# verses

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Wonder fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread through the Judean hills.


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And everyone who heard about it thought long thoughts and asked, "I wonder what this child will turn out to be? For the hand of the Lord is surely upon him in some special way."


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"And you, my little son, shall be called the prophet of the glorious God, for you will prepare the way for the Messiah.


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All this will be because the mercy of our God is very tender, and heaven's dawn is about to break upon us,


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to give light to those who sit in darkness and death's shadow, and to guide us to the path of peace."


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The little boy greatly loved God and when he grew up he lived out in the lonely wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.


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About this time Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the nation.


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And because Joseph was a member of the royal line, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, King David's ancient home--journeying there from the Galilean village of Nazareth.


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and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.


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Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened,


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but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone!


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When this great army of angels had returned again to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on! Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."


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They ran to the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.


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Then the shepherds went back again to their fields and flocks, praising God for the visit of the angels, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had told them.


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Eight days later, at the baby's circumcision ceremony, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was even conceived.


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When the time came for Mary's purification offering at the Temple, as required by the laws of Moses after the birth of a child, his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord;


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for in these laws God had said, "If a woman's first child is a boy, he shall be dedicated to the Lord."


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At that time Jesus' parents also offered their sacrifice for purification--"either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons" was the legal requirement.


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That day a man named Simeon, a Jerusalem resident, was in the Temple. He was a good man, very devout, filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly expecting the Messiah to come soon.


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For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen him--God's anointed King.


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The Holy Spirit had impelled him to go to the Temple that day; and so, when Mary and Joseph arrived to present the baby Jesus to the Lord in obedience to the law,


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Simeon blessed them but then said to Mary, "A sword shall pierce your soul, for this child shall be rejected by many in Israel, and this to their undoing.


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But he will be the greatest joy of many others. And the deepest thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed."


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Anna, a prophetess, was also there in the Temple that day. She was the daughter of Phanuel, of the Jewish tribe of Asher, and was very old, for she had been a widow for eighty-four years following seven years of marriage.


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She never left the Temple but stayed there night and day, worshiping God by praying and often fasting.


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She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she also began thanking God and telling everyone in Jerusalem who had been awaiting the coming of the Savior that the Messiah had finally arrived.


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When Jesus' parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the Law of God they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.


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There the child became a strong, robust lad, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessings on him.


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When Jesus was twelve years old he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year.


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After the celebration was over they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him the first day,


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for they assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends;


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Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of Law, discussing deep questions with them


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His parents didn't know what to think. "Son!" his mother said to him. "Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere."


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"But why did you need to search?" he asked. "Didn't you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father's House?"


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Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored away all these things in her heart.


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In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius Caesar, a message came from God to John (the son of Zacharias), as he was living out in the deserts. (Pilate was governor over Judea at that time; Herod, over Galilee; his brother Philip, over Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, over Abilene; and Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests.)


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Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God and away from their sins, in order to be forgiven.


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In the words of Isaiah the prophet, John was "a voice shouting from the barren wilderness, 'Prepare a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before him!


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Here is a sample of John's preaching to the crowds that came for baptism: "You brood of snakes! You are trying to escape hell without truly turning to God! That is why you want to be baptized!


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First go and prove by the way you live that you really have repented. And don't think you are safe because you are descendants of Abraham. That isn't enough. God can produce children of Abraham from these desert stones!


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The axe of his judgment is poised over you, ready to sever your roots and cut you down. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire."


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"If you have two coats," he replied, "give one to the poor. If you have extra food, give it away to those who are hungry."


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Even tax collectors--notorious for their corruption--came to be baptized and asked, "How shall we prove to you that we have abandoned our sins?"


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"By your honesty," he replied. "Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to."


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"And us," asked some soldiers, "what about us?" John replied, "Don't extort money by threats and violence; don't accuse anyone of what you know he didn't do; and be content with your pay!"


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Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and eager to know whether or not John was he. This was the question of the hour and was being discussed everywhere.


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John answered the question by saying, "I baptize only with water; but someone is coming soon who has far higher authority than mine; in fact, I am not even worthy of being his slave. He will baptize you with fire--with the Holy Spirit.


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He will separate chaff from grain, and burn up the chaff with eternal fire and store away the grain."


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(But after John had publicly criticized Herod, governor of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrongs he had done,


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Then one day, after the crowds had been baptized, Jesus himself was baptized; and as he was praying, the heavens opened,


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and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove settled upon him, and a voice from heaven said, "You are my much loved Son, yes, my delight."


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Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Joseph's father was Heli;


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Heli's father was Matthat; Matthat's father was Levi; Levi's father was Melchi; Melchi's father was Jannai; Jannai's father was Joseph;


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Joseph's father was Mattathias; Mattathias' father was Amos; Amos' father was Nahum; Nahum's father was Esli; Esli's father was Naggai;


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Naggai's father was Maath; Maath's father was Mattathias; Mattathias' father was Semein; Semein's father was Josech; Josech's father was Joda;


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Joda's father was Joanan; Joanan's father was Rhesa; Rhesa's father was Zerubbabel; Zerubbabel's father was Shealtiel; Shealtiel's father was Neri;


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Neri's father was Melchi; Melchi's father was Addi; Addi's father was Cosam; Cosam's father was Elmadam; Elmadam's father was Er;


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Er's father was Joshua; Joshua's father was Eliezer; Eliezer's father was Jorim; Jorim's father was Matthat; Matthat's father was Levi;


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Levi's father was Simeon; Simeon's father was Judah; Judah's father was Joseph; Joseph's father was Jonam; Jonam's father was Eliakim;


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Eliakim's father was Melea; Melea's father was Menna; Menna's father was Mattatha; Mattatha's father was Nathan; Nathan's father was David;


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David's father was Jesse; Jesse's father was Obed; Obed's father was Boaz; Boaz' father was Salmon; Salmon's father was Nahshon;


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Nahshon's father was Amminadab; Amminadab's father was Admin; Admin's father was Arni; Arni's father was Hezron; Hezron's father was Perez; Perez' father was Judah;


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Judah's father was Jacob; Jacob's father was Isaac; Isaac's father was Abraham; Abraham's father was Terah; Terah's father was Nahor;


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Nahor's father was Serug; Serug's father was Reu; Reu's father was Peleg; Peleg's father was Eber; Eber's father was Shelah;


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Shelah's father was Cainan; Cainan's father was Arphaxad; Arphaxad's father was Shem; Shem's father was Noah; Noah's father was Lamech;


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Lamech's father was Methuselah; Methuselah's father was Enoch; Enoch's father was Jared; Jared's father was Mahalaleel; Mahalaleel's father was Cainan;


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Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River, being urged by the Spirit out into the barren wastelands of Judea, where Satan tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry.


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But Jesus replied, "It is written in the Scriptures, 'Other things in life are much more important than bread!' "


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for they are mine to give to anyone I wish--if you will only get down on your knees and worship me."


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Then Satan took him to Jerusalem to a high roof of the Temple and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off!


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Then Jesus returned to Galilee, full of the Holy Spirit's power. Soon he became well known throughout all that region


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When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on Saturday, and stood up to read the Scriptures.


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"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors,


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He closed the book and handed it back to the attendant and sat down, while everyone in the synagogue gazed at him intently.


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All who were there spoke well of him and were amazed by the beautiful words that fell from his lips. "How can this be?" they asked. "Isn't this Joseph's son?"


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Then he said, "Probably you will quote me that proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself'--meaning, 'Why don't you do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum?'


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For example, remember how Elijah the prophet used a miracle to help the widow of Zarephath--a foreigner from the land of Sidon.


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There were many Jewish widows needing help in those days of famine, for there had been no rain for three and a half years, and hunger stalked the land; yet Elijah was not sent to them.


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Or think of the prophet Elisha, who healed Naaman, a Syrian, rather than the many Jewish lepers needing help."


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and jumping up, they mobbed him and took him to the edge of the hill on which the city was built, to push him over the cliff.


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Then he returned to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and preached there in the synagogue every Saturday.


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Here, too, the people were amazed at the things he said. For he spoke as one who knew the truth, instead of merely quoting the opinions of others as his authority.


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"Go away! We want nothing to do with you, Jesus from Nazareth. You have come to destroy us. I know who you are--the Holy Son of God."


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Jesus cut him short. "Be silent!" he told the demon. "Come out!" The demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched, and then left him without hurting him further.


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After leaving the synagogue that day, he went to Simon's home where he found Simon's mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. "Please heal her," everyone begged.


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Standing at her bedside he spoke to the fever, rebuking it, and immediately her temperature returned to normal, and she got up and prepared a meal for them!


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As the sun went down that evening, all the villagers who had any sick people in their homes, no matter what their diseases were, brought them to Jesus; and the touch of his hands healed every one!


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Some were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, "You are the Son of God." But because they knew he was the Christ, he stopped them and told them to be silent.


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Early the next morning he went out into the desert. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them but to stay at Capernaum.


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But he replied, "I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other places too, for that is why I was sent."


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One day as he was preaching on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the Word of God.


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Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push out a little into the water, so that he could sit in the boat and speak to the crowds from there.


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When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets and you will catch a lot of fish!"


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"Sir," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again."


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A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.


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When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, "Oh, sir, please leave us--I'm too much of a sinner for you to have around."


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and his partners too--James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus replied, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for the souls of men!"


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One day in a certain village he was visiting, there was a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell to the ground before him, face downward in the dust, begging to be healed. "Sir," he said, "if you only will, you can clear me of every trace of my disease."


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Jesus reached out and touched the man and said, "Of course I will. Be healed." And the leprosy left him instantly!


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Then Jesus instructed him to go at once without telling anyone what had happened and be examined by the Jewish priest. "Offer the sacrifice Moses' law requires for lepers who are healed," he said. "This will prove to everyone that you are well."


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Now the report of his power spread even faster and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.


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One day while he was teaching, some Jewish religious leaders and teachers of the Law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord's healing power was upon him.


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Then--look! Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to push through the crowd to Jesus but couldn't reach him.


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So they went up on the roof above him, took off some tiles and lowered the sick man down into the crowd, still on his sleeping mat, right in front of Jesus.


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"Who does this fellow think he is?" the Pharisees and teachers of the Law exclaimed among themselves. "This is blasphemy! Who but God can forgive sins?"


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But talk is cheap--anybody could say that. So I'll prove it to you by healing this man." Then, turning to the paralyzed man, he commanded, "Pick up your stretcher and go on home, for you are healed!"


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And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped to his feet, picked up his mat and went home praising God!


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Everyone present was gripped with awe and fear. And they praised God, remarking over and over again, "We have seen strange things today."


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Later on as Jesus left the town he saw a tax collector--with the usual reputation for cheating--sitting at a tax collection booth. The man's name was Levi. Jesus said to him, "Come and be one of my disciples!"


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Soon Levi held a reception in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi's fellow tax collectors and other guests were there.


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But the Pharisees and teachers of the Law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples about his eating with such notorious sinners.


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My purpose is to invite sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think themselves already good enough."


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Their next complaint was that Jesus' disciples were feasting instead of fasting. "John the Baptist's disciples are constantly going without food and praying," they declared, "and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are yours wining and dining?"


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Then Jesus used this illustration: "No one tears off a piece of a new garment to make a patch for an old one. Not only will the new garment be ruined, but the old garment will look worse with a new patch on it!


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And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, for the new wine bursts the old skins, ruining the skins and spilling the wine.


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But no one after drinking the old wine seems to want the fresh and the new. 'The old ways are best,' they say."


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One Sabbath as Jesus and his disciples were walking through some grainfields, they were breaking off the heads of wheat, rubbing off the husks in their hands and eating the grains.


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But some Pharisees said, "That's illegal! Your disciples are harvesting grain, and it's against the Jewish law to work on the Sabbath."


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Jesus replied, "Don't you read the Scriptures? Haven't you ever read what King David did when he and his men were hungry?


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He went into the Temple and took the shewbread, the special bread that was placed before the Lord, and ate it--illegal as this was--and shared it with others."


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On another Sabbath he was in the synagogue teaching, and a man was present whose right hand was deformed.


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The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched closely to see whether he would heal the man that day, since it was the Sabbath. For they were eager to find some charge to bring against him.


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How well he knew their thoughts! But he said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand here where everyone can see." So he did.


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Then Jesus said to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, "I have a question for you. Is it right to do good on the Sabbath day, or to do harm? To save life, or to destroy it?"


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He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, "Reach out your hand." And as he did, it became completely normal again.


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At daybreak he called together his followers and chose twelve of them to be the inner circle of his disciples. (They were appointed as his "apostles," or "missionaries.")


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Here are their names: Simon (he also called him Peter),  Andrew (Simon's brother),  James,  John,  Philip,  Bartholomew,


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Matthew,  Thomas,  James (the son of Alphaeus),  Simon (a member of the Zealots, a subversive political party),


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When they came down the slopes of the mountain, they stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers who, in turn, were surrounded by the crowds. For people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon


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Everyone was trying to touch him, for when they did, healing power went out from him and they were cured.


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Then he turned to his disciples and said, "What happiness there is for you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours!


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What happiness there is for you who are now hungry, for you are going to be satisfied! What happiness there is for you who weep, for the time will come when you shall laugh with joy!


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What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear your name because you are mine!


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When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For you will have a great reward awaiting you in heaven. And you will be in good company--the ancient prophets were treated that way too!


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They are fat and prosperous now, but a time of awful hunger is before them. Their careless laughter now means sorrow then.


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And what sadness is ahead for those praised by the crowds--for false prophets have always been praised.


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"If someone slaps you on one cheek, let him slap the other too! If someone demands your coat, give him your shirt besides.


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Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't worry about getting them back.


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And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even the most wicked will lend to their own kind for full return!


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"Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned about the fact that they won't repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as sons of God: for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are very wicked.


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"Never criticize or condemn--or it will all come back on you. Go easy on others; then they will do the same for you.


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For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give--large or small--will be used to measure what is given back to you."


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Here are some of the story-illustrations Jesus used in his sermons: "What good is it for one blind man to lead another? He will fall into a ditch and pull the other down with him.


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"And why quibble about the speck in someone else's eye--his little fault --when a board is in your own?


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How can you think of saying to him, 'Brother, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the board in yours? Hypocrite! First get rid of the board, and then perhaps you can see well enough to deal with his speck!


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"A tree from good stock doesn't produce scrub fruit nor do trees from poor stock produce choice fruit.


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A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces. Figs never grow on thorns, or grapes on bramble bushes.


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A good man produces good deeds from a good heart. And an evil man produces evil deeds from his hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.


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But all those who come and listen and obey me are like a man who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock.


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"But those who listen and don't obey are like a man who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it crumbles into a heap of ruins."


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When the captain heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave.


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So they began pleading earnestly with Jesus to come with them and help the man. They told him what a wonderful person the captain was. "If anyone deserves your help, it is he," they said,


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Jesus went with them; but just before arriving at the house, the captain sent some friends to say, "Sir, don't inconvenience yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of any such honor or even to come and meet you.


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because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my men. I only need to say 'Go!' and they go; or 'Come!' and they come; and to my slave, 'Do this or that,' and he does it. So just say, 'Be healed!' and my servant will be well again!"


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Jesus was amazed. Turning to the crowd he said, "Never among all the Jews in Israel have I met a man with faith like this."


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Not long afterwards Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, with the usual great crowd at his heels.


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A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The boy who had died was the only son of his widowed mother, and many mourners from the village were with her.


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Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. "Laddie," he said, "come back to life again."


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A great fear swept the crowd, and they exclaimed with praises to God, "A mighty prophet has risen among us," and, "We have seen the hand of God at work today."


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The disciples of John the Baptist soon heard of all that Jesus was doing. When they told John about it,


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he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him, "Are you really the Messiah? Or shall we keep on looking for him?"


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The two disciples found Jesus while he was curing many sick people of their various diseases--healing the lame and the blind and casting out evil spirits. When they asked him John's question,


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this was his reply: "Go back to John and tell him all you have seen and heard here today: how those who were blind can see. The lame are walking without a limp. The lepers are completely healed. The deaf can hear again. The dead come back to life. And the poor are hearing the Good News.


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After they left, Jesus talked to the crowd about John. "Who is this man you went out into the Judean wilderness to see?" he asked. "Did you find him weak as grass, moved by every breath of wind?


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Did you find him dressed in expensive clothes? No! Men who live in luxury are found in palaces, not out in the wilderness.


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He is the one to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, 'Look! I am sending my messenger ahead of you, to prepare the way before you.'


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In all humanity there is no one greater than John. And yet the least citizen of the Kingdom of God is greater than he."


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And all who heard John preach--even the most wicked of them --agreed that God's requirements were right, and they were baptized by him.


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All, that is, except the Pharisees and teachers of Moses' Law. They rejected God's plan for them and refused John's baptism.


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They are like a group of children who complain to their friends, 'You don't like it if we play "wedding" and you don't like it if we play "funeral'!


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For John the Baptist used to go without food and never took a drop of liquor all his life, and you said, 'He must be crazy!'


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But I eat my food and drink my wine, and you say, 'What a glutton Jesus is! And he drinks! And has the lowest sort of friends!'


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One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for lunch and Jesus accepted the invitation. As they sat down to eat,


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a woman of the streets--a prostitute--heard he was there and brought an exquisite flask filled with expensive perfume.


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Going in, she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping, with her tears falling down upon his feet; and she wiped them off with her hair and kissed them and poured the perfume on them.


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When Jesus' host, a Pharisee, saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, "This proves that Jesus is no prophet, for if God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman this one is!"


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Then Jesus spoke up and answered his thoughts. "Simon," he said to the Pharisee, "I have something to say to you." "All right, Teacher," Simon replied, "go ahead."


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Then Jesus told him this story: "A man loaned money to two people--$5,000 to one and $500 to the other.


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But neither of them could pay him back, so he kindly forgave them both, letting them keep the money! Which do you suppose loved him most after that?"


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Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Look! See this woman kneeling here! When I entered your home, you didn't bother to offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.


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You refused me the customary kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in.


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You neglected the usual courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has covered my feet with rare perfume.


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Therefore her sins--and they are many--are forgiven, for she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love."


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Then the men at the table said to themselves, "Who does this man think he is, going around forgiving sins?"


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Not long afterwards he began a tour of the cities and villages of Galilee to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God, and took his twelve disciples with him.


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Some women went along, from whom he had cast out demons or whom he had healed; among them were Mary Magdalene (Jesus had cast out seven demons from her),


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Joanna, Chuza's wife (Chuza was King Herod's business manager and was in charge of his palace and domestic affairs), Susanna, and many others who were contributing from their private means to the support of Jesus and his disciples.


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One day he gave this illustration to a large crowd that was gathering to hear him--while many others were still on the way, coming from other towns.


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"A farmer went out to his field to sow grain. As he scattered the seed on the ground, some of it fell on a footpath and was trampled on; and the birds came and ate it as it lay exposed.


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Other seed fell on shallow soil with rock beneath. This seed began to grow, but soon withered and died for lack of moisture.


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Still other fell on fertile soil; this seed grew and produced a crop one hundred times as large as he had planted." (As he was giving this illustration he said, "If anyone has listening ears, use them now!")


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He replied, "God has granted you to know the meaning of these parables, for they tell a great deal about the Kingdom of God. But these crowds hear the words and do not understand, just as the ancient prophets predicted.


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The hard path where some seed fell represents the hard hearts of those who hear the words of God, but then the devil comes and steals the words away and prevents people from believing and being saved.


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The stony ground represents those who enjoy listening to sermons, but somehow the message never really gets through to them and doesn't take root and grow. They know the message is true, and sort of believe for awhile; but when the hot winds of persecution blow, they lose interest.


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The seed among the thorns represents those who listen and believe God's words but whose faith afterwards is choked out by worry and riches and the responsibilities and pleasures of life. And so they are never able to help anyone else to believe the Good News.


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"But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people. They listen to God's words and cling to them and steadily spread them to others who also soon believe."


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 Another time he asked, "Who ever heard of someone lighting a lamp and then covering it up to keep it from shining? No, lamps are mounted in the open where they can be seen.


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This illustrates the fact that someday everything  in men's hearts shall be brought to light and made plain to all.


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So be careful how you listen; for whoever has, to him shall be given more; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."


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Once when his mother and brothers came to see him, they couldn't get into the house where he was teaching because of the crowds.


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One day about that time, as he and his disciples were out in a boat, he suggested that they cross to the other side of the lake.


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On the way across he lay down for a nap, and while he was sleeping the wind began to rise. A fierce storm developed that threatened to swamp them, and they were in real danger.


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They rushed over and woke him up. "Master, Master, we are sinking!" they screamed. So he spoke to the storm: "Quiet down," he said, and the wind and waves subsided and all was calm!


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Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?" And they were filled with awe and fear of him and said to one another, "Who is this man, that even the winds and waves obey him?"


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As he was climbing out of the boat a man from the city of Gadara came to meet him, a man who had been demon-possessed for a long time. Homeless and naked, he lived in a cemetery among the tombs.


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As soon as he saw Jesus he shrieked and fell to the ground before him, screaming, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? Please, I beg you, oh, don't torment me!"


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For Jesus was already commanding the demon to leave him. This demon had often taken control of the man so that even when shackled with chains he simply broke them and rushed out into the desert, completely under the demon's power.


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"What is your name?" Jesus asked the demon. "Legion," they replied--for the man was filled with thousands of them!


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A herd of pigs was feeding on the mountainside nearby, and the demons pled with him to let them enter into the pigs. And Jesus said they could.


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So they left the man and went into the pigs, and immediately the whole herd rushed down the mountainside and fell over a cliff into the lake below, where they drowned.


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Soon a crowd came out to see for themselves what had happened and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting quietly at Jesus' feet, clothed and sane! And the whole crowd was badly frightened.


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And everyone begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone (for a deep wave of fear had swept over them). So he returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake.


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"Go back to your family," he told him, "and tell them what a wonderful thing God has done for you." So he went all through the city telling everyone about Jesus' mighty miracle.


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On the other side of the lake the crowds received him with open arms, for they had been waiting for him.


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And now a man named Jairus, a leader of a Jewish synagogue, came and fell down at Jesus' feet and begged him to come home with him,


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for his only child was dying, a little girl twelve years old. Jesus went with him, pushing through the crowds.


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As they went a woman who wanted to be healed came up behind and touched him, for she had been slowly bleeding for twelve years, and could find no cure (though she had spent everything she had on doctors).


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"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, so many are crowding against you. . . . "


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But Jesus told him, "No, it was someone who deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me."


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When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him and told why she had touched him and that now she was well.


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While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the Jairus' home with the news that the little girl was dead. "She's gone," he told her father; "there's no use troubling the Teacher now."


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But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to the father, "Don't be afraid! Just trust me, and she'll be all right."


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When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn't let anyone into the room except Peter, James, John, and the little girl's father and mother.


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The home was filled with mourning people, but he said, "Stop the weeping! She isn't dead; she is only asleep!"


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Her parents were overcome with happiness, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone the details of what had happened.


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One day Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them authority over all demons--power to cast them out--and to heal all diseases.


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Then he sent them away to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.


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"Don't even take along a walking stick," he instructed them, "nor a beggar's bag, nor food, nor money. Not even an extra coat.


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"If the people of a town won't listen to you when you enter it, turn around and leave, demonstrating God's anger against it by shaking its dust from your feet as you go."


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When reports of Jesus' miracles reached Herod, the governor, he was worried and puzzled, for some were saying, "This is John the Baptist come back to life again";


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and others, "It is Elijah or some other ancient prophet risen from the dead." These rumors were circulating all over the land.


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"I beheaded John," Herod said, "so who is this man about whom I hear such strange stories?" And he tried to see him.


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After the apostles returned to Jesus and reported what they had done, he slipped quietly away with them toward the city of Bethsaida.


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But the crowds found out where he was going and followed. And he welcomed them, teaching them again about the Kingdom of God and curing those who were ill.


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Late in the afternoon all twelve of the disciples came and urged him to send the people away to the nearby villages and farms, to find food and lodging for the night. "For there is nothing to eat here in this deserted spot," they said.


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But Jesus replied, "You feed them!" "Why, we have only five loaves of bread and two fish among the lot of us," they protested; "or are you expecting us to go and buy enough for this whole mob?"


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For there were about 5,000 men there! "Just tell them to sit down on the ground in groups of about fifty each," Jesus replied.


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Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and looked up into the sky and gave thanks; then he broke off pieces for his disciples to set before the crowd.


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One day as he was alone, praying, with his disciples nearby, he came over and asked them, "Who are the people saying I am?"


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"John the Baptist," they told him, "or perhaps Elijah or one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead."


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"For I, the Messiah, must suffer much," he said, "and be rejected by the Jewish leaders--the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the Law--and be killed; and three days later I will come back to life again!"


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Then he said to all, "Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me!


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Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it;


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"When I, the Messiah, come in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels, I will be ashamed then of all who are ashamed of me and of my words now.


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But this is the simple truth--some of you who are standing here right now will not die until you have seen the Kingdom of God."


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And as he was praying, his face began to shine, and his clothes became dazzling white and blazed with light.


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They were splendid in appearance, glorious to see; and they were speaking of his death at Jerusalem, to be carried out in accordance with God's plan.


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Peter and the others had been very drowsy and had fallen asleep. Now they woke up and saw Jesus covered with brightness and glory, and the two men standing with him.


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As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, all confused and not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, "Master, this is wonderful! We'll put up three shelters--one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah!"


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But even as he was saying this, a bright cloud formed above them; and terror gripped them as it covered them.


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Then, as the voice died away, Jesus was there alone with his disciples. They didn't tell anyone what they had seen until long afterwards.


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and a demon keeps seizing him, making him scream; and it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth; it is always hitting him and hardly ever leaves him alone.


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"O you stubborn faithless people," Jesus said  to his disciples, "how long should I put up with you? Bring him here."


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As the boy was coming the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus ordered the demon to come out, and healed the boy and handed him over to his father.


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Awe gripped the people as they saw this display of the power of God. Meanwhile, as they were exclaiming over all the wonderful things he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,


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But the disciples didn't know what he meant, for their minds had been sealed and they were afraid to ask him.


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and said to them, "Anyone who takes care of a little child like this is caring for me! And whoever cares for me is caring for God who sent me. Your care for others is the measure of your greatness."


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His disciple John came to him and said, "Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons. And we told him not to. After all, he isn't in our group."


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As the time drew near for his return to heaven, he moved steadily onward toward Jerusalem with an iron will.


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But they were turned away! The people of the village refused to have anything to do with them because they were headed for Jerusalem.


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When word came back of what had happened, James and John said to Jesus, "Master, shall we order fire down from heaven to burn them up?"


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As they were walking along someone said to Jesus, "I will always follow you no matter where you go."


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But Jesus replied, "Remember, I don't even own a place to lay my head. Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Messiah, have no earthly home at all."


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Another time, when he invited a man to come with him and to be his disciple, the man agreed--but wanted to wait until his father's death.


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Jesus replied, "Let those without eternal life concern themselves with things like that. Your duty is to come and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God to all the world."


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But Jesus told him, "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God."


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The Lord now chose seventy other disciples and sent them on ahead in pairs to all the towns and villages he planned to visit later.


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These were his instructions to them: "Plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out more laborers to help you, for the harvest is so plentiful and the workers so few.


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Don't take any money with you, or a beggar's bag, or even an extra pair of shoes. And don't waste time along the way.


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"When you enter a village, don't shift around from home to home, but stay in one place, eating and drinking without question whatever is set before you. And don't hesitate to accept hospitality, for the workman is worthy of his wages!


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'We wipe the dust of your town from our feet as a public announcement of your doom. Never forget how close you were to the Kingdom of God!'


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What horrors await you, you cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did for you had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, their people would have sat in deep repentance long ago, clothed in sackcloth and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.


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And you people of Capernaum, what shall I say about you? Will you be exalted to heaven? No, you shall be brought down to hell."


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Then he said to the disciples, "Those who welcome you are welcoming me. And those who reject you are rejecting me. And those who reject me are rejecting God who sent me."


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When the seventy disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Even the demons obey us when we use your name."


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And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them. Nothing shall injure you!


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However, the important thing is not that demons obey you, but that your names are registered as citizens of heaven."


