you take me to be? I am not the Christ; no, but He is coming after me, and I am not fit to untie the shoes on His feet.' Brothers, descendants of the race of Abraham, and all among you who reverence God, it is to us that the message of this salvation has been sent. For the people of Jerusalem and their leaders, because they were ignorant of Him, by condemning Him have actually fulfilled the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, and although they could not find Him guilty of a capital offense, they begged Pilate to have Him put to death. When they had carried out everything that had been written in the Scriptures about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead, and for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now witnesses for Him to the people. So now we are bringing you the good news about the promise that was made to our forefathers, that God has fulfilled it to us their children, by raising Jesus to life, just as the Scripture says in the Second Psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have become your Father.' Now as a proof that He has raised Him from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken this, 'I will fulfill to you the holy promises made to David.' Because in another psalm he says, 'You will not let your Holy One experience decay.' For David, after having served God's purpose in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his forefathers, and so he did experience decay, but He whom God raised to life did not experience it. So, my brothers, you must understand that through Him the forgiveness of your sins is now proclaimed to you, and that through union with Him every one of you who believes is given right standing with God and freed from every charge from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. So take care that what is said in the prophets does not come upon you: 'Look, you scoffers! Then wonder and vanish away, for I am doing a work in your times which you will not at all believe though one may tell you in detail.'" As they were leaving the synagogue, the people kept begging that all this be repeated to them the next sabbath, and after the congregation had broken up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism allied themselves with Paul and Barnabas, and they kept talking to them and urging them to continue to rely on the unmerited favor of God.

For though you have ten thousand teachers in the Christian life, you certainly could not have many fathers. For it was I myself who became your father through your union with Christ Jesus, which resulted from my telling you the good news.

And so they found a cause for stumbling over Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet never fails to be honored except in his native neighborhood and in his own home." And so

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who is called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen who was an intimate friend of the governor, and Saul.

Do not sparrows sell for a cent apiece? And yet not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father's notice. Even the very hairs on your head have all been counted by God. So stop being afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Are not sparrows sold five for two cents? And yet not one of them is forgotten by God! Yes, the very hairs on your heads have all been counted by God! Stop being afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

So Peter was being kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God for him was persistently made by the church.

And now, Lord, give attention to their threats and help your slaves with perfect courage to continue to speak your message,

And they prayed, saying, "Lord, you who know the hearts of all, show us which one of these two men you have chosen to take a share in this service as an apostle, from which Judas fell away to go to his own place."

Then one of the Twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests, and said, "What will you give me to turn Him over to you?" Then they paid him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he kept looking for a good opportunity to turn Him over to them.

(This man bought a piece of land with the money which he took for his treachery, and he fell there face downward and his body broke in two, and all his intestines poured out.

Then Judas, who had betrayed Him, as he felt condemned, in remorse brought back the thirty pieces to the high priests and elders, and said, "I did wrong in turning an innocent man over to death." But they said, "What is that to us? You must see to that yourself." Then he tossed the money into the temple and left, and went off and hanged himself.

And while they were eating, He said, "I solemnly say to you, one of you is going to betray me." They were cut to the bottom of their hearts, and began to ask one by one, "It cannot be I, can it, Lord?" He answered, "The man who has just dipped his hand with me in the dish is the man who is going to betray me. read more.
The Son of Man is going away as the Scriptures say of Him, but a curse will be on that man by whom He is betrayed. It would have been better for that man, if he had never been born!" Then Judas, who afterward betrayed Him, answered by asking, "It cannot be I, can it, Rabbi?" Jesus answered him, "Yes, you are the man."

Even while He was still speaking, here came Judas, one of the Twelve, and with him a crowd, with swords and clubs, from the high priests and the elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a signal by saying, "The one I kiss is He. Seize Him!" And he went straight up to Jesus and said, "Good evening, Rabbi," and affectionately kissed Him. read more.
Jesus said to him, "My friend, do what you came for." Then they came up, laid hands on Jesus, and arrested Him.

They have left the straight road and gone astray. They have followed the road that Balaam, the son of Beor, trod, who fell in love with the profits of wrongdoing but was reproved for his offense; a dumb animal spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's madness.

So the pastor must be a man above reproach, must have only one wife, must be temperate, sensible, well-behaved, hospitable, skillful in teaching;

A deacon too must have only one wife, and manage his children and household well.

It cannot be that we have no right to take a Christian wife about with us, can it, as well as the rest of the apostles and the Lord's brothers, and Cephas?

When He went into Peter's house, He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed sick with fever.

But as they opposed and abused him, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads! I am not to blame for it myself. Hereafter I am going to the heathen."

