82 Bible Verses about Gospel, Responses To

Moses says that he whose actions conform to the righteousness required by the Law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness which is based on faith speaks in a different tone. "Say not in your heart," it declares, "'Who shall ascend to Heaven?'" --that is, to bring Christ down; "nor 'Who shall go down into the abyss?'" --that is, to bring Christ up again from the grave.read more.
But what does it say? "The Message is close to you, in your mouth and in your heart;" that is, the Message which we are publishing about the faith-- that if with your mouth you confess Jesus as Lord and in your heart believe that God brought Him back to life, you shall be saved. For with the heart men believe and obtain righteousness, and with the mouth they make confession and obtain salvation. The Scripture says, "No one who believes in Him shall have reason to feel ashamed." Jew and Gentile are on precisely the same footing; for the same Lord is Lord over all, and is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him for deliverance. For "every one, without exception, who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Understand therefore, brethren, that through this Jesus forgiveness of sins is announced to you; and in Him every believer is absolved from all offences, from which you could not be absolved under the Law of Moses.

Then, calling for lights, he sprang in and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas; and, bringing them out of the prison, he exclaimed, "O sirs, what must I do to be saved?" "Believe on the Lord Jesus," they replied, "and both you and your household will be saved."read more.
And they told the Lord's Message to him as well as to all who were in his house.

But now a righteousness coming from God has been brought to light apart from any Law, both Law and Prophets bearing witness to it-- a righteousness coming from God, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ and extends to all who believe. No distinction is made; for all alike have sinned, and all consciously come short of the glory of God,read more.
gaining acquittal from guilt by His free unpurchased grace through the deliverance which is found in Christ Jesus. He it is whom God put forward as a Mercy-seat, rendered efficacious through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness-- because of the passing over, in God's forbearance, of the sins previously committed-- with a view to demonstrating, at the present time, His righteousness, that He may be shown to be righteous Himself, and the giver of righteousness to those who believe in Jesus.

Now the Jews began to find fault about Him because of His claiming to be the bread which came down out of Heaven. They kept asking, "Is not this man Joseph's son? Is he not Jesus, whose father and mother we know? What does he mean by now saying, 'I have come down out of Heaven'?" "Do not thus find fault among yourselves," replied Jesus;read more.
"no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; then I will raise him to life on the last day. It stands written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all of them be taught by God'. Every one who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to me. No one has ever seen the Father--except Him who is from God. He has seen the Father. "In most solemn truth I tell you that he who believes has the Life of the Ages. I am the bread of Life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the Desert, and they died. Here is the bread that comes down out of Heaven that a man may eat it and not die. I am the living bread come down out of Heaven. If a man eats this bread, he shall live for ever. Moreover the bread which I will give is my flesh given for the life of the world." This led to an angry debate among the Jews. "How can this man," they argued, "give us his flesh to eat?"

Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God; and every one who loves the Father loves also Him who is the Father's Child.

"Come to me, all you toiling and burdened ones, and *I* will give you rest.

Those times of ignorance God viewed with indulgence. But now He commands all men everywhere to repent,

"Do not lay up stores of wealth for yourselves on earth, where the moth and wear-and-tear destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven, where neither the moth nor wear-and-tear destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your wealth is, there also will your heart be.read more.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eyesight is good, your whole body will be well lighted; but if your eyesight is bad, your whole body will be dark. If however the very light within you is darkness, how dense must the darkness be! "No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.

The lamp of the body is the eye. When your eyesight is good, your whole body also is lighted up; but when it is defective, your body is darkened. Consider therefore whether the light that is in you is anything but mere darkness. If, however, your whole body is penetrated with light, and has no part dark, it will be so lighted, all of it, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light."

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For it is always he who asks that receives, he who seeks that finds, and he who knocks that has the door opened to him. What man is there among you, who if his son shall ask him for bread will offer him a stone?read more.
Or if the son shall ask him for a fish will offer him a snake? If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Everything, therefore, be it what it may, that you would have men do to you, do you also the same to them; for in this the Law and the Prophets are summed up.