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Then he was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the intellectuals and worldly wise and for revealing them to those who are as trusting as little children. Yes, thank you, Father, for that is the way you wanted it.


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I am the Agent of my Father in everything; and no one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."


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Then, turning to the twelve disciples, he said quietly, "How privileged you are to see what you have seen.


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Many a prophet and king of old has longed for these days, to see and hear what you have seen and heard!"


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One day an expert on Moses' laws came to test Jesus' orthodoxy by asking him this question: "Teacher, what does a man need to do to live forever in heaven?"


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"It says," he replied, "that you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor just as much as you love yourself."


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The man wanted to justify (his lack of love for some kinds of people), so he asked, "Which neighbors?"


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Jesus replied with an illustration: "A Jew going on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and money, and beat him up and left him lying half dead beside the road.


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"By chance a Jewish priest came along; and when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.


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Kneeling beside him the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his donkey and walked along beside him till they came to an inn, where he nursed him through the night.


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The next day he handed the innkeeper two twenty-dollar bills and told him to take care of the man. 'If his bill runs higher than that,' he said, 'I'll pay the difference the next time I am here.'


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The man replied, "The one who showed him some pity." Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."


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As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home.


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But Martha was the jittery type and was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Sir, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."


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There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it--and I won't take it away from her!"


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Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said, "Lord, teach us a prayer to recite just as John taught one to his disciples."


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And this is the prayer he taught them: "Father, may your name be honored for its holiness; send your Kingdom soon.


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And forgive our sins--for we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And don't allow us to be tempted."


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Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread.


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You would shout up to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit and I've nothing to give him to eat.'


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He would call down from his bedroom, 'Please don't ask me to get up. The door is locked for the night and we are all in bed. I just can't help you this time.'


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"But I'll tell you this--though he won't do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you everything you want--just because of your persistence.


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And so it is with prayer--keep on asking and you will keep on getting; keep on looking and you will keep on finding; knock and the door will be opened.


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"You men who are fathers--if your boy asks for bread, do you give him a stone? If he asks for fish, do you give him a snake?


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"And if even sinful persons like yourselves give children what they need, don't you realize that your heavenly Father will do at least as much, and give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him?"


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Once, when Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn't speak, his voice returned to him. The crowd was excited and enthusiastic,


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He knew the thoughts of each of them, so he said, "Any kingdom filled with civil war is doomed; so is a home filled with argument and strife.


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Therefore, if what you say is true, that Satan is fighting against himself by empowering me to cast out his demons, how can his kingdom survive?


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And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own followers? For they cast out demons! Do you think this proves they are possessed by Satan? Ask them if you are right!


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But if I am casting out demons because of power from God, it proves that the Kingdom of God has arrived.


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until someone stronger and better-armed attacks and overcomes him and strips him of his weapons and carries off his belongings.


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"When a demon is cast out of a man, it goes to the deserts, searching there for rest; but finding none, it returns to the person it left,


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Then it goes and gets seven other demons more evil than itself, and they all enter the man. And so the poor fellow is seven times worse off than he was before."


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As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, "God bless your mother--the womb from which you came, and the breasts that gave you suck!"


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As the crowd pressed in upon him, he preached them this sermon: "These are evil times, with evil people. They keep asking for some strange happening in the skies  to prove I am the Messiah, but the only proof I will give them is a miracle like that of Jonah,


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whose experiences proved to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. My similar experience will prove that God has sent me to these people.


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"And at the Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba shall arise and point her finger at this generation, condemning it, for she went on a long, hard journey to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; but one far greater than Solomon is here  and few pay any attention.


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"The men of Nineveh, too, shall arise and condemn this nation, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and someone far greater than Jonah is here  but this nation won't listen.


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"No one lights a lamp and hides it! Instead, he puts it on a lampstand to give light to all who enter the room.


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Your eyes light up your inward being. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. A lustful eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness.


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If you are filled with light within, with no dark corners, then your face will be radiant too, as though a floodlight is beamed upon you."


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When Jesus arrived, he sat down to eat without first performing the ceremonial washing required by Jewish custom. This greatly surprised his host.


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Then Jesus said to him, "You Pharisees wash the outside, but inside you are still dirty--full of greed and wickedness!


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"But woe to you Pharisees! For though you are careful to tithe even the smallest part of your income, you completely forget about justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave these other things undone.


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"Woe to you Pharisees! For how you love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the respectful greetings from everyone as you walk through the markets!


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Yes, awesome judgment is awaiting you. For you are like hidden graves in a field. Men go by you with no knowledge of the corruption they are passing."


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"Sir," said an expert in religious law who was standing there, "you have insulted my profession, too, in what you just said."


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"Yes," said Jesus, "the same horrors await you! For you crush men beneath impossible religious demands--demands that you yourselves would never think of trying to keep.


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Murderers! You agree with your fathers that what they did was right--you would have done the same yourselves.


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"This is what God says about you: 'I will send prophets and apostles to you, and you will kill some of them and chase away the others.'


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"And you of this generation will be held responsible for the murder of God's servants from the founding of the world--


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from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will surely be charged against you.


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"Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You won't accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it."


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The Pharisees and legal experts were furious; and from that time on they plied him fiercely with a host of questions,


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Meanwhile the crowds grew until thousands upon thousands were milling about and crushing each other. He turned now to his disciples and warned them, "More than anything else, beware of these Pharisees and the way they pretend to be good when they aren't. But such hypocrisy cannot be hidden forever.


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Whatever they have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be broadcast from the housetops for all to hear!


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"Dear friends, don't be afraid of these who want to murder you. They can only kill the body; they have no power over your souls.


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"What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Not much more than that. Yet God does not forget a single one of them.


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And he knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.


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"And I assure you of this: I, the Messiah, will publicly honor you in the presence of God's angels if you publicly acknowledge me here on earth as your Friend.


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(Yet those who speak against me may be forgiven--while those who speak against the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven.)


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"And when you are brought to trial before these Jewish rulers and authorities in the synagogues, don't be concerned about what to say in your defense,


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Then someone called from the crowd, "Sir, please tell my brother to divide my father's estate with me."


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Beware! Don't always be wishing for what you don't have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are."


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In fact, his barns were full to overflowing--he couldn't get everything in. He thought about his problem,


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and finally exclaimed, 'I know--I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones! Then I'll have room enough.


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And I'll sit back and say to myself, "Friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Wine, women, and song for you!'


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Then turning to his disciples he said, "Don't worry about whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear.


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Look at the ravens--they don't plant or harvest or have barns to store away their food, and yet they get along all right--for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!


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"And besides, what's the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not!


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And if worry can't even do such little things as that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?


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"Look at the lilies! They don't toil and spin, and yet Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are.


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And if God provides clothing for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, don't you suppose that he will provide clothing for you, you doubters?


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And don't worry about food--what to eat and drink; don't worry at all that God will provide it for you.


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He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.


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"So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.


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Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will fatten your purses in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no rips or holes in them. Your treasures there will never disappear; no thief can steal them; no moth can destroy them.


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for your Lord's return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.


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There will be great joy for those who are ready and waiting for his return. He himself will seat them and put on a waiter's uniform and serve them as they sit and eat!


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He may come at nine o'clock at night--or even at midnight. But whenever he comes, there will be joy for his servants who are ready!


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"Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour of his return--just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming.


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And the Lord replied, "I'm talking to any faithful, sensible man whose master gives him the responsibility of feeding the other servants.


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"But if the man begins to think, 'My Lord won't be back for a long time,' and begins to whip the men and women he is supposed to protect, and to spend his time at drinking parties and in drunkenness--


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well, his master will return without notice and remove him from his position of trust and assign him to the place of the unfaithful.


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"But anyone who is not aware that he is doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater.


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From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against--or perhaps the other way around.


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A father will decide one way about me; his son, the other; mother and daughter will disagree; and the decision of an honored mother-in-law will be spurned by her daughter-in-law."


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Then he turned to the crowd and said, "When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, 'Here comes a shower.' And you are right.


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Hypocrites! You interpret the sky well enough, but you refuse to notice the warnings all around you about the crisis ahead.


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"If you meet your accuser on the way to court, try to settle the matter before it reaches the judge, lest he sentence you to jail;


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About this time he was informed that Pilate had butchered some Jews from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem.


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"Do you think they were worse sinners than other men from Galilee?" he asked. "Is that why they suffered?


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Not at all! And don't you realize that you also will perish unless you leave your evil ways and turn to God?


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"And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?


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Then he used this illustration: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if he could find any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.


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Finally he told his gardener to cut it down. 'I've waited three years and there hasn't been a single fig!' he said. 'Why bother with it any longer? It's taking up space we can use for something else.'


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'Give it one more chance,' the gardener answered. 'Leave it another year, and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.


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he saw a seriously handicapped woman who had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to straighten herself.


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But the local Jewish leader in charge of the synagogue was very angry about it because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. "There are six days of the week to work," he shouted to the crowd. "Those are the days to come for healing, not on the Sabbath!"


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But the Lord replied, "You hypocrite! You work on the Sabbath! Don't you untie your cattle from their stalls on the Sabbath and lead them out for water?


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And is it wrong for me, just because it is the Sabbath day, to free this Jewish woman from the bondage in which Satan has held her for eighteen years?"


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Now he began teaching them again about the Kingdom of God: "What is the Kingdom like?" he asked. "How can I illustrate it?


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It is like a tiny mustard seed planted in a garden; soon it grows into a tall bush and the birds live among its branches.


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He went from city to city and village to village, teaching as he went, always pressing onward toward Jerusalem.


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but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. Then if you stand outside knocking, and pleading, 'Lord, open the door for us,' he will reply, 'I do not know you.'


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"And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you. You can't come in here, guilty as you are. Go away.'


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"And there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth as you stand outside and see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets within the Kingdom of God--


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And note this: some who are despised now will be greatly honored then; and some who are highly thought of now will be least important then."


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A few minutes later some Pharisees said to him, "Get out of here if you want to live, for King Herod is after you!"


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Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and doing miracles of healing today and tomorrow; and the third day I will reach my destination.


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Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day! For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!


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"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! The city that murders the prophets. The city that stones those sent to help her. How often I have wanted to gather your children together even as a hen protects her brood under her wings, but you wouldn't let me.


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And now--now your house is left desolate. And you will never again see me until you say, 'Welcome to him who comes in the name of the Lord.' "


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One Sabbath as he was in the home of a member of the Jewish Council, the Pharisees were watching him like hawks to see if he would heal a man who was present who was suffering from dropsy.


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Jesus said to the Pharisees and legal experts standing around, "Well, is it within the Law to heal a man on the Sabbath day, or not?"


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And when they refused to answer, Jesus took the sick man by the hand and healed him and sent him away.


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Then he turned to them: "Which of you doesn't work on the Sabbath?" he asked. "If your cow falls into a pit, don't you proceed at once to get it out?"


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When he noticed that all who came to the dinner were trying to sit near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:


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"If you are invited to a wedding feast, don't always head for the best seat. For if someone more respected than you shows up,


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the host will bring him over to where you are sitting and say, 'Let this man sit here instead.' And you, embarrassed, will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!


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"Do this instead--start at the foot; and when your host sees you he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place than this for you!' Thus you will be honored in front of all the other guests.


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For everyone who tries to honor himself shall be humbled; and he who humbles himself shall be honored."


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Then he turned to his host. "When you put on a dinner," he said, "don't invite friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors! For they will return the invitation.


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Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, "What a privilege it would be to get into the Kingdom of God!"


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When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to arrive.


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But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, and asked to be excused.


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"The servant returned and reported to his master what they had said. His master was angry and told him to go quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and to invite the beggars, crippled, lame, and blind.


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'Well, then,' said his master, 'go out into the country lanes and out behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.


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For none of those I invited first will get even the smallest taste of what I had prepared for them.' "


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"Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters--yes, more than his own life--otherwise he cannot be my disciple.


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"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if he has enough money to pay the bills?


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Otherwise he might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh!


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'See that fellow there?' they would mock. 'He started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!'


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"Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of 10,000 is strong enough to defeat the 20,000 men who are marching against him?


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"If the decision is negative, then while the enemy troops are still far away, he will send a truce team to discuss terms of peace.


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So no one can become my disciple unless he first sits down and counts his blessings--and then renounces them all for me.


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Flavorless salt is fit for nothing--not even for fertilizer. It is worthless and must be thrown out. Listen well if you would understand my meaning."


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but this caused complaints from the Jewish religious leaders and the experts on Jewish law because he was associating with such despicable people--even eating with them!


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"If you had a hundred sheep and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it?


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When you arrived you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found.


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"Well, in the same way heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who haven't strayed away!


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"Or take another illustration: A woman has ten valuable silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it?


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When the younger told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die!' his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.


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"A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there wasted all his money on parties and prostitutes.


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The boy became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the swine looked good to him. And no one gave him anything.


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"When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired men have food enough and to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger!


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"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming, and was filled with loving pity and ran and embraced him and kissed him.


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"His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am not worthy of being called your son--'


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"But his father said to the slaves, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. And a jeweled ring for his finger; and shoes!


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for this son of mine was dead and has returned to life. He was lost and is found.' So the party began.


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"Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working; when he returned home, he heard dance music coming from the house,


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'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast to celebrate his coming home again unharmed.'


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but he replied, 'All these years I've worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to; and in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.


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Yet when this son of yours comes back after spending your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have on the place.'


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'Look, dear son,' his father said to him, 'you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours.


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But it is right to celebrate. For he is your brother; and he was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!' "


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Jesus now told this story to his disciples: "A rich man hired an accountant to handle his affairs, but soon a rumor went around that the accountant was thoroughly dishonest.


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"So his employer called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about your stealing from me? Get your report in order, for you are to be dismissed.'


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"The accountant thought to himself, 'Now what? I'm through here, and I haven't the strength to go out and dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg.


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"So he invited each one who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe him?'


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'My debt is 850 gallons of olive oil,' the man replied. 'Yes, here is the contract you signed,' the accountant told him. 'Tear it up and write another one for half that much!'


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'And how much do you owe him?' he asked the next man. 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' was the reply. 'Here,' the accountant said, 'take your note and replace it with one for only 800 bushels!'


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"The rich man had to admire the rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more clever  in dishonesty! than the godly are.


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But shall I tell you to act that way, to buy friendship through cheating? Will this ensure your entry into an everlasting home in heaven?


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No! For unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.


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And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?


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And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?


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"For neither you nor anyone else can serve two masters. You will hate one and show loyalty to the other, or else the other way around--you will be enthusiastic about one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."


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Then he said to them, "You wear a noble, pious expression in public, but God knows your evil hearts. Your pretense brings you honor from the people, but it is an abomination in the sight of God.


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Until John the Baptist began to preach, the laws of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But John introduced the Good News that the Kingdom of God would come soon. And now eager multitudes are pressing in.


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But that doesn't mean that the Law has lost its force in even the smallest point. It is as strong and unshakable as heaven and earth.


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"So anyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."


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"There was a certain rich man," Jesus said, "who was splendidly clothed and lived each day in mirth and luxury.


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As he lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.


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Finally the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham in the place of the righteous dead. The rich man also died and was buried,


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'Father Abraham,' he shouted, 'have some pity! Send Lazarus over here if only to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in these flames.'


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"But Abraham said to him, 'Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted and you are in anguish.


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And besides, there is a great chasm separating us, and anyone wanting to come to you from here is stopped at its edge; and no one over there can cross to us.'


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for I have five brothers--to warn them about this place of torment lest they come here when they die.'


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"But Abraham said, 'The Scriptures have warned them again and again. Your brothers can read them any time they want to.'


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"The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham, they won't bother to read them. But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.'


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"But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even though someone rises from the dead.' "


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"There will always be temptations to sin," Jesus said one day to his disciples, "but woe to the man who does the tempting.


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If he were thrown into the sea with a huge rock tied to his neck, he would be far better off than facing the punishment in store for those who harm these little children's souls.


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Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him."


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"If your faith were only the size of a mustard seed," Jesus answered, "it would be large enough to uproot that mulberry tree over there and send it hurtling into the sea! Your command would bring immediate results!


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Just so, if you merely obey me, you should not consider yourselves worthy of praise. For you have simply done your duty!"


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He looked at them and said, "Go to the Jewish priest and show him that you are healed!" And as they were going, their leprosy disappeared.


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He fell flat on the ground in front of Jesus, face downward in the dust, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a despised Samaritan.


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One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God begin?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God isn't ushered in with visible signs.


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You won't be able to say, 'It has begun here in this place or there in that part of the country.' For the Kingdom of God is within you."


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Later he talked again about this with his disciples. "The time is coming when you will long for me to be with you even for a single day, but I won't be here," he said.


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"Reports will reach you that I have returned and that I am in this place or that; don't believe it or go out to look for me.


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For when I return, you will know it beyond all doubt. It will be as evident as the lightning that flashes across the skies.


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" When I return the world will be  as indifferent to the things of God as the people were in Noah's day.


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They ate and drank and married--everything just as usual right up to the day when Noah went into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all.


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"And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot: people went about their daily business--eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building--


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until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.


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"Those away from home that day must not return to pack; those in the fields must not return to town--


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"Lord, where will they be taken?" the disciples asked. Jesus replied, "Where the body is, the vultures gather!"


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One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes.


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The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she got on his nerves. 'I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself,


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'but this woman bothers me. I'm going to see that she gets justice, for she is wearing me out with her constant coming!' "


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Yes! He will answer them quickly! But the question is: When I, the Messiah, return, how many will I find who have faith  and are praying?"


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"Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, and the other a cheating tax collector.


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The proud Pharisee 'prayed' this prayer: 'Thank God, I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don't commit adultery,


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"But the corrupt tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed, but beat upon his chest in sorrow, exclaiming, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.'


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I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home forgiven! For the proud shall be humbled, but the humble shall be honored."


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One day some mothers brought their babies to him to touch and bless. But the disciples told them to go away.


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Then Jesus called the children over to him and said to the disciples, "Let the little children come to me! Never send them away! For the Kingdom of God belongs to men who have hearts as trusting as these little children's.


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Once a Jewish religious leader asked him this question: "Good sir, what shall I do to get to heaven?"


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"Do you realize what you are saying when you call me 'good'?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good, and no one else.


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"But as to your question, you know what the Ten Commandments say--don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't lie, honor your parents, and so on."


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"There is still one thing you lack," Jesus said. "Sell all you have and give the money to the poor--it will become treasure for you in heaven--and come, follow me."


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Jesus watched him go and then said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!


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"Yes," Jesus replied, "and everyone who has done as you have, leaving home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God,


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Gathering the Twelve around him he told them, "As you know, we are going to Jerusalem. And when we get there, all the predictions of the ancient prophets concerning me will come true.


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The crowds ahead of Jesus tried to hush the man, but he only yelled the louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"


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And instantly the man could see and followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it happen praised God too.


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As Jesus was passing through Jericho, a man named Zacchaeus, one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business (and, of course, a very rich man),


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When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name! "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick! Come down! For I am going to be a guest in your home today!"


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Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "Sir, from now on I will give half my wealth to the poor, and if I find I have overcharged anyone on his taxes, I will penalize myself by giving him back four times as much!"


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Jesus told him, "This shows that salvation has come to this home today. This man was one of the lost sons of Abraham,


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And because Jesus was nearing Jerusalem, he told a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.


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"A nobleman living in a certain province was called away to the distant capital of the empire to be crowned king of his province.


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Before he left he called together ten assistants and gave them each $2,000 to invest while he was gone.


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But some of his people hated him and sent him their declaration of independence, stating that they had rebelled and would not acknowledge him as their king.


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"Upon his return he called in the men to whom he had given the money, to find out what they had done with it, and what their profits were.


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'Fine!' the king exclaimed. 'You are a good man. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, and as your reward, you shall be governor of ten cities.'


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'because I was afraid  you would demand my profits, for you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn't yours and even confiscating the crops that others plant.'


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'You vile and wicked slave,' the king roared. 'Hard, am I? That's exactly how I'll be toward you! If you knew so much about me and how tough I am,


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then why didn't you deposit the money in the bank so that I could at least get some interest on it?'


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"Then turning to the others standing by he ordered, 'Take the money away from him and give it to the man who earned the most.'


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'Yes,' the king replied, 'but it is always true that those who have, get more, and those who have little, soon lose even that.


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As they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead,


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with instructions to go to the next village, and as they entered they were to look for a donkey tied beside the road. It would be a colt, not yet broken for riding. "Untie him," Jesus said, "and bring him here.


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and sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners demanded an explanation. "What are you doing?" they asked. "Why are you untying our colt?"


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So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw some of their clothing across its back for Jesus to sit on.


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and as they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, the whole procession began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles Jesus had done.


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"God has given us a King!" they exulted. "Long live the King! Let all heaven rejoice! Glory to God in the highest heavens!"


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But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, "Sir, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!"


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and crush you to the ground, and your children within you; your enemies will not leave one stone upon another--for you have rejected the opportunity God offered you."


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saying to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple is a place of prayer; but you have turned it into a den of thieves.' "


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After that he taught daily in the Temple, but the chief priests and other religious leaders and the business community were trying to find some way to get rid of him.


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On one of those days when he was teaching and preaching the Good News in the Temple, he was confronted by the chief priests and other religious leaders and councilmen.


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They talked it over among themselves. "If we say his message was from heaven, then we are trapped because he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'


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But if we say John was not sent from God, the people will mob us, for they are convinced that he was a prophet."


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Now he turned to the people again and told them this story: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, and went away to a distant land to live for several years.


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When harvest time came, he sent one of his men to the farm to collect his share of the crops. But the tenants beat him up and sent him back empty-handed.


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Then he sent another, but the same thing happened; he was beaten up and insulted and sent away without collecting.


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'What shall I do?' the owner asked himself. 'I know! I'll send my cherished son. Surely they will show respect for him.'


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"But when the tenants saw his son, they said, 'This is our chance! This fellow will inherit all the land when his father dies. Come on. Let's kill him, and then it will be ours.'


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I'll tell you--he will come and kill them and rent the vineyard to others." "But they would never do a thing like that," his listeners protested.


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Jesus looked at them and said, "Then what does the Scripture mean where it says, 'The Stone rejected by the builders was made the cornerstone'?"


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And he added, "Whoever stumbles over that Stone shall be broken; and those on whom it falls will be crushed to dust."


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When the chief priests and religious leaders heard about this story he had told, they wanted him arrested immediately, for they realized that he was talking about them. They were the wicked tenants in his illustration. But they were afraid that if they themselves arrested him, there would be a riot. So they tried to get him to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor as reason for arrest by him.


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They said to Jesus, "Sir, we know what an honest teacher you are. You always tell the truth and don't budge an inch in the face of what others think, but teach the ways of God.


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"Show me a coin. Whose portrait is this on it? And whose name?" They replied, "Caesar's--the Roman emperor's."


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Thus their attempt to outwit him before the people failed; and marveling at his answer, they were silent.


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Then some Sadducees--men who believed that death is the end of existence, that there is no resurrection--


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came to Jesus with this: "The laws of Moses state that if a man dies without children, the man's brother shall marry the widow, and their children will legally belong to the dead man, to carry on his name.


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And so it went, one after the other, until each of the seven had married her and died, leaving no children.


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Now here is our question: Whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all of them were married to her!"


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but when those who are counted worthy of being raised from the dead get to heaven, they do not marry.


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And they never die again; in these respects they are like angels, and are sons of God, for they are raised up in new life from the dead.


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"But as to your real question--whether or not there is a resurrection--why, even the writings of Moses himself prove this. For when he describes how God appeared to him in the burning bush, he speaks of God as 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'


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To say that the Lord is some person's God means that person is alive, not dead! So from God's point of view, all men are living."


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Then he presented them with a question. "Why is it," he asked, "that Christ, the Messiah, is said to be a descendant of King David?


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For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms: 'God said to my Lord, the Messiah, "Sit at my right hand


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"Beware of these experts in religion, for they love to parade in dignified robes and to be bowed to by the people as they walk along the street. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at religious festivals!


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But even while they are praying long prayers with great outward piety, they are planning schemes to cheat widows out of their property. Therefore God's heaviest sentence awaits these men."


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For they have given a little of what they didn't need, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."


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Some of his disciples began talking about the beautiful stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls.


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But Jesus said, "The time is coming when all these things you are admiring will be knocked down, and not one stone will be left on top of another; all will become one vast heap of rubble."


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He replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come announcing themselves as the Messiah, and saying, 'The time has come.' But don't believe them!


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And when you hear of wars and insurrections beginning, don't panic. True, wars must come, but the end won't follow immediately--


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and there will be great earthquakes, and famines in many lands, and epidemics, and terrifying things happening in the heavens.


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"But before all this occurs, there will be a time of special persecution, and you will be dragged into synagogues and prisons and before kings and governors for my name's sake.


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for I will give you the right words and such logic that none of your opponents will be able to reply!


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Even those closest to you--your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends will betray you and have you arrested; and some of you will be killed.


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"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived.


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Then let the people of Judea flee to the hills. Let those in Jerusalem try to escape, and those outside the city must not attempt to return.


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For those will be days of God's judgment, and the words of the ancient Scriptures written by the prophets will be abundantly fulfilled.


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Woe to expectant mothers in those days, and those with tiny babies. For there will be great distress upon this nation and wrath upon this people.


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They will be brutally killed by enemy weapons, or sent away as exiles and captives to all the nations of the world; and Jerusalem shall be conquered and trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of Gentile triumph ends in God's good time.


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"Then there will be strange events in the skies--warnings, evil omens and portents in the sun, moon and stars; and down here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides.


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The courage of many people will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth, for the stability of the very heavens will be broken up.


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Then the peoples of the earth shall see me, the Messiah, coming in a cloud with power and great glory.


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In the same way, when you see the events taking place that I've described you can be just as sure that the Kingdom of God is near.


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"Watch out! Don't let my sudden coming catch you unawares; don't let me find you living in careless ease, carousing and drinking, and occupied with the problems of this life, like all the rest of the world.


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Keep a constant watch. And pray that if possible you may arrive in my presence without having to experience these horrors."


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Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and the crowds began gathering early in the morning to hear him. And each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.


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And now the Passover celebration was drawing near--the Jewish festival when only bread made without yeast was used.


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The chief priests and other religious leaders were actively plotting Jesus' murder, trying to find a way to kill him without starting a riot--a possibility they greatly feared.


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and he went over to the chief priests and captains of the Temple guards to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them.


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So he began to look for an opportunity for them to arrest Jesus quietly when the crowds weren't around.


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Now the day of the Passover celebration arrived, when the Passover lamb was killed and eaten with the unleavened bread.


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And he replied, "As soon as you enter Jerusalem, you will see a man walking along carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house he enters,


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and say to the man who lives there, 'Our Teacher says for you to show us the guest room where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.'


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He will take you upstairs to a large room all ready for us. That is the place. Go ahead and prepare the meal there."


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They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and prepared the Passover supper.


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and he said, "I have looked forward to this hour with deep longing, anxious to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.


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For I tell you now that I won't eat it again until what it represents has occurred in the Kingdom of God."


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Then he took a glass of wine, and when he had given thanks for it, he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves.


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Then he took a loaf of bread; and when he had thanked God for it, he broke it apart and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Eat it in remembrance of me."


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After supper he gave them another glass of wine, saying, "This wine is the token of God's new agreement to save you--an agreement sealed with the blood I shall pour out to purchase back your souls.


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And they began to argue among themselves as to who would have the highest rank  in the coming Kingdom.


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Jesus told them, "In this world the kings and great men order their slaves around, and the slaves have no choice but to like it!


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Out in the world the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here! For I am your servant.


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to eat and drink at my table in that Kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.


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but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers."


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But Jesus said, "Peter, let me tell you something. Between now and tomorrow morning when the rooster crows, you will deny me three times, declaring that you don't even know me."


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Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you were without money, duffle bag, or extra clothing, how did you get along?" "Fine," they replied.


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"But now," he said, "take a duffle bag if you have one and your money. And if you don't have a sword, better sell your clothes and buy one!


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For the time has come for this prophecy about me to come true: 'He will be condemned as a criminal!' Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true."


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Then, accompanied by the disciples, he left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives.


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"Father, if you are willing, please take away this cup of horror from me. But I want your will, not mine."