And whoever will not welcome you, or listen to your words, on leaving that place shake off from your feet its very dust. I tell you, the punishment on the day of judgment will be lighter for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. "Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. read more.
Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen. But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents, and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one town, flee to a different one. For I solemnly say to you, you will not cover all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man returns. No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master. The pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and the slave should be satisfied to become like his master. If men have called the Head of the house Beelzebub, how much worse names will they heap upon the members of His family! So you must never be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, nor a secret that will not be known. What I speak to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered in your ears, you must proclaim from housetops. You must never be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather you must keep on fearing Him who can destroy both soul and body in the pit. Do not sparrows sell for a cent apiece? And yet not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father's notice. Even the very hairs on your head have all been counted by God. So stop being afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Therefore, everyone who will own me before men I will own before my Father in heaven, but anyone who disowns me before men I will disown before my Father in heaven. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be members of his own family. Anybody who loves father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me, and nobody is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and follow me. Anybody who gains his lower life will lose the higher life, and anybody who loses his lower life for my sake will gain the higher life. "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes Him who sent me.

I therefore protest to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I never shrank from telling you God's whole plan.

And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, read more.
and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold.

"Listen! A sower went out to sow. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Some fell upon rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up at once, because the soil was not deep; read more.
but when the sun came up, they were scorched and withered away, because they had not taken root. Some fell among the thorn seed, and the thorns grew up and choked them out and they yielded no grain. Some fell in rich soil, and came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold." And He said, "Let him who has ears listen!" When He was by Himself, those who stayed about Him with the Twelve began to ask Him about the stories. Then He said to them, "To you the secret of the kingdom of God has been entrusted, but to those who are on the outside everything is presented in stories, so that 'They may look and look and yet not see, And listen and listen and yet not understand, Lest, perchance, they should turn and be forgiven.'" Then He said to them: "If you do not understand this story, how, indeed, can you understand any of my stories? The message is what the sower sows. The ones along the path are those who have the message sown in their hearts, but as soon as it is sown there, Satan comes and carries off the message that has been sown in their hearts. In like manner these are the ones sown on rocky ground; as soon as they hear the truth, they accept it with ecstasy, but it does not take real root in them, and so they last only a little while; then when trouble or persecution comes on account of the truth, they at once fall by the way. A different class are those people sown among the thorns. They are people who listen to the message, but the worries of the times, the deceiving pleasures of being rich, and evil desires for other things, creep in and choke the truth out, and it yields nothing. And the people sown in rich soil are the people who listen to the message and welcome it and yield thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold."

"A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and were trodden down, and the wild birds ate them up. Another portion of them fell upon the rock, and as soon as they sprang up, they withered, because they had no moisture. Still another portion fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with them and choked them out. read more.
And another portion fell in rich soil and grew and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." As He said this, He exclaimed, "Let him who has ears to hear with, listen!"

The men who had laid hands on Jesus took Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, at whose home the scribes and elders had met.

"You know that in two days the Passover Feast will take place, and the Son of Man will be turned over to be crucified." Then the high priests and the elders of the people met in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

But Jesus kept silent. So the high priest said to Him, "I charge you, on your oath, in the name of the living God, tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus answered him, "Yes, I am. But I tell you, you will all soon see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of the sky." Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy, What more evidence do we need? You have just heard His blasphemy.

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing about this; you do not take into account that it is for your own welfare that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should be destroyed." Now he did not say this on his own authority, but because he was high priest that year he uttered this prophecy from God, that Jesus was to die for the nation,

Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was for their welfare that one should die for the people.

When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and continued courageously to speak God's message.

When Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Fellow Israelites, why are you so surprised at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though we had by our own power or piety made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you yourselves betrayed and disowned before Pilate, although he had decided to set Him free. Yes, you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked a murderer to be pardoned as a favor to you, read more.
and you killed the Prince of life, but God raised Him from the dead, to which fact we are witnesses. It is His name, that is, on condition of faith in His name, that has made strong again this man whom you see and recognize -- yes, faith inspired by Him has given this man the perfect health you all see. "And yet, I know, brothers, that you did not realize what you were doing, any more than your leaders did. But in this way God fulfilled what He by the lips of all the prophets foretold, that the Christ should suffer. So now repent and turn to Him, to have your sins wiped out, that times of revival may come from the presence of the Lord, and He may send back Jesus, the Christ who long ago was appointed for you. Yet heaven must retain Him till the time for the universal restoration of which God in the early ages spoke through the lips of His holy prophets. Moses, indeed, said: 'The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, as He did me. You must attentively listen to everything that He tells you. The result will be, that any person who will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.' Yes, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel down, have also foretold these days. And you are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the sacred compact which God made with your forefathers, when He said to Abraham: 'All the families of the earth are to be blessed through your posterity.' It was to you first that He sent His Servant, after raising Him from the dead, to bless you by causing every one of you to turn from his wicked ways."