"So I say to you, 'Ask, and what you ask for shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.' For every one who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door shall be opened. And what father is there among you, who, if his son asks for a slice of bread, will offer him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish offer him a snake?read more.
or if he asks for an egg, will offer him a scorpion? If you then, with all your human frailty, know how to give your children gifts that are good for them, how much more certainly will your Father who is in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

"Every one who hears these my teachings and acts upon them will be found to resemble a wise man who builds his house upon rock; and the heavy rain falls, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and beat against the house; yet it does not fall, for its foundation is on rock. And every one who hears these my teachings and does not act upon them will be found to resemble a fool who builds his house upon sand.read more.
The heavy rain descends, the swollen torrents come, and the winds blow and burst upon the house, and it falls; and disastrous is the fall."

Every one who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them in practice, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who digs and goes deep, and lays the foundation on the rock; and when a flood comes, the torrent bursts upon that house, but is unable to shake it, because it is securely built. But he who has heard and not practised is like a man who has built a house upon the soft soil without a foundation, against which the torrent bursts, and immediately it collapses, and terrible is the wreck and ruin of that house."

"Every one," replied Jesus, "who drinks any of this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks any of the water that I shall give him will never, never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become a fountain within him of water springing up for the Life of the Ages."

"I am the bread of Life," replied Jesus; "he who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never, never thirst. But it is as I have said to you: you have seen me and yet you do not believe. Every one whom the Father gives me will come to me, and him who comes to me I will never on any account drive away.read more.
For I have left Heaven and have come down to earth not to seek my own pleasure, but to do the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that of all that He has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it to life on the last day. For this is my Father's will, that every one who fixes his gaze on the Son of God and believes in Him should have the Life of the Ages, and I will raise him to life on the last day."

Jesus therefore said to those of the Jews who had now believed in Him, "As for you, if you hold fast to my teaching, then you are truly my disciples; and you shall know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free."

I am the Door. If any one enters by me, he will find safety, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy: I have come that they may have Life, and may have it in abundance.

"I am the Resurrection and the Life," said Jesus; "he who believes in me, even if he has died, he shall live; and every one who is living and is a believer in me shall never, never die. Do you believe this?"

But Jesus cried aloud, "He who believes in me, believes not so much in me, as in Him who sent me; and he who sees me sees Him who sent me. I have come like light into the world, in order that no one who believes in me may remain in the dark.

One day, passing along the shore of the Lake of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, throwing their nets in the Lake; for they were fisherman. "Come and follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you fishers for men." At once they left their nets and followed Him.

And walking along the shore of the Lake of Galilee He saw two brothers--Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew--throwing a drag-net into the Lake; for they were fishers. And He said to them, "Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." So they immediately left their nets and followed Him. As He went further on,read more.
He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zabdi and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zabdi mending their nets; and He called them. And they at once left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Going on a little further He saw James the son of Zabdi and his brother John: they also were in the boat mending the nets, and He immediately called them. They therefore left their father Zabdi in the boat with the hired men, and went and followed Him.

Passing on thence Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, "Follow me." And he arose, and followed Him.

And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the Toll Office, and said to him, "Follow me." So he rose and followed Him.

After this He went out and noticed a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the Toll office; and He said to him, "Follow me." He rose, left everything, and followed Him.

Those, therefore, who joyfully welcomed his Message were baptized; and on that one day about three thousand persons were added to them;

Those, however, who had been driven in various directions by the persecution which broke out on account of Stephen made their way to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, delivering the Message to none but Jews. But some of them were Cyprians and Cyrenaeans, who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also and told them the Good News concerning the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and there were a vast number who believed and turned to the Lord.

Then, throwing off all reserve, Paul and Barnabas said, "We were bound to proclaim God's Message to you first. But since you spurn it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of the Life of the Ages--well, we turn to the Gentiles. For such is the Lord's command to us. "'I have placed Thee,' He says of Christ, 'as a light to the Gentiles, in order that Thou mayest be a Saviour as far as the remotest parts of the earth.'" The Gentiles listened with delight and extolled the Lord's Message; and all who were pre-destined to the Life of the Ages believed.