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for he was in such agony of spirit that he broke into a sweat of blood, with great drops falling to the ground as he prayed more and more earnestly.


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At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples--only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.


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But even as he said this, a mob approached, led by Judas, one of his twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus and kissed him on the cheek in friendly greeting.


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When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, "Master, shall we fight? We brought along the swords!"


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But Jesus said, "Don't resist any more." And he touched the place where the man's ear had been and restored it.


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Then Jesus addressed the chief priests and captains of the Temple guards and the religious leaders who headed the mob. "Am I a robber," he asked, "that you have come armed with swords and clubs to get me?


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Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment--the time when Satan's power reigns supreme."


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A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she spoke: "This man was with Jesus!"


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After a while someone else looked at him and said, "You must be one of them!" "No sir, I am not!" Peter replied.


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About an hour later someone else flatly stated, "I know this fellow is one of Jesus' disciples, for both are from Galilee."


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But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about." And as he said the words, a rooster crowed.


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At that moment Jesus turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered what he had said--"Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times."


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Early the next morning at daybreak the Jewish Supreme Court assembled, including the chief priests and all the top religious authorities of the nation. Jesus was led before this Council


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and instructed to state whether or not he claimed to be the Messiah. But he replied, "If I tell you, you won't believe me or let me present my case.


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They began at once accusing him: "This fellow has been leading our people to ruin by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is our Messiah--a King."


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Then they became desperate. "But he is causing riots against the government everywhere he goes, all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!"


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When they told him yes, Pilate said to take him to King Herod, for Galilee was under Herod's jurisdiction; and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.


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Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, for he had heard a lot about him and had been hoping to see him perform a miracle.


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Meanwhile, the chief priests and the other religious leaders stood there shouting their accusations.


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Now Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus; and putting a kingly robe on him, they sent him back to Pilate.


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and announced his verdict: "You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt against the Roman government. I have examined him thoroughly on this point and find him innocent.


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Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us--nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.


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But now a mighty roar rose from the crowd as with one voice they shouted. "Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!"


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(Barabbas was in prison for starting an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.)


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Once more, for the third time, he demanded, "Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. I will therefore scourge him and let him go."


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And he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder, at their request. But he delivered Jesus over to them to do with as they would.


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As the crowd led Jesus away to his death, Simon of Cyrene, who was just coming into Jerusalem from the country, was forced to follow, carrying Jesus' cross.


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But Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but for yourselves and for your children.


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"Father, forgive these people," Jesus said, "for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothing, throwing dice for each piece.


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The crowd watched. And the Jewish leaders laughed and scoffed. "He was so good at helping others," they said, "let's see him save himself if he is really God's Chosen One, the Messiah."


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One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself--and us, too, while you're at it!"


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When the captain of the Roman military unit handling the executions saw what had happened, he was stricken with awe before God and said, "Surely this man was innocent."


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And when the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw that Jesus was dead they went home in deep sorrow.


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Meanwhile, Jesus' friends, including the women who had followed him down from Galilee, stood in the distance watching.


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He was a godly man who had been expecting the Messiah's coming and had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other Jewish leaders.


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So he took down Jesus' body and wrapped it in a long linen cloth and laid it in a new, unused tomb hewn into the rock  at the side of a hill.


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Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him; but by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the Jewish law.


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They stood there puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly two men appeared before them, clothed in shining robes so bright their eyes were dazzled.


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The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive?


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He isn't here! He has come back to life again! Don't you remember what he told you back in Galilee--


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that the Messiah must be betrayed into the power of evil men and be crucified and that he would rise again the third day?"


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(The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and several others.)


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However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; and then he went back home again, wondering what had happened.


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That same day, Sunday, two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles out of Jerusalem.


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"You seem to be in a deep discussion about something," he said. "What are you so concerned about?" They stopped short, sadness written across their faces.


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And one of them, Cleopas, replied, "You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn't heard about the terrible things that happened there last week."


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"What things?" Jesus asked. "The things that happened to Jesus, the Man from Nazareth," they said. "He was a Prophet who did incredible miracles and was a mighty Teacher, highly regarded by both God and man.


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But the chief priests and our religious leaders arrested him and handed him over to the Roman government to be condemned to death, and they crucified him.


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We had thought he was the glorious Messiah and that he had come to rescue Israel. "And now, besides all this--which happened three days ago--


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some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning and came back with an amazing report


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Then Jesus said to them, "You are such foolish, foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures!


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Wasn't it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his time of glory?"


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Then Jesus quoted them passage after passage from the writings of the prophets, beginning with the book of Genesis and going right on through the Scriptures, explaining what the passages meant and what they said about himself.


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As they sat down to eat, he asked God's blessing on the food and then took a small loaf of bread and broke it and was passing it over to them,


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when suddenly--it was as though their eyes were opened--they recognized him! And at that moment he disappeared!


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They began telling each other how their hearts had felt strangely warm as he talked with them and explained the Scriptures during the walk down the road.


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Within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem, where the eleven disciples and the other followers of Jesus greeted them with these words,


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Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.


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And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them, and greeted them.


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Look at my hands! Look at my feet! You can see that it is I, myself! Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost! For ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do!"


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As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see  the marks of the nails, and showed them  the wounds in his feet.


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Still they stood there undecided, filled with joy and doubt. Then he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"


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Then he said, "When I was with you before, don't you remember my telling you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true?"


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And he said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day;


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and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations: There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.


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"And now I will send the Holy Spirit upon you, just as my Father promised. Don't begin telling others yet--stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."


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Then Jesus led them out along the road to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them,


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Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him.


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But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them.


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All those who believe this are reborn!--not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan--but from the will of God.


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And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory --the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father!


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John pointed him out to the people, telling the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming who is greater by far than I am--for he existed long before I did!' "


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We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us--blessing upon blessing heaped upon us!


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For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well.


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No one has ever actually seen God, but, of course, his only Son has, for he is the companion of the Father and has told us all about him.


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The Jewish leaders sent priests and assistant priests from Jerusalem to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah.


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"Well then, who are you?" they asked. "Are you Elijah?" "No," he replied. "Are you the Prophet?" "No."


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"Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?"


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He replied, "I am a voice from the barren wilderness, shouting as Isaiah prophesied, 'Get ready for the coming of the Lord!' "


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John told them, "I merely baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you have never met,


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This incident took place at Bethany, a village on the other side of the Jordan River where John was baptizing.


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The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the world's sin!


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He is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Soon a man far greater than I am is coming, who existed long before me!'


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I didn't know he was the one, but I am here baptizing with water in order to point him out to the nation of Israel."


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Then John told about seeing the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descending from heaven and resting upon Jesus.


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"I didn't know he was the one," John said again, "but at the time God sent me to baptize he told me, 'When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone--he is the one you are looking for. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'


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Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" he asked them. "Sir," they replied, "where do you live?"


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"Come and see," he said. So they went with him to the place where he was staying and were with him from about four o'clock that afternoon until the evening.


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And he brought Peter to meet Jesus. Jesus looked intently at Peter for a moment and then said, "You are Simon, John's son--but you shall be called Peter, the rock!"


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Philip now went off to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the Messiah!--the very person Moses and the prophets told about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth!"


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"Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from there?" "Just come and see for yourself," Philip declared.


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"How do you know what I am like?" Nathanael demanded. And Jesus replied, "I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you."


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Jesus asked him, "Do you believe all this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater proofs than this.


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Six stone waterpots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held perhaps twenty to thirty gallons each.


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Then Jesus told the servants to fill them to the brim with water. When this was done he said, "Dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies."


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When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants did), he called the bridegroom over.


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"This is wonderful stuff!" he said. "You're different from most. Usually a host uses the best wine first, and afterwards, when everyone is full and doesn't care, then he brings out the less expensive brands. But you have kept the best for the last!"


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This miracle at Cana in Galilee was Jesus' first public demonstration of his heaven-sent power. And his disciples believed that he really was the Messiah.


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In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices, and moneychangers behind their counters.


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Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out, and drove out the sheep and oxen, scattering the moneychangers' coins over the floor and turning over their tables!


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Then, going over to the men selling doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Don't turn my Father's House into a market!"


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Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Concern for God's House will be my undoing."


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"What right have you to order them out?" the Jewish leaders demanded. "If you have this authority from God, show us a miracle to prove it."


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"All right," Jesus replied, "this is the miracle I will do for you: Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up!"


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"What!" they exclaimed. "It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can do it in three days?"


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After he came back to life again, the disciples remembered his saying this and realized that what he had quoted from the Scriptures really did refer to him, and had all come true!


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Because of the miracles he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah.


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But Jesus didn't trust them, for he knew mankind to the core. No one needed to tell him how changeable human nature is!


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After dark one night a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a member of the sect of the Pharisees, came for an interview with Jesus. "Sir," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miracles are proof enough of this."


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Jesus replied, "With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you are born again, you can never get into the Kingdom of God."


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"Born again!" exclaimed Nicodemus. "What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"


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Jesus replied, "What I am telling you so earnestly is this: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.


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Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom he will next bestow this life from heaven."


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But if you don't even believe me when I tell you about such things as these that happen here among men, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?


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And as Moses in the wilderness lifted up the bronze image of a serpent on a pole, even so I must be lifted up upon a pole,


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For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.


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"There is no eternal doom awaiting those who trust him to save them. But those who don't trust him have already been tried and condemned for not believing in the only Son of God.


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Their sentence is based on this fact: that the Light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil.


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They hated the heavenly Light because they wanted to sin in the darkness. They stayed away from that Light for fear their sins would be exposed and they would be punished.


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But those doing right come gladly to the Light to let everyone see that they are doing what God wants them to."


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Afterwards Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and stayed for a while in Judea and baptized there.


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At this time John the Baptist was not yet in prison. He was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there.


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So they came to John and said, "Master, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River--the one you said was the Messiah--he is baptizing too, and everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us."


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My work is to prepare the way for that man so that everyone will go to him. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him--that is all.


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The crowds will naturally go to the main attraction --the bride will go where the bridegroom is! A bridegroom's friends rejoice with him. I am the Bridegroom's friend, and I am filled with joy at his success.


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"He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth.


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Those who believe him discover that God is a fountain of truth. For this one--sent by God--speaks God's words, for God's Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.


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And all who trust him--God's Son--to save them have eternal life; those who don't believe and obey him shall never see heaven, but the wrath of God remains upon them."


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When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard about the greater crowds coming to him than to John to be baptized and to become his disciples--(though Jesus himself didn't baptize them, but his disciples did)--


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he came to Jacob's Well, located on the parcel of ground Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jesus was tired from the long walk in the hot sun and sat wearily beside the well.


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The woman was surprised that a Jew would ask a "despised Samaritan" for anything--usually they wouldn't even speak to them!--and she remarked about this to Jesus.


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He replied, "If you only knew what a wonderful gift God has for you, and who I am, you would ask me for some living water!"


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"But you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this is a very deep well! Where would you get this living water?


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And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob? How can you offer better water than this which he and his sons and cattle enjoyed?"


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"But the water I give them," he said, "becomes a perpetual spring within them, watering them forever with eternal life."


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"Please, sir," the woman said, "give me some of that water! Then I'll never be thirsty again and won't have to make this long trip out here every day."


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But say, tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here  at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?"


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Jesus replied, "The time is coming, ma'am, when we will no longer be concerned about whether to worship the Father here or in Jerusalem.


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Do we have the Holy Spirit's help? For God is Spirit, and we must have his help to worship as we should. The Father wants this kind of worship from us.


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But you Samaritans know so little about him, worshiping blindly, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes to the world through the Jews."


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The woman said, "Well, at least I know that the Messiah will come--the one they call Christ--and when he does, he will explain everything to us."


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Just then his disciples arrived. They were surprised to find him talking to a woman, but none of them asked him why, or what they had been discussing.


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Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God who sent me, and from finishing his work.


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Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping.


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The reapers will be paid good wages and will be gathering eternal souls into the granaries of heaven! What joys await the sower and the reaper, both together!


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Many from the Samaritan village believed he was the Messiah because of the woman's report: "He told me everything I ever did!"


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When they came out to see him at the well, they begged him to stay at their village; and he did, for two days,


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Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe because we have heard him ourselves, not just because of what you told us. He is indeed the Savior of the world."


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At the end of the two days' stay he went on into Galilee. Jesus used to say, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own country!"


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But the Galileans welcomed him with open arms, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen some of his miracles.


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In the course of his journey through Galilee he arrived at the town of Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. While he was there, a man in the city of Capernaum, a government official, whose son was very sick,


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heard that Jesus had come from Judea and was traveling in Galilee. This man went over to Cana, found Jesus, and begged him to come to Capernaum with him and heal his son, who was now at death's door.


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Then Jesus told him, "Go back home. Your son is healed!" And the man believed Jesus and started home.


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While he was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that all was well--his son had recovered.


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He asked them when the lad had begun to feel better, and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at about one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!"


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Then the father realized it was the same moment that Jesus had told him, "Your son is healed." And the officer and his entire household believed that Jesus was the Messiah.


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Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was Bethesda Pool, with five covered platforms or porches surrounding it.


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Crowds of sick folks--lame, blind, or with paralyzed limbs--lay on the platforms (waiting for a certain movement of the water,


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for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and disturbed the water, and the first person to step down into it afterwards was healed).


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"I can't," the sick man said, "for I have no one to help me into the pool at the movement of the water. While I am trying to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me."


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Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking! But it was on the Sabbath when this miracle was done.


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So the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, "You can't work on the Sabbath! It's illegal to carry that sleeping mat!"


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But afterwards Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, "Now you are well; don't sin as you did before, or something even worse may happen to you."


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Then the Jewish leaders were all the more eager to kill him because in addition to disobeying their Sabbath laws, he had spoken of God as his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.


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Jesus replied, "The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing, and in the same way.


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For the Father loves the Son, and tells him everything he is doing; and the Son will do far more awesome miracles than this man's healing.


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so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor God's Son, whom he sent to you, then you are certainly not honoring the Father.


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"I say emphatically that anyone who listens to my message and believes in God who sent me has eternal life, and will never be damned for his sins, but has already passed out of death into life.


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"And I solemnly declare that the time is coming, in fact, it is here, when the dead shall hear my voice--the voice of the Son of God--and those who listen shall live.


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Don't be so surprised! Indeed the time is coming when all the dead in their graves shall hear the voice of God's Son,


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and shall rise again--those who have done good, to eternal life; and those who have continued in evil, to judgment.


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"But I pass no judgment without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my judgment is absolutely fair and just, for it is according to the will of God who sent me and is not merely my own.


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You have gone out to listen to his preaching, and I can assure you that all he says about me is true!


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But the truest witness I have is not from a man, though I have reminded you about John's witness so that you will believe in me and be saved.


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but I have a greater witness than John. I refer to the miracles I do; these have been assigned me by the Father, and they prove that the Father has sent me.


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And the Father himself has also testified about me, though not appearing to you personally, or speaking to you directly.


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But you are not listening to him, for you refuse to believe me--the one sent to you with God's message.


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"You search the Scriptures, for you believe they give you eternal life. And the Scriptures point to me!


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"Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me, for as I know so well, you don't have God's love within you.


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I know, because I have come to you representing my Father and you refuse to welcome me, though you readily enough receive those who aren't sent from him, but represent only themselves!


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No wonder you can't believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don't care about the honor that comes from the only God!


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"Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this to the Father--Moses will! Moses, on whose laws you set your hopes of heaven.


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For you have refused to believe Moses. He wrote about me, but you refuse to believe him, so you refuse to believe in me.


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And a huge crowd, many of them pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the annual Passover celebration, were following him wherever he went, to watch him heal the sick.


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he soon saw a great multitude of people climbing the hill, looking for him. Turning to Philip he asked, "Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?"


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Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. "There's a youngster here with five barley loaves and a couple of fish! But what good is that with all this mob?"


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"Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus ordered. And all of them--the approximate count of the men only was five thousand--sat down on the grassy slopes.


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Then Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks to God and passed them out to the people. Afterwards he did the same with the fish. And everyone ate until full!


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When the people realized what a great miracle had happened, they exclaimed, "Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!"


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Jesus saw that they were ready to take him by force and make him their king, so he went higher into the mountains alone.


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But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed out across the lake toward Capernaum.


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They were three or four miles out when suddenly they saw Jesus walking toward the boat! They were terrified,


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The next morning, back across the lake, crowds began gathering on the shore  waiting to see Jesus. For they knew that he and his disciples had come over together and that the disciples had gone off in their boat, leaving him behind.


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so when the people saw that Jesus wasn't there, nor his disciples, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.


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Jesus replied, "The truth of the matter is that you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you believe in me.


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But you shouldn't be so concerned about perishable things like food. No, spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Messiah, can give you. For God the Father has sent me for this very purpose."


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Give us free bread every day, like our fathers had while they journeyed through the wilderness! As the Scriptures say, 'Moses gave them bread from heaven.' "


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Jesus said, "Moses didn't give it to them. My Father did. And now he offers you true Bread from heaven.


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Jesus replied, "I am the Bread of Life. No one coming to me will ever be hungry again. Those believing in me will never thirst.


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And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them to eternal life at the Last Day.


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For it is my Father's will that everyone who sees his Son and believes on him should have eternal life--that I should raise him at the Last Day."


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"What?" they exclaimed. "Why, he is merely Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know. What is this he is saying, that he came down from heaven?"


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For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him to me, and at the Last Day I will cause all such to rise again from the dead.


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As it is written in the Scriptures, 'They shall all be taught of God.' Those the Father speaks to, who learn the truth from him, will be attracted to me.


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I am that Living Bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread shall live forever; this Bread is my flesh given to redeem humanity."


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Then the Jews began arguing with each other about what he meant. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked.


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So Jesus said it again, "With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you eat the flesh of the Messiah and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.


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But anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him at the Last Day.


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I live by the power of the living Father who sent me, and in the same way those who partake of me shall live because of me!


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I am the true Bread from heaven; and anyone who eats this Bread shall live forever, and not die as your fathers did--though they ate bread from heaven."


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Jesus knew within himself that his disciples were complaining and said to them, "Does this offend you?


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Only the Holy Spirit gives eternal life. Those born only once, with physical birth, will never receive this gift. But now I have told you how to get this true spiritual life.


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But some of you don't believe me." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who didn't believe and knew the one who would betray him.)


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And he remarked, "That is what I meant when I said that no one can come to me unless the Father attracts him to me."


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After this, Jesus went to Galilee, going from village to village, for he wanted to stay out of Judea where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.


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and Jesus' brothers urged him to go to Judea for the celebration. "Go where more people can see your miracles!" they scoffed.


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Jesus replied, "It is not the right time for me to go now. But you can go anytime and it will make no difference,


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But after his brothers had left for the celebration, then he went too, though secretly, staying out of the public eye.


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There was a lot of discussion about him among the crowds. Some said, "He's a wonderful man," while others said, "No, he's duping the public."


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But no one had the courage to speak out for him in public for fear of reprisals from the Jewish leaders.


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The Jewish leaders were surprised when they heard him. "How can he know so much when he's never been to our schools?" they asked.


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If any of you really determines to do God's will, then you will certainly know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.


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Anyone presenting his own ideas is looking for praise for himself, but anyone seeking to honor the one who sent him is a good and true person.


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But you work on the Sabbath, too, whenever you obey Moses' law of circumcision (actually, however, this tradition of circumcision is older than the Mosaic law);


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for if the correct time for circumcising your children falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it, as you should. So why should I be condemned for making a man completely well on the Sabbath?


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Some of the people who lived there in Jerusalem said among themselves, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?


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But here he is preaching in public, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that our leaders have learned, after all, that he really is the Messiah?


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But how could he be? For we know where this man was born; when Christ comes, he will just appear and no one will know where he comes from."


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So Jesus, in a sermon in the Temple, called out, "Yes, you know me and where I was born and raised, but I am the representative of one you don't know, and he is Truth.


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Then the Jewish leaders sought to arrest him; but no hand was laid on him, for God's time had not yet come.


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Many among the crowds at the Temple believed on him. "After all," they said, "what miracles do you expect the Messiah to do that this man hasn't done?"


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When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were in this mood, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Jesus.


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But Jesus told them, " Not yet! I am to be here a little longer. Then I shall return to the one who sent me.


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The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. "Where is he planning to go?" they asked. "Maybe he is thinking of leaving the country and going as a missionary among the Jews in other lands, or maybe even to the Gentiles!


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What does he mean about our looking for him and not being able to find him, and, 'You won't be able to come where I am'?"


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On the last day, the climax of the holidays, Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.


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For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who believes in me."


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(He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him; but the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet returned to his glory in heaven.)


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When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, "This man surely is the prophet who will come just before the Messiah."


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Others said, "He is the Messiah." Still others, "But he can't be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?


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For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where David was born."


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The Temple police who had been sent to arrest him returned to the chief priests and Pharisees. "Why didn't you bring him in?" they demanded.


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Then Nicodemus spoke up. (Remember him? He was the Jewish leader who came secretly to interview Jesus.)


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They replied, "Are you a wretched Galilean too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself--no prophets will come from Galilee!"


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but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and talked to them.


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As he was speaking, the Jewish leaders and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery and placed her out in front of the staring crowd.


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They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.


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They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, hurl the stones at her until she dies. But only he who never sinned may throw the first!"


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And the Jewish leaders slipped away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until only Jesus was left in front of the crowd with the woman.


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Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?"


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Later, in one of his talks, Jesus said to the people, "I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path."


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Jesus told them, "These claims are true even though I make them concerning myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don't know this about me.


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but if I were, it would be an absolutely correct judgment in every respect, for I have with me the Father who sent me.


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Your laws say that if two men agree on something that has happened, their witness is accepted as fact.


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"Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, "You don't know who I am, so you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, then you would know him too."


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Jesus made these statements while in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, for his time had not yet run out.


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Later he said to them again, "I am going away; and you will search for me, and die in your sins. And you cannot come where I am going."


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That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am the Messiah, the Son of God, you will die in your sins."


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I could condemn you for much and teach you much, but I won't, for I say only what I am told to by the one who sent me; and he is Truth."


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So Jesus said, "When you have killed the Messiah, then you will realize that I am he and that I have not been telling you my own ideas, but have spoken what the Father taught me.


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And he who sent me is with me--he has not deserted me--for I always do those things that are pleasing to him."


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Then many of the Jewish leaders who heard him say these things began believing him to be the Messiah.


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"But we are descendants of Abraham," they said, "and have never been slaves to any man on earth! What do you mean, 'set free'?"


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(Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham!) And yet some of you are trying to kill me because my message does not find a home within your hearts.


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I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father."


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"Our father is Abraham," they declared. "No!" Jesus replied, "for if he were, you would follow his good example.


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But instead you are trying to kill me--and all because I told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham wouldn't do a thing like that!


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No, you are obeying your real father when you act that way." They replied, "We were not born out of wedlock--our true Father is God himself."


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Jesus told them, "If that were so, then you would love me, for I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.


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For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and a hater of truth--there is not an iota of truth in him. When he lies, it is perfectly normal; for he is the father of liars.


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"Which of you can truthfully accuse me of one single sin?  No one! And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me?


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Anyone whose Father is God listens gladly to the words of God. Since you don't, it proves you aren't his children."


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"You Samaritan! Foreigner! Devil!" the Jewish leaders snarled. "Didn't we say all along you were possessed by a demon?"


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And though I have no wish to make myself great, God wants this for me and judges  those who reject me.


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The leaders of the Jews said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the mightiest prophets died, and yet you say that obeying you will keep a man from dying!


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So you are greater than our father Abraham, who died? And greater than the prophets, who died? Who do you think you are?"


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Then Jesus told them this: "If I am merely boasting about myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father--and you claim him as your God--who is saying these glorious things about me.


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But you do not even know him. I do. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But it is true--I know him and fully obey him.


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At that point the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus was hidden from them, and walked past them and left the Temple.


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"Master," his disciples asked him, "why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?"


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All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end.


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Then he spat on the ground and made mud from the spittle and smoothed the mud over the blind man's eyes,


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and told him, "Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam" (the word Siloam means "Sent"). So the man went where he was sent and washed and came back seeing!


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His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, "Is this the same fellow--that beggar?"


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Some said yes, and some said no. "It can't be the same man," they thought, "but he surely looks like him!" And the beggar said, "I am the same man!"


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And he told them, "A man they call Jesus made mud and smoothed it over my eyes and told me to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash off the mud. I did, and I can see!"


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Then the Pharisees asked him all about it. So he told them how Jesus had smoothed the mud over his eyes, and when it was washed away, he could see!


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Some of them said, "Then this fellow Jesus is not from God because he is working on the Sabbath." Others said, "But how could an ordinary sinner do such miracles?" So there was a deep division of opinion among them.


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Then the Pharisees turned on the man who had been blind and demanded, "This man who opened your eyes--who do you say he is?" "I think he must be a prophet sent from God," the man replied.


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but we don't know what happened to make him see, or who did it. He is old enough to speak for himself. Ask him."


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They said this in fear of the Jewish leaders who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be excommunicated.


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So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, "Give the glory to God, not to Jesus, for we know Jesus is an evil person."


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"I don't know whether he is good or bad," the man replied, "but I know this: I was blind, and now I see!"


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"Look!" the man exclaimed. "I told you once; didn't you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?"


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"Why, that's very strange!" the man replied. "He can heal blind men, and yet you don't know anything about him!


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Well, God doesn't listen to evil men, but he has open ears to those who worship him and do his will.


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"You illegitimate bastard, you!" they shouted. "Are you trying to teach us?" And they threw him out.


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Then Jesus told him, "I have come into the world to give sight to those who are spiritually blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind."


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"If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But your guilt remains because you claim to know what you are doing.


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"Anyone refusing to walk through the gate into a sheepfold, who sneaks over the wall, must surely be a thief!


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The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.


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Yes, I am the Gate. Those who come in by way of the Gate will be saved and will go in and out and find green pastures.


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A hired man will run when he sees a wolf coming and will leave the sheep, for they aren't his and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf leaps on them and scatters the flock.


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I have other sheep, too, in another fold. I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice; and there will be one flock with one Shepherd.


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No one can kill me without my consent--I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again. For the Father has given me this right."


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Others said, "This doesn't sound to us like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of blind men?"


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The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."


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"I have already told you, and you don't believe me," Jesus replied. "The proof is in the miracles I do in the name of my Father.


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for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else, so no one can kidnap them from me.


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Jesus said, "At God's direction I have done many a miracle to help the people. For which one are you killing me?"


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They replied, "Not for any good work, but for blasphemy; you, a mere man, have declared yourself to be God."


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"So if the Scripture, which cannot be untrue, speaks of those as gods to whom the message of God came,


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do you call it blasphemy when the one sanctified and sent into the world by the Father says, 'I am the Son of God'?


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But if I do, believe them even if you don't believe me. Then you will become convinced that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."


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And many followed him. "John didn't do miracles," they remarked to one another, "but all his predictions concerning this man have come true."


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Do you remember Mary, who poured the costly perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair? Well, her brother Lazarus, who lived in Bethany with Mary and her sister Martha, was sick.


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But when Jesus heard about it he said, "The purpose of his illness is not death, but for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this situation."


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But his disciples objected. "Master," they said, "only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?"


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Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day, and during every hour of it a man can walk safely and not stumble.


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The disciples, thinking Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night's rest, said, "That means he is getting better!" But Jesus meant Lazarus had died.


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And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, for this will give you another opportunity to believe in me. Come, let's go to him."


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When they arrived at Bethany, they were told that Lazarus had already been in his tomb for four days.


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and many of the Jewish leaders had come to pay their respects and to console Martha and Mary on their loss.


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And even now it's not too late, for I know that God will bring my brother back to life again, if you will only ask him to."


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Jesus told her, "I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again.


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"Yes, Master," she told him. "I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one we have so long awaited."


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Then she left him and returned to Mary and, calling her aside from the mourners, told her, "He is here and wants to see you."


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When the Jewish leaders who were at the house trying to console Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus' tomb to weep; so they followed her.


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When Mary arrived where Jesus was, she fell down at his feet, saying, "Sir, if you had been here, my brother would still be alive."


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When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jewish leaders wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and deeply troubled.


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And again Jesus was moved with deep anger. Then they came to the tomb. It was a cave with a heavy stone rolled across its door.


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"Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, said, "By now the smell will be terrible, for he has been dead four days."