if it is for a good deed to a helpless man, or to learn how he was cured, that we are today being tried, you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well. He is the stone that was thrown away by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. read more.
There is no salvation by anyone else, for no one else in all the wide world has been appointed among men as our only medium by which to be saved." They were surprised to see the courage shown by Peter and John and to find that they were uneducated men, and especially untrained in the schools, but they recognized the fact that they had been companions of Jesus,

But Peter and John answered them, "You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to obey you instead of Him, for we cannot keep from telling what we have seen and heard."

So they obeyed, and about the break of day they went into the temple square and began to teach. The high priest and his party arrived and called a meeting of the council and the whole senate of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have the men brought in.

Follow my example, brothers, and keep your eyes on those who practice living by the pattern we have set you.

Not that I have no right to be supported, but to make myself an example for you to follow.

Let no one think little of you because you are young, but always set an example for believers, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

and not as domineering over those in your charge but proving yourselves models for the flock to imitate;

To the Jews I have become like a Jew for the winning of Jews; to men under the law, like one under the law, though I am not under the law myself, to win the men under the law; to men who have no written law, like one without any law, though I am not without God's law but specially under Christ's law, to win the men who have no written law. To the overscrupulous I have become overscrupulous, to win the overscrupulous; yes, I have become everything to everybody, in order by all means to save some of them. read more.
And I do it all for the sake of the good news, so as to share with others in its blessings.

Everything is permissible for people, but not everything is good for them. Everything is permissible for people, but not everything builds up their personality.

But if someone says to you, "This meat has been offered as a heathen sacrifice," make it your rule not to eat it, for the sake of the man who warned you and for conscience' sake; I mean his conscience, not yours. Why then should my personal freedom be limited by another's conscience? If I give thanks and thus partake of food, why am I to be blamed for that for which I give thanks? read more.
So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God. Stop being stumbling blocks to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself am in the habit of pleasing everybody in everything, not aiming at my own welfare but at that of as many people as possible, in order that they may be saved.

But let it be granted, you say, that I never received from you financial support, yet, you say, by being a trickster I cheated you by my cunning.

After that some little children were brought to Him, for Him to lay His hands on them and pray for them, but His disciples reproved those who brought them.

And people were bringing little children to Him for Him to touch them, but the disciples reproved them for it.

Now some people were bringing even their babies to Him to have Him touch them, but the disciples, when they saw it, reproved them for it.

But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came up and kept begging Him, "Send her away, for she keeps on screaming after us."

But Herod the governor, because he was repeatedly reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the wicked deeds that Herod had done,

and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, when he said: "Here is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; Make the paths straight for him.'" This very John had his clothing made of camel's hair, and wore a leather belt around his waist; his food was dried locusts and wild honey. read more.
Then Jerusalem and all Judea, even the whole Jordan district, continued to go out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as one by one they continued to confess their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance you profess, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather? For I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones. Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree then that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you in water to picture your repentance. But He that is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry His shoes. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor and store His wheat in His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with fire that never can be put out."

For John kept saying to Herod, "It is not right for you to be living with your brother's wife." So Herodias had it in for him and wanted to have him killed. But she could not have it done, for Herod stood in awe of John, because he knew that he was an upright and holy man, and so he protected him. When he heard him speak, he was very much disturbed, and yet he liked to hear him. read more.
When a holiday came and Herod on his birthday gave a banquet to his state officials, his military officers, and other leading men of Galilee, Herodias' daughter came in and danced for them, and fascinated Herod and his guests. So the king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I will give it to you." And he promised her on oath, "I will give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom." She left the room and asked her mother, "What shall I ask him for?" And she answered, "The head of John the Baptist." Then she rushed at once before the king, and made this request, "I want you this very minute to give me John the Baptist's head on a platter." The king, although exceedingly sorry, yet on account of his oath and his guests, did not like to refuse her, and so at once ordered a soldier of his guard to bring his head. The soldier went off and beheaded John in the prison and brought back his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

So he used to say to the crowds that continued to come out there to be baptized by him: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? Produce, then, fruit that is consistent with the repentance that you profess, and do not even begin to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather,' for I tell you, God can raise up descendants for Abraham even out of these stones. Now the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree, then, that fails to bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire."