On the Sabbath we went beyond the city gate to the riverside, where we had reason to believe that there was a place for prayer; and sitting down we talked with the women who had come together. Among our hearers was one named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods. She belonged to the city of Thyateira, and was a worshipper of the true God. The Lord opened her heart, so that she gave attention to what Paul was saying. When she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If in your judgement I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she made us go there.

But though He had performed such great miracles in their presence, they did not believe in Him-- in order that the words of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, "Lord, who has believed our preaching? And the arm of the Lord--to whom has it been unveiled?" For this reason they were unable to believe--because Isaiah said again,read more.
"He has blinded their eyes and made their minds callous, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their minds, and should turn, and I should heal them." Isaiah uttered these words because he saw His glory; and he spoke of Him.

I speak to them in figurative language for this reason, that while looking they do not see, and while hearing they neither hear nor understand. And in regard to them the prophecy of Isaiah is receiving signal fulfilment: "'You will hear and hear and by no means understand, and you will look and look and by no means see. For this people's mind is stupefied, their hearing has become dull, and their eyes they have closed; to prevent their ever seeing with their eyes, or hearing with their ears, or understanding with their minds, and turning back, so that I might heal them.'

When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language. "To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language; that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'"

The disciples proceeded to ask Him what this parable meant. "To you," He replied, "it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but all others are taught by parables, in order that they may see and yet not see, and may hear and yet not understand.

And so Scripture says, "God has given them a spirit of drowsiness--eyes to see nothing with and ears to hear nothing with--even until now."

Therefore I warn you, and I implore you in the name of the Master, no longer to live as the Gentiles in their perverseness live, with darkened understandings, having by reason of the ignorance which is deep-seated in them and the insensibility of their moral nature, no share in the Life which God gives. Such men being past feeling have abandoned themselves to impurity, greedily indulging in every kind of profligacy.

He who has received the seed among the thorns is the man who hears the Message, but the cares of the present age and the delusions of riches quite stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message, but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful.

That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection.

"No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.

"No servant can be in bondage to two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will cling fast to one and scorn the other. You cannot be bondservants both of God and of gold."

For Demas has deserted me--loving, as he does, the present age--and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

You unfaithful women, do you not know that friendship with the world means enmity to God? Therefore whoever is bent on being friendly with the world makes himself an enemy to God.

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, there is no love in his heart for the Father.

"The man who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me is scattering abroad.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever is not gathering with me is scattering abroad.

Because for the mind to be given up to earthly things means death; but for it to be given up to spiritual things means Life and peace. Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God. Such a mind does not submit to God's Law, and indeed cannot do so. And those whose hearts are absorbed in earthly things cannot please God.

Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke out boldly about Him. But when the Festival was already half over, Jesus went up to the Temple and commenced teaching. The Jews were astonished. "How does this man know anything of books," they said, "although he has never been at any of the schools?"read more.
Jesus answered their question by saying, "My teaching does not belong to me, but comes from Him who sent me. If any one is willing to do His will, he shall know about the teaching, whether it is from God or originates with me. The man whose teaching originates with himself aims at his own glory. He who aims at the glory of Him who sent him teaches the truth, and there is no deception in him. Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet not a man of you obeys the Law. Why do you want to kill me?" "You are possessed by a demon," replied the crowd; "no one wants to kill you."

when the Jews gathered round Him and kept asking Him, "How long do you mean to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us so plainly." "I have told you," answered Jesus, "and you do not believe. The deeds that I do in my Father's name--they give testimony about me. But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep.read more.
My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them the Life of the Ages, and they shall never, never perish, nor shall any one wrest them from my hand. What my Father has given me is more precious than all besides; and no one is able to wrest anything from my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Again the Jews brought stones with which to stone Him. Jesus remonstrated with them. "Many good deeds," He said, "have I shown you as coming from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?" "For no good deed," the Jews replied, "are we going to stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, who are only a man, are making yourself out to be God."

