48 Bible Verses about Missionaries, Support For
Most Relevant Verses
But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to appear before Sanhedrins, and will flog you in their synagogues; and you will even be put on trial before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. But when they have delivered you up, have no anxiety as to how you shall speak or what you shall say; for at that very time it shall be given you what to say;read more.
for it is not you who will speak: it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and father, child; and children will rise against their own parents and will put them to death. And you will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; but he who holds out to the End--he will be saved. Whenever they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for I solemnly tell you that you will not have gone the round of all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
When however they are marching you along under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but speak what is given you when the time comes; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.
"But before all these things happen they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you up to synagogues and to prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my sake. In the end all this will be evidence of your fidelity. "Make up your minds, however, not to prepare a defence beforehand,read more.
for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to withstand or reply to. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, friends; and some of you they will put to death. You will be the objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name; and yet not a hair of your heads shall perish. By your patient endurance you will purchase your lives.
For even after our arrival in Macedonia we could get no relief such as human nature craves. We were greatly harassed; there were conflicts without and fears within.
Who shall separate us from Christ's love? Shall affliction or distress, persecution or hunger, nakedness or danger or the sword? As it stands written in the Scripture, "For Thy sake they are, all day long, trying to kill us. We have been looked upon as sheep destined for slaughter."
For we, alive though we are, are continually surrendering ourselves to death for the sake of Jesus, so that in this mortal nature of ours it may also be clearly shown that Jesus lives. Thus we are constantly dying, while you are in full enjoyment of Life. But possessing the same Spirit of faith as he who wrote, "I believed, and therefore I have spoken," we also believe, and therefore we speak.
We endeavour to give people no cause for stumbling in anything, lest the work we are doing should fall into discredit. On the contrary, as God's servants, we seek their full approval--by unwearied endurance, by afflictions, by distress, by helplessness; by floggings, by imprisonments; by facing riots, by toil, by sleepless watching, by hunger and thirst;
Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as if I were out of my mind.) From the Jews I five times have received forty lashes all but one. Three times I have been beaten with Roman rods, once I have been stoned, three times I have been shipwrecked, once for full four and twenty hours I was floating on the open sea.read more.
I have served Him by frequent travelling, amid dangers in crossing rivers, dangers from robbers; dangers from my own countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles; dangers in the city, dangers in the Desert, dangers by sea, dangers from spies in our midst; with labour and toil, with many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fastings, in cold, and with insufficient clothing. And besides other things, which I pass over, there is that which presses on me daily--my anxiety for all the Churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led astray into sin, and I am not aflame with indignation?
I know both how to live in humble circumstances and how to live amid abundance. I am fully initiated into all the mysteries both of fulness and of hunger, of abundance and of want.
for a wide door stands open before me which demands great efforts, and we have many opponents.
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." So they recalled the Apostles, and ordered them altogether to give up speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus.
But some members of the so-called 'Synagogue of the Freed-men,' together with some Cyrenaeans, Alexandrians, Cilicians and men from Roman Asia, were roused to encounter Stephen in debate.
When they had gone through the whole length of the island as far as Paphos, they there met with a Jewish magician and false prophet, Bar-Jesus by name, who was a friend of the Proconsul Sergius Paulus. The Proconsul was a man of keen intelligence. He sent for Barnabas and Saul, and asked to be told God's Message. But Elymas (or 'the Magician,' for such is the meaning of the name)
But, as you will remember, after we had already met with suffering and outrage at Philippi, we summoned up boldness, by the help of our God, to tell you God's Good News amid much opposition.
A second time, therefore, He said to them, "Peace be to you! As the Father sent me, I also now send you." Having said this He breathed upon them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
And remember that I am about to send out my Father's promised gift to rest upon you. But, as for you, wait patiently in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
and yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the remotest parts of the earth."
For I will not presume to mention any of the results that Christ has brought about by other agency than mine in securing the obedience of the Gentiles by word or deed, with power manifested in signs and marvels, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. But--to speak simply of my own labours--beginning in Jerusalem and the outlying districts, I have proclaimed without reserve, even as far as Illyricum, the Good News of the Christ;
And my language and the Message that I proclaimed were not adorned with persuasive words of earthly wisdom, but depended upon truths which the Spirit taught and mightily carried home; so that your trust might rest not on the wisdom of man but on the power of God.
and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age."
But they went out and made proclamation everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming their Message by the signs which accompanied it.
I am with you, and no one shall attack you to injure you; for I have very many people in this city."