And He has given some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers,

Jesus again said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, are you really devoted to me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I tenderly love you." Jesus said to him, "Then be a shepherd to my sheep." For the third time Jesus asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you really tenderly love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus the third time asked him, "Do you really tenderly love me?" So he answered Him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I do tenderly love you." Jesus said to him, "Then feed my sheep. I most solemnly say to you, when you were young, you used to put on your own belt and go where you pleased, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put a belt on you and you will go where you do not please to go."

Meanwhile as the people had gathered in tens of thousands, so that they were trampling upon one another, He began to say, first of all, to His disciples: "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, hypocrisy.

A curse on you, you blind leaders who say, 'Whoever swears by the sanctuary is not duty-bound, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is duty-bound.'

And Jesus said to them, "Look out, and keep on guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees!" Then they began to discuss it among themselves, and said, "It is because we did not take any bread." Jesus knew it and said, "Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Have you so little faith? read more.
Do you not understand yet? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many basketfuls you took up? Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many hamper-basketfuls you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread, when I said, keep on guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees?" Then they understood that He meant, guard yourselves not against yeast for bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Because we were yearning for you so tenderly, we were willing, not only to share with you God's good news, but to lay down our very lives too for you, all because you were so dearly loved by us.

And I have a right to think this way about you, because I always have you in my heart, whether shut up in prison or out defending and vindicating the good news, for you are sharers with me of God's favor.

We always thank God for you all as we continually mention you in our prayers, for we can never for a moment before our God forget your energizing faith, your toiling love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers so beloved by God, that He has chosen you,

for you know how, as a father deals with his children, we used to encourage you, cheer you on, and charge each of you

Now Moses was faithful in all the house of God, yet only as a servant to bear witness to the message that should be spoken,

to see how faithful He was to God who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all the house of God.

Some people came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the custom that Moses handed down, you cannot be saved."

So pray the Lord of the harvest to send out reapers to His harvest field."

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and my brother Timothy, to our dearly loved fellow-worker Philemon,

I therefore protest to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I never shrank from telling you God's whole plan.

as you learned it from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow-slave. As a faithful minister of Christ for me

But I think it proper now to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-laborer, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger to minister to my needs,

Take your share of hardships like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier ever allows himself to be involved in the business affairs of life, so that he may please the officer who enlisted him.

but you are going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you must be witnesses for me in Jerusalem and all over Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."

We and the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who practice obedience to Him are witnesses to these things."

But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you my servant and a witness to me of the things which you have seen and those which I shall yet enable you to see.

And He has given some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers,

There was loud weeping by them all, as they threw their arms around Paul's neck and kept on kissing him with affection, (44:37) because they were especially pained at his saying that they would never see his face again. Then they went down to the ship with him.

But when our time was up, we left there and went on, and all of them with their wives and children accompanied us out of town. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed; there we bade one another goodbye, and we went aboard the ship, while they went back.

Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan to be so disciplined that they will stop their abusive speech.

and their message will spread like a cancer; men like Hymenaeus and Philetus,

for which I was called to serve in accordance with the gift of God's unmerited favor which was bestowed on me by the exercise of His power--

if indeed you continue well grounded and firm in faith and never shift from the hope inspired by the good news you heard, which has been preached all over the world, and of which I, Paul, have been made a minister.

in making me a minister of Christ Jesus to the heathen peoples, to have me act as a sacrificing minister of the good news, in order that my offering of the heathen peoples to God may be acceptable, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.

As for us apostles, men ought to think of us as ministers of Christ and trustees to handle God's uncovered truths.

On the contrary, I am trying in everything to prove to people that I am a true servant of God: by my tremendous endurance in sorrows, distresses, difficulties;

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all God's people in union with Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and assistants:

Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James, to those who have been called, who are beloved by God the Father and have been kept through union with Jesus Christ:

But you, on your part, must always keep your head cool, suffer hardship, do your work as a herald of the good news, and so fill your ministry to the brim.

And He has given some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers,

But you, as a man of God, must be fleeing always from these things; you must constantly strive for uprightness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

When day came, He called His disciples to Him, and selected from them twelve whom He also named apostles:

Celebrate over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets too, because God has taken vengeance on her for you."

Elders who do their duties well should be considered as deserving twice the salary they get especially those who keep on toiling in preaching and teaching.