So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin while they conferred among themselves. "What are we to do with these men?" they asked one another; for the fact that a remarkable miracle has been performed by them is well known to every one in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But to prevent the matter spreading any further among the people, let us stop them by threats from speaking in the future in this name to any one whatever."read more.
So they recalled the Apostles, and ordered them altogether to give up speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus.

This roused the High Priest. He and all his party--the sect of the Sadducees--were filled with angry jealousy and laid hands upon the Apostles, and put them into the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,read more.
"Go and stand in the Temple, and go on proclaiming to the people all this Message of Life." Having received that command they went into the Temple, just before daybreak, and began to teach: So when the High Priest and his party came, and had called together the Sanhedrin as well as all the Elders of the descendants of Israel, they sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles. But the officers went and could not find them in the prison. So they came back and brought word, saying, "The jail we found quite safely locked, and the warders were on guard at the doors, but upon going in we found no one there." When the Commander of the Temple Guards and the High Priests heard this statement, they were utterly at a loss with regard to it, wondering what would happen next. And some one came and brought them word, saying, "The men you put in prison are actually in the Temple, standing there, teaching the people." Upon this the Commander went with the officers, and brought the Apostles; but without using violence; for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. So they brought them and made them stand in front of the Sanhedrin. And then the High Priest questioned them. "We strictly forbad you to teach in that name--did we not?" he said. "And see, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and are trying to make us responsible for that man's death!"

"O stiff-necked men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you also are continually at strife with the Holy Spirit--just as your forefathers were. Which of the Prophets did not your forefathers persecute? Yes, they killed those who announced beforehand the advent of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become-- you who received the Law given through angels, and yet have not obeyed it."

Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God. But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall.

But, when the seven days were nearly over, the Jews from the province of Asia, having seen Paul in the Temple, set about rousing the fury of all the people against him. They laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! help! This is the man who goes everywhere preaching to everybody against the Jewish people and the Law and this place. And besides, he has even brought Gentiles into the Temple and has desecrated this holy place." (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and imagined that Paul had brought him into the Temple.)read more.
The excitement spread through the whole city, and the people rushed in crowds to the Temple, and there laid hold of Paul and began to drag him out; and the Temple gates were immediately closed. But while they were trying to kill Paul, word was taken up to the Tribune in command of the battalion, that all Jerusalem was in a ferment. He instantly sent for a few soldiers and their officers, and came down among the people with all speed. At the sight of the Tribune and the troops they ceased beating Paul.

For you, brethren, followed the example of the Churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judaea; seeing that you endured the same ill-treatment at the hands of your countrymen, as they did at the hands of the Jews. Those Jewish persecutors killed both the Lord Jesus and the Prophets, and drove us out of their midst. They are displeasing to God, and are the enemies of all mankind; for they still try to prevent our preaching to the Gentiles so that they may find salvation. They thus continually fill up the measure of their own sins, and God's anger in its severest form has overtaken them.

For this reason we ought to pay the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, for fear we should drift away from them. For if the message delivered through angels proved to be true, and every transgression and act of disobedience met with just retribution, how shall *we* escape if we are indifferent to a salvation as great as that now offered to us? This, after having first of all been announced by the Lord Himself, had its truth made sure to us by those who heard Him,read more.
while God corroborated their testimony by signs and marvels and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed in accordance with His own will.

Why, what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what could a man give to buy back his life? Every one, however, who has been ashamed of me and of my teachings in this faithless and sinful age, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."

I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who after killing has power to throw into Gehenna: yes, I say to you, fear him.

He was passing through town after town and village after village, steadily proceeding towards Jerusalem, when some one asked Him, "Sir, are there but few who are to be saved?" "Strain every nerve to force your way in through the narrow gate," He answered; "for multitudes, I tell you, will endeavour to find a way in and will not succeed.read more.
As soon as the Master of the house shall have risen and shut the door, and you have begun to stand outside and knock at the door and say, "'Sir, open the door for us' --"'I do not know you,' He answers; 'you are no friends of mine.' "Then you will plead, "'We have eaten and drunk in your company and you have taught in our streets.' "But He will reply, "'I tell you that you are no friends of mine. Begone from me, all of you, wrongdoers that you are.' "There will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourselves being driven far away. They will come from east and west, from north and south, and will sit down at the banquet in the Kingdom of God. And I tell you that some now last will then be first, and some now first will then be last."