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"But didn't I tell you that you will see a wonderful miracle from God if you believe?" Jesus asked her.


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So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me.


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(You always hear me, of course, but I said it because of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.)"


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And Lazarus came--bound up in the gravecloth, his face muffled in a head swath. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"


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And so at last many of the Jewish leaders who were with Mary and saw it happen, finally believed on him.


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Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened a council to discuss the situation. "What are we going to do?" they asked each other. "For this man certainly does miracles.


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If we let him alone the whole nation will follow him--and then the Roman army will come and kill us and take over the Jewish government."


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This prophecy that Jesus should die for the entire nation came from Caiaphas in his position as High Priest--he didn't think of it by himself, but was inspired to say it.


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It was a prediction that Jesus' death would not be for Israel only, but for all the children of God scattered around the world.


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Jesus now stopped his public ministry and left Jerusalem; he went to the edge of the desert, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.


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The Passover, a Jewish holy day, was near, and many country people arrived in Jerusalem several days early so that they could go through the cleansing ceremony before the Passover began.


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They wanted to see Jesus, and as they gossiped in the Temple, they asked each other, "What do you think? Will he come for the Passover?"


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Meanwhile the chief priests and Pharisees had publicly announced that anyone seeing Jesus must report him immediately so that they could arrest him.


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Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethany where Lazarus was--the man he had brought back to life.


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Then Mary took a jar of costly perfume made from essence of nard, and anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.


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Not that he cared for the poor, but he was in charge of the disciples' funds and often dipped into them for his own use!


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When the ordinary people of Jerusalem heard of his arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus--the man who had come back to life again.


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for it was because of him that many of the Jewish leaders had deserted and believed in Jesus as their Messiah.


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The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city, and a huge crowd of Passover visitors


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took palm branches and went down the road to meet him, shouting, "The Savior! God bless the King of Israel! Hail to God's Ambassador!"


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"Don't be afraid of your King, people of Israel, for he will come to you meekly, sitting on a donkey's colt!"


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(His disciples didn't realize at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy; but after Jesus returned to his glory in heaven, then they noticed how many prophecies of Scripture had come true before their eyes.)


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That was the main reason why so many went out to meet him--because they had heard about this mighty miracle.


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and that "I must fall and die like a kernel of wheat that falls into the furrows of the earth. Unless I die I will be alone--a single seed. But my death will produce many new wheat kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives.


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If you love your life down here--you will lose it. If you despise your life down here--you will exchange it for eternal glory.


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"If these Greeks want to be my disciples, tell them to come and follow me, for my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them.


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Now my soul is deeply troubled. Shall I pray, 'Father, save me from what lies ahead'? But that is the very reason why I came!


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Father, bring glory and honor to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven saying, "I have already done this, and I will do it again."


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When the crowd heard the voice, some of them thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.


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The time of judgment for the world has come--and the time when Satan, the prince of this world, shall be cast out.


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"Die?" asked the crowd. "We understood that the Messiah would live forever and never die. Why are you saying he will die? What Messiah are you talking about?"


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Jesus replied, "My light will shine out for you just a little while longer. Walk in it while you can, and go where you want to go before the darkness falls, for then it will be too late for you to find your way.


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Make use of the Light while there is still time; then you will become light bearers." After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.


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This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: "Lord, who will believe us? Who will accept God's mighty miracles as proof?"


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"God has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they can neither see nor understand nor turn to me to heal them."


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Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he made this prediction, for he had seen a vision of the Messiah's glory.


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However, even many of the Jewish leaders believed him to be the Messiah but wouldn't admit it to anyone because of their fear that the Pharisees would excommunicate them from the synagogue;


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I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer wander in the darkness.


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If anyone hears me and doesn't obey me, I am not his judge--for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.


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But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the Day of Judgment by the truths I have spoken.


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Jesus knew on the evening of Passover Day that it would be his last night on earth before returning to his Father.


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During supper the devil had already suggested to Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, that this was the night to carry out his plan to betray Jesus.


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Jesus knew that the Father had given him everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. And how he loved his disciples!


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poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he had around him.


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When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, "Master, you shouldn't be washing our feet like this!"


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"No," Peter protested, "you shall never wash my feet!" "But if I don't, you can't be my partner," Jesus replied.


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Jesus replied, "One who has bathed all over needs only to have his feet washed to be entirely clean. Now you are clean--but that isn't true of everyone here."


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For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, "Not all of you are clean."


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After washing their feet he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing?


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How true it is that a servant is not greater than his master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends him.


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"I am not saying these things to all of you; I know so well each one of you I chose. The Scripture declares, 'One who eats supper with me will betray me,' and this will soon come true.


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"Truly, anyone welcoming my messenger is welcoming me. And to welcome me is to welcome the Father who sent me."


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Now Jesus was in great anguish of spirit and exclaimed, "Yes, it is true--one of you will betray me."


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He told me, "It is the one I honor by giving the bread dipped in the sauce." And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.


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Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor.


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As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, "My time has come; the glory of God will soon surround me--and God shall receive great praise because of all that happens to me.


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Dear, dear children, how brief are these moments before I must go away and leave you! Then, though you search for me, you cannot come to me--just as I told the Jewish leaders.


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Simon Peter said, "Master, where are you going?" And Jesus replied, "You can't go with me now; but you will follow me later."


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Jesus answered, "Die for me? No--three times before the cock crows tomorrow morning, you will deny that you even know me!


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There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming.


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When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren't so, I would tell you plainly.


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Jesus told him, "I am the Way--yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.


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If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him--and have seen him!"


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Jesus replied, "Don't you even yet know who I am, Philip, even after all this time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him?


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Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own but are from my Father who lives in me. And he does his work through me.


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Just believe it--that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or else believe it because of the mighty miracles you have seen me do.


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"In solemn truth I tell you, anyone believing in me shall do the same miracles I have done, and even greater ones, because I am going to be with the Father.


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You can ask him for anything, using my name, and I will do it, for this will bring praise to the Father because of what I, the Son, will do for you.


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He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be in you.


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In just a little while I will be gone from the world, but I will still be present with you. For I will live again--and you will too.


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The one who obeys me is the one who loves me; and because he loves me, my Father will love him; and I will too, and I will reveal myself to him."


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Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but his other disciple with that name) said to him, "Sir, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us disciples and not to the world at large?"


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Jesus replied, "Because I will only reveal myself to those who love me and obey me. The Father will love them too, and we will come to them and live with them.


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Anyone who doesn't obey me doesn't love me. And remember, I am not making up this answer to your question! It is the answer given by the Father who sent me.


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But when the Father sends the Comforter instead of me --and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit--he will teach you much, as well as remind you of everything I myself have told you.


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"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid.


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Remember what I told you--I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am.


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"I don't have much more time to talk to you, for the evil prince of this world approaches. He has no power over me,


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but I will freely do what the Father requires of me so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let's be going.


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He lops off every branch that doesn't produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.


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He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you.


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Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can't produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me.


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"Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can't do a thing.


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If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned.


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But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!


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And here is how to measure it--the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends;


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I no longer call you slaves, for a master doesn't confide in his slaves; now you are my friends, proved by the fact that I have told you everything the Father told me.


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"You didn't choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you.


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The world would love you if you belonged to it; but you don't--for I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you.


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Do you remember what I told you? 'A slave isn't greater than his master!' So since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you!


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The people of the world will persecute you because you belong to me, for they don't know God who sent me.


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"They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.


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If I hadn't done such mighty miracles among them they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw these miracles and yet they hated both of us--me and my Father.


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"But I will send you the Comforter--the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me.


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For you will be excommunicated from the synagogues, and indeed the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service.


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Yes, I'm telling you these things now so that when they happen you will remember I warned you. I didn't tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.


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"But now I am going away to the one who sent me; and none of you seems interested in the purpose of my going; none wonders why.


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But the fact of the matter is that it is best for you that I go away, for if I don't, the Comforter won't come. If I do, he will--for I will send him to you.


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"And when he has come he will convince the world of its sin, and of the availability of God's goodness, and of deliverance from judgment.


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When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, he shall guide you into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ideas, but will be passing on to you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.


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"In just a little while I will be gone, and you will see me no more; but just a little while after that, and you will see me again!"


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"Whatever is he saying?" some of his disciples asked. "What is this about 'going to the Father'? We don't know what he means."


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The world will greatly rejoice over what is going to happen to me, and you will weep. But your weeping shall suddenly be turned to wonderful joy  when you see me again.


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It will be the same joy as that of a woman in labor when her child is born--her anguish gives place to rapturous joy and the pain is forgotten.


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You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and then you will rejoice; and no one can rob you of that joy.


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At that time you won't need to ask me for anything, for you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will give you what you ask for because you use my name.


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You haven't tried this before,  but begin now. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.


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"I have spoken of these matters very guardedly, but the time will come when this will not be necessary and I will tell you plainly all about the Father.


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Then you will present your petitions over my signature! And I won't need to ask the Father to grant you these requests,


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for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from the Father.


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Now we understand that you know everything and don't need anyone to tell you anything. From this we believe that you came from God."


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"But the time is coming--in fact, it is here--when you will be scattered, each one returning to his own home, leaving me alone. Yet I will not be alone, for the Father is with me.


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I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world."


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When Jesus had finished saying all these things he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Reveal the glory of your Son so that he can give the glory back to you.


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For you have given him authority over every man and woman in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.


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And this is the way to have eternal life--by knowing you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth!


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And now, Father, reveal my glory as I stand in your presence, the glory we shared before the world began.


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"I have told these men all about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have obeyed you.


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for I have passed on to them the commands you gave me; and they accepted them and know of a certainty that I came down to earth from you, and they believe you sent me.


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And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me with everything else of yours, and so they are my glory!


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Now I am leaving the world, and leaving them behind, and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your own care--all those you have given me--so that they will be united just as we are, with none missing.


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During my time here I have kept safe within your family all of these you gave me. I guarded them so that not one perished, except the son of hell, as the Scriptures foretold.


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"And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy.


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I have given them your commands. And the world hates them because they don't fit in with it, just as I don't.


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"I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these.


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My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father--that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.


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I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one--so that the world will know you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.


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Father, I want them with me--these you've given me--so that they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me before the world began!


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And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you so that the mighty love you have for me may be in them, and I in them."


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After saying these things Jesus crossed the Kidron ravine with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees.


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The chief priests and Pharisees had given Judas a squad of soldiers and police to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons they arrived at the olive grove.


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Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him. Stepping forward to meet them he asked, "Whom are you looking for?"


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He did this to carry out the prophecy he had just made, "I have not lost a single one of those you gave me. . . . "


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But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword away. Shall I not drink from the cup the Father has given me?"


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Simon Peter followed along behind, as did another of the disciples who was acquainted with the High Priest. So that other disciple was permitted into the courtyard along with Jesus,


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while Peter stood outside the gate. Then the other disciple spoke to the girl watching at the gate, and she let Peter in.


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The police and the household servants were standing around a fire they had made, for it was cold. And Peter stood there with them, warming himself.


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Jesus replied, "What I teach is widely known, for I have preached regularly in the synagogue and Temple; I have been heard by all the Jewish leaders and teach nothing in private that I have not said in public.


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Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. You have some of them here. They know what I said."


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One of the soldiers standing there struck Jesus with his fist. "Is that the way to answer the High Priest?" he demanded.


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Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire, he was asked again, "Aren't you one of his disciples?" "Of course not," he replied.


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But one of the household slaves of the High Priest--a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off--asked, "Didn't I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?"


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Jesus' trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Next he was taken to the palace of the Roman governor. His accusers wouldn't go in themselves for that would "defile" them, they said, and they wouldn't be allowed to eat the Passover lamb.


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So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, "What is your charge against this man? What are you accusing him of doing?"


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"Then take him away and judge him yourselves by your own laws," Pilate told them. "But we want him crucified," they demanded, "and your approval is required."


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Then Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus to be brought to him. "Are you the King of the Jews?" he asked him.


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"Am I a Jew?" Pilate retorted. "Your own people and their chief priests brought you here. Why? What have you done?"


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Then Jesus answered, "I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of the world."


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Pilate replied, "But you are a king then?" "Yes," Jesus said. "I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth are my followers."


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"What is truth?" Pilate exclaimed. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime.


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But you have a custom of asking me to release someone from prison each year at Passover. So if you want me to, I'll release the 'King of the Jews.' "


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Pilate went outside again and said to the Jews, "I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty."


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Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, "Behold the man!"


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At sight of him the chief priests and Jewish officials began yelling, "Crucify! Crucify!" "You crucify him," Pilate said. "I find him not guilty."


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He took Jesus back into the palace again and asked him, "Where are you from?" but Jesus gave no answer.


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"You won't talk to me?" Pilate demanded. "Don't you realize that I have the power to release you or to crucify you?"


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Then Jesus said, "You would have no power at all over me unless it were given to you from above. So those who brought me to you have the greater sin."


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Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders told him, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar's. Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar."


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At these words Pilate brought Jesus out to them again and sat down at the judgment bench on the stone-paved platform.


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"Away with him," they yelled. "Away with him--crucify him!" "What? Crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests shouted back.


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So they had him at last, and he was taken out of the city, carrying his cross to the place known as "The Skull," in Hebrew, "Golgotha."


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The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and the signboard was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people read it.


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Then the chief priests said to Pilate, "Change it from 'The King of the Jews' to 'He said, I am King of the Jews.' "


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But they said, "Let's not tear up his robe," for it was seamless. "Let's throw dice to see who gets it." This fulfilled the Scripture that says, "They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my robe."


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So that is what they did. Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother, Mary, his aunt, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.


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When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside me, his close friend, he said to her, "He is your son."


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A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so a sponge was soaked in it and put on a hyssop branch and held up to his lips.


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The Jewish leaders didn't want the victims hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath at that, for it was the Passover), so they asked Pilate to order the legs of the men broken to hasten death; then their bodies could be taken down.


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The soldiers did this in fulfillment of the Scripture that says, "Not one of his bones shall be broken," and, "They shall look on him whom they pierced."


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Afterwards Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jewish leaders, boldly asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus' body down; and Pilate told him to go ahead. So he came and took it away.


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Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night, came too, bringing a hundred pounds of embalming ointment made from myrrh and aloes.


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Together they wrapped Jesus' body in a long linen cloth saturated with the spices, as is the Jewish custom of burial.


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And so, because of the need for haste before the Sabbath, and because the tomb was close at hand, they laid him there.


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Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone was rolled aside from the entrance.


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She ran and found Simon Peter and me and said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!"


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and by that time Mary had returned to the tomb and was standing outside crying. And as she wept, she stooped and looked in


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and saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.


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"Why are you crying?" the angels asked her. "Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him."


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She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him!


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"Why are you crying?" he asked her. "Whom are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him."


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"Don't touch me," he cautioned, "for I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God."


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Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" Then she gave them his message.


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That evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors, in fear of the Jewish leaders, when suddenly Jesus was standing there among them! After greeting them,


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If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven."


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When they kept telling him, "We have seen the Lord," he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands--and put my fingers into them--and place my hand into his side."


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Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them and greeting them.


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Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger into my hands. Put your hand into my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"


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Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. But blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway."


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but these are recorded so that you will believe that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing in him you will have life.


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A group of us were there--Simon Peter, Thomas, "The Twin," Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, my brother James and I and two other disciples.


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Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come too," we all said. We did, but caught nothing all night.


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Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of them!" So we did, and couldn't draw in the net because of the weight of the fish, there were so many!


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Then I said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" At that, Simon Peter put on his tunic (for he was stripped to the waist) and jumped into the water  and swam ashore.


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When we got there, we saw that a fire was kindled and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.


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So Simon Peter went out and dragged the net ashore. By his count there were 153 large fish; and yet the net hadn't torn.


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"Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said; and none of us dared ask him if he really was the Lord, for we were quite sure of it.


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After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others?" "Yes," Peter replied, "you know I am your friend." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.


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Jesus repeated the question: "Simon, son of John, do you really love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I am your friend." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said.


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Once more he asked him, "Simon, son of John, are you even my friend?" Peter was grieved at the way Jesus asked the question this third time. "Lord, you know my heart; you know I am," he said. Jesus said, "Then feed my little sheep.


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When you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will direct you and take you where you don't want to go."


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Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."


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Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following, the one who had leaned around at supper that time to ask Jesus, "Master, which of us will betray you?"


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So the rumor spread among the brotherhood that that disciple wouldn't die! But that isn't what Jesus said at all! He only said, "If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you?"


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I am that disciple! I saw these events and have recorded them here. And we all know that my account of these things is accurate.


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And I suppose that if all the other events in Jesus' life were written, the whole world could hardly contain the books!


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Dear friend who loves God: In my first letter I told you about Jesus' life and teachings and how he returned to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions from the Holy Spirit.


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During the forty days after his crucifixion he appeared to the apostles from time to time, actually alive, and proved to them in many ways that it was really he himself they were seeing. And on these occasions he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.


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In one of these meetings he told them not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them in fulfillment of the Father's promise, a matter he had previously discussed with them.


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"John baptized you with water," he reminded them, "but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit in just a few days."


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And another time when he appeared to them, they asked him, "Lord, are you going to free Israel  from Rome now and restore us as an independent nation?"


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But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection."


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It was not long afterwards that he rose into the sky and disappeared into a cloud, leaving them staring after him.


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As they were straining their eyes for another glimpse, suddenly two white-robed men were standing there among them,


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and said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as he went, he will return!"


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They were at the Mount of Olives when this happened, so now they walked the half mile back to Jerusalem


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Here is the list of those who were present at the meeting:  Peter,  John, James,  Andrew,  Philip, Thomas,  Bartholomew,  Matthew,  James (son of Alphaeus),  Simon (also called "The Zealot"),  Judas (son of James),  And the brothers of Jesus.  Several women, including Jesus' mother, were also there.


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This prayer meeting went on for several days. During this time, on a day when about 120 people were present, Peter stood up and addressed them as follows:


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"Brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to come true concerning Judas, who betrayed Jesus by guiding the mob to him, for this was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David.


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He bought a field with the money he received for his treachery and falling headlong there, he burst open, spilling out his bowels.


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The news of his death spread rapidly among all the people of Jerusalem, and they named the place 'The Field of Blood.'


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King David's prediction of this appears in the Book of Psalms, where he says, 'Let his home become desolate with no one living in it.' And again, 'Let his work be given to someone else to do.'


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"So now we must choose someone else to take Judas' place and to join us as witnesses of Jesus' resurrection.


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Let us select someone who has been with us constantly from our first association with the Lord--from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us into heaven."


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Then they all prayed for the right man to be chosen. "O Lord," they said, "you know every heart; show us which of these men you have chosen


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Then they drew straws, and in this manner Matthias was chosen and became an apostle with the other eleven.


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Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus' death and resurrection, and the Day of Pentecost had now arrived. As the believers met together that day,


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suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting.


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And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they didn't know, for the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.


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Many godly Jews were in Jerusalem that day for the religious celebrations, having arrived from many nations.


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And when they heard the roaring in the sky above the house, crowds came running to see what it was all about, and were stunned to hear their own languages being spoken by the disciples.


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Here we are--Parthians, Medes, Elamites, men from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia Minor,


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Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the Cyrene language areas of Libya, visitors from Rome--both Jews and Jewish converts--


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Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these men telling in our own languages about the mighty miracles of God!"


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Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen, all of you, visitors and residents of Jerusalem alike! 9.00 a.m.!


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'In the last days,' God said, 'I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams.


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And I will cause strange demonstrations in the heavens and on the earth--blood and fire and clouds of smoke;


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"O men of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing tremendous miracles through him, as you well know.


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But God, following his prearranged plan, let you use the Roman government to nail him to the cross and murder him.


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Then God released him from the horrors of death and brought him back to life again, for death could not keep this man within its grip.


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"King David quoted Jesus as saying: 'I know the Lord is always with me. He is helping me. God's mighty power supports me.


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'No wonder my heart is filled with joy and my tongue shouts his praises! For I know all will be well with me in death--


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"Dear brothers, think! David wasn't referring to himself when he spoke these words I have quoted, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us.


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But he was a prophet, and knew God had promised with an unbreakable oath that one of David's own descendants would  be the Messiah and sit on David's throne.


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David was looking far into the future and predicting the Messiah's resurrection, and saying that the Messiah's soul would not be left in hell and his body would not decay.


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"And now he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, next to God. And just as promised, the Father gave him the authority to send the Holy Spirit--with the results you are seeing and hearing today.


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"No, David was not speaking of himself in these words of his I have quoted, for he never ascended into the skies. Moreover, he further stated, 'God spoke to my Lord, the Messiah, and said to him, Sit here in honor beside me


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"Therefore I clearly state to everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus you crucified to be the Lord, the Messiah!"


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These words of Peter's moved them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"


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And Peter replied, "Each one of you must turn from sin, return to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; then you also shall receive this gift, the Holy Spirit.


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For Christ promised him to each one of you who has been called by the Lord our God, and to your children and even to those in distant lands!"


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Then Peter preached a long sermon, telling about Jesus and strongly urging all his listeners to save themselves from the evils of their nation.


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They joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles' teaching sessions and at the Communion services and prayer meetings.


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They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness,


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praising God. The whole city was favorable to them, and each day God added to them all who were being saved.


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Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o'clock daily prayer meeting.


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As they approached the Temple, they saw a man lame from birth carried along the street and laid beside the Temple gate--the one called The Beautiful Gate--as was his custom every day.


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But Peter said, "We don't have any money for you! But I'll give you something else! I command you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!"


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Then Peter took the lame man by the hand and pulled him to his feet. And as he did, the man's feet and ankle-bones were healed and strengthened


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so that he came up with a leap, stood there a moment and began walking! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.


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and realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at The Beautiful Gate, they were inexpressibly surprised!


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They all rushed out to Solomon's Hall, where he was holding tightly to Peter and John! Everyone stood there awed by the wonderful thing that had happened.


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Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. "Men of Israel," he said, "what is so surprising about this? And why look at us as though we by our own power and godliness had made this man walk?


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For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. I refer to the Jesus whom you rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate's determination to release him.


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You didn't want him freed--this holy, righteous one. Instead you demanded the release of a murderer.


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And you killed the Author of Life; but God brought him back to life again. And John and I are witnesses of this fact, for after you killed him we saw him alive!


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"Jesus' name has healed this man--and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus' name--faith given us from God--has caused this perfect healing.


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"Dear brothers, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders.


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Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord


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For he must remain in heaven until the final recovery of all things from sin, as prophesied from ancient times.


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Moses, for instance, said long ago, 'The Lord God will raise up a Prophet among you, who will resemble me! Listen carefully to everything he tells you.


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You are the children of those prophets; and you are included in God's promise to your ancestors to bless the entire world through the Jewish race--that is the promise God gave to Abraham.


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And as soon as God had brought his servant to life again, he sent him first of all to you men of Israel, to bless you by turning you back from your sins."


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While they were talking to the people, the chief priests, the captain of the Temple police, and some of the Sadducees came over to them,


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But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so that the number of believers now reached a new high of about five thousand men!


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Annas the High Priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others of the High Priest's relatives.


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So the two disciples were brought in before them. "By what power, or by whose authority have you done this?" the Council demanded.


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let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that it was done in the name and power of Jesus from Nazareth, the Messiah, the man you crucified--but God raised back to life again. It is by his authority that this man stands here healed!


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For Jesus the Messiah is (the one referred to in the Scriptures when they speak of) a 'stone discarded by the builders which became the capstone of the arch.'


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There is salvation in no one else! Under all heaven there is no other name for men to call upon to save them."


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When the Council saw the boldness of Peter and John and could see that they were obviously uneducated non-professionals, they were amazed and realized what being with Jesus had done for them!


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And the Council could hardly discredit the healing when the man they had healed was standing right there beside them!


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"What shall we do with these men?" they asked each other. "We can't deny that they have done a tremendous miracle, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.


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But perhaps we can stop them from spreading their propaganda. We'll tell them that if they do it again we'll really throw the book at them."


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The Council then threatened them further and finally let them go because they didn't know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this wonderful miracle--


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As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other disciples and told them what the Council had said.


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Then all the believers united in this prayer: "O Lord, Creator of heaven and earth and of the sea and everything in them--


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'Why do the heathen rage against the Lord, and the foolish nations plan their little plots against Almighty God? The kings of the earth unite to fight against him and against the anointed Son of God!'


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"That is what is happening here in this city today! For Herod the king, and Pontius Pilate the governor, and all the Romans--as well as the people of Israel--are united against Jesus, your anointed Son, your holy servant.


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and send your healing power, and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus."


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After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God's message.


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All the believers were of one heart and mind, and no one felt that what he owned was his own; everyone was sharing.


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And the apostles preached powerful sermons about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and there was warm fellowship among all the believers,


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For instance, there was Joseph (the one the apostles nicknamed "Barnabas, the encourager"! He was of the tribe of Levi, from the island of Cyprus).


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He was one of those who sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles for distribution to those in need.


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and brought only part of the money, claiming it was the full price. (His wife had agreed to this deception.)


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But Peter said, "Ananias, Satan has filled your heart. When you claimed this was the full price, you were lying to the Holy Spirit.


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The property was yours to sell or not, as you wished. And after selling it, it was yours to decide how much to give. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us, but to God."


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Peter asked her, "Did you people sell your land for such and such a price?" "Yes," she replied, "we did."


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And Peter said, "How could you and your husband even think of doing a thing like this--conspiring together to test the Spirit of God's ability to know what is going on? Just outside that door are the young men who buried your husband, and they will carry you out too."


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Instantly she fell to the floor, dead, and the young men came in and, seeing that she was dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.


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Meanwhile, the apostles were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon's Hall, and they did many remarkable miracles among the people.


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Sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow would fall across some of them as he went by!


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And crowds came in from the Jerusalem suburbs, bringing their sick folk and those possessed by demons; and every one of them was healed.


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But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail and brought them out. Then he told them,


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They arrived at the Temple about daybreak and immediately began preaching! Later that morning the High Priest and his courtiers arrived at the Temple, and, convening the Jewish Council and the entire Senate, they sent for the apostles to be brought for trial.


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But when the police arrived at the jail, the men weren't there, so they returned to the Council and reported,


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"The jail doors were locked, and the guards were standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!"


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When the police captain and the chief priests heard this, they were frantic, wondering what would happen next and where all this would end!


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Then someone arrived with the news that the men they had jailed were out in the Temple, preaching to the people!


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The police captain went with his officers and arrested them (without violence, for they were afraid the people would kill them if they roughed up the disciples) and brought them in before the Council.


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"Didn't we tell you never again to preach about this Jesus?" the High Priest demanded. "And instead you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring the blame for this man's death on us!"


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The God of our ancestors brought Jesus back to life again after you had killed him by hanging him on a cross.


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Then, with mighty power, God exalted him to be a Prince and Savior, so that the people of Israel would have an opportunity for repentance, and for their sins to be forgiven.


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And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to all who obey him."


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But one of their members, a Pharisee named Gamaliel (an expert on religious law and very popular with the people), stood up and requested that the apostles be sent outside the Council chamber while he talked.


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Then he addressed his colleagues as follows: "Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men!


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Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About four hundred others joined him, but he was killed, and his followers were harmlessly dispersed.


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"After him, at the time of the taxation, there was Judas of Galilee. He drew away some people as disciples, but he also died, and his followers scattered.


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"And so my advice is, leave these men alone. If what they teach and do is merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.


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But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them, lest you find yourselves fighting even against God."


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The Council accepted his advice, called in the apostles, had them beaten, and then told them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and finally let them go.


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They left the Council chamber rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for his name.


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And every day, in the Temple and in their home Bible classes, they continued to teach and preach that Jesus is the Messiah.


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But with the believers multiplying rapidly, there were rumblings of discontent. Those who spoke only Greek complained that their widows were being discriminated against, that they were not being given as much food in the daily distribution as the widows who spoke Hebrew.


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So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. "We should spend our time preaching, not administering a feeding program," they said.


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"Now look around among yourselves, dear brothers, and select seven men, wise and full of the Holy Spirit, who are well thought of by everyone; and we will put them in charge of this business.


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This sounded reasonable to the whole assembly, and they elected the following:  Stephen (a man unusually full of faith and the Holy Spirit),  Philip,  Prochorus,  Nicanor,  Timon,  Parmenas,  Nicolaus of Antioch (a Gentile convert to the Jewish faith, who had become a Christian).