So, as a joint-elder with them, a witness of the suffering borne by Christ, and a sharer of the glory that is to be uncovered, I beg the elders among you,

Then, fourteen years later, I again went up to Jerusalem, with Barnabas, and took Titus with me too. I went up under the guidance of a divine revelation. Now I laid before them the good news that I was in the habit of preaching among the heathen, but first I did so privately before the leaders, for fear that my course might be or might have been to no purpose. But they did not even try to compel my companion, Titus, although he was a Greek, to be circumcised -- read more.
they did not try it even for the sake of the false brothers who had been smuggled in, who stole in to spy out the freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus, so as to make us slaves again. But we did not for a moment yield them submission, in order that the truth of the good news might prevail for you. Those who were looked upon as leaders -- what they were makes no difference to me -- God pays no attention to outward appearances these leaders added nothing new to me. On the contrary, because they saw that I had been entrusted with the good news for the heathen, just as Peter had been entrusted with it for the Jews -- for He who had been at work in Peter for his apostleship to the Jews had been at work in me too for the apostleship to the heathen -- and because they recognized the favor God had shown me, James, Cephas, and John, the so-called pillar apostles, gave Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, with the understanding that we should go to the heathen and they to the Jews.

But when God, who had already set me apart from my birth, and had called me by His unmerited favor, chose to unveil His Son in me, so that I might preach the good news about Him among the heathen, at once, before I conferred with any human creatures, and before I went up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I retired to Arabia, and afterwards returned to Damascus. read more.
Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas, but I spent only two weeks with him; and not another single one of the apostles did I see, except James, the Lord's brother. In writing you this, I swear before God, I am telling you the solemn truth. After that I went into the districts of Syria and Cilicia. But I was personally unknown to the Christian churches in Judea; only they kept hearing people say, "Our former persecutor is now preaching as good news the faith which once he tried to destroy," and they kept on praising God for me.

But how can people call upon One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in One about whom they have not heard? And how can people hear without someone to preach to them?

and for which purpose I was appointed a preacher and an apostle -- I am telling the truth, I am not lying, -- a teacher of the heathen in the realm of faith and truth.

Paul, a slave of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to stimulate faith in God's chosen people and to lead them on to a full knowledge of religious truth,

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greetings to the twelve tribes that are scattered over the world.

He said to them, "Come! Follow me, and I will make you fishermen for catching men."

So Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishermen for catching men."

Then He insisted that the disciples at once get into their boat and cross ahead of Him toward Bethsaida, while He was sending the crowd away.

And He said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a little while." For there was an endless stream of people coming and going, and they had no time even to eat. So they got off in their boat to be by themselves in a quiet place.

The open secret of the seven stars that you have seen in my right hand, and of the seven golden lampstands, is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

"To the messenger of the church in Ephesus write: 'The One who is holding the seven stars in His right hand and is walking among the golden lampstands speaks as follows:

The open secret of the seven stars that you have seen in my right hand, and of the seven golden lampstands, is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

"To the messenger of the church in Ephesus write: 'The One who is holding the seven stars in His right hand and is walking among the golden lampstands speaks as follows:

But Barnabas persisted in wanting to take along John who was called Mark.

The disagreement was so sharp that they separated, and Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus.

Not only that, but he has been selected by the churches to travel with me for this gracious contribution which is being raised by me, so that it may turn out for the glory of the Lord and a proof of my readiness to serve.

As for Titus, he is my partner and comrade in the work for you, while these brothers of ours, the representatives of the churches, will bring glory to Christ.

So they accepted his message and were baptized, and about three thousand persons united with them on that day.

When the day of Pentecost had now come, they were all meeting in one mind, when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a terrific blast of wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, And they saw tongues like flames of fire separating and resting on their heads, one to each of them, read more.
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit granted them to utter divine things.

Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, a learned man, and skillful in the use of the Scriptures. He had been instructed about the way of the Lord, and with spiritual fervor he was speaking and was accurately teaching some details about Jesus, although he knew of no baptism but John's. He started speaking courageously in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home with them and more accurately explained the way of God to him. read more.
Because he wished to cross to Greece, the brothers wrote and urged the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival he rendered great service to those who through God's favor had believed, for he successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

As the crowds continued to listen to his message and continued to see his wonder-works which he was performing, with one mind they became interested in what was said by Philip.

But when the people came to believe the good news proclaimed by Philip about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were constantly baptized.

So there was great rejoicing in that city.

Even at that time of the night he took them and washed their wounds, and he and all the members of his household at once were baptized. Then he took them up to his house and gave them food, and he and all the members of his household were happy in their faith in God.

I am now glad to be suffering for you, and in my own person I am filling in what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for His body, that is, the church. In it I have been made a minister in accordance with the trusteeship God entrusted to me for you, that I might prove among you the universal message of God,

and their message will spread like a cancer; men like Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have missed the truth by saying that the resurrection has already taken place, are undermining some people's faith.

