34 Bible Verses about Religion

Then Peter began to speak. "I clearly see," he said, "that God makes no distinctions between one man and another; but that in every nation those who fear Him and live good lives are acceptable to Him.

The religious service which is pure and stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self unspotted from the world.

But you, my dearly-loved friends, building yourselves up on the basis of your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, must keep yourselves safe in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will result in the Life of the Ages.

But for this very reason--adding, on your part, all earnestness-- along with your faith, manifest also a noble character: along with a noble character, knowledge; along with knowledge, self-control; along with self-control, power of endurance; along with power of endurance, godliness; along with godliness, brotherly affection; and along with brotherly affection, love. read more.
If these things exist in you, and continually increase, they prevent your being either idle or unfruitful in advancing towards a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the man in whom they are lacking is blind and cannot see distant objects, in that he has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his old sins.

"Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?" "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,'" He answered, "'with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind.' This is the greatest and foremost Commandment. read more.
And the second is similar to it: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.' The whole of the Law and the Prophets is summed up in these two Commandments."

For their efficacy depends only on meats and drinks and various washings, ceremonies pertaining to the body and imposed until a time of reformation.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing: obedience to God's commandments is everything.

They profess to know God; but in their actions they disown Him, and are detestable and disobedient men, and for any good work are utterly useless.

"Not every one who says to me, 'Master, Master,' will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, but only those who are obedient to my Father who is in Heaven.

"And why do you all call me 'Master, Master' and yet not do what I tell you?

and will keep up a make-believe of piety and yet live in defiance of its power. Turn away from people of this sort.

"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone.

If you have died with Christ and have escaped from the world's rudimentary notions, why, as though your life still belonged to the world, do you submit to such precepts as

But the Lord's reply to him was, "Hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his bullock or his ass from the stall and lead him to water?

The reason he said this was not that he cared for the poor, but that he was a thief, and that being in charge of the money-box, he used to steal what was put into it.

For men of that stamp are not bondservants of Christ our Lord, but are slaves to their own appetites; and by their plausible words and their flattery they utterly deceive the minds of the simple.

Perceiving their wickedness, Jesus replied, "Why are you hypocrites trying to ensnare me?

Vain pretenders! You know how to read the aspect of earth and sky. How is it you cannot read this present time?

"I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God.

and Paul desiring that he should accompany him on his journey, took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

And they, when they had heard his statement, gave the glory to God. Then they said, "You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of Jews there are among those who have accepted the faith, and they are all zealous upholders of the Law.

And some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what the Law forbids on the Sabbath?"

and how in devotion to Judaism I outstripped many men of my own age among my people, being far more zealous than they on behalf of the traditions of my forefathers.

so that you may be men of transparent character, and may be blameless, in preparation for the day of Christ,

Therefore let us keep our festival not with old yeast nor with the yeast of what is evil and mischievous, but with bread free from yeast--the bread of transparent sincerity and of truth.

For the reason for our boasting is this--the testimony of our own conscience that it was in holiness and with pure motives before God, and in reliance not on worldly wisdom but on the gracious help of God, that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and above all in our relations with you.

We are; for, unlike most teachers, we are not fraudulent hucksters of God's Message; but with transparent motives, as commissioned by God, in God's presence and in communion with Christ, so we speak.

and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices."

The religious service which is pure and stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self unspotted from the world.

Meanwhile the people had come streaming towards Him by tens of thousands, so that they were trampling one another under foot. And now He proceeded to say to His disciples first, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is to say, beware of hypocrisy.

They profess to know God; but in their actions they disown Him, and are detestable and disobedient men, and for any good work are utterly useless.

through the hypocrisy of men who teach falsely and have their own consciences seared as with a hot iron;

The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law.

Now, however, having come to know God--or rather to be known by Him--how is it you are again turning back to weak and worthless rudimentary notions to which you are once more willing to be enslaved?

and when they come from market they will not eat without bathing first; and they have a good many other customs which they have received traditionally and cling to, such as the rinsing of cups and pots and of bronze utensils, and the washing of beds.)

Now, therefore, why try an experiment upon God, by laying on the necks of these disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?

Christ having made us gloriously free--stand fast and do not again be hampered with the yoke of slavery.

If you have died with Christ and have escaped from the world's rudimentary notions, why, as though your life still belonged to the world, do you submit to such precepts as

and yet by His beneficence He has not left His existence unattested--His beneficence, I mean, in sending you rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and joyfulness."

For as I passed along and observed the things you worship, I found also an altar bearing the inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' "The Being, therefore, whom you, without knowing Him, revere, Him I now proclaim to you. GOD who made the universe and everything in it--He, being Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries built by men. Nor is He ministered to by human hands, as though He needed anything--but He Himself gives to all men life and breath and all things. read more.
He caused to spring from one forefather people of every race, for them to live on the whole surface of the earth, and marked out for them an appointed span of life and the boundaries of their homes; that they might seek God, if perhaps they could grope for Him and find Him. Yes, though He is not far from any one of us. For it is in closest union with Him that we live and move and have our being; as in fact some of the poets in repute among yourselves have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

As soon as I saw that they were not walking uprightly in the spirit of the Good News, I said to Peter, before them all, "If you, though you are a Jew, live as a Gentile does, and not as a Jew, how can you make the Gentiles follow Jewish customs?

you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief?