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These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them and laid their hands on them in blessing.


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God's message was preached in ever-widening circles, and the number of disciples increased vastly in Jerusalem; and many of the Jewish priests were converted too.


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Stephen, the man so full of faith and the Holy Spirit's power, did spectacular miracles among the people.


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But one day some of the men from the Jewish cult of "The Freedmen" started an argument with him, and they were soon joined by Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria in Egypt, and the Turkish provinces of Cilicia, and Asia Minor.


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So they brought in some men to lie about him, claiming they had heard Stephen curse Moses, and even God.


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This accusation roused the crowds to fury against Stephen, and the Jewish leaders arrested him and brought him before the Council.


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The lying witnesses testified again that Stephen was constantly speaking against the Temple and against the laws of Moses.


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They declared, "We have heard him say that this fellow Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and throw out all of Moses' laws."


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This was Stephen's lengthy reply: "The glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Iraq before he moved to Syria,


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and told him to leave his native land, to say good-bye to his relatives and to start out for a country that God would direct him to.


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So he left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran, in Syria, until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land of Israel,


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but gave him no property of his own, not one little tract of land. "However, God promised that eventually the whole country would belong to him and his descendants--though as yet he had no children!


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But God also told him that these descendants of his would leave the land and live in a foreign country and there become slaves for 400 years.


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'But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God told him, 'and afterwards my people will return to this land of Israel and worship me here.'


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"God also gave Abraham the ceremony of circumcision at that time, as evidence of the covenant between God and the people of Abraham. And so Isaac, Abraham's son, was circumcised when he was eight days old. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Jewish nation.


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and delivered him out of all of his anguish, and gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all Egypt, as well as putting him in charge of all the affairs of the palace.


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"But a famine developed in Egypt and Canaan, and there was great misery for our ancestors. When their food was gone,


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The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.


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Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his brothers' families to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all.


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All of them were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham bought from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father.


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"As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham to free his descendants from slavery, the Jewish people greatly multiplied in Egypt;


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"About that time Moses was born--a child of divine beauty. His parents hid him at home for three months,


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and when at last they could no longer keep him hidden and had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter found him and adopted him as her own son,


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"One day as he was nearing his fortieth birthday, it came into his mind to visit his brothers, the people of Israel.


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"The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Gentlemen,' he said, 'you are brothers and shouldn't be fighting like this! It is wrong!'


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"But the man in the wrong told Moses to mind his own business. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked.


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"Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an Angel appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush.


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Moses saw it and wondered what it was, and as he ran to see, the voice of the Lord called out to him,


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'I am the God of your ancestors--of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and dared not look.


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I have seen the anguish of my people in Egypt and have heard their cries. I have come down to deliver them. Come, I will send you to Egypt.'


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And so God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected by demanding, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Moses was sent to be their ruler and savior.


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And by means of many remarkable miracles he led them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, and back and forth through the wilderness for forty years.


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"Moses himself told the people of Israel, 'God will raise up a Prophet much like me from among your brothers.'


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How true this proved to be, for in the wilderness, Moses was the go-between--the mediator between the people of Israel and the Angel who gave them the Law of God--the Living Word--on Mount Sinai.


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They told Aaron, 'Make idols for us, so that we will have gods to lead us back; for we don't know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.'


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"Then God turned away from them and gave them up, and let them serve the sun, moon, and stars as their gods! In the book of Amos' prophecies the Lord God asks, 'Was it to me you were sacrificing during those forty years in the desert, Israel?


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No, your real interest was in your heathen gods--Sakkuth, and the star god Kaiway, and in all the images you made. So I will send you into captivity far away beyond Babylon.'


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"Our ancestors carried along with them a portable Temple, or Tabernacle, through the wilderness. In it they kept the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them. This building was constructed in exact accordance with the plan shown to Moses by the Angel.


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Years later, when Joshua led the battles against the Gentile nations, this Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory, and used until the time of King David.


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"God blessed David greatly, and David asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.


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'The heaven is my throne,' says the Lord through his prophets, 'and earth is my footstool. What kind of home could you build?' asks the Lord. 'Would I stay in it?


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"You stiff-necked heathen! Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? But your fathers did, and so do you!


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Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One--the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.


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But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand.


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And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and Jesus the Messiah standing beside God, at his right hand!"


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Then they mobbed him, putting their hands over their ears, and drowning out his voice with their shouts,


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and dragged him out of the city to stone him. The official witnesses--the executioners--took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Paul.


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And he fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" and with that, he died.


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Paul was in complete agreement with the killing of Stephen. And a great wave of persecution of the believers began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled into Judea and Samaria.


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Paul was like a wild man, going everywhere to devastate the believers, even entering private homes and dragging out men and women alike and jailing them.


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Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed,


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A man named Simon had formerly been a sorcerer there for many years; he was a very influential, proud man because of the amazing things he could do--


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But now they believed Philip's message that Jesus was the Messiah, and his words concerning the Kingdom of God; and many men and women were baptized.


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Then Simon himself believed and was baptized and began following Philip wherever he went, and was amazed by the miracles he did.


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When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God's message, they sent down Peter and John.


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for as yet he had not come upon any of them. For they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.


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When Simon saw this--that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people's heads--he offered money to buy this power.


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"Let me have this power too," he exclaimed, "so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!"


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After testifying and preaching in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, stopping at several Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News to them too.


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But as for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go over to the road that runs from Jerusalem through the Gaza Desert, arriving around noon."


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So he did, and who should be coming down the road but the Treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship


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"Of course not!" the man replied. "How can I when there is no one to instruct me?" And he begged Philip to come up into the chariot and sit with him.


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The passage of Scripture he had been reading from was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before the shearers, so he opened not his mouth;


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in his humiliation, justice was denied him; and who can express the wickedness of the people of his generation? For his life is taken from the earth."


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As they rode along, they came to a small body of water, and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! Why can't I be baptized?"


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"You can," Philip answered, "if you believe with all your heart." And the eunuch replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."


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And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch never saw him again, but went on his way rejoicing.


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Meanwhile, Philip found himself at Azotus! He preached the Good News there and in every city along the way, as he traveled to Caesarea.


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But Paul, threatening with every breath and eager to destroy every Christian, went to the High Priest in Jerusalem.


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He requested a letter addressed to synagogues in Damascus, requiring their cooperation in the persecution of any believers he found there, both men and women, so that he could bring them in chains to Jerusalem.


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As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, suddenly a brilliant light from heaven spotted down upon him!


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"Who is speaking, sir?" Paul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!


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The men with Paul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one!


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As Paul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. He had to be led into Damascus and was there three days, blind, going without food and water all that time.


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Now there was in Damascus a believer named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord!" he replied.


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And the Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street and find the house of a man named Judas and ask there for Paul of Tarsus. He is praying to me right now, for


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I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him so that he can see again!"


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"But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I have heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!


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And we hear that he has arrest warrants with him from the chief priests, authorizing him to arrest every believer in Damascus!"


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But the Lord said, "Go and do what I say. For Paul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the nations and before kings, as well as to the people of Israel.


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So Ananias went over and found Paul and laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Paul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit and get your sight back."


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and went at once to the synagogue to tell everyone there the Good News about Jesus--that he is indeed the Son of God!


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All who heard him were amazed. "Isn't this the same man who persecuted Jesus' followers so bitterly in Jerusalem?" they asked. "And we understand that he came here to arrest them all and take them in chains to the chief priests."


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Paul became more and more fervent in his preaching, and the Damascus Jews couldn't withstand his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Christ.


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But Paul was told about their plans, that they were watching the gates of the city day and night prepared to murder him.


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So during the night some of his converts let him down in a basket through an opening in the city wall!


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Upon arrival in Jerusalem he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was faking!


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Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Paul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus, what the Lord had said to him, and all about his powerful preaching in the name of Jesus.


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and preached boldly in the name of the Lord. But then some Greek-speaking Jews with whom he had argued plotted to murder him.


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However, when the other believers heard about his danger, they took him to Caesarea and then sent him to his home in Tarsus.


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Meanwhile, the church had peace throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria, and grew in strength and numbers. The believers learned how to walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.


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Peter traveled from place to place to visit them, and in his travels came to the believers in the town of Lydda.


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Peter said to him, "Aeneas! Jesus Christ has healed you! Get up and make your bed." And he was healed instantly.


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Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord when they saw Aeneas walking around.


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In the city of Joppa there was a woman named Dorcas ("Gazelle"), a believer who was always doing kind things for others, especially for the poor.


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About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room.


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But when they learned that Peter was nearby at Lydda, they sent two men to beg him to return with them to Joppa.


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This he did; as soon as he arrived, they took him upstairs where Dorcas lay. The room was filled with weeping widows who were showing one another the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for them.


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But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Dorcas," and she opened her eyes! And when she saw Peter, she sat up!


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He gave her his hand and helped her up and called in the believers and widows, presenting her to them.


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He was a godly man, deeply reverent, as was his entire household. He gave generously to charity and was a man of prayer.


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While wide awake one afternoon he had a vision--it was about three o'clock--and in this vision he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.


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Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What do you want, sir?" he asked the angel. And the angel replied, "Your prayers and charities have not gone unnoticed by God!


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As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a godly soldier, one of his personal bodyguard,


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"Never, Lord," Peter declared, "I have never in all my life eaten such creatures, for they are forbidden by our Jewish laws."


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Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? What was he supposed to do? Just then the men sent by Cornelius had found the house and were standing outside at the gate,


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Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come to see you.


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Then they told him about Cornelius the Roman officer, a good and godly man, well thought of by the Jews, and how an angel had instructed him to send for Peter to come and tell him what God wanted him to do.


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So Peter invited them in and lodged them overnight. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some other believers from Joppa.


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They arrived in Caesarea the following day, and Cornelius was waiting for him and had called together his relatives and close friends to meet Peter.


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So he got up, and they talked together for a while and then went in where the others were assembled.


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Peter told them, "You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me in a vision that I should never think of anyone as inferior.


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Cornelius replied, "Four days ago I was praying as usual at this time of the afternoon, when suddenly a man was standing before me clothed in a radiant robe!


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Now send some men to Joppa and summon Simon Peter, who is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, down by the shore.'


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So I sent for you at once, and you have done well to come so soon. Now here we are, waiting before the Lord, anxious to hear what he has told you to tell us!"


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I'm sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel--that there is peace with God through Jesus, the Messiah, who is Lord of all creation.


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And you no doubt know that Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were possessed by demons, for God was with him.


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"And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem, where he was murdered on a cross.


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But God brought him back to life again three days later and showed him to certain witnesses God had selected beforehand


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And he sent us to preach the Good News everywhere and to testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be the Judge of all--living and dead.


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And all the prophets have written about him, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name."


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The Jews who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to Gentiles too!


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But there could be no doubt about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Peter asked,


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"Can anyone object to my baptizing them, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"


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So he did, baptizing them in the name of Jesus, the Messiah. Afterwards Cornelius begged him to stay with them for several days.


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Soon the news reached the apostles and other brothers in Judea that Gentiles also were being converted!


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"One day in Joppa," he said, "while I was praying, I saw a vision--a huge sheet, let down by its four corners from the sky.


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Just then three men who had come to take me with them to Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying!


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The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry about their being Gentiles! These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon arrived at the home of the man who had sent the messengers.


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He told us how an angel had appeared to him and told him to send messengers to Joppa to find Simon Peter!


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"Well, I began telling them the Good News, but just as I was getting started with my sermon, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning!


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Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'Yes, John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'


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And since it was God who gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?"


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When the others heard this, all their objections were answered and they began praising God! "Yes," they said, "God has given to the Gentiles, too, the privilege of turning to him and receiving eternal life!"


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Meanwhile, the believers who fled from Jerusalem during the persecution after Stephen's death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, scattering the Good News, but only to Jews.


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However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene also gave their message about the Lord Jesus to some Greeks.


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When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to help the new converts.


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When he arrived and saw the wonderful things God was doing, he was filled with excitement and joy, and encouraged the believers to stay close to the Lord, whatever the cost.


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Barnabas was a kindly person, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. As a result, large numbers of people were added to the Lord.


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When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch; and both of them stayed there for a full year teaching the many new converts. (It was there at Antioch that the believers were first called "Christians.")


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and one of them, named Agabus, stood up in one of the meetings to predict by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the land of Israel. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)


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So the believers decided to send relief to the Christians in Judea, each giving as much as he could.


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This they did, consigning their gifts to Barnabas and Paul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.


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When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he arrested Peter during the Passover celebration


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and imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of sixteen soldiers. Herod's intention was to deliver Peter to the Jews for execution after the Passover.


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But earnest prayer was going up to God from the church for his safety all the time he was in prison.


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The night before he was to be executed, he was asleep, double-chained between two soldiers with others standing guard before the prison gate,


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when suddenly there was a light in the cell and an angel of the Lord stood beside Peter! The angel slapped him on the side to awaken him and said, "Quick! Get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists!


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Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your shoes." And he did. "Now put on your coat and follow me!" the angel ordered.


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So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a dream or vision and didn't believe it was really happening.


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They passed the first and second cell blocks and came to the iron gate to the street, and this opened to them of its own accord! So they passed through and walked along together for a block, and then the angel left him.


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Peter finally realized what had happened! "It's really true!" he said to himself. "The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jews were hoping to do to me!"


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After a little thought he went to the home of Mary, mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for a prayer meeting.


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When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that she ran back inside to tell everyone that Peter was standing outside in the street.


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They didn't believe her. "You're out of your mind," they said. When she insisted they decided, "It must be his angel.  They must have killed him."


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Meanwhile Peter continued knocking. When they finally went out and opened the door, their surprise knew no bounds.


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He motioned for them to quiet down and told them what had happened and how the Lord had brought him out of jail. "Tell James and the others what happened," he said--and left for safer quarters.


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When Herod sent for him and found that he wasn't there, he had the sixteen guards arrested, court-martialed and sentenced to death. Afterwards he left to live in Caesarea for a while.


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While he was in Caesarea, a delegation from Tyre and Sidon arrived to see him. He was highly displeased with the people of those two cities, but the delegates made friends with Blastus, the royal secretary, and asked for peace, for their cities were economically dependent upon trade with Herod's country.


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An appointment with Herod was granted, and when the day arrived he put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.


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At its conclusion the people gave him a great ovation, shouting, "It is the voice of a god and not of a man!"


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Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness so that he was filled with maggots and died--because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God.


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Barnabas and Paul now visited Jerusalem and as soon as they had finished their business, returned to Antioch, taking John Mark with them.


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Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch were Barnabas and Symeon (also called "The Black Man"), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the foster-brother of King Herod), and Paul.


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One day as these men were worshiping and fasting the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Paul for a special job I have for them."


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There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogue and preached. (John Mark went with them as their assistant.)


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Afterwards they preached from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a fake prophet named Bar-Jesus.


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He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, a man of considerable insight and understanding. The governor invited Barnabas and Paul to visit him, for he wanted to hear their message from God.


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But the sorcerer, Elymas (his name in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Paul and Barnabas said, trying to keep him from trusting the Lord.


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"You son of the devil, full of every sort of trickery and villainy, enemy of all that is good, will you never end your opposition to the Lord?


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And now God has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be stricken awhile with blindness." Instantly mist and darkness fell upon him, and he began wandering around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.


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Now Paul and those with him left Paphos by ship for Turkey, landing at the port town of Perga. There John deserted them and returned to Jerusalem.


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But Barnabas and Paul went on to Antioch, a city in the province of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went into the synagogue for the services.


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After the usual readings from the Books of Moses and from the Prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: "Brothers, if you have any word of instruction for us come and give it!"


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So Paul stood, waved a greeting to them and began. "Men of Israel," he said, "and all others here who reverence God,  let me begin my remarks with a bit of history.


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"The God of this nation Israel chose our ancestors and honored them in Egypt by gloriously leading them out of their slavery.


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"Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul (son of Kish), a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.


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But God removed him and replaced him with David as king, a man about whom God said, 'David (son of Jesse) is a man after my own heart, for he will obey me.'


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"But before he came, John the Baptist preached the need for everyone in Israel to turn from sin to God.


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As John was finishing his work he asked, 'Do you think I am the Messiah? No! But he is coming soon--and in comparison with him, I am utterly worthless.'


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"Brothers--you sons of Abraham, and also all of you Gentiles here who reverence God--this salvation is for all of us!


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The Jews in Jerusalem and their leaders fulfilled prophecy by killing Jesus; for they didn't recognize him or realize that he is the one the prophets had written about, though they heard the prophets' words read every Sabbath.


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When they had fulfilled all the prophecies concerning his death, he was taken from the cross and placed in a tomb.


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And he was seen many times during the next few days by the men who had accompanied him to Jerusalem from Galilee--these men have constantly testified to this in public witness.


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has come true in our own time, in that God brought Jesus back to life again. This is what the second Psalm is talking about when it says concerning Jesus, 'Today I have honored you as my Son.'


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"For God had promised to bring him back to life again, no more to die. This is stated in the Scripture that says, 'I will do for you the wonderful thing I promised David.'


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This was not a reference to David, for after David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died and was buried, and his body decayed.


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 No, it was a reference to another--someone God brought back to life, whose body was not touched at all by the ravages of death.


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Everyone who trusts in him is freed from all guilt and declared righteous--something the Jewish law could never do.


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'Look and perish, you despisers  of the truth, for I am doing something in your day--something that you won't believe when you hear it announced.' "


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As the people left the synagogue that day, they asked Paul to return and speak to them again the next week.


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And many Jews and godly Gentiles who worshiped at the synagogue followed Paul and Barnabas down the street as the two men urged them to accept the mercies God was offering.


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But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were jealous, and cursed and argued against whatever Paul said.


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Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, "It was necessary that this Good News from God should be given first to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and shown yourselves unworthy of eternal life--well, we will offer it to Gentiles.


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For this is as the Lord commanded when he said, 'I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to lead them from the farthest corners of the earth to my salvation.' "


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When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and rejoiced in Paul's message; and as many as wanted eternal life, believed.


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Then the Jewish leaders stirred up both the godly women and the civic leaders of the city and incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas, and ran them out of town.


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At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went together to the synagogue and preached with such power that many--both Jews and Gentiles--believed.


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But the Jews who spurned God's message stirred up distrust among the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas, saying all sorts of evil things about them.


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Nevertheless, they stayed there a long time, preaching boldly, and the Lord proved their message was from him by giving them power to do great miracles.


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But the people of the city were divided in their opinion about them. Some agreed with the Jewish leaders, and some backed the apostles.


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When Paul and Barnabas learned of a plot to incite a mob of Gentiles, Jews, and Jewish leaders to attack and stone them,


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they fled for their lives, going to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding area,


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While they were at Lystra, they came upon a man with crippled feet who had been that way from birth, so he had never walked.


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When the listening crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted (in their local dialect, of course), "These men are gods in human bodies!"


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They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Jupiter, and that Paul, because he was the chief speaker, was Mercury!


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The local priest of the Temple of Jupiter, located on the outskirts of the city, brought them cartloads of flowers and prepared to sacrifice oxen to them at the city gates before the crowds.


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But when Barnabas and Paul saw what was happening, they ripped at their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting,


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"Men! What are you doing? We are merely human beings like yourselves! We have come to bring you the Good News that you are invited to turn from the worship of these foolish things and to pray instead to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.


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but he never left himself without a witness; there were always his reminders--the kind things he did such as sending you rain and good crops and giving you food and gladness."


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Yet only a few days later, some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the crowds into a murderous mob that stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, apparently dead.


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But as the believers stood around him, he got up and went back into the city! The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.


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After preaching the Good News there and making many disciples, they returned again to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,


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where they helped the believers to grow in love for God and each other. They encouraged them to continue in the faith in spite of all the persecution, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.


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Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord in whom they trusted.


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Finally they returned by ship to Antioch, where their journey had begun and where they had been committed to God for the work now completed.


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Upon arrival they called together the believers and reported on their trip, telling how God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles too.


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While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers that unless they adhered to the ancient Jewish custom of circumcision, they could not be saved.


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Paul and Barnabas argued and discussed this with them at length, and finally the believers sent them to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local men, to talk to the apostles and elders there about this question.


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After the entire congregation had escorted them out of the city, the delegates went on to Jerusalem, stopping along the way in the cities of Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers, telling them--much to everyone's joy--that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.


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Arriving in Jerusalem, they met with the church leaders--all the apostles and elders were present--and Paul and Barnabas reported on what God had been doing through their ministry.


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But then some of the men who had been Pharisees before their conversion stood to their feet and declared that all Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow all the Jewish customs and ceremonies.


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At the meeting, after long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you long ago to preach the Good News to the Gentiles so that they also could believe.


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God, who knows men's hearts, confirmed the fact that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave him to us.


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He made no distinction between them and us, for he cleansed their lives through faith, just as he did ours.


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And now are you going to correct God by burdening the Gentiles with a yoke that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear?


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There was no further discussion, and everyone now listened as Barnabas and Paul told about the miracles God had done through them among the Gentiles.


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Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to bring honor to his name.


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And this fact of Gentile conversion agrees with what the prophets predicted. For instance, listen to this passage from the prophet Amos:


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"And so my judgment is that we should not insist that the Gentiles who turn to God must obey our Jewish laws,


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except that we should write to them to refrain from eating meat sacrificed to idols, from all fornication, and also from eating unbled meat of strangled animals.


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For these things have been preached against in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations."


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Then the apostles and elders and the whole congregation voted to send delegates to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders--Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.


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This is the letter they took along with them: "From: The apostles, elders and brothers at Jerusalem. "To: The Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Greetings!


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"We understand that some believers from here have upset you and questioned your salvation, but they had no such instructions from us.


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So it seemed wise to us, having unanimously agreed on our decision, to send to you these two official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul.


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These men--Judas and Silas, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ--will confirm orally what we have decided concerning your question.


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"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden of Jewish laws on you than


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to abstain from eating food offered to idols and from unbled meat of strangled animals, and, of course, from fornication. If you do this, it is enough. Farewell."


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The four messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the Christians and gave them the letter.


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Then Judas and Silas, both being gifted speakers, preached long sermons to the believers, strengthening their faith.


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They stayed several days, and then Judas and Silas returned to Jerusalem taking greetings and appreciation to those who had sent them.


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Paul and Barnabas stayed on at Antioch to assist several others who were preaching and teaching there.


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Several days later Paul suggested to Barnabas that they return again to Turkey and visit each city where they had preached before, to see how the new converts were getting along.


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Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus,


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Paul and Silas went first to Derbe and then on to Lystra where they met Timothy, a believer whose mother was a Christian Jewess, but his father a Greek.


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so Paul asked him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he circumcised Timothy before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek  and hadn't permitted this before.


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Then they went from city to city, making known the decision concerning the Gentiles, as decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.


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Next they traveled through Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the Turkish province of Asia Minor at that time.


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Then going along the borders of Mysia they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus said no.


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That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, "Come over here and help us."


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Well, that settled it. We would go to Macedonia, for we could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there.


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We went aboard a boat at Troas, and sailed straight across to Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis,


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and finally reached Philippi, a Roman colony just inside the Macedonian border, and stayed there several days.


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On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank where we understood some people met for prayer; and we taught the Scriptures to some women who came.


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One of them was Lydia, a saleswoman from Thyatira, a merchant of purple cloth. She was already a worshiper of God and as she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart and she accepted all that Paul was saying.


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She was baptized along with all her household and asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am faithful to the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we did.


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One day as we were going down to the place of prayer beside the river, we met a demon-possessed slave girl, who was a fortune-teller and earned much money for her masters.


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She followed along behind us shouting, "These men are servants of God, and they have come to tell you how to have your sins forgiven."


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This went on day after day until Paul, in great distress, turned and spoke to the demon within her. "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her," he said. And instantly it left her.


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Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered; they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the judges at the marketplace.


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"These Jews are corrupting our city," they shouted. "They are teaching the people to do things that are against the Roman laws."


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A mob was quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the judges ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden whips.


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Again and again the rods slashed down across their bared backs; and afterwards they were thrown into prison. The jailer was threatened with death if they escaped,


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Around midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to the Lord--and the other prisoners were listening--


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suddenly there was a great earthquake; the prison was shaken to its foundations, all the doors flew open--and the chains of every prisoner fell off!


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The jailer wakened to see the prison doors wide open, and assuming the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself.


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Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas.


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Then he brought them up into his house and set a meal before them. How he and his household rejoiced because all were now believers!


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But Paul replied, "Oh no they don't! They have publicly beaten us without trial and jailed us--and we are Roman citizens! So now they want us to leave secretly? Never! Let them come themselves and release us!"


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The police officers reported to the judges, who feared for their lives when they heard Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.


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So they came to the jail and begged them to go, and brought them out and pled with them to leave the city.


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Paul and Silas then returned to the home of Lydia, where they met with the believers and preached to them once more before leaving town.


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Now they traveled through the cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.


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As was Paul's custom, he went there to preach, and for three Sabbaths in a row he opened the Scriptures to the people,


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explaining the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah and his coming back to life, and proving that Jesus is the Messiah.


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Some who listened were persuaded and became converts--including a large number of godly Greek men and also many important women of the city.


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But the Jewish leaders were jealous and incited some worthless fellows from the streets to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, planning to take Paul and Silas to the City Council for punishment.


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Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers, and took them before the Council instead. "Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city," they shouted,


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"and Jason has let them into his home. They are all guilty of treason, for they claim another king, Jesus, instead of Caesar."


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The people of the city, as well as the judges, were concerned at these reports and let them go only after they had posted bail.


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That night the Christians hurried Paul and Silas to Beroea, and, as usual, they went to the synagogue to preach.


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But the people of Beroea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and gladly listened to the message. They searched the Scriptures day by day to check up on Paul and Silas' statements to see if they were really so.


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But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching in Beroea, they went over and stirred up trouble.


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Those accompanying Paul went on with him to Athens and then returned to Beroea with a message for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.


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While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere throughout the city.


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He went to the synagogue for discussions with the Jews and the devout Gentiles, and spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.


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He also had an encounter with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Their reaction, when he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, was, "He's a dreamer," or, "He's pushing some foreign religion."


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But they invited him to the forum at Mars Hill. "Come and tell us more about this new religion," they said,


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(I should explain that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest new ideas!)


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So Paul, standing before them at the Mars Hill forum, addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious,


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for as I was out walking I saw your many altars, and one of them had this inscription on it--'To the Unknown God.' You have been worshiping him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell you about him.


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"He made the world and everything in it, and since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples;


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and human hands can't minister to his needs--for he has no needs! He himself gives life and breath to everything, and satisfies every need there is.


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He created all the people of the world from one man, Adam, and scattered the nations across the face of the earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and when. He determined their boundaries.


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"His purpose in all of this is that they should seek after God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of us.


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If this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol made by men from gold or silver or chipped from stone.


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God tolerated man's past ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone to put away idols and worship only him.


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For he has set a day for justly judging the world by the man he has appointed, and has pointed him out by bringing him back to life again."


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When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed, but others said, "We want to hear more about this later."


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but a few joined him and became believers. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the City Council, and a woman named Damaris, and others.


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There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had been expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius Caesar's order to deport all Jews from Rome.


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And after the arrival of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, Paul spent his full time preaching and testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.


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But when the Jews opposed him and blasphemed, hurling abuse at Jesus, Paul shook off the dust from his robe and said, "Your blood be upon your own heads--I am innocent--from now on I will preach to the Gentiles."


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After that he stayed with Titus Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.


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However, Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed in the Lord and were baptized--as were many others in Corinth.


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But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, the Jews rose in concerted action against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment.


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But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to his accusers and said, "Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some crime, I would be obliged to listen to you,


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but since it is merely a bunch of questions of semantics and personalities and your silly Jewish laws, you take care of it. I'm not interested and I'm not touching it."


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Then the mob grabbed Sosthenes, the new leader of the synagogue, and beat him outside the courtroom. But Gallio couldn't have cared less.


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Paul stayed in the city several days after that and then said good-bye to the Christians and sailed for the coast of Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. At Cenchreae Paul had his head shaved according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.


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Arriving at the port of Ephesus, he left us aboard ship while he went over to the synagogue for a discussion with the Jews.