But I think it proper now to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-laborer, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger to minister to my needs, for he has been longing to see you and has been homesick because you have heard that he was sick. For he was so sick that he was on the point of dying, but God took pity on him, and not only on him but on me too, to keep me from having one sorrow after another. read more.
I very eagerly send him, so that when you see him you may be glad of it, and I may be less sorrowful. So give him a hearty Christian welcome and hold in honor men like him, because he came near dying for the sake of the Lord's work and risked his life to make up for your lack of opportunity to minister to me.

Epaphras, one of your own number, a slave of Christ Jesus, wishes to be remembered to you. He is always earnestly pleading for you in his prayers that you may stand fast as men mature and of firm convictions in everything required by the will of God. For I can testify how great his toiling for you is and for the brothers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

But thanks be to God, who kindles in the heart of Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have; because he has acceded to my request, or rather, because he is so enthusiastic for you, of his own accord he is off to visit you.

And whether one puts into the building on the foundation gold or silver or costly stones, or wood or hay or straw, the character of each one's work will come to light, for the judgment day will show it up. This is so, because that day will show itself in fire, and the fire will test the character of each one's work. If the structure which one builds upon it stands the test, he will get his pay. read more.
If the structure which one builds is burned up, he will get no pay; and yet he himself will be saved, but just as one who goes through a fire.

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived among you all the time from the day I first set foot in the province of Asia, and how I continued to serve the Lord with all humility and in tears, through the trials that befell me because of the plots of the Jews. read more.
I never shrank from telling you anything that was for your good, nor from teaching you in public and in private, but constantly and earnestly I urged Greeks as well as Jews to turn with repentance to God and to have faith in our Lord Jesus. And I am here now on my way to Jerusalem, because I am impelled by the Spirit to do so, though I am not aware what will befall me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit emphatically assures me that imprisonment and sufferings are awaiting me. But now I count as nothing the sacrifice of my life, if only I can finish my race and render the service entrusted to me by the Lord Jesus, of faithfully telling the good news of God's favor. And now I know that none of you among whom I went about preaching the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore protest to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I never shrank from telling you God's whole plan. Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, so as to continue to be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. Because I know that after I have gone violent wolves will break in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will appear who will try, by speaking perversions of truth, to draw away the disciples after them. So ever be on your guard and always remember that for three years, night and day, I never ceased warning you one by one, and that with tears. And now I commit you to the Lord, and to the message of His favor, which is able to build you up and to give you your proper possession among all God's consecrated people. I have never coveted any man's silver or gold or clothes. You know yourselves that these hands of mine provided for my own needs and for my companions. In everything I showed you that by working hard like this we must help those who are weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It makes one happier to give than to get.'" After he had finished this speech, he fell on his knees with them all and prayed. There was loud weeping by them all, as they threw their arms around Paul's neck and kept on kissing him with affection, (44:37) because they were especially pained at his saying that they would never see his face again. Then they went down to the ship with him.

In just the same way these dreamers defile the body, discard authority, and deride the majesties. But the archangel Michael himself, when he disputed and argued with the devil about Moses' body, did not dare to bring against him a charge of blasphemy, but merely said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" But these persons abuse everything they do not understand, and they are going to be destroyed by the very things they know by instinct, like the irrational animals.

Now the high priest took a stand, and all his friends, the party of the Sadducees; and being filled with jealousy, they had the apostles arrested and put into the common jail. But in the night the angel of the Lord threw open the jail doors and let them out, and said to them, read more.
"Go and take your stand in the temple square and continue to tell the people the message of this new life." So they obeyed, and about the break of day they went into the temple square and began to teach. The high priest and his party arrived and called a meeting of the council and the whole senate of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have the men brought in. But the attendants who went for them could not find them in the jail, and so came back and reported, "We found the prison safely locked and the keepers on duty at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one on the inside." When the military commander of the temple square and the high priest heard this, they were utterly at a loss to know how this might turn out. But somebody came by and reported to them, "The men that you put in jail are standing right here in the temple square, teaching the people." Then the military commander went with his attendants and brought them back, but without any violence, for they were afraid of being pelted with stones by the people. So they brought them and had them stand before the council. And the high priest asked them, "Did we not positively forbid you to teach anymore on this authority, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and now want to bring on us the people's vengeance for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our forefathers raised Jesus to life after you had hanged Him on a cross and killed Him. God has exalted to His right hand this very One as our Leader and Saviour, in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We and the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who practice obedience to Him are witnesses to these things." When they heard this, they were furious, and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, highly respected by all the people, got up in the council and gave orders to put the men out of the council a little while; then he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, take care as to what you are about to do to these men. For in the days gone by Theudas appeared, claiming that he was a man of importance, and a considerable number of men, about four hundred, espoused his cause, but he was slain and all his followers were dispersed and as a party annihilated. After him, at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax, Judas the Galilean appeared and influenced people to desert and follow him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered. So in the present case, I warn you, stay away from these men, let them alone. For, if this program or movement has its origin in men, it will go to pieces, but if it has its origin in God, you can never stop it. It is to be feared that you may find yourselves fighting God." They were convinced by him, and after calling the apostles in and having them flogged, they charged them to stop speaking on the authority of Jesus, and then turned them loose. So they went out from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for Jesus' name; and not for a single day did they stop teaching in the temple square and in private houses the good news of Jesus the Christ.

