48 Bible Verses about Missionaries, Support For

be upon your guard with such men, for they will deliver you up to their tribunals, and scourge you in their synagogues. and ye shall be brought before governors and kings upon my account, to bear testimony of me to them and the rest of the Gentiles. but when they take you. into custody, be not sollicitous, how or what ye shall speak, for at the very instant you shall be inspir'd what to say.read more.
for it is not properly you that speak, but the spirit of your father that speaketh by you. then the brother shall betray his brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against their parents, and be the instruments of their death. and ye shall be hated by all the world for professing my name: but he that perseveres unto the end, shall escape. Then if they persecute you in one city, fly to another: for I assure you, before you have preach'd thro' all the cities of the Jews, the son of man will come.

now when they shall lead you to deliver you up, be not sollicitous about your defence, don't premeditate upon it; but what shall be suggested to you at the very occasion, that deliver: for it is not you that will plead, but the holy spirit. then the brother shall betray his brother to death, and the father his son: children shall prosecute their parents, and be the instruments to take away their lives: you will be the object of universal hatred upon my account; but he that shall persevere unto the end, shall be saved.

but before all these events, they will seize upon you and persecute you, drag you to the synagogues and to prisons, being accused before kings and governours, for professing my name. and that shall be one proof of the truth of your profession. fix it therefore in your mind, not to think beforehand about your defence.read more.
for I will make you speak with such strength of argument, as all your adversaries shall not be able to contradict or withstand. you will be betrayed even by your very parents, and brethren, and kindred, and friends. nay, some of you they will prosecute even to death. you will be hated by all mankind for professing my name, however a single hair of your head shall not be lost. by your perseverance you will save your souls.

for when I came to Macedonia, I had no respit from the trouble that beset me on every side: oppositions from without, and apprehensions within.

what shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or penury, or peril, or sword? for as it is written, "for thy sake we are sacrificed every day; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter:"

for as long as I live I shall be exposed to death for the sake of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest by the preservation of our mortal life. so that I suffer the influences of his death, while you only feel the effects of his life. Having by the same spirit the same faith as David had when he said, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken:" I also believe, and therefore I speak;

as for us, we give no occasion of offence, that our ministry may not be blamed: but in all things I approve myself as the minister of God, by great constancy in afflictions, in torments, in distresses, from stripes, from imprisonments, from tumults, from labours, from watchings, from penury.

so am I: are they ministers of Christ? is it my vanity? I am more so: in toilsome labours I surpass them, in stripes I am exceedingly beyond them, in prisons I have been oftner, and frequently in the very jaws of death. from the Jews I have five times received forty stripes save one. thrice was I whip'd with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I was shipwreck'd; a night and a day I was floating on the deep:read more.
in my voyages I have been frequently in perils from rivers, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the country, in perils at sea, in perils among false brethren; expos'd to toil, to fatigue, to frequent watchings, to hunger and thirst, to frequent fastings, to cold and penury. besides these troubles from without, that which crouds upon me daily, the care of all the churches. who is afflicted, and I not suffer? who is offended, and I not inflam'd?

I know how to abound: every where, and in every circumstance, I have been prepar'd for fulness or famine, for plenty or penury:

for I have a very fair and promising opportunity given me of propagating the gospel, tho' there are many opposers.

but to prevent its spreading any further among the people, let us charge them with threats not to speak for the future to any man in that name. so they called them in, and commanded them not to speak or teach upon any account, in the name of Jesus.

when some out of the several synagogues, belonging to the freed men, to the Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and to those of Cilicia, and of Asia, came to dispute with Stephen.

Having travers'd the isle as far as to Paphos, they found a Jew there nam'd Barjesus, who was a false prophet and magician: he was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of prudence: who sent for Barnabas and Saul, desiring to hear the word of God. but Elymas (a name which signifies Magus) opposed them, endeavouring to seduce the proconsul from the faith.

on the contrary, notwithstanding the outrages, you know we suffer'd at Philippi, we had still the resolution, by the divine assistance, to preach the gospel of God to you without reserve against all opposition.

then said Jesus to them again, "peace be with you: as my father hath sent me, even so send I you." and when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "receive ye the holy spirit.

and I am going to send you what my father has promis'd you. but continue in the city of Jerusalem, until you shall be endued with power from on high.

but ye shall receive the influence of the holy spirit, which will descend upon you: and ye shall be witnesses for me, in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the remotest part of the earth.

for I will not offer to mention any thing, but what Christ has wrought by me, to make the Gentiles christians, both in profession and practice: by virtue of the miracles and prodigies wrought by the power of the divine spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and the neighbouring country, quite to Illyricum,

my discourse, and my preaching did not consist in the persuasive reasonings of human wisdom, but in demonstrating the spiritual meaning of the scriptures: that your faith might not be owing to human wisdom, but to the divine influence.

teaching them to observe every thing which I have enjoin'd you: and be assured I shall be always with you to the end of the world.

as for the disciples, they went and preached the gospel in all parts: the Lord co-operating with them, and confirming their doctrine by the miracles that accompany'd it.