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"I must by all means be at Jerusalem for the holiday," he said. But he promised to return to Ephesus later if God permitted; and so he set sail again.


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The next stop was at the port of Caesarea from where he visited the church  at Jerusalem and then sailed on to Antioch.


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After spending some time there, he left for Turkey again, going through Galatia and Phrygia visiting all the believers, encouraging them and helping them grow in the Lord.


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As it happened, a Jew named Apollos, a wonderful Bible teacher and preacher, had just arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt.


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While he was in Egypt, someone had told him about John the Baptist and what John had said about Jesus, but that is all he knew. He had never heard the rest of the story!


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So he was preaching boldly and enthusiastically in the synagogue, "The Messiah is coming! Get ready to receive him!" Priscilla and Aquila were there and heard him--and it was a powerful sermon. Afterwards they met with him and explained what had happened to Jesus since the time of John, and all that it meant!


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Apollos had been thinking about going to Greece, and the believers encouraged him in this. They wrote to their fellow-believers there, telling them to welcome him. And upon his arrival in Greece, he was greatly used of God to strengthen the church,


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for he powerfully refuted all the Jewish arguments in public debate, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.


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While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through Turkey and arrived in Ephesus, where he found several disciples.


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"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we don't know what you mean. What is the Holy Spirit?"


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"Then what beliefs did you acknowledge at your baptism?" he asked. And they replied, "What John the Baptist taught."


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Then Paul pointed out to them that John's baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin to God and that those receiving his baptism must then go on to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later.


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Then, when Paul laid his hands upon their heads, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other languages and prophesied.


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Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly each Sabbath day for three months, telling what he believed and why, and persuading many to believe in Jesus.


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But some rejected his message and publicly spoke against Christ, so he left, refusing to preach to them again. Pulling out the believers, he began a separate meeting at the lecture hall of Tyrannus and preached there daily.


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This went on for the next two years, so that everyone in the Turkish province of Asia Minor--both Jews and Greeks--heard the Lord's message.


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so that even when his handkerchiefs or parts of his clothing were placed upon sick people, they were healed, and any demons within them came out.


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A team of itinerant Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out demons planned to experiment by using the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they decided on was this: "I adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!"


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But when they tried it on a man possessed by a demon, the demon replied, "I know Jesus and I know Paul, but who are you?"


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And he leaped on two of them and beat them up, so that they fled out of his house naked and badly injured.


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The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike; and a solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored.


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and brought their incantation books and charms and burned them at a public bonfire. (Someone estimated the value of the books at $10,000.)


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Afterwards Paul felt impelled by the Holy Spirit to go across to Greece before returning to Jerusalem. "And after that," he said, "I must go on to Rome!"


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He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on ahead to Greece while he stayed awhile longer in Asia Minor.


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It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who employed many craftsmen to manufacture silver shrines of the Greek goddess Diana.


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He called a meeting of his men, together with others employed in related trades, and addressed them as follows: "Gentlemen, this business is our income.


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As you know so well from what you've seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many, many people that handmade gods aren't gods at all. As a result, our sales volume is going down! And this trend is evident not only here in Ephesus, but throughout the entire province!


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Of course, I am not only talking about the business aspects of this situation and our loss of income, but also of the possibility that the temple of the great goddess Diana will lose its influence, and that Diana--this magnificent goddess worshiped not only throughout this part of Turkey but all around the world--will be forgotten!"


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A crowd began to gather, and soon the city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions, for trial.


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Some of the Roman officers of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering.


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Inside the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another--everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn't even know why they were there.


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Alexander was spotted among the crowd by some of the Jews and dragged forward. He motioned for silence and tried to speak.


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But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: "Great is Diana of the Ephesians! Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"


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At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "everyone knows that Ephesus is the center of the religion of the great Diana, whose image fell down to us from heaven.


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Since this is an indisputable fact, you shouldn't be disturbed no matter what is said, and should do nothing rash.


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Yet you have brought these men here who have stolen nothing from her temple and have not defamed her.


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If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are currently in session and the judges can take the case at once. Let them go through legal channels.


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And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled at the regular City Council meetings;


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for we are in danger of being called to account by the Roman government for today's riot, since there is no cause for it. And if Rome demands an explanation, I won't know what to say."


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When it was all over, Paul sent for the disciples, preached a farewell message to them, said good-bye and left for Greece,


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He was in Greece three months and was preparing to sail for Syria when he discovered a plot by the Jews against his life, so he decided to go north to Macedonia first.


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Several men were traveling with him, going as far as Turkey; they were Sopater of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus; Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; and Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus, who were returning to their homes in Turkey,


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As soon as the Passover ceremonies ended, we boarded ship at Philippi in northern Greece and five days later arrived in Troas, Turkey, where we stayed a week.


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On Sunday we gathered for a Communion service, with Paul preaching. And since he was leaving the next day, he talked until midnight!


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and as Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, went fast asleep and fell three stories to his death below.


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They all went back upstairs and ate the Lord's Supper together; then Paul preached another long sermon--so it was dawn when he finally left them!


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Paul had decided against stopping at Ephesus this time, as he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, for the celebration of Pentecost.


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But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus asking them to come down to the boat to meet him.


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I have done the Lord's work humbly--yes, and with tears--and have faced grave danger from the plots of the Jews against my life.


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I have had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike--the necessity of turning from sin to God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.


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"And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me,


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But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love.


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"And now I know that none of you among whom I went about teaching the Kingdom will ever see me again.


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"And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God's flock--his church, purchased with his blood--for the Holy Spirit is holding you responsible as overseers.


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I know full well that after I leave you, false teachers, like vicious wolves, will appear among you, not sparing the flock.


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Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you--my constant watchcare over you night and day and my many tears for you.


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"And now I entrust you to God and his care and to his wonderful words that are able to build your faith and give you all the inheritance of those who are set apart for himself.


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you know that these hands of mine worked to pay my own way and even to supply the needs of those who were with me.


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And I was a constant example to you in helping the poor; for I remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "


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sorrowing most of all because he said that he would never see them again. Then they accompanied him down to the ship.


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After parting from the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara.


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We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship unloaded.


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We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These disciples warned Paul--the Holy Spirit prophesying through them--not to go on to Jerusalem.


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At the end of the week when we returned to the ship, the entire congregation including wives and children walked down to the beach with us where we prayed and said our farewells.


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The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the believers but stayed only one day.


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Then we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the first seven deacons.


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During our stay of several days, a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea


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and visited us. He took Paul's belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and turned over to the Romans.' "


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Hearing this, all of us--the local believers and his traveling companions--begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.


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But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! For I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but also to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus."


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When it was clear that he wouldn't be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The will of the Lord be done."


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Some disciples from Caesarea accompanied us, and on arrival we were guests at the home of Mnason, originally from Cyprus, one of the early believers;


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After greetings were exchanged, Paul recounted the many things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his work.


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They praised God but then said, "You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they are all very insistent that Jewish believers must continue to follow the Jewish traditions and customs.


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Our Jewish Christians here at Jerusalem have been told that you are against the laws of Moses, against our Jewish customs, and that you forbid the circumcision of their children.


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Go with them to the Temple and have your head shaved too--and pay for theirs to be shaved. "Then everyone will know that you approve of this custom for the Hebrew Christians and that you yourself obey the Jewish laws and are in line with our thinking in these matters.


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"As for the Gentile Christians, we aren't asking them to follow these Jewish customs at all--except for the ones we wrote to them about: not to eat food offered to idols, not to eat unbled meat from strangled animals, and not to commit fornication."


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So Paul agreed to their request and the next day went with the men to the Temple for the ceremony, thus publicizing his vow to offer a sacrifice seven days later with the others.


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The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from Turkey saw him in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him,


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yelling, "Men of Israel! Help! Help! This is the man who preaches against our people and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He even talks against the Temple and defiles it by bringing Gentiles in!"


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(For down in the city earlier that day, they had seen him with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus in Turkey, and assumed that Paul had taken him into the Temple.)


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The whole population of the city was electrified by these accusations and a great riot followed. Paul was dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him.


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As they were killing him, word reached the commander of the Roman garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.


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He quickly ordered out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the troops coming, they quit beating Paul.


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The commander arrested him and ordered him bound with double chains. Then he asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.


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Some shouted one thing and some another. When he couldn't find out anything in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered Paul to be taken to the armory.


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As they reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent that the soldiers lifted Paul to their shoulders to protect him,


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As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, "May I have a word with you?" "Do you know Greek?" the commander asked, surprised.


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"Aren't you that Egyptian who led a rebellion a few years ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins with him into the desert?"


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"No," Paul replied, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia which is no small town. I request permission to talk to these people."


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The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet; soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew as follows:


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"I am a Jew," he said, "born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, but educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel, at whose feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very anxious to honor God in everything I did, just as you have tried to do today.


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And I persecuted the Christians, hounding them to death, binding and delivering both men and women to prison.


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The High Priest or any member of the Council can testify that this is so. For I asked them for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus, with instructions to let me bring any Christians I found to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.


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"As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, suddenly about noon a very bright light from heaven shone around me.


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'Who is it speaking to me, sir?' I asked. And he replied, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.'


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"And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' "And the Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what awaits you in the years ahead.'


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There a man named Ananias, as godly a man as you could find for obeying the law and well thought of by all the Jews of Damascus,


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came to me, and standing beside me said, 'Brother Paul, receive your sight!' And that very hour I could see him!


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"Then he told me, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Messiah and hear him speak.


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And now, why delay? Go and be baptized and be cleansed from your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'


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and saw a vision of God saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't believe you when you give them my message.'


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'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that I imprisoned and beat those in every synagogue who believed on you.


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And when your witness Stephen was killed, I was standing there agreeing--keeping the coats they laid aside as they stoned him.'


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The crowd listened until Paul came to that word, then with one voice they shouted, "Away with such a fellow! Kill him! He isn't fit to live!"


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So the commander brought him inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious!


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As they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to an officer standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried?"


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So the commander went over and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I certainly am."


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The soldiers standing ready to lash him, quickly disappeared when they heard Paul was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.


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The next day the commander freed him from his chains and ordered the chief priests into session with the Jewish Council. He had Paul brought in before them to try to find out what the trouble was all about.


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Gazing intently at the Council, Paul began: "Brothers, I have always lived before God in all good conscience!"


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Paul said to him, "God shall slap you, you whitewashed pigpen. What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?"


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"I didn't realize he was the High Priest, brothers," Paul replied, "for the Scriptures say, 'Never speak evil of any of your rulers.' "


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Then Paul thought of something! Part of the Council were Sadducees, and part were Pharisees! So he shouted, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were all my ancestors! And I am being tried here today because I believe in the resurrection of the dead!"


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for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or even eternal spirit within us, but the Pharisees believe in all of these.


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So a great clamor arose. Some of the Jewish leaders jumped up to argue that Paul was all right. "We see nothing wrong with him," they shouted. "Perhaps a spirit or angel spoke to him  there on the Damascus road."


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The shouting grew louder and louder, and the men were tugging at Paul from both sides, pulling him this way and that. Finally the commander, fearing they would tear him apart, ordered his soldiers to take him away from them by force and bring him back to the armory.


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That night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, "Don't worry, Paul; just as you have told the people about me here in Jerusalem, so you must also in Rome."


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The next morning some forty or more of the Jews got together and bound themselves by a curse neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul!


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"Ask the commander to bring Paul back to the Council again," they requested. "Pretend you want to ask a few more questions. We will kill him on the way."


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Paul called one of the officers and said, "Take this boy to the commander. He has something important to tell him."


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So the officer did, explaining, "Paul, the prisoner, called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you to tell you something."


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The commander took the boy by the hand, and leading him aside asked, "What is it you want to tell me, lad?"


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"Tomorrow," he told him, "the Jews are going to ask you to bring Paul before the Council again, pretending they want to get some more information.


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But don't do it! There are more than forty men hiding along the road ready to jump him and kill him. They have bound themselves under a curse to neither eat nor drink till he is dead. They are out there now, expecting you to agree to their request."


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Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered, "Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight! Take 200 spearmen and 70 mounted cavalry.


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"This man was seized by the Jews, and they were killing him when I sent the soldiers to rescue him, for I learned that he was a Roman citizen.


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I soon discovered it was something about their Jewish beliefs, certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death.


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But when I was informed of a plot to kill him, I decided to send him on to you and will tell his accusers to bring their charges before you."


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They returned to the armory the next morning, leaving him with the cavalry to take him on to Caesarea.


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"I will hear your case fully when your accusers arrive," the governor told him, and ordered him kept in the prison at King Herod's palace.


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Five days later Ananias the High Priest arrived with some of the Jewish leaders and the lawyer Tertullus, to make their accusations against Paul.


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When Tertullus was called forward, he laid charges against Paul in the following address to the governor: "Your Excellency, you have given quietness and peace to us Jews and have greatly reduced the discrimination against us.


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But lest I bore you, kindly give me your attention for only a moment as I briefly outline our case against this man.


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For we have found him to be a troublemaker, a man who is constantly inciting the Jews throughout the entire world to riots and rebellions against the Roman government. He is a ringleader of the sect known as the Nazarenes.


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Moreover, he was trying to defile the Temple when we arrested him. "We would have given him what he justly deserves,


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demanding that he be tried by Roman law. You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself."


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Now it was Paul's turn. The governor motioned for him to rise and speak. Paul began: "I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, and this gives me confidence as I make my defense.


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You can quickly discover that it was no more than twelve days ago that I arrived in Jerusalem to worship at the Temple,


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and you will discover that I have never incited a riot in any synagogue or on the streets of any city;


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"But one thing I do confess, that I believe in the way of salvation, which they refer to as a sect; I follow that system of serving the God of our ancestors; I firmly believe in the Jewish law and everything written in the books of prophecy;


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and I believe, just as these men do, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and ungodly.


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Because of this, I try with all my strength to always maintain a clear conscience before God and man.


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"After several years away, I returned to Jerusalem with money to aid the Jews and to offer a sacrifice to God.


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My accusers saw me in the Temple as I was presenting my thank offering. I had shaved my head as their laws required, and there was no crowd around me, and no rioting! But some Jews from Turkey were there


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except that I said one thing I shouldn't when I shouted out, 'I am here before the Council to defend myself for believing that the dead will rise again!' "


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Felix, who knew Christians didn't go around starting riots, told the Jews to wait for the arrival of Lysias, the garrison commander, and then he would decide the case.


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He ordered Paul to prison but instructed the guards to treat him gently and not to forbid any of his friends from visiting him or bringing him gifts to make his stay more comfortable.


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A few days later Felix came with Drusilla, his legal wife, a Jewess. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus.


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And as he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified. "Go away for now," he replied, "and when I have a more convenient time, I'll call for you again."


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Two years went by in this way; then Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jews, he left Paul in chains.


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Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,


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where the chief priests and other Jewish leaders got hold of him and gave him their story about Paul.


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On Paul's arrival in court the Jews from Jerusalem gathered around, hurling many serious accusations which they couldn't prove.


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Paul denied the charges: "I am not guilty," he said. "I have not opposed the Jewish laws or desecrated the Temple or rebelled against the Roman government."


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Then Festus, anxious to please the Jews, asked him, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me?"


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But Paul replied, "No! I demand my privilege of a hearing before the emperor himself. You know very well I am not guilty.


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If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die! But if I am innocent, neither you nor anyone else has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar."


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Festus conferred with his advisors and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you shall go!"


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During their stay of several days Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. "There is a prisoner here," he told him, "whose case was left for me by Felix.


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When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders gave me their side of the story and asked me to have him killed.


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Of course I quickly pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict a man before he is tried. He is given an opportunity to defend himself face to face with his accusers.


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"When they came here for the trial, I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in.


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It was something about their religion and about someone called Jesus who died, but Paul insists is alive!


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I was perplexed as to how to decide a case of this kind and asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem.


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But Paul appealed to Caesar! So I ordered him back to jail until I could arrange to get him to the emperor."


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So the next day, after the king and Bernice had arrived at the courtroom with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city, Festus ordered Paul brought in.


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Then Festus addressed the audience: "King Agrippa and all present," he said, "this is the man whose death is demanded both by the local Jews and by those in Jerusalem!


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But in my opinion he has done nothing worthy of death. However, he appealed his case to Caesar, and I have no alternative but to send him.


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But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no real charge against him! So I have brought him before you all, and especially you, King Agrippa, to examine him and then tell me what to write.


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Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Go ahead. Tell us your story." So Paul, with many gestures, presented his defense:


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"As the Jews are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood in Tarsus and later at Jerusalem, and I lived accordingly.


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If they would admit it, they know that I have always been the strictest of Pharisees when it comes to obedience to Jewish laws and customs.


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But the real reason behind their accusations is something else--it is because I am looking forward to the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors.


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The twelve tribes of Israel strive night and day to attain this same hope I have! Yet, O King, for me it is a crime, they say!


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But is it a crime to believe in the resurrection of the dead? Does it seem incredible to you that God can bring men back to life again?


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I imprisoned many of the saints in Jerusalem, as authorized by the High Priests; and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.


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I used torture to try to make Christians everywhere curse Christ. I was so violently opposed to them that I even hounded them in distant cities in foreign lands.


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when one day about noon, sir, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.


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We all fell down, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Hebrew, 'Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting me? You are only hurting yourself.'


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Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about the many other occasions when I shall appear to you.


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And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles


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to open their eyes to their true condition so that they may repent and live in the light of God instead of in Satan's darkness, so that they may receive forgiveness for their sins and God's inheritance along with all people everywhere whose sins are cleansed away, who are set apart by faith in me.'


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I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and through Judea, and also to the Gentiles that all must forsake their sins and turn to God--and prove their repentance by doing good deeds.


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but God protected me so that I am still alive today to tell these facts to everyone, both great and small. I teach nothing except what the Prophets and Moses said--


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that the Messiah would suffer and be the First to rise from the dead, to bring light to Jews and Gentiles alike."


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And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak frankly for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner!


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And Paul replied, "Would to God that whether my arguments are trivial or strong, both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains."


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As they talked it over afterwards they agreed, "This man hasn't done anything worthy of death or imprisonment."


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Arrangements were finally made to start us on our way to Rome by ship; so Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of an officer named Julius, a member of the imperial guard.


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We left on a boat that was scheduled to make several stops along the Turkish coast. I should add that Aristarchus, a Greek from Thessalonica, was with us.


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The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends and receive their hospitality.


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Putting to sea from there, we encountered headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland


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and passed along the coast of the provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia.


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We had several days of rough sailing, and finally neared Cnidus; but the winds had become too strong, so we ran across to Crete,


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passing the port of Salome. Beating into the wind with great difficulty and moving slowly along the southern coast, we arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.


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There we stayed for several days. The weather was becoming dangerous for long voyages by then because it was late in the year, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it.


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"Sirs," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on--perhaps shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and death."


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But the officers in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul.


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And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor--a poor place to spend the winter--most of the crew advised trying to go further up the coast to Phoenix in order to winter there; Phoenix was a good harbor with only a northwest and southwest exposure.


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Just then a light wind began blowing from the south, and it looked like a perfect day for the trip; so they pulled up anchor and sailed along close to shore.


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But shortly afterwards the weather changed abruptly, and a heavy wind of typhoon strength (a "northeaster," they called it) caught the ship and blew it out to sea.


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They tried at first to face back to shore but couldn't, so they gave up and let the ship run before the gale.


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We finally sailed behind a small island named Clauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat that was being towed behind us,


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and then banded the ship with ropes to strengthen the hull. The sailors were afraid of being driven across to the quicksands of the African coast, so they lowered the topsails and were thus driven before the wind.


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No one had eaten for a long time, but finally Paul called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Fair Havens--you would have avoided all this injury and loss!


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and said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul--for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God has granted your request and will save the lives of all those sailing with you.'


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About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven to and fro on the Adriatic Sea, the sailors suspected land was near.


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They sounded and found 120 feet of water below them. A little later they sounded again and found only 90 feet.


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At this rate they knew they would soon be driven ashore; and fearing rocks along the coast, they threw out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.


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Some of the sailors planned to abandon the ship and lowered the emergency boat as though they were going to put out anchors from the prow.


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But Paul said to the soldiers and commanding officer, "You will all die unless everyone stays aboard."


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As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. "You haven't touched food for two weeks," he said.


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Then he took some hardtack and gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.


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When it was day, they didn't recognize the coastline, but noticed a bay with a beach and wondered whether they could get between the rocks and be driven up onto the beach.


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They finally decided to try. Cutting off the anchors and leaving them in the sea, they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed ashore.


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But the ship hit a sandbar and ran aground. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was exposed to the violence of the waves and began to break apart.


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The soldiers advised their commanding officer to let them kill the prisoners lest any of them swim ashore and escape.


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But Julius wanted to spare Paul, so he told them no. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard and make for land,


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and the rest to try for it on planks and debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely ashore!


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We soon learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us, building a bonfire on the beach to welcome and warm us in the rain and cold.


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As Paul gathered an armful of sticks to lay on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, fastened itself onto his hand!


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The people of the island saw it hanging there and said to each other, "A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live!"


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The people waited for him to begin swelling or suddenly fall dead; but when they had waited a long time and no harm came to him, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.


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Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the governor of the island. He welcomed us courteously and fed us for three days.


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As it happened, Publius' father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, healed him!


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As a result we were showered with gifts, and when the time came to sail, people put on board all sorts of things we would need for the trip.


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It was three months after the shipwreck before we set sail again, and this time it was in The Twin Brothers of Alexandria, a ship that had wintered at the island.


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From there we circled around to Rhegium; a day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we arrived at Puteoli,


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where we found some believers! They begged us to stay with them seven days. Then we went on to Rome.


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The brothers in Rome had heard we were coming and came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.


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When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to live wherever he wanted to, though guarded by a soldier.


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Three days after his arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders and spoke to them as follows: "Brothers, I was arrested by the Jews in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government for prosecution, even though I had harmed no one nor violated the customs of our ancestors.


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The Romans gave me a trial and wanted to release me, for they found no cause for the death sentence demanded by the Jewish leaders.


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But when the Jews protested the decision, I felt it necessary, with no malice against them, to appeal to Caesar.


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I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and I could tell you that it is because I believe the Messiah has come that I am bound with this chain."


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They replied, "We have heard nothing against you! We have had no letters from Judea or reports from those arriving from Jerusalem.


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But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about these Christians is that they are denounced everywhere!"


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So a time was set, and on that day large numbers came to his house. He told them about the Kingdom of God and taught them about Jesus from the Scriptures--from the five books of Moses and the books of prophecy. He began lecturing in the morning and went on into the evening!


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But after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul ringing in their ears: "The Holy Spirit was right when he said through Isaiah the prophet,


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for your hearts are too fat and your ears don't listen and you have closed your eyes against understanding, for you don't want to see and hear and understand and turn to me to heal you.' "


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So I want you to realize that this salvation from God is available to the Gentiles too, and they will accept it."


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telling them with all boldness about the Kingdom of God and about the Lord Jesus Christ; and no one tried to stop him.


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Dear friends in Rome: This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen to be a missionary, and sent out to preach God's Good News.


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It is the Good News about his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who came as a human baby, born into King David's royal family line;


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and by being raised from the dead he was proved to be the mighty Son of God, with the holy nature of God himself.


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And now, through Christ, all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us undeserving sinners; and now he is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things God has done for them, so that they, too, will believe and obey him.


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And you, dear friends in Rome, are among those he dearly loves; you, too, are invited by Jesus Christ to be God's very own--yes, his holy people.


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Let me say first of all that wherever I go I hear you being talked about! For your faith in God is becoming known around the world. How I thank God through Jesus Christ for this good report, and for each one of you.


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God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to the one I serve with all my might, telling others the Good News about his Son.


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And one of the things I keep on praying for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you and, if possible, that I will have a safe trip.


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For I long to visit you so that I can impart to you the faith that will help your church grow strong in the Lord.


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Then, too, I need your help, for I want not only to share my faith with you but to be encouraged by yours: Each of us will be a blessing to the other.


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I want you to know, dear brothers, that I planned to come many times before (but was prevented) so that I could work among you and see good results, just as I have among the other Gentile churches.


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For I owe a great debt to you and to everyone else, both to civilized people and uncivilized alike; yes, to the educated and uneducated alike.


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So, to the fullest extent of my ability, I am ready to come also to you in Rome to preach God's Good News.


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For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is God's powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. This message was preached first to the Jews alone, but now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way.


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This Good News tells us that God makes us ready for heaven--makes us right in God's sight--when we put our faith and trust in Christ to save us. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scripture says it, "The man who finds life will find it through trusting God."


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Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of his existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse  when they stand before God at Judgment Day.


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Yes, they knew about him all right, but they wouldn't admit it or worship him or even thank him for all his daily care. And after awhile they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what he wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused.


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And then, instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they took wood and stone and made idols for themselves, carving them to look like mere birds and animals and snakes and puny men.


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So God let them go ahead into every sort of sex sin, and do whatever they wanted to--yes, vile and sinful things with each other's bodies.


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Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they prayed to the things God made, but wouldn't obey the blessed God who made these things.


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That is why God let go of them and let them do all these evil things, so that even their women turned against God's natural plan for them and indulged in sex sin with each other.


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And the men, instead of having normal sex relationships with women, burned with lust for each other, men doing shameful things with other men and, as a result, getting paid within their own souls with the penalty they so richly deserved.


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So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of.


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Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin, of greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting, lying, bitterness, and gossip.


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They were backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, always thinking of new ways of sinning and continually being disobedient to their parents.


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They were fully aware of God's death penalty for these crimes, yet they went right ahead and did them anyway and encouraged others to do them, too.


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"Well," you may be saying, "what terrible people you have been talking about!" But wait a minute! You are just as bad. When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are talking about yourselves, for you do these very same things.


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Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and overlook you when you do them, too?


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Don't you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.


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But no, you won't listen; and so you are saving up terrible punishment for yourselves because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin; for there is going to come a day of wrath when God will be the just Judge of all the world.


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He will give eternal life to those who patiently do the will of God, seeking for the unseen glory and honor and eternal life that he offers.


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But he will terribly punish those who fight against the truth of God and walk in evil ways--God's anger will be poured out upon them.


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But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who obey him, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.


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He will punish sin wherever it is found. He will punish the heathen when they sin, even though they never had God's written laws, for down in their hearts they know right from wrong.


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They know what is right but don't do it. After all, salvation is not given to those who know what to do, unless they do it.


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The day will surely come when at God's command Jesus Christ will judge the secret lives of everyone, their inmost thoughts and motives; this is all part of God's great plan, which I proclaim.


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You Jews think all is well between yourselves and God because he gave his laws to you; you brag that you are his special friends.


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Yes, you know what he wants; you know right from wrong and favor the right because you have been taught his laws from earliest youth.


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You are so sure of the way to God that you could point it out to a blind man. You think of yourselves as beacon lights, directing men who are lost in darkness to God.


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You think that you can guide the simple and teach even children the affairs of God, for you really know his laws, which are full of all knowledge and truth.


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Yes, you teach others--then why don't you teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal--do you steal?


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You say it is wrong to commit adultery--do you do it? You say "Don't pray to idols" and then make money your god instead.


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Being a Jew is worth something if you obey God's laws; but if you don't, then you are no better off than the heathen.


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And if the heathen obey God's laws, won't God give them all the rights and honors he planned to give the Jews?


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In fact, those heathen will be much better off than you Jews who know so much about God and have his promises but don't obey his laws.


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For you are not real Jews just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision.


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No, a real Jew is anyone whose heart is right with God. For God is not looking for those who cut their bodies in actual body circumcision, but he is looking for those with changed hearts and minds. Whoever has that kind of change in his life will get his praise from God, even if not from you.


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Then what's the use of being a Jew? Are there any special benefits for them from God? Is there any value in the Jewish circumcision ceremony?


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Yes, being a Jew has many advantages. First of all, God trusted them with his laws  so that they could know and do his will.


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True, some of them were unfaithful, but just because they broke their promises to God, does that mean God will break his promises?


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Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is not. Do you remember what the book of Psalms says about this? That God's words will always prove true and right, no matter who questions them.