and when he saw that this was agreeable to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too -- it was at the time of the feast of Unleavened Bread. He had him seized and put into prison, and turned him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, planning after the Passover to bring him out again to the people. So Peter was being kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God for him was persistently made by the church. read more.
Now just as Herod was going to bring him out, that is, the very night before, Peter was fastened with two chains and was sleeping between two soldiers, and the guards were at the door guarding the prison. And suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in his cell, and by striking Peter on the side the angel woke him, and said, "Get up quickly!" At once the chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, "Tighten your belt and put on your shoes? He did so. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your coat and follow me!" So he kept following him out, but he was not conscious that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was dreaming it. They passed the first guard, then the second, and at last came to the iron gate which led into the city. The gate of itself opened to them, and they passed out and proceeded one block when all at once the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I really know that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the power of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting to do to me." When he became conscious of his situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, were a large number of people had met and were praying. When he knocked at the outer door, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it, and on recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she failed to open the door but ran and told them that Peter was standing at the door. They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she persistently insisted that it was so. Then they said, "It is his guardian angel!" But Peter, meanwhile, kept on knocking. So they opened the door, and when they saw him, they were astounded. With his hand he motioned to them to be quiet, and then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He added, "Tell all these things to James and the brothers." Then he left them and went somewhere else. When morning came, there was no little commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. Herod had search made for him, and when he could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he left Judea for Caesarea, and stayed there.

Now, as Peter was going here and there among them all, he finally went down to God's people who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years as a paralytic. So Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ now cures you! Get up and make your bed!" And at once he got up. read more.
Then all the people who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and so they turned to the Lord.

The next day we left there and went on to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses. While we were spending some days here, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

After we had been rescued, we learned that the island was called Malta. Now the natives showed us remarkable kindness, for they made us a fire and welcomed us to it because of the downpouring rain and the cold. Paul, too, gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he put them on the fire, because of the heat, a viper crawled out of them and fastened itself upon his hand. read more.
When the natives saw the reptile hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "Beyond a doubt this man is a murderer, for though he has been rescued from the sea, justice will not let him live." But he simply shook the reptile off into the fire and suffered no harm. The natives kept on looking for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual take place on him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. The governor of the island, whose name was Publius, owned estates in that part of the island, and he welcomed us and entertained us with hearty hospitality for three days. Publius' father chanced to be sick in bed with fever and dysentery, and Paul went to see him and after praying laid his hands upon him and cured him. Because this cure was performed, the rest of the sick people on the island kept coming to him and by degrees were cured. They also honored us with many presents, and when we set sail, they supplied us with everything that we needed.

So when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, and said, "Give me this power too, that when I lay my hands on anyone he may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "Your money go to perdition with you for even dreaming you could buy the gift of God with money! read more.
You have no share or part in this matter, for your heart is not sincere in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, to see if this thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are a bitter weed and a bundle of crookedness!"

Then they went through the whole island as far as Paphos, and there they found a Jewish magician and false prophet whose name was Barjesus. He was an intimate friend of the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul and in this way tried to hear God's message. But Elymas the magician -- for this is the meaning of his name -- continued to oppose them by trying to keep the governor from accepting the faith. read more.
Then Saul, who was also called Paul, because he was full of the Holy Spirit, looked him straight in the eye and said, "You expert in every form of deception and sleight-of-hand, you son of the devil, you enemy of all that is right, will you never stop trying to make the Lord's straight paths crooked! Right now the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be so blind that you cannot see the sun for a time." And suddenly a dark mist fell upon him, and he kept groping about begging people to lead him by the hand.

So when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, and said, "Give me this power too, that when I lay my hands on anyone he may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "Your money go to perdition with you for even dreaming you could buy the gift of God with money! read more.
You have no share or part in this matter, for your heart is not sincere in the sight of God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, to see if this thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are a bitter weed and a bundle of crookedness!"