Thence they sailed to Antioch, where they had previously been commended to the grace of God in connexion with the work which they had now completed.
But Paul chose Silas as his travelling companion; and set out, after being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord;
Then, as he had made up his mind to cross over into Greece, the brethren wrote to the disciples in Corinth begging them to give him a kindly welcome. Upon his arrival he rendered valuable help to those who through grace had believed;
I hope, as soon as ever I extend my travels into Spain, to see you on my way and be helped forward by you on my journey, when I have first enjoyed being with you for a time.
As for Titus, remember that he is a partner with me, and is my comrade in my labours for you. And as for our brethren, remember that they are delegates from the Churches, and are men in whom Christ is glorified. Exhibit therefore to the Churches a proof of your love, and a justification of our boasting to these brethren about you.
Help Zenas the lawyer forward on his journey with special care, and Apollos, so that they may have all they require.
When the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John to visit them.
When tidings of this reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch. On getting there he was delighted to see the grace which God had bestowed; and he encouraged them all to remain, with fixed resolve, faithful to the Lord.
They, therefore, having been solemnly sent, came down to Antioch, where they called together the whole assembly and delivered the letter. The people read it, and were delighted with the comfort it brought them. And Judas and Silas, being themselves also Prophets, gave them a long and encouraging talk, and strengthened them in the faith.
Indeed, when they saw that I was entrusted with the preaching of the Good News to the Gentiles as Peter had been with that to the Jews-- for He who had been at work within Peter with a view to his Apostleship to the Jews had also been at work within me with a view to my Apostleship to the Gentiles-- and when they perceived the mission which was graciously entrusted to me, they (that is to say, James, Peter, and John, who were considered to be the pillars of the Church)
Yet I thank you for taking your share in my troubles. And you men and women of Philippi also know that at the first preaching of the Good News, when I had left Macedonia, no other Church except yourselves held communication with me about giving and receiving; because even in Thessalonica you sent several times to minister to my needs.read more.
Not that I crave for gifts from you, but I do want to see abundant fruit bring you honour. I have enough of everything--and more than enough. My wants are fully satisfied now that I have received from the hands of Epaphroditus the generous gifts which you sent me--they are a fragrant odor, an acceptable sacrifice, truly pleasing to God.
Yet I deem it important to send Epaphroditus to you now--he is my brother and comrade both in labour and in arms, and is your messenger who has ministered to my needs.
If it is we who sowed the spiritual grain in you, is it a great thing that we should reap a temporal harvest from you? If other teachers possess that right over you, do not we possess it much more? Yet we have not availed ourselves of the right, but we patiently endure all things rather than hinder in the least degree the progress of the Good News of the Christ. Do you not know that those who perform the sacred rites have their food from the sacred place, and that those who serve at the altar all alike share with the altar?read more.
In the same way the Lord also directed those who proclaim the Good News to maintain themselves by the Good News.
I shall come to you after passing through Macedonia; for my plan will be to pass through Macedonia; and I shall make some stay with you perhaps, or even spend the winter with you, in order that you may help me forward, whichever way I travel.
But let those who receive instruction in Christian truth share with their instructors all temporal blessings.
nor did we seek glory either from you or from any other mere men, although we might have stood on our dignity as Christ's Apostles. On the contrary, in our relations to you we showed ourselves as gentle as a mother is when she tenderly nurses her own children. Seeing that we were thus drawn affectionately towards you, it would have been a joy to us to have imparted to you not only God's Good News, but to have given our very lives also, because you had become very dear to us.
And pray at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door for preaching, for us to tell the truth concerning Christ for the sake of which I am even a prisoner.
and ask on my behalf that words may be given to me so that, outspoken and fearless, I may make known the truths (hitherto kept secret) to spread which I am an ambassador in chains--so that when telling them I may speak out boldly as I ought.
For I know that it will result in my salvation through your prayers and a bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
Finally, brethren, pray for us, asking that the Lord's Message may be spread rapidly and its glory be displayed, as it was displayed among you;
Meanwhile the brethren there, hearing of our movements, came as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Huts to meet us; and when Paul saw them he thanked God and felt encouraged.
But, if the Lord permits it, I hope before long to send Timothy to you, that I, in turn, may be cheered by getting news of you.
Make an effort to come to me speedily. 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. Luke is the only friend I now have with me. Call for Mark on your way and bring him with you, for he is a great help to me in my ministry.
After I have sent Artemas or Tychicus to you, lose no time in joining me at Nicopolis; for I have decided to pass the winter there.