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"But," some say, "our breaking faith with God is good, our sins serve a good purpose, for people will notice how good God is when they see how bad we are. Is it fair, then, for him to punish us when our sins are helping him?" (That is the way some people talk.)


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For he could not judge and condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty brought him glory by pointing up his honesty in contrast to my lies.


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If you follow through with that idea you come to this: the worse we are, the better God likes it! But the damnation of those who say such things is just. Yet some claim that this is what I preach!


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Well, then, are we Jews better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all men alike are sinners, whether Jews or Gentiles.


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Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right; not one.


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Their talk is foul and filthy like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are loaded with lies. Everything they say has in it the sting and poison of deadly snakes.


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So the judgment of God lies very heavily upon the Jews, for they are responsible to keep God's laws instead of doing all these evil things; not one of them has any excuse; in fact, all the world stands hushed and guilty before Almighty God.


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Now do you see it? No one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God's laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.


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But now God has shown us a different way to heaven --not by "being good enough" and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago).


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Now God says he will accept and acquit us--declare us "not guilty"--if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.


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yet now God declares us "not guilty" of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.


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For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God's anger against us. He used Christ's blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath. In this way he was being entirely fair, even though he did not punish those who sinned in former times. For he was looking forward to the time when Christ would come and take away those sins.


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And now in these days also he can receive sinners in this same way because Jesus took away their sins. But isn't this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins.


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Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him.


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And does God save only the Jews in this way? No, the Gentiles, too, may come to him in this same manner.


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Well then, if we are saved by faith, does this mean that we no longer need obey God's laws? Just the opposite! In fact, only when we trust Jesus can we truly obey him.


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Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith? Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him?


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If so, then he would have something to boast about. But from God's point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride.


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For the Scriptures tell us Abraham believed God, and that is why God canceled his sins and declared him "not guilty."


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But didn't he earn his right to heaven by all the good things he did? No, for being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn't be free--but it is!


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It is given to those who do not work for it. For God declares sinners to be good in his sight if they have faith in Christ to save them from God's wrath.


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King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared "not guilty" by God.


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Now then, the question: Is this blessing given only to those who have faith in Christ but also keep the Jewish laws, or is the blessing also given to those who do not keep the Jewish rules but only trust in Christ? Well, what about Abraham? We say that he received these blessings through his faith. Was it by faith alone, or because he also kept the Jewish rules?


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For the answer to that question, answer this one: When did God give this blessing to Abraham? It was before he became a Jew--before he went through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision.


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It wasn't until later on, after God had promised to bless him because of his faith, that he was circumcised. The circumcision ceremony was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him just and good in his sight--before the ceremony took place. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who believe and are saved without obeying Jewish laws. We see, then, that those who do not keep these rules are justified by God through faith.


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And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those Jews who have been circumcised. They can see from his example that it is not this ceremony that saves them, for Abraham found favor with God by faith alone before he was circumcised.


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It is clear, then, that God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not because Abraham obeyed God's laws but because he trusted God to keep his promise.


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So if you still claim that God's blessings go to those who are "good enough," then you are saying that God's promises to those who have faith are meaningless, and faith is foolish.


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But the fact of the matter is this: when we try to gain God's blessing and salvation by keeping his laws we always end up under his anger, for we always fail to keep them. The only way we can keep from breaking laws is not to have any to break!


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So God's blessings are given to us by faith, as a free gift; we are certain to get them whether or not we follow Jewish customs if we have faith like Abraham's, for Abraham is the father of us all when it comes to these matters of faith.


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That is what the Scriptures mean when they say that God made Abraham the father of many nations. God will accept all people in every nation who trust God as Abraham did. And this promise is from God himself, who makes the dead live again and speaks of future events with as much certainty as though they were already past.


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So, when God told Abraham that he would give him a son who would have many descendants and become a great nation, Abraham believed God even though such a promise just couldn't come to pass!


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And because his faith was strong, he didn't worry about the fact that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred, and that Sarah his wife, at ninety, was also much too old to have a baby.


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But Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened.


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Now this wonderful statement--that he was accepted and approved through his faith--wasn't just for Abraham's benefit.


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It was for us, too, assuring us that God will accept us in the same way he accepted Abraham--when we believe the promises of God who brought back Jesus our Lord from the dead.


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So now, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.


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For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.


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We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to be patient.


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And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.


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Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.


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When we were utterly helpless, with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for him.


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Even if we were good, we really wouldn't expect anyone to die for us, though, of course, that might be barely possible.


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And since by his blood he did all this for us as sinners, how much more will he do for us now that he has declared us not guilty? Now he will save us from all of God's wrath to come.


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And since, when we were his enemies, we were brought back to God by the death of his Son, what blessings he must have for us now that we are his friends and he is living within us!


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Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God--all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins--making us friends of God.


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When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. His sin spread death throughout all the world, so everything began to grow old and die, for all sinned.


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 We know that it was Adam's sin that caused this because although, of course, people were sinning from the time of Adam until Moses, God did not in those days judge them guilty of death for breaking his laws--because he had not yet given his laws to them nor told them what he wanted them to do.


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So when their bodies died it was not for their own sins since they themselves had never disobeyed God's special law against eating the forbidden fruit, as Adam had. What a contrast between Adam and Christ who was yet to come!


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And what a difference between man's sin and God's forgiveness! For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God's mercy.


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Adam's one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead.


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The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to be king over all, but all who will take God's gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life because of this one man, Jesus Christ.


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Yes, Adam's sin brought punishment to all, but Christ's righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live.


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Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God because he obeyed.


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The Ten Commandments were given so that all could see the extent of their failure to obey God's laws. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God's abounding grace forgiving us.


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Before, sin ruled over all men and brought them to death, but now God's kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


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Well then, shall we keep on sinning so that God can keep on showing us more and more kindness and forgiveness?


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For sin's power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through his death the power of your sinful nature was shattered.


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Your old sin-loving nature was buried with him by baptism when he died; and when God the Father, with glorious power, brought him back to life again, you were given his wonderful new life to enjoy.


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For you have become a part of him, and so you died with him, so to speak, when he died; and now you share his new life and shall rise as he did.


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Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin's control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin;


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So look upon your old sin nature as dead and unresponsive to sin, and instead be alive to God, alert to him, through Jesus Christ our Lord.


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Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God--every part of you--for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.


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Sin need never again be your master, for now you are no longer tied to the law where sin enslaves you, but you are free under God's favor and mercy.


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Does this mean that now we can go ahead and sin and not worry about it? (For our salvation does not depend on keeping the law but on receiving God's grace!) Of course not!


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Don't you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal). The one to whom you offer yourself--he will take you and be your master, and you will be his slave.


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Thank God that though you once chose to be slaves of sin, now you have obeyed with all your heart the teaching to which God has committed you.


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And now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.


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I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand: just as you used to be slaves to all kinds of sin, so now you must let yourselves be slaves to all that is right and holy.


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And what was the result? Evidently not good, since you are ashamed now even to think about those things you used to do, for all of them end in eternal doom.


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But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life.


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For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


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Don't you understand yet, dear Jewish brothers in Christ, that when a person dies the law no longer holds him in its power?


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Let me illustrate: when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, she is no longer bound to him; the laws of marriage no longer apply to her.


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Then she can marry someone else if she wants to. That would be wrong while he was alive, but it is perfectly all right after he dies.


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Your "husband," your master, used to be the Jewish law; but you "died," as it were, with Christ on the cross; and since you are "dead," you are no longer "married to the law," and it has no more control over you. Then you came back to life again when Christ did and are a new person. And now you are "married," so to speak, to the one who rose from the dead, so that you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God.


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When your old nature was still active, sinful desires were at work within you, making you want to do whatever God said not to and producing sinful deeds, the rotting fruit of death.


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But now you need no longer worry about the Jewish laws and customs because you "died" while in their captivity, and now you can really serve God; not in the old way, mechanically obeying a set of rules, but in the new way,  with all of your hearts and minds.


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Well then, am I suggesting that these laws of God are evil? Of course not! No, the law is not sinful, but it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known the sin in my heart--the evil desires that are hidden there--if the law had not said, "You must not have evil desires in your heart."


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But sin used this law against evil desires by reminding me that such desires are wrong, and arousing all kinds of forbidden desires within me! Only if there were no laws to break would there be no sinning.


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That is why I felt fine so long as I did not understand what the law really demanded. But when I learned the truth, I realized that I had broken the law and was a sinner, doomed to die.


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So as far as I was concerned, the good law which was supposed to show me the way of life resulted instead in my being given the death penalty.


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But how can that be? Didn't the law cause my doom? How then can it be good? No, it was sin, devilish stuff that it is, that used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So you can see how cunning and deadly and damnable it is. For it uses God's good laws for its own evil purposes.


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The law is good, then, and the trouble is not there but with me because I am sold into slavery with Sin as my owner.


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I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can't. I do what I don't want to--what I hate.


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I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking.


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But I can't help myself because I'm no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.


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I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can't make myself do right. I want to but I can't.


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Now if I am doing what I don't want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.


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but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God's willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.


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So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I'm in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature?


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For the power of the life-giving Spirit--and this power is mine through Christ Jesus--has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death.


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We aren't saved from sin's grasp by knowing the commandments of God because we can't and don't keep them, but God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours--except that ours are sinful--and destroyed sin's control over us by giving himself as a sacrifice for our sins.


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So now we can obey God's laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old evil nature within us.


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Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God.


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Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace, but following after the old nature leads to death


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because the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never did obey God's laws and it never will.


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That's why those who are still under the control of their old sinful selves, bent on following their old evil desires, can never please God.


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But you are not like that. You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that if anyone doesn't have the Spirit of Christ living in him, he is not a Christian at all.)


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Yet, even though Christ lives within you, your body will die because of sin; but your spirit will live, for Christ has pardoned it.


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And if the Spirit of God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, lives in you, he will make your dying bodies live again after you die, by means of this same Holy Spirit living within you.


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So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do.


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For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live.


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And so we should not be like cringing, fearful slaves, but we should behave like God's very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family, and calling to him, "Father, Father."


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And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.


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For all creation is waiting patiently and hopefully for that future day when God will resurrect his children.


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For on that day thorns and thistles, sin, death, and decay --the things that overcame the world against its will at God's command--will all disappear,


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For we know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this great event.


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And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us--bodies that will never be sick again and will never die.


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We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don't yet have--for a man who already has something doesn't need to hope and trust that he will get it.


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But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn't happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.


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And in the same way--by our faith --the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don't even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words.


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And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God's own will.


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And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.


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For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to him--and all along he knew who would--should become like his Son, so that his Son would be the First, with many brothers.


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And having chosen us, he called us to come to him; and when we came, he declared us "not guilty," filled us with Christ's goodness, gave us right standing with himself, and promised us his glory.


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What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can ever be against us?


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Since he did not spare even his own Son for us but gave him up for us all, won't he also surely give us everything else?


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Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has forgiven us and given us right standing with himself.


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Who then will condemn us? Will Christ? No! For he is the one who died for us and came back to life again for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us there in heaven.


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Who then can ever keep Christ's love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because he doesn't love us anymore? And if we are hungry or penniless or in danger or threatened with death, has God deserted us?


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No, for the Scriptures tell us that for his sake we must be ready to face death at every moment of the day--we are like sheep awaiting slaughter;


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but despite all this, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.


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For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow,


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or where we are--high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean--nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.


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Christ knows and the Holy Spirit knows that it is no mere pretense when I say that I would be willing to be forever damned if that would save you.


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God has given you so much, but still you will not listen to him. He took you as his own special, chosen people and led you along with a bright cloud of glory and told you how very much he wanted to bless you. He gave you his rules for daily life so you would know what he wanted you to do. He let you worship him and gave you mighty promises.


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Great men of God were your fathers, and Christ himself was one of you, a Jew so far as his human nature is concerned, he who now rules over all things. Praise God forever!


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Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promises to the Jews? No!  For these promises are only to those who are truly Jews. And not everyone born into a Jewish family is truly a Jew!


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Just the fact that they come from Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say that the promises apply only to Abraham's son Isaac and Isaac's descendants, though Abraham had other children too.


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This means that not all of Abraham's children are children of God, but only those who believe the promise of salvation which he made to Abraham.


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And years later, when this son Isaac was grown up and married and Rebecca his wife was about to bear him twin children,


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And God said this before the children were even born, before they had done anything either good or bad. This proves that God was doing what he had decided from the beginning; it was not because of what the children did but because of what God wanted and chose.


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For God had said to Moses, "If I want to be kind to someone, I will. And I will take pity on anyone I want to."


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And so God's blessings are not given just because someone decides to have them or works hard to get them. They are given because God takes pity on those he wants to.


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Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was an example of this fact. For God told him he had given him the kingdom of Egypt for the very purpose of displaying the awesome power of God against him, so that all the world would hear about God's glorious name.


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No, don't say that. Who are you to criticize God? Should the thing made say to the one who made it, "Why have you made me like this?"


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When a man makes a jar out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar beautiful, to be used for holding flowers, and another to throw garbage into?


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Does not God have a perfect right to show his fury and power against those who are fit only for destruction, those he has been patient with for all this time?


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And he has a right to take others such as ourselves, who have been made for pouring the riches of his glory into,


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whether we are Jews or Gentiles, and to be kind to us so that everyone can see how very great his glory is.


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Remember what the prophecy of Hosea says? There God says that he will find other children for himself (who are not from his Jewish family) and will love them, though no one had ever loved them before.


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And the heathen, of whom it once was said, "You are not my people," shall be called "sons of the Living God."


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Isaiah the prophet cried out concerning the Jews that though there would be millions of them, only a small number would ever be saved.


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"For the Lord will execute his sentence upon the earth, quickly ending his dealings, justly cutting them short."


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And Isaiah says in another place that except for God's mercy all the Jews would be destroyed--all of them--just as everyone in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah perished.


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Well then, what shall we say about these things? Just this, that God has given the Gentiles the opportunity to be acquitted by faith, even though they had not been really seeking God.


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Why not? Because they were trying to be saved by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They have stumbled over the great stumbling stone.


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God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, "I have put a Rock in the path of the Jews, and many will stumble over him (Jesus). Those who believe in him will never be disappointed."


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For they don't understand that Christ has died to make them right with God. Instead they are trying to make themselves good enough to gain God's favor by keeping the Jewish laws and customs, but that is not God's way of salvation.


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They don't understand that Christ gives to those who trust in him everything they are trying to get by keeping his laws. He ends all of that.


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For Moses wrote that if a person could be perfectly good and hold out against temptation all his life and never sin once, only then could he be pardoned and saved.


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But the salvation that comes through faith says, "You don't need to search the heavens to find Christ and bring him down to help you," and,


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For salvation that comes from trusting Christ--which is what we preach--is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths.


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For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.


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For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.


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Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect: they all have the same Lord who generously gives his riches to all those who ask him for them.


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But how shall they ask him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?


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And how will anyone go and tell them unless someone sends him? That is what the Scriptures are talking about when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace with God and bring glad tidings of good things." In other words, how welcome are those who come preaching God's Good News!


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But not everyone who hears the Good News has welcomed it, for Isaiah the prophet said, "Lord, who has believed me when I told them?"


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But what about the Jews? Have they heard God's Word? Yes, for it has gone wherever they are; the Good News has been told to the ends of the earth.


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And did they understand  that God would give his salvation to others if they refused to take it? Yes, for even back in the time of Moses, God had said that he would make his people jealous and try to wake them up by giving his salvation to the foolish heathen nations.


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In the meantime, he keeps on reaching out his hands to the Jews, but they keep arguing and refusing to come.


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I ask then, has God rejected and deserted his people the Jews? Oh no, not at all. Remember that I myself am a Jew, a descendant of Abraham and a member of Benjamin's family.


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No, God has not discarded his own people whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you remember what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet was complaining to God about the Jews,


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telling God how they had killed the prophets and torn down God's altars; Elijah claimed that he was the only one left in all the land who still loved God, and now they were trying to kill him too.


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And do you remember how God replied? God said, "No, you are not the only one left. I have seven thousand others besides you who still love me and have not bowed down to idols!"


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It is the same today. Not all the Jews have turned away from God; there are a few being saved as a result of God's kindness in choosing them.


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And if it is by God's kindness, then it is not by their being good enough. For in that case the free gift would no longer be free--it isn't free when it is earned.


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So this is the situation: Most of the Jews have not found the favor of God they are looking for. A few have--the ones God has picked out--but the eyes of the others have been blinded.


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This is what our Scriptures refer to when they say that God has put them to sleep, shutting their eyes and ears so that they do not understand what we are talking about when we tell them of Christ. And so it is to this very day.


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King David spoke of this same thing when he said, "Let their good food and other blessings trap them into thinking all is well between themselves and God. Let these good things boomerang on them and fall back upon their heads to justly crush them.


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Let their eyes be dim," he said, "so that they cannot see, and let them walk bent-backed forever with a heavy load."


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Does this mean that God has rejected his Jewish people forever? Of course not! His purpose was to make his salvation available to the Gentiles, and then the Jews would be jealous and begin to want God's salvation for themselves.


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Now if the whole world became rich as a result of God's offer of salvation, when the Jews stumbled over it and turned it down, think how much greater a blessing the world will share in later on when the Jews, too, come to Christ.


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As you know, God has appointed me as a special messenger to you Gentiles. I lay great stress on this and remind the Jews about it as often as I can,


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And how wonderful it will be when they become Christians! When God turned away from them it meant that he turned to the rest of the world to offer his salvation; and now it is even more wonderful when the Jews come to Christ. It will be like dead people coming back to life.


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And since Abraham and the prophets are God's people, their children will be too. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be too.


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But some of these branches from Abraham's tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off. And you Gentiles who were branches from, we might say, a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So now you, too, receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in God's rich nourishment of his own special olive tree.


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But you must be careful not to brag about being put in to replace the branches that were broken off. Remember that you are important only because you are now a part of God's tree; you are just a branch, not a root.


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"Well," you may be saying, "those branches were broken off to make room for me, so I must be pretty good."


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Watch out! Remember that those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn't believe God, and you are there only because you do. Do not be proud; be humble and grateful--and careful.


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Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is very hard on those who disobey, but very good to you if you continue to love and trust him. But if you don't, you too will be cut off.


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On the other hand, if the Jews leave their unbelief behind them and come back to God, God will graft them back into the tree again. He has the power to do it.


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For if God was willing to take you who were so far away from him--being part of a wild olive tree--and graft you into his own good tree--a very unusual thing to do--don't you see that he will be far more ready to put the Jews back again, who were there in the first place?


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I want you to know about this truth from God, dear brothers, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Yes, it is true that some of the Jews have set themselves against the Gospel now, but this will last only until all of you Gentiles have come to Christ--those of you who will.


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And then all Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the prophets said about this? "There shall come out of Zion a Deliverer, and he shall turn the Jews from all ungodliness.


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Now many of the Jews are enemies of the Gospel. They hate it. But this has been a benefit to you, for it has resulted in God's giving his gifts to you Gentiles. Yet the Jews are still beloved of God because of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


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Once you were rebels against God, but when the Jews refused his gifts God was merciful to you instead.


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Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods!


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For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore.


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And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy--the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?


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Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you.


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As God's messenger I give each of you God's warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.


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We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.


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God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then prophesy whenever you can--as often as your faith is strong enough to receive a message from God.


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If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching.


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If you are a preacher, see to it that your sermons are strong and helpful. If God has given you money, be generous in helping others with it. If God has given you administrative ability and put you in charge of the work of others, take the responsibility seriously. Those who offer comfort to the sorrowing should do so with Christian cheer.


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Don't just pretend that you love others: really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good.


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When God's children are in need, you be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.


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If someone mistreats you because you are a Christian, don't curse him; pray that God will bless him.


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Work happily together. Don't try to act big. Don't try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don't think you know it all!


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Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through.


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Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it.  Don't take the law into your own hands.


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Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be "heaping coals of fire on his head." In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you.


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Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power.


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So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.


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For the policeman does not frighten people who are doing right; but those doing evil will always fear him. So if you don't want to be afraid, keep the laws and you will get along well.


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The policeman is sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for he will have you punished. He is sent by God for that very purpose.


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Obey the laws, then, for two reasons: first, to keep from being punished, and second, just because you know you should.


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Pay your taxes too, for these same two reasons. For government workers need to be paid so that they can keep on doing God's work, serving you.


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Pay everyone whatever he ought to have: pay your taxes and import duties gladly, obey those over you, and give honor and respect to all those to whom it is due.


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Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others--never finish paying that! For if you love them, you will be obeying all of God's laws, fulfilling all his requirements.


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If you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself you will not want to harm or cheat him, or kill him or steal from him. And you won't sin with his wife or want what is his, or do anything else the Ten Commandments say is wrong. All ten are wrapped up in this one, to love your neighbor as you love yourself.


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Love does no wrong to anyone. That's why it fully satisfies all of God's requirements. It is the only law you need.


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Another reason for right living is this: you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of the Lord is nearer now than when we first believed.


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The night is far gone, the day of his return will soon be here. So quit the evil deeds of darkness and put on the armor of right living, as we who live in the daylight should!


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Be decent and true in everything you do so that all can approve your behavior. Don't spend your time in wild parties and getting drunk or in adultery and lust or fighting or jealousy.


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Give a warm welcome to any brother who wants to join you, even though his faith is weak. Don't criticize him for having different ideas from yours about what is right and wrong.


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For instance, don't argue with him about whether or not to eat meat that has been offered to idols. You may believe there is no harm in this, but the faith of others is weaker; they think it is wrong and will go without any meat at all and eat vegetables rather than eat that kind of meat.


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Those who think it is all right to eat such meat must not look down on those who won't. And if you are one of those who won't, don't find fault with those who do. For God has accepted them to be his children.


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They are God's servants, not yours. They are responsible to him, not to you. Let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. And God is able to make them do as they should.


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Some think that Christians should observe the Jewish holidays as special days to worship God, but others say it is wrong and foolish to go to all that trouble, for every day alike belongs to God. On questions of this kind everyone must decide for himself.


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If you have special days for worshiping the Lord, you are trying to honor him; you are doing a good thing. So is the person who eats meat that has been offered to idols; he is thankful to the Lord for it; he is doing right. And the person who won't touch such meat, he, too, is anxious to please the Lord, and is thankful.


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Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he can be our Lord both while we live and when we die.


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You have no right to criticize your brother or look down on him. Remember, each of us will stand personally before the Judgment Seat of God.


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For it is written, "As I live," says the Lord, "every knee shall bow to me and every tongue confess to God."


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So don't criticize each other anymore. Try instead to live in such a way that you will never make your brother stumble by letting him see you doing something he thinks is wrong.


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As for myself, I am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that there is nothing really wrong with eating meat that has been offered to idols. But if someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn't do it because for him it is wrong.


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And if your brother is bothered by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you go ahead and eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.


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Don't do anything that will cause criticism against yourself even though you know that what you do is right.


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For, after all, the important thing for us as Christians is not what we eat or drink but stirring up goodness and peace and joy from the Holy Spirit.


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Don't undo the work of God for a chunk of meat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with the meat, but it is wrong to eat it if it makes another stumble.


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The right thing to do is to quit eating meat or drinking wine or doing anything else that offends your brother or makes him sin.


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You may know that there is nothing wrong with what you do, even from God's point of view, but keep it to yourself; don't flaunt your faith in front of others who might be hurt by it. In this situation, happy is the man who does not sin by doing what he knows is right.


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But anyone who believes that something he wants to do is wrong shouldn't do it. He sins if he does, for he thinks it is wrong, and so for him it is wrong. Anything that is done apart from what he feels is right is sin.


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Even if we believe that it makes no difference to the Lord whether we do these things, still we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves;


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for we must bear the "burden" of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others--of those who feel these things are wrong. Let's please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord.


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Christ didn't please himself. As the Psalmist said, "He came for the very purpose of suffering under the insults of those who were against the Lord."


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These things that were written in the Scriptures so long ago are to teach us patience and to encourage us so that we will look forward expectantly to the time when God will conquer sin and death.


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May God who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement help you to live in complete harmony with each other--each with the attitude of Christ toward the other.


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And then all of us can praise the Lord together with one voice, giving glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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So warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified.


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And remember that he came also that the Gentiles might be saved and give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: "I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name."


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And the prophet Isaiah said, "There shall be an Heir in the house of Jesse, and he will be King over the Gentiles; they will pin their hopes on him alone."


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So I pray for you Gentiles that God who gives you hope will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. I pray that God will help you overflow with hope in him through the Holy Spirit's power within you.


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I know that you are wise and good, my brothers, and that you know these things so well that you are able to teach others all about them.


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But even so I have been bold enough to emphasize some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder from me; for I am, by God's grace,


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a special messenger from Jesus Christ to you Gentiles, bringing you the Gospel and offering you up as a fragrant sacrifice to God; for you have been made pure and pleasing to him by the Holy Spirit.


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I dare not judge how effectively he has used others, but I know this: he has used me to win the Gentiles to God.


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I have won them by my message and by the good way I have lived before them and by the miracles done through me as signs from God--all by the Holy Spirit's power. In this way I have preached the full Gospel of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum.


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But all the while my ambition has been to go still farther, preaching where the name of Christ has never yet been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.


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I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures where Isaiah says that those who have never heard the name of Christ before will see and understand.


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But now at last I am through with my work here, and I am ready to come after all these long years of waiting.


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For I am planning to take a trip to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off there in Rome; and after we have had a good time together for a little while, you can send me on my way again.


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For you see, the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia have taken up an offering for those in Jerusalem who are going through such hard times.


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They were very glad to do this, for they feel that they owe a real debt to the Jerusalem Christians. Why? Because the news about Christ came to these Gentiles from the church in Jerusalem. And since they received this wonderful spiritual gift of the Gospel from there, they feel that the least they can do in return is to give some material aid.


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As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain.


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Will you be my prayer partners? For the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and because of your love for me--given to you by the Holy Spirit--pray much with me for my work.


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Pray that I will be protected in Jerusalem from those who are not Christians. Pray also that the Christians there will be willing to accept the money I am bringing them.


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Then I will be able to come to you with a happy heart by the will of God, and we can refresh each other.


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Phoebe, a dear Christian woman from the town of Cenchreae, will be coming to see you soon. She has worked hard in the church there. Receive her as your sister in the Lord, giving her a warm Christian welcome. Help her in every way you can, for she has helped many in their needs, including me.


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In fact, they risked their lives for me, and I am not the only one who is thankful to them; so are all the Gentile churches.


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Please give my greetings to all those who meet to worship in their home. Greet my good friend Epaenetus. He was the very first person to become a Christian in Asia.


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Then there are Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who were in prison with me. They are respected by the apostles and became Christians before I did. Please give them my greetings.


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Then there is Apelles, a good man whom the Lord approves; greet him for me. And give my best regards to those working at the house of Aristobulus.


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Say hello to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, the Lord's workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord.


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Greet Rufus for me, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother who has been such a mother to me.


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And please give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the other brothers who are with them.


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Give my love to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas, and all the Christians who are with them.


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And now there is one more thing to say before I end this letter. Stay away from those who cause divisions and are upsetting people's faith, teaching things about Christ that are contrary to what you have been taught.


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Such teachers are not working for our Lord Jesus but only want gain for themselves. They are good speakers, and simple-minded people are often fooled by them.


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But everyone knows that you stand loyal and true. This makes me very happy. I want you always to remain very clear about what is right and to stay innocent of any wrong.


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The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.


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Timothy my fellow worker, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives, send you their good wishes.


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I, Tertius, the one who is writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings too, as a Christian brother.


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Gaius says to say hello to you for him. I am his guest, and the church meets here in his home. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings and so does Quartus, a Christian brother.


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I commit you to God, who is able to make you strong and steady in the Lord, just as the Gospel says, and just as I have told you. This is God's plan of salvation for you Gentiles, kept secret from the beginning of time.


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But now as the prophets foretold and as God commands, this message is being preached everywhere, so that people all around the world will have faith in Christ and obey him.


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To God, who alone is wise, be the glory forever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Sincerely,  Paul


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To: The Christians in Corinth, invited by God to be his people and made acceptable to him by Christ Jesus. And to: All Christians everywhere--whoever calls upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and theirs.


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May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you all of his blessings, and great peace of heart and mind.