Now if the old religious service which resulted in death, although its law was carved in letters of stone, was introduced with a splendor so great that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on Moses' face because of the splendor that was fading from it, why should not this spiritual service be attended with much greater splendor? For if the service connected with condemnation had such splendor, the service resulting in right standing with God will surely far surpass it in splendor. read more.
For on account of its surpassing splendor, what was once so splendid has now no splendor at all. For if what passed away was introduced with splendor, with how much greater splendor must what is permanent be attended?

I actually begged Titus to go, and sent the well-known brother with him. Titus did not make any money out of you, did he? Did not he and I act in the same spirit, and take the very same steps?

Now he went to Derbe and Lystra too. At Lystra there was a disciple named Timothy, whose mother was a Christian Jewess, but his father was a Greek. He had a high reputation among the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to join him in his journey; so on account of the Jews in that district he took him and had him circumcised, for everybody knew that his father was a Greek. read more.
As they journeyed on from town to town, they delivered to the brothers to keep the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them." So after fasting and praying, they laid their hands upon them and let them go.

There was a man named Simon in the city, who had kept the Samaritan people thrilled by practicing magic there and by claiming to be a great man. Everybody, high and low, kept running after him, saying, "He is certainly what is known as the Great Power of God!" They kept running after him, because for a long time he had thrilled them with his magical performances.

So it is no surprise if his servants also masquerade as ministers for doing right, whose doom shall be in accordance with what they do.

In everything you yourself continue to set them a worthy example of doing good; be sincere and serious in your teaching, let your message be wholesome and unobjectionable, so that our opponent may be put to shame at having nothing evil to say about us.

Then Judas, who had betrayed Him, as he felt condemned, in remorse brought back the thirty pieces to the high priests and elders, and said, "I did wrong in turning an innocent man over to death." But they said, "What is that to us? You must see to that yourself." Then he tossed the money into the temple and left, and went off and hanged himself. read more.
The high priests picked up the money and said, "It is not legal to put it into the consecrated treasury, for it is blood money." So after consultation they bought with it the Potter's Field as a burying-ground for strangers.

So he sent off to Macedonia two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, while he stayed on for a while in Asia.

So we send Judas and Silas to you, to bring you the same message by word of mouth.

But Paul selected Silas and set out, after the brothers had committed him to the favor of the Lord.

He started speaking courageously in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home with them and more accurately explained the way of God to him.

This suggestion was approved by the whole body, and so they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, who was a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, and after they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

Stop neglecting the gift you received, which was given you through prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you.

As all of you have received your spiritual talents, you must keep on using them in serving one another, as good trustees of God's many-sided favor.

and a slave of the Lord must not quarrel but must be gentle to everybody; he must be a skillful teacher, and not resentful under injuries.

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one could be found deserving to open the book or look into it. But one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping! See! The Lion who sprang from the tribe of Judah, who belongs to the line of David, has conquered, so that He can open the book and break its seven seals."

As for Titus, he is my partner and comrade in the work for you, while these brothers of ours, the representatives of the churches, will bring glory to Christ.

So I am an envoy to represent Christ, because it is through me that God is making His appeal. As one representing Christ I beg you, be reconciled to God.

John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining, and you decided for a time to delight yourselves in his light.

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

Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, so as to continue to be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.

So he moved into the house of a pagan named Titus Justus, who worshiped the true God; his house was next to the synagogue.

and as they all had the same trade, they proceeded to work together.

So it came about that Peter stayed in Joppa several days, at the house of a tanner named Simon.

So after fasting and praying, they laid their hands upon them and let them go.

They then drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.

He has qualified even me as a minister of the new covenant, which is not a written but a spiritual covenant. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

I have written briefly to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to be first among them, refuses to listen to me.

As for us apostles, men ought to think of us as ministers of Christ and trustees to handle God's uncovered truths.

For as God's trustee a pastor must be above reproach, not stubborn or quick-tempered or addicted to strong drink or pugnacious or addicted to dishonest gain,

For I am not proclaiming myself but Christ Jesus as Lord, and myself a slave of yours for Jesus' sake.

My dearly loved Tychicus, a faithful minister and my fellow-servant in the Lord's work, will tell you all about me.

and so I sent my brother Timothy, God's minister in the preaching of the good news of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

Paul, a slave of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to stimulate faith in God's chosen people and to lead them on to a full knowledge of religious truth,

And I have a right to think this way about you, because I always have you in my heart, whether shut up in prison or out defending and vindicating the good news, for you are sharers with me of God's favor.

and if He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others when He brought the flood upon the world of godless people;

And He called the Twelve to Him and sent them out two by two, and gave them power over the foul spirits.

just as the original eyewitnesses who became ministers of the message

As God's fellow-worker I beg you too not to accept God's favor and throw it away.