And if any one hears my teachings and regards them not, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who sets me at naught and does not receive my teachings is not left without a judge: the Message which I have spoken will judge him on the last day. Because I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me, Himself gave me a command what to say and in what words to speak.read more.
And I know that His command is the Life of the Ages. What therefore I speak, I speak just as the Father has bidden me."

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once for all been enlightened, and have tasted the sweetness of the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have realized how good the word of God is and how mighty are the powers of the coming Age, and then fell away-- it is impossible, I say, to keep bringing them back to a new repentance, for, to their own undoing, they are repeatedly crucifying the Son of God afresh and exposing Him to open shame.

How much severer punishment, think you, will he be held to deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, has not regarded as holy that Covenant-blood with which he was set free from sin, and has insulted the Spirit from whom comes grace? For we know who it is that has said, "Vengeance belongs to Me: I will pay back;" and again, "The Lord will be His people's judge." It is an awful thing to fall into the hands of the ever-living God.

Be careful not to refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you. For if they of old did not escape unpunished when they refused to listen to him who spoke on earth, much less shall we escape who turn a deaf ear to Him who now speaks from Heaven.

These people are wells without water, mists driven along by a storm, men for whom the dense darkness has been reserved. For, while they pour out their frivolous and arrogant talk, they use earthly cravings--every kind of immorality--as a bait to entrap men who are just escaping from the influence of those who live in error. And they promise them freedom, although they are themselves the slaves of what is corrupt. For a man is the slave of any one by whom he has been worsted in fight.read more.
For if, after escaping from the pollutions of the world through a full knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, people are once more entangled in these pollutions and are overcome, their last state has become worse than their first. For it would have been better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandments in which they were instructed. Their case is that described in the true proverb, "A dog returns to what he has vomited," and also in the other proverb, "The sow has washed itself and now goes back to roll in its filth."

"Teacher," said one man, coming up to Him, "what that is good shall I do in order to win the Life of the Ages?" "Why do you ask me," He replied, "about what is good? There is only One who is truly good. But if you desire to enter into Life, keep the Commandments." "Which Commandments?" he asked. Jesus answered, "'Thou shalt not kill;' 'Thou shalt not commit adultery;' 'Thou shalt not steal;' 'Thou shalt not lie in giving evidence;'read more.
Honour thy father and thy mother'; and 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.'" "All of these," said the young man, "I have carefully kept. What do I still lack?" "If you desire to be perfect," replied Jesus, "go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; and come, follow me." On hearing those words the young man went away much cast down; for he had much property.

As He went out to resume His journey, there came a man running up to Him, who knelt at His feet and asked, "Good Rabbi, what am I to do in order to inherit the Life of the Ages?" "Why do you call me good?" asked Jesus in reply; "there is no one truly good except One--that is, God. You know the Commandments--'Do not murder;' 'Do not commit adultery;' 'Do not steal;' 'Do not lie in giving evidence;' 'Do not defraud;' 'Honour thy father and thy mother.'"read more.
"Rabbi," he replied, "all these Commandments I have carefully obeyed from my youth." Then Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said, "One thing is lacking in you: go, sell all you possess and give the proceeds to the poor, and you shall have riches in Heaven; and come and be a follower of mine." At these words his brow darkened, and he went away sad; for he was possessed of great wealth.

The question was put to Him by a Ruler: "Good Rabbi, what shall I do to inherit the Life of the Ages?" "Why do you call me good?" replied Jesus; "there is no one good but One, namely God. You know the Commandments: 'Do not commit adultery;' 'Do not murder;' 'Do not steal;' 'Do not lie in giving evidence;' 'Honour thy father and thy mother.'"read more.
"All of those," he replied, "I have kept from my youth." On receiving this answer Jesus said to him, "There is still one thing wanting in you. Sell everything you possess and give the money to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; and then come, follow me." But on hearing these words he was deeply sorrowful, for he was exceedingly rich.