And why do you look at the splinter in your brother's eye, and not notice the beam which is in your own eye?

Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.

He who professes to know Him, and yet does not obey His commands, is a liar, and the truth has no place in his heart.

Out of the same mouth there proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be.

Through faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain did, and through this faith he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God giving the testimony by accepting his gifts; and through it, though he is dead, he still speaks.

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to show piety towards their own homes and to prove their gratitude to their parents; for this is well pleasing in the sight of God.

Suppose a Christian brother or sister is poorly clad or lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that?

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your petition has been heard: and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call his name John.

And Zechariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke in a rapture of praise. "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel," he said, "Because He has not forgotten His people but has effected redemption for them, And has raised up a mighty Deliverer for us In the house of David His servant-- read more.
As He has spoken from all time by the lips of His holy Prophets-- To deliver us from our foes and from the power of all who hate us. He dealt pitifully with our forefathers, And remembered His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our forefather, To grant us to be rescued from the power of our foes And so render worship to Him free from fear, In piety and uprightness before Him all our days. And you moreover, O child, shall be called Prophet of the Most High; For you shall go on in front before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, To give to His People a knowledge of salvation In the forgiveness of their sins, Through the tender compassion of our God, Through which the daybreak from on high will come to us, Dawning on those who now dwell in the darkness and shadow of death--To direct our feet into the path of peace."

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For I recall the sincere faith which is in your heart--a faith which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully convinced, now dwells in you also.

"Sir," he said, "have pity on my son, for he is an epileptic and is very ill. Often he falls into the fire and often into the water.

For I recall the sincere faith which is in your heart--a faith which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully convinced, now dwells in you also.

"And when praying, you must not be like the hypocrites. They are fond of standing and praying in the synagogues or at the corners of the wider streets, in order that men may see them. I solemnly tell you that they already have their reward.

Then he took them, even at that time of night, washed their wounds, and he and all his household were immediately baptized;

She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching.

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.

For he was a good man, and was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith; and the number of believers in the Lord greatly increased.

They profess to know God; but in their actions they disown Him, and are detestable and disobedient men, and for any good work are utterly useless.

You are therefore without excuse, O man, whoever you are who sit in judgement upon others. For when you pass judgement on your fellow man, you condemn yourself; for you who sit in judgement upon others are guilty of the same misdeeds;

There was also Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, belonging to the tribe of Asher. She was of a very great age, having had after her maidenhood seven years of married life, and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night, with fasting and prayer.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem of the name of Symeon, an upright and God-fearing man, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. To him it had been revealed by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Anointed One. Led by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do with regard to Him according to the custom of the Law, read more.
he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Now, O Sovereign Lord, Thou dost send Thy servant away in peace, in fulfilment of Thy word, Because mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, Which Thou hast made ready in the sight of all nations-- A light to shine upon the Gentiles, And the glory of Thy people Israel." And while the child's father and mother were wondering at the words of Symeon concerning Him, Symeon blessed them and said to Mary the mother, "This child is appointed for the falling and the uprising of many in Israel and for a token to be spoken against; and a sword will pierce through your own soul also; that the reasonings in many hearts may be revealed."

"And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city,

Then the father recollected that that was the time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son has recovered," and he and his whole household became believers.

He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" --that is to say, the Anointed One.

He was religious and God-fearing--and so was every member of his household. He was also liberal in his charities to the people, and continually offered prayer to God.

"And why do you all call me 'Master, Master' and yet not do what I tell you?

If a child is circumcised even on a Sabbath day, are you bitter against me because I have restored a man to perfect health on a Sabbath day?

After He had finished teaching all these things in the hearing of the people, He went into Capernaum. Here the servant of a certain Captain, a man dear to his master, was ill and at the point of death; and the Captain, hearing about Jesus, sent to Him some of the Jewish Elders, begging Him to come and restore his servant to health. read more.
And they, when they came to Jesus, earnestly entreated Him, pleading, "He deserves to have this favour granted him, for he loves our nation, and at his own expense he built our synagogue for us." Then Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the Captain sent friends to Him with the message: "Sir, do not trouble to come. I am not worthy of having you come under my roof; and therefore I did not deem myself worthy to come to you. Only speak the word, and let my young man be cured. For I too am a man obedient to authority, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this or that,' and he does it." Jesus listened to the Captain's message and was astonished at him, and He turned and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I tell you that not even in Israel have I found faith like that." And the friends who had been sent, on returning to the house, found the servant in perfect health.

"Return home," He said, "and tell there all that God has done for you." So he went and published through the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, and said of him, "Look! here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceitfulness!"

And He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone: for I do always what is pleasing to Him."

Now there was a man in Jerusalem of the name of Symeon, an upright and God-fearing man, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

and then being a widow of eighty-four years. She was never absent from the Temple, but worshipped, by day and by night, with fasting and prayer.

She was a Gentile woman, a Syro-phoenician by nation: and again and again she begged Him to expel the demon from her daughter.

and as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the babe leapt within her. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

Then Mary said: "My soul extols the Lord,

For I recall the sincere faith which is in your heart--a faith which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully convinced, now dwells in you also.