48 Bible Verses about Missionaries, Support For

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.read more.
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.

Now when they take you to court for trial, do not be worrying beforehand about what you should say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you that will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. One brother will turn another over to death, and a father his child, and children will take a stand against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everybody, because you bear my name. But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.

But before all this takes place, people will arrest you and persecute you, and turn you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. It will furnish you an opportunity to testify. So you must purpose in your hearts not to prepare beforehand how to make your defense,read more.
for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute. Yes, you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be continuously hated by everyone, because you bear my name. And yet not a single hair on your head will perish. By your endurance you will win your souls.

For even after I had gotten to Macedonia, my frail, human nature could find no relief; I was crushed with sorrow at every turn -- fighting without and fears within.

Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can suffering or misfortune or persecution or hunger or destitution or danger or the sword? As the Scripture says: "For your sake we are being put to death the livelong day; we are treated like sheep to be slaughtered."

For all the time I continue to live I am being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that in my mortal lower nature the life of Jesus may be clearly shown. So it is death that works in me, but it is life that works in you. Now since I have the same spirit of faith as he who said in the Scriptures, "I believed, and so I spoke," I too believe, and so I speak,

To keep my ministry from being found fault with, I am trying not to put a single hindrance in anybody's way. 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; in floggings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, and hunger;

Are they ministers of Christ? So am I. I am talking like a man that has gone crazy -- as such I am superior! -- serving Him with labors greater by far, with far more imprisonments, with floggings vastly worse, and often at the point of death. Five times I have taken thirty-nine lashes from the Jews, three times I have been beaten by the Romans, once I was pelted with stones; three times I have been shipwrecked, and once I have spent a day and a night adrift at sea.read more.
I have served Him on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the heathen, dangers in the city, dangers in the desert, dangers at sea, dangers from false brothers, through toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger and thirst, through many a fasting season, poorly clad and exposed to cold. Besides all other things, there is my concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak too? Who is caused to fall without my being fired with indignation?

I know how to live in lowly circumstances and I know how to live in plenty. I have learned the secret, in all circumstances, of either getting a full meal or of going hungry, of living in plenty or being in want.

For I have an opportunity here that is great and calls for work, and it has many opponents.

But to keep it from spreading farther among the people, let us severely threaten them not to say anything at all to anyone else about this person." So they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all about the name of Jesus.

But members of the synagogue known as that of the Libyans, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, got to debating with Stephen,

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.

But, although we had just suffered and been insulted, as you remember, at Philippi, we again summoned courage by the help of God, in spite of the terrific strain, to tell you God's good news.

Jesus again said to them, "Peace be with you! Just as my Father has sent me forth, so I am now sending you." On saying this, He breathed upon them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit!

And I will send down upon you what my Father has promised. But you, on your part, must stay right here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

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."

For I would venture to mention only what Christ has accomplished through me in bringing the heathen peoples to obedience, by word and by work, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So I have completed the telling of the good news of Christ all the way from Jerusalem around to Illyricum.

and my language and the message I preached were not adorned with pleasing words of worldly wisdom, but they were attended with proof and power given by the Spirit, so that your faith might not be in men's wisdom, but in God's power.

and teach them to practice all the commands that I have given you. And I myself will surely be with you all the days, down to the very close of an age."

Then they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept on working with them and confirming their message by the signs that attended it.

because I am with you, and no one is going to attack you so as to injure you, because I have many people in this city."

and from there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been committed to God's favor for the work which they had finished.

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

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

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,

when I make my trip to Spain, I certainly hope to see you on my way there and to be helped forward by you, after I have enjoyed being with you awhile.

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 you must furnish them, before all the churches, proof of your love and ground for my praising you so highly.

Give a hearty send-off to Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos, so that they may want for nothing.

When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted God's message, they sent Peter and John there.

Now the news about them came to the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and so they sent Barnabas all the way to Antioch. When he reached there and saw the spiritual blessing God had given them, he was delighted, and continuously encouraged them all with hearty purpose to continue to be devoted to the Lord;

So the messengers were sent out, and they went down to Antioch, called a meeting of the congregation, and delivered the letter. When they had read it, they were delighted with the encouragement it brought them. Now Judas and Silas, as they were prophets themselves, in a lengthy talk encouraged and strengthened the brothers.

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 you did me a kindness to share my sorrow with me. And you Philippians yourselves know that immediately after the good news was first preached to you, when I left Macedonia, no church but yours went into partnership with me to open an account of credits and debits. Even while I was at Thessalonica you sent money more than once for my needs.read more.
It is not your gift that I want, but I do want the profits to pile up to your credit. I have received your payment in full, and more too. I am amply supplied after getting the things you sent by Epaphroditus; they are like sweet incense, the kind of sacrifice that God accepts and approves.

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,

If we have sown the spiritual seed for you, is it too great for us to reap a material support from you? If others share this right with you, have we not a stronger claim? Yet, we have never used this right; no, we keep on bearing everything, to keep from hindering the progress of the good news of Christ. Do you not know that those who do the work about the temple get their living from the temple, and those who constantly attend on the altar share its offerings?read more.
Just so the Lord has issued orders that those who preach the good news shall get their living out of it.

I will come to see you after I pass through Macedonia -- for I am to pass through Macedonia -- and I shall likely stay over with you some time, or maybe spend the winter with you, so that you may help me on to whatever points I may visit.

Those who are taught the truth should share all their goods with the man who teaches them.

We never sought praise from men, either from you or from anyone else; although as apostles we could have stood on our official dignity. Instead we were little children among you; we were like a mother nursing her children. 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.

At the same time keep on praying for me too, that God may open the door of opportunity for the message, so that I may tell the open secret about Christ, for the sake of which I am held a prisoner,

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.

for I know that through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my spiritual welfare,

Brothers, pray for us.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the message of the Lord may continue to spread and prove its glorious power as it did among you,

Because the brothers at Rome had heard of our coming, they came as far as Appius' Market and the Three Taverns to meet us, and as soon as Paul caught sight of them, he thanked God and took courage.

I hope, with the approval of the Lord Jesus, soon to send Timothy to you, so that I too may be cheered on getting the news about you.

Do your best to come to me soon, for Demas has forsaken me because he loved the present world, and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia; Luke is the only one who is now with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is of great service to me,

When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.