(since I am with thee, and no man shall lift up his hand so as to hurt thee:) for my people in this city are numerous."

from thence they sailed to Antioch, where they had been recommended to the favour of God, for the commission, which they had now discharg'd.

accordingly, after having fasted and prayed they gave them imposition of hands, and dismiss'd them.

but Paul chose Silas, and having been recommended by the brethren to the favour of God,

and being determin'd to pass into Achaia, the brethren who advis'd him to it, writ to the disciples to receive him. when he was arrived, he was, by the divine favour, very useful to those, who had receiv'd the faith.

when I take my journey into Spain, I hope to see you in my way, and be forwarded by you to that place, after having for some time enjoy'd the pleasure of your company.

now as to Titus, he is my collegue, and assists me in your affairs: as to our brethren, they are the deputies of the churches, and the glory of the christian profession. wherefore show how much you love them, and how well you deserve the character I gave you, before all the churches.

dispatch Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos, and take care that nothing be wanting to their journey.

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem, heard that the Samaritans had embraced the word of God, they sent Peter and John,

Of this the church at Jerusalem being appriz'd, they order'd Barnabas to go to Antioch; who upon his arrival there, was glad to see such effects of the divine grace, and exhorted them all to remain firmly attach'd to the christian profession:

Being thus dispatch'd, they went to Antioch; where having assembled all the faithful, they deliver'd the letter: from the reading of which, they were affected with joy at the comfortable contents, as for Judas and Silas, they being also prophets, they consolated and confirm'd the brethren by several discourses.

on the contrary, when they perceived that I had the province of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, as Peter had that of preaching it to the Jews, (for he that had wrought powerfully in Peter with respect to his apostleship among the Jews, had also wrought powerfully in me upon account of the Gentiles:) and when James, Peter, and John, who were esteemed to be pillars, perceived the favour that was bestowed on me, they admitted me and Barnabas into fellowship, and agreed, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.

however, you acted generously in assisting me in my necessity: and you yourselves know, O Philippians, that when I first preach'd the gospel, at my departure from Macedonia, I receiv'd no manner of assistance from any other church but yours; for you sent more than once to Thessalonica to supply my occasions.read more.
not that I desire a present; but what I desire is, that the fruits of your liberality may greatly redound to your own account. I have now receiv'd the whole, and have more than sufficient: I am loaded with the presents you sent by Epaphroditus, which I have receiv'd as grateful incense, as a sacrifice which God accepts and approves.

however I thought it necessary to send you Epaphroditus my brother, my collegue in the ministry, and my fellow-soldier, whom you had sent to supply my wants:

if for your benefit we have sown spirituals, is it so extraordinary if we should reap some benefit from your temporals? if others partake of your substance, have not I a better title? nevertheless, I have not made use of this privilege; but bear with any thing rather than obstruct the gospel of Christ. don't you know, that they who prepare the sacrifices, do eat of the sacrifice in the temple? and they who wait at the altar, have their portion from the altar?read more.
even so has the Lord ordained, that they who preach the gospel, should live by the gospel.

I shall come to you, by the way of Macedonia: (for I pass thro' Macedonia) and perhaps I shall make some stay, if not pass the winter with you, that you may forward me on my journey, wherever I go.

Let him that is instructed in the word freely communicate his good things to him that teaches him.

we never courted you nor any others, from an affectation of human applause. instead of making our apostolical character any ways expensive to you, as we might; we behav'd to you with a tender regard, even as a mother, who nurses her own children. Our affection therefore to you being so great, we were as ready to give our lives for you, as we were to communicate the divine gospel to you, so much did you engage our love.

put up your requests likewise for me, that God would give me an opportunity to declare the mystery of Christ (for which I am even in bonds:)

in particular for me, that I may have leave to speak without any restraint, and make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an embassador, tho' in chains: that I may duely represent it to the full.

for I know that this shall turn to my deliverance, thro' your prayers, by the spirit, which Jesus Christ will supply me with,

My brethren, pray for us.

To conclude, pray for us, my brethren, that the doctrine of the Lord may make its progress, and be respected every where as it is among you:

the brethren there having had news of us, came as far as Appiiforum, and the Three inns to meet us: whom when Paul saw, he gave thanks to God, and was greatly encourag'd.

However, I hope by the favour of the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you very soon, that I may have some encouragement by knowing the state of your affairs:

Endeavour to come to me very soon: for Damas, out of love to this world has abandon'd me, and is gone to Thessalonica: Crescens, to Galatia: and Titus, to Dalmatia. only Luke is with me. take Mark and bring him with you; because he will be useful to me in the ministry.

When I shall send you Artemas, or Tychicus, endeavour to meet me at Nicopolis: for I have determined to winter there.