Peter and the other Apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than man. The God of our forefathers has raised Jesus to life, whom you crucified and put to death. God has exalted Him to His right hand as Chief Leader and as Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.read more.
And we--and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him--are witnesses as to these things." Infuriated at getting this answer, they were disposed to kill the Apostles.

"O stiff-necked men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you also are continually at strife with the Holy Spirit--just as your forefathers were. Which of the Prophets did not your forefathers persecute? Yes, they killed those who announced beforehand the advent of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become-- you who received the Law given through angels, and yet have not obeyed it."read more.
As they listened to these words, they became infuriated and gnashed their teeth at him. But, full of the Holy Spirit and looking up to Heaven, Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand. "I can see Heaven wide open," he said, "and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand." Upon this, with a loud outcry they stopped their ears, rushed upon Stephen in a body, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him, the witnesses throwing off their outer garments and giving them into the care of a young man called Saul.

When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection of dead men, some began to scoff. But others said, "We will hear you again on that subject."

On the next Sabbath almost the whole population of the city came together to hear the Lord's Message. Seeing the crowds, the Jews, filled with angry jealousy, opposed Paul's statements and abused him. Then, throwing off all reserve, Paul and Barnabas said, "We were bound to proclaim God's Message to you first. But since you spurn it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of the Life of the Ages--well, we turn to the Gentiles.read more.
For such is the Lord's command to us. "'I have placed Thee,' He says of Christ, 'as a light to the Gentiles, in order that Thou mayest be a Saviour as far as the remotest parts of the earth.'"

Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith. There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ. He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours;read more.
and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands. There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank--she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world." After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"

Not long after this, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, a Jewess, and sending for Paul, listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. But when he dealt with the subjects of justice, self-control, and the judgement which was soon to come, Felix became alarmed and said, "For the present leave me, and when I can find a convenient opportunity I will send for you."

As Paul thus made his defence, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, "You are raving mad, Paul; and great learning is driving you mad." "I am not mad, most noble Festus," replied Paul; "I am speaking words of sober truth. For the King, to whom I speak freely, knows about these matters. I am not to be persuaded that any detail of them has escaped his notice; for these things have not been done in a corner.read more.
King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe them." Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to persuade me to become a Christian."

I have given them Thy Message, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

As soon, however, as the Jews of Thessalonica learnt that God's Message had been proclaimed by Paul at Beroea, they came there also, and incited the mob to a riot.

But Elymas (or 'the Magician,' for such is the meaning of the name)

But the jealousy of the Jews was aroused, and, calling to their aid some ill-conditioned and idle fellows, they got together a riotous mob and filled the city with uproar. They then attacked the house of Jason and searched for Paul and Silas, to bring them out before the assembly of people. But, failing to find them, they dragged Jason and some of the other brethren before the magistrates of the city, loudly accusing them. "These men," they said, "who have raised a tumult throughout the Empire, have come here also. Jason has received them into his house; and they all set Caesar's authority at defiance, declaring that there is another Emperor-- one called Jesus."read more.
Great was the excitement among the crowd, and among the magistrates of the city, when they heard these charges. They required Jason and the rest to find substantial bail, and after that they let them go.

And Saul fully approved of his murder. At this time a great persecution broke out against the Church in Jerusalem, and all except the Apostles were scattered throughout Judaea and Samaria. A party of devout men, however, buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul cruelly harassed the Church. He went into house after house, and, dragging off both men and women, threw them into prison.

for this reason in our distress and trouble we have been comforted about you, brethren, by your faith.

So the Lord's Message spread through the whole district. But the Jews influenced the gentlewomen of rank who worshipped with them, and also the leading men in the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the district.

It so increases that we ourselves make honourable mention of you among the Churches of God because of your patience and faith amid all your persecutions and amid the afflictions which you are enduring.