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I can never stop thanking God for all the wonderful gifts he has given you, now that you are Christ's:


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he has enriched your whole life. He has helped you speak out for him and has given you a full understanding of the truth;


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Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing his will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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And he guarantees right up to the end that you will be counted free from all sin and guilt on that day when he returns.


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God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord.


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But, dear brothers, I beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so that there won't be splits in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.


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For some of those who live at Chloe's house have told me of your arguments and quarrels, dear brothers.


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Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul"; and others say that they are for Apollos or for Peter; and some that they alone are the true followers of Christ.


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And so, in effect, you have broken Christ into many pieces. But did I, Paul, die for your sins? Were any of you baptized in my name?


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For now no one can think that I have been trying to start something new, beginning a "Church of Paul."


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For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; and even my preaching sounds poor, for I do not fill my sermons with profound words and high sounding ideas, for fear of diluting the mighty power there is in the simple message of the cross of Christ.


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I know very well how foolish it sounds to those who are lost, when they hear that Jesus died to save them. But we who are saved recognize this message as the very power of God.


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For God says, "I will destroy all human plans of salvation no matter how wise they seem to be, and ignore the best ideas of men, even the most brilliant of them."


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So what about these wise men, these scholars, these brilliant debaters of this world's great affairs? God has made them all look foolish and shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense.


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For God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find God through human brilliance, and then he stepped in and saved all those who believed his message, which the world calls foolish and silly.


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It seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven as proof that what is preached is true; and it is foolish to the Gentiles because they believe only what agrees with their philosophy and seems wise to them.


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So when we preach about Christ dying to save them, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense.


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But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ himself is the center of God's wise plan for their salvation.


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This so-called "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and God in his weakness--Christ dying on the cross--is far stronger than any man.


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Notice among yourselves, dear brothers, that few of you who follow Christ have big names or power or wealth.


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Instead, God has deliberately chosen to use ideas the world considers foolish and of little worth in order to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great.


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He has chosen a plan despised by the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it to bring down to nothing those the world considers great,


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For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God's plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.


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As it says in the Scriptures, "If anyone is going to boast, let him boast only of what the Lord has done."


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Dear brothers, even when I first came to you I didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message.


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And my preaching was very plain, not with a lot of oratory and human wisdom, but the Holy Spirit's power was in my words, proving to those who heard them that the message was from God.


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Yet when I am among mature Christians I do speak with words of great wisdom, but not the kind that comes from here on earth, and not the kind that appeals to the great men of this world, who are doomed to fall.


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Our words are wise because they are from God, telling of God's wise plan to bring us into the glories of heaven. This plan was hidden in former times, though it was made for our benefit before the world began.


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But the great men of the world have not understood it; if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord of Glory.


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That is what is meant by the Scriptures which say that no mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord.


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But we know about these things because God has sent his Spirit to tell us, and his Spirit searches out and shows us all of God's deepest secrets.


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No one can really know what anyone else is thinking or what he is really like except that person himself. And no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit.


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And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world's spirit) to tell us about the wonderful free gifts of grace and blessing that God has given us.


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In telling you about these gifts we have even used the very words given to us by the Holy Spirit, not words that we as men might choose. So we use the Holy Spirit's words to explain the Holy Spirit's facts.


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But the man who isn't a Christian can't understand and can't accept these thoughts from God, which the Holy Spirit teaches us. They sound foolish to him because only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means. Others just can't take it in.


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But the spiritual man has insight into everything, and that bothers and baffles the man of the world, who can't understand him at all.


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How could he? For certainly he has never been one to know the Lord's thoughts, or to discuss them with him, or to move the hands of God by prayer. But, strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ.


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Dear brothers, I have been talking to you as though you were still just babies in the Christian life who are not following the Lord but your own desires; I cannot talk to you as I would to healthy Christians who are filled with the Spirit.


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I have had to feed you with milk and not with solid food because you couldn't digest anything stronger. And even now you still have to be fed on milk.


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For you are still only baby Christians, controlled by your own desires, not God's. When you are jealous of one another and divide up into quarreling groups, doesn't that prove you are still babies, wanting your own way? In fact, you are acting like people who don't belong to the Lord at all.


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There you are, quarreling about whether I am greater than Apollos, and dividing the church. Doesn't this show how little you have grown in the Lord?


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Who am I, and who is Apollos, that we should be the cause of a quarrel? Why, we're just God's servants, each of us with certain special abilities, and with our help you believed.


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My work was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos' work was to water it, but it was God, not we, who made the garden grow in your hearts.


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The person who does the planting or watering isn't very important, but God is important because he is the one who makes things grow.


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Apollos and I are working as a team, with the same aim, though each of us will be rewarded for his own hard work.


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God, in his kindness, has taught me how to be an expert builder. I have laid the foundation and Apollos has built on it. But he who builds on the foundation must be very careful.


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But there are various kinds of materials that can be used to build on that foundation. Some use gold and silver and jewels; and some build with sticks and hay or even straw!


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There is going to come a time of testing at Christ's Judgment Day to see what kind of material each builder has used. Everyone's work will be put through the fire so that all can see whether or not it keeps its value, and what was really accomplished.


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Then every workman who has built on the foundation with the right materials, and whose work still stands, will get his pay.


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But if the house he has built burns up, he will have a great loss. He himself will be saved, but like a man escaping through a wall of flames.


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Don't you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in his house?


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If anyone defiles and spoils God's home, God will destroy him. For God's home is holy and clean, and you are that home.


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Stop fooling yourselves. If you count yourself above average in intelligence, as judged by this world's standards, you had better put this all aside and be a fool rather than let it hold you back from the true wisdom from above.


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For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As it says in the book of Job, God uses man's own brilliance to trap him; he stumbles over his own "wisdom" and falls.


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And again, in the book of Psalms, we are told that the Lord knows full well how the human mind reasons and how foolish and futile it is.


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So don't be proud of following the wise men of this world. For God has already given you everything you need.


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He has given you Paul and Apollos and Peter as your helpers. He has given you the whole world to use, and life and even death are your servants. He has given you all of the present and all of the future. All are yours,


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So Apollos and I should be looked upon as Christ's servants who distribute God's blessings by explaining God's secrets.


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What about me? Have I been a good servant? Well, I don't worry over what you think about this or what anyone else thinks. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point.


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My conscience is clear, but even that isn't final proof. It is the Lord himself who must examine me and decide.


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So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether someone is a good servant or not. When the Lord comes, he will turn on the light so that everyone can see exactly what each one of us is really like, deep down in our hearts. Then everyone will know why we have been doing the Lord's work. At that time God will give to each one whatever praise is coming to him.


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I have used Apollos and myself as examples to illustrate what I have been saying: that you must not have favorites. You must not be proud of one of God's teachers more than another.


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What are you so puffed up about? What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you are so great, and as though you have accomplished something on your own?


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You seem to think you already have all the spiritual food you need. You are full and spiritually contented, rich kings on your thrones, leaving us far behind! I wish you really were already on your thrones, for when that time comes you can be sure that we will be there, too, reigning with you.


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Sometimes I think God has put us apostles at the very end of the line, like prisoners soon to be killed, put on display at the end of a victor's parade, to be stared at by men and angels alike.


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Religion has made us foolish, you say, but of course you are all such wise and sensible Christians! We are weak, but not you! You are well thought of, while we are laughed at.


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To this very hour we have gone hungry and thirsty, without even enough clothes to keep us warm. We have been kicked around without homes of our own.


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We have worked wearily with our hands to earn our living. We have blessed those who cursed us. We have been patient with those who injured us.


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We have replied quietly when evil things have been said about us. Yet right up to the present moment we are like dirt underfoot, like garbage.


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I am not writing about these things to make you ashamed, but to warn and counsel you as beloved children.


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For although you may have ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, remember that you have only me as your father. For I was the one who brought you to Christ when I preached the Gospel to you.


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That is the very reason why I am sending Timothy--to help you do this. For he is one of those I won to Christ, a beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord. He will remind you of what I teach in all the churches wherever I go.


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But I will come, and soon, if the Lord will let me, and then I'll find out whether these proud men are just big talkers or whether they really have God's power.


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Which do you choose? Shall I come with punishment and scolding, or shall I come with quiet love and gentleness?


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Everyone is talking about the terrible thing that has happened there among you, something so evil that even the heathen don't do it: you have a man in your church who is living in sin with his father's wife.


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And are you still so conceited, so "spiritual"? Why aren't you mourning in sorrow and shame and seeing to it that this man is removed from your membership?


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Although I am not there with you, I have been thinking a lot about this, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I have already decided what to do, just as though I were there.


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You are to call a meeting of the church--and the power of the Lord Jesus will be with you as you meet, and I will be there in spirit--


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and cast out this man from the fellowship of the church and into Satan's hands, to punish him, in the hope that his soul will be saved when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.


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What a terrible thing it is that you are boasting about your purity and yet you let this sort of thing go on. Don't you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all will be affected?


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Remove this evil cancer--this wicked person--from among you, so that you can stay pure. Christ, God's Lamb, has been slain for us.


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So let us feast upon him and grow strong in the Christian life, leaving entirely behind us the cancerous old life with all its hatreds and wickedness. Let us feast instead upon the pure bread of honor and sincerity and truth.


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But when I said that I wasn't talking about unbelievers who live in sexual sin or are greedy cheats and thieves and idol worshipers. For you can't live in this world without being with people like that.


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What I meant was that you are not to keep company with anyone who claims to be a brother Christian but indulges in sexual sins, or is greedy, or is a swindler, or worships idols, or is a drunkard, or abusive. Don't even eat lunch with such a person.


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It isn't our job to judge outsiders. But it certainly is our job to judge and deal strongly with those who are members of the church and who are sinning in these ways.


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God alone is the Judge of those on the outside. But you yourselves must deal with this man and put him out of your church.


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How is it that when you have something against another Christian, you "go to law" and ask a heathen court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other Christians to decide which of you is right?


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Don't you know that someday we Christians are going to judge and govern the world? So why can't you decide even these little things among yourselves?


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Don't you realize that we Christians will judge and reward the very angels in heaven? So you should be able to decide your problems down here on earth easily enough.


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I am trying to make you ashamed. Isn't there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these arguments?


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To have such lawsuits at all is a real defeat for you as Christians. Why not just accept mistreatment and leave it at that? It would be far more honoring to the Lord to let yourselves be cheated.


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Don't you know that those doing such things have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshipers, adulterers or homosexuals--will have no share in his Kingdom.


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There was a time when some of you were just like that but now your sins are washed away, and you are set apart for God; and he has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.


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I can do anything I want to if Christ has not said no, but some of these things aren't good for me. Even if I am allowed to do them, I'll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on me that I can't easily stop when I want to.


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For instance, take the matter of eating. God has given us an appetite for food and stomachs to digest it. But that doesn't mean we should eat more than we need. Don't think of eating as important because someday God will do away with both stomachs and food. But sexual sin is never right: our bodies were not made for that but for the Lord, and the Lord wants to fill our bodies with himself.


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And God is going to raise our bodies from the dead by his power just as he raised up the Lord Jesus Christ.


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Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts and members of Christ? So should I take part of Christ and join him to a prostitute? Never!


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And don't you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute she becomes a part of him and he becomes a part of her? For God tells us in the Scripture that in his sight the two become one person.


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That is why I say to run from sex sin. No other sin affects the body as this one does. When you sin this sin it is against your own body.


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Haven't you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you.


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For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it.


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Now about those questions you asked in your last letter: my answer is that if you do not marry, it is good.


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But usually it is best to be married, each man having his own wife, and each woman having her own husband, because otherwise you might fall back into sin.


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The man should give his wife all that is her right as a married woman, and the wife should do the same for her husband:


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for a girl who marries no longer has full right to her own body, for her husband then has his rights to it, too; and in the same way the husband no longer has full right to his own body, for it belongs also to his wife.


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So do not refuse these rights to each other. The only exception to this rule would be the agreement of both husband and wife to refrain from the rights of marriage for a limited time, so that they can give themselves more completely to prayer. Afterwards, they should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt them because of their lack of self-control.


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I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. God gives some the gift of a husband or wife, and others he gives the gift of being able to stay happily unmarried.


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So I say to those who aren't married and to widows--better to stay unmarried if you can, just as I am.


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But if you can't control yourselves, go ahead and marry. It is better to marry than to burn with lust.


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Now, for those who are married I have a command, not just a suggestion. And it is not a command from me, for this is what the Lord himself has said: A wife must not leave her husband.


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But if she is separated from him, let her remain single or else go back to him. And the husband must not divorce his wife.


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Here I want to add some suggestions of my own. These are not direct commands from the Lord, but they seem right to me: If a Christian has a wife who is not a Christian, but she wants to stay with him anyway, he must not leave her or divorce her.


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And if a Christian woman has a husband who isn't a Christian, and he wants her to stay with him, she must not leave him.


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For perhaps the husband who isn't a Christian may become a Christian with the help of his Christian wife. And the wife who isn't a Christian may become a Christian with the help of her Christian husband. Otherwise, if the family separates, the children might never come to know the Lord; whereas a united family may, in God's plan, result in the children's salvation.


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But if the husband or wife who isn't a Christian is eager to leave, it is permitted. In such cases the Christian husband or wife should not insist that the other stay, for God wants his children to live in peace and harmony.


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For, after all, there is no assurance to you wives that your husbands will be converted if they stay; and the same may be said to you husbands concerning your wives.


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But be sure in deciding these matters that you are living as God intended, marrying or not marrying in accordance with God's direction and help, and accepting whatever situation God has put you into. This is my rule for all the churches.


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For instance, a man who already has gone through the Jewish ceremony of circumcision before he became a Christian shouldn't worry about it; and if he hasn't been circumcised, he shouldn't do it now.


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For it doesn't make any difference at all whether a Christian has gone through this ceremony or not. But it makes a lot of difference whether he is pleasing God and keeping God's commandments. That is the important thing.


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If the Lord calls you, and you are a slave, remember that Christ has set you free from the awful power of sin; and if he has called you and you are free, remember that you are now a slave of Christ.


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You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him--be free now from all these earthly prides and fears.


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So, dear brothers, whatever situation a person is in when he becomes a Christian, let him stay there, for now the Lord is there to help him.


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Now I will try to answer your other question. What about girls who are not yet married? Should they be permitted to do so? In answer to this question, I have no special command for them from the Lord. But the Lord in his kindness has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will be glad to tell you what I think.


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Here is the problem: We Christians are facing great dangers to our lives at present. In times like these I think it is best for a person to remain unmarried.


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Of course, if you already are married, don't separate because of this. But if you aren't, don't rush into it at this time.


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But if you men decide to go ahead anyway and get married now, it is all right; and if a girl gets married in times like these, it is no sin. However, marriage will bring extra problems that I wish you didn't have to face right now.


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The important thing to remember is that our remaining time is very short,  and so are our opportunities for doing the Lord's work. For that reason those who have wives should stay as free as possible for the Lord;


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Those in frequent contact with the exciting things the world offers should make good use of their opportunities without stopping to enjoy them; for the world in its present form will soon be gone.


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In all you do, I want you to be free from worry. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him.


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But a married man can't do that so well; he has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.


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His interests are divided. It is the same with a girl who marries. She faces the same problem. A girl who is not married is anxious to please the Lord in all she is and does. But a married woman must consider other things such as housekeeping and the likes and dislikes of her husband.


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I am saying this to help you, not to try to keep you from marrying. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few other things as possible to distract your attention from him.


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But if anyone feels he ought to marry because he has trouble controlling his passions, it is all right; it is not a sin; let him marry.


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But if a man has the willpower not to marry and decides that he doesn't need to and won't, he has made a wise decision.


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The wife is part of her husband as long as he lives; if her husband dies, then she may marry again, but only if she marries a Christian.


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But in my opinion she will be happier if she doesn't marry again; and I think I am giving you counsel from God's Spirit when I say this.


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Next is your question about eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. On this question everyone feels that only his answer is the right one! But although being a "know-it-all" makes us feel important, what is really needed to build the church is love.


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So now, what about it? Should we eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god, and that there is only one God, and no other.


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But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created all things and made us to be his own; and one Lord Jesus Christ, who made everything and gives us life.


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However, some Christians don't realize this. All their lives they have been used to thinking of idols as alive, and have believed that food offered to the idols is really being offered to actual gods. So when they eat such food it bothers them and hurts their tender consciences.


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Just remember that God doesn't care whether we eat it or not. We are no worse off if we don't eat it, and no better off if we do.


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But be careful not to use your freedom to eat it, lest you cause some Christian brother to sin whose conscience is weaker than yours.


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You see, this is what may happen: Someone who thinks it is wrong to eat this food will see you eating at a temple restaurant, for you know there is no harm in it. Then he will become bold enough to do it too, although all the time he still feels it is wrong.


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So because you "know it is all right to do it," you will be responsible for causing great spiritual damage to a brother with a tender conscience for whom Christ died.


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And it is a sin against Christ to sin against your brother by encouraging him to do something he thinks is wrong.


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So if eating meat offered to idols is going to make my brother sin, I'll not eat any of it as long as I live because I don't want to do this to him.


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I am an apostle, God's messenger, responsible to no mere man. I am one who has actually seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes. And your changed lives are the result of my hard work for him.


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If in the opinion of others, I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you, for you have been won to Christ through me.


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Or don't I have any rights at all? Can't I claim the same privilege the other apostles have of being a guest in your homes?


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If I had a wife, and if she were a believer, couldn't I bring her along on these trips just as the other disciples do, and as the Lord's brothers do, and as Peter does?


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What soldier in the army has to pay his own expenses? And have you ever heard of a farmer who harvests his crop and doesn't have the right to eat some of it? What shepherd takes care of a flock of sheep and goats and isn't allowed to drink some of the milk?


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And I'm not merely quoting the opinions of men as to what is right. I'm telling you what God's law says.


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For in the law God gave to Moses he said that you must not put a muzzle on an ox to keep it from eating when it is treading out the wheat. Do you suppose God was thinking only about oxen when he said this?


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Wasn't he also thinking about us? Of course he was. He said this to show us that Christian workers should be paid by those they help. Those who do the plowing and threshing should expect some share of the harvest.


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We have planted good spiritual seed in your souls. Is it too much to ask, in return, for mere food and clothing?


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You give them to others who preach to you, and you should. But shouldn't we have an even greater right to them? Yet we have never used this right but supply our own needs without your help. We have never demanded payment of any kind for fear that, if we did, you might be less interested in our message to you from Christ.


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Don't you realize that God told those working in his temple to take for their own needs some of the food brought there as gifts to him? And those who work at the altar of God get a share of the food that is brought by those offering it to the Lord.


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In the same way the Lord has given orders that those who preach the Gospel should be supported by those who accept it.


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Yet I have never asked you for one penny. And I am not writing this to hint that I would like to start now. In fact, I would rather die of hunger than lose the satisfaction I get from preaching to you without charge.


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For just preaching the Gospel isn't any special credit to me--I couldn't keep from preaching it if I wanted to. I would be utterly miserable. Woe unto me if I don't.


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If I were volunteering my services of my own free will, then the Lord would give me a special reward; but that is not the situation, for God has picked me out and given me this sacred trust, and I have no choice.


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Under this circumstance, what is my pay? It is the special joy I get from preaching the Good News without expense to anyone, never demanding my rights.


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And this has a real advantage: I am not bound to obey anyone just because he pays my salary; yet I have freely and happily become a servant of any and all so that I can win them to Christ.


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When I am with the Jews I seem as one of them so that they will listen to the Gospel and I can win them to Christ. When I am with Gentiles who follow Jewish customs and ceremonies I don't argue, even though I don't agree, because I want to help them.


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When with the heathen I agree with them as much as I can, except of course that I must always do what is right as a Christian. And so, by agreeing, I can win their confidence and help them too.


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When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don't act as though I know it all and don't say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.


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I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ.


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To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears.


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So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I'm not just shadow-boxing or playing around.


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Like an athlete I punish my body, treating it roughly, training it to do what it should, not what it wants to. Otherwise I fear that after enlisting others for the race, I myself might be declared unfit and ordered to stand aside.


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For we must never forget, dear brothers, what happened to our people in the wilderness long ago. God guided them by sending a cloud that moved along ahead of them; and he brought them all safely through the waters of the Red Sea.


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This might be called their "baptism"--baptized both in sea and cloud!--as followers of Moses--their commitment to him as their leader.


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they drank the water that Christ gave them. He was there with them as a mighty Rock of spiritual refreshment.


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nor worship idols as they did. (The Scriptures tell us, "The people sat down to eat and drink and then got up to dance" in worship of the golden calf.)


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Another lesson for us is what happened when some of them sinned with other men's wives, and 23,000 fell dead in one day.


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And don't murmur against God and his dealings with you as some of them did, for that is why God sent his Angel to destroy them.


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All these things happened to them as examples--as object lessons to us--to warn us against doing the same things; they were written down so that we could read about them and learn from them in these last days as the world nears its end.


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So be careful. If you are thinking, "Oh, I would never behave like that"--let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin.


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But remember this--the wrong desires that come into your life aren't anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation's power so that you can bear up patiently against it.


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When we ask the Lord's blessing upon our drinking from the cup of wine at the Lord's Table, this means, doesn't it, that all who drink it are sharing together the blessing of Christ's blood? And when we break off pieces of the bread from the loaf to eat there together, this shows that we are sharing together in the benefits of his body.


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No matter how many of us there are, we all eat from the same loaf, showing that we are all parts of the one body of Christ.


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What am I trying to say? Am I saying that the idols to whom the heathen bring sacrifices are really alive and are real gods, and that these sacrifices are of some value? No, not at all.


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What I am saying is that those who offer food to these idols are united together in sacrificing to demons, certainly not to God. And I don't want any of you to be partners with demons when you eat the same food, along with the heathen, that has been offered to these idols.


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You cannot drink from the cup at the Lord's Table and at Satan's table, too. You cannot eat bread both at the Lord's Table and at Satan's table.


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You are certainly free to eat food offered to idols if you want to; it's not against God's laws to eat such meat, but that doesn't mean that you should go ahead and do it. It may be perfectly legal, but it may not be best and helpful.


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Here's what you should do. Take any meat you want that is sold at the market. Don't ask whether or not it was offered to idols, lest the answer hurt your conscience.


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If someone who isn't a Christian asks you out to dinner, go ahead; accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is on the table and don't ask any questions about it. Then you won't know whether or not it has been used as a sacrifice to idols, and you won't risk having a bad conscience over eating it.


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But if someone warns you that this meat has been offered to idols, then don't eat it for the sake of the man who told you, and of his conscience.


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In this case his feeling about it is the important thing, not yours. But why, you may ask, must I be guided and limited by what someone else thinks?


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If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong?


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Well, I'll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking.


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That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do, not doing what I like or what is best for me but what is best for them, so that they may be saved.


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But there is one matter I want to remind you about: that a wife is responsible to her husband, her husband is responsible to Christ, and Christ is responsible to God.


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And that is why a woman who publicly prays or prophesies without a covering on her head dishonors her husband  for her covering is a sign of her subjection to him.


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Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, then she should cut off all her hair. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her head shaved, then she should wear a covering.


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But a man should not wear anything on his head  when worshiping, for his hat is a sign of subjection to men. God's glory is man made in his image, and man's glory is the woman.


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So a woman should wear a covering on her head as a sign that she is under man's authority, a fact for all the angels to notice and rejoice in.


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For although the first woman came out of man, all men have been born from women ever since, and both men and women come from God their Creator.


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What do you yourselves really think about this? Is it right for a woman to pray in public without covering her head?


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Doesn't even instinct itself teach us that women's heads should be covered? For women are proud of their long hair, while a man with long hair tends to be ashamed.


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But if anyone wants to argue about this, all I can say is that we never teach anything else than this--that a woman should wear a covering when prophesying or praying publicly in the church, and all the churches feel the same way about it.


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Next on my list of items to write you about is something else I cannot agree with. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together for your communion services.


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Everyone keeps telling me about the arguing that goes on in these meetings, and the divisions developing among you, and I can just about believe it.


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But I suppose you feel this is necessary so that you who are always right will become known and recognized!


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but your own. For I am told that everyone hastily gobbles all the food he can without waiting to share with the others, so that one doesn't get enough and goes hungry while another has too much to drink and gets drunk.


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What? Is this really true? Can't you do your eating and drinking at home to avoid disgracing the church and shaming those who are poor and can bring no food? What am I supposed to say about these things? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly do not!


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For this is what the Lord himself has said about his Table, and I have passed it on to you before: That on the night when Judas betrayed him, the Lord Jesus took bread,


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and when he had given thanks to God for it, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me."


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In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new agreement between God and you that has been established and set in motion by my blood. Do this in remembrance of me whenever you drink it."


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For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you are retelling the message of the Lord's death, that he has died for you. Do this until he comes again.


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So if anyone eats this bread and drinks from this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, he is guilty of sin against the body and the blood of the Lord.


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That is why a man should examine himself carefully before eating the bread and drinking from the cup.


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For if he eats the bread and drinks from the cup unworthily, not thinking about the body of Christ and what it means, he is eating and drinking God's judgment upon himself; for he is trifling with the death of Christ.


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Yet, when we are judged and punished by the Lord, it is so that we will not be condemned with the rest of the world.


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So, dear brothers, when you gather for the Lord's Supper--the communion service--wait for each other;


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if anyone is really hungry he should eat at home so that he won't bring punishment upon himself when you meet together. I'll talk to you about the other matters after I arrive.


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And now, brothers, I want to write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of you, for I don't want any misunderstanding about them.


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You will remember that before you became Christians you went around from one idol to another, not one of which could speak a single word.


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But now you are meeting people who claim to speak messages from the Spirit of God. How can you know whether they are really inspired by God or whether they are fakes? Here is the test: no one speaking by the power of the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," and really mean it, unless the Holy Spirit is helping him.


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Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all.


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There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work in and through all of us who are his.


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To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; someone else may be especially good at studying and teaching, and this is his gift from the same Spirit.


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He gives power for doing miracles to some, and to others power to prophesy and preach. He gives someone else the power to know whether evil spirits are speaking through those who claim to be giving God's messages--or whether it is really the Spirit of God who is speaking. Still another person is able to speak in languages he never learned; and others, who do not know the language either, are given power to understand what he is saying.


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It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and powers, deciding which each one of us should have.


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Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the "body" of Christ.


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Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ's body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit.


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If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body.


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And what would you think if you heard an ear say, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye"? Would that make it any less a part of the body?


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Suppose the whole body were an eye--then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?


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But that isn't the way God has made us. He has made many parts for our bodies and has put each part just where he wants it.


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The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."


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Yes, we are especially glad to have some parts that seem rather odd! And we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen,


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while of course the parts that may be seen do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that might otherwise seem less important.


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This makes for happiness among the parts, so that the parts have the same care for each other that they do for themselves.


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Now here is what I am trying to say: All of you together are the one body of Christ, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.


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Here is a list of some of the parts he has placed in his Church, which is his body: Apostles, Prophets--those who preach God's Word, Teachers, Those who do miracles, Those who have the gift of healing; Those who can help others, Those who can get others to work together, Those who speak in languages they have never learned.


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Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a preacher? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles?


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Can everyone heal the sick? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in languages we've never learned? Can just anyone understand and translate what those are saying who have that gift of foreign speech?


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No, but try your best to have the more important of these gifts. First, however, let me tell you about something else that is better than any of them!


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If I had the gift of being able to speak in other languages without learning them and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn't love others, I would only be making noise.


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If I had the gift of prophecy and knew all about what is going to happen in the future, knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would it do? Even if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love.


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If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn't love others, it would be of no value whatever.


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never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.


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If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.


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All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but love goes on forever. Someday prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge--these gifts will disappear.


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Now we know so little, even with our special gifts, and the preaching of those most gifted is still so poor.


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But when we have been made perfect and complete, then the need for these inadequate special gifts will come to an end, and they will disappear.


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It's like this: when I was a child I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I became a man my thoughts grew far beyond those of my childhood, and now I have put away the childish things.


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In the same way, we can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face to face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now.


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Let love be your greatest aim; nevertheless, ask also for the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives, and especially the gift of prophecy, being able to preach the messages of God.


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But if your gift is that of being able to "speak in tongues," that is, to speak in languages you haven't learned, you will be talking to God but not to others, since they won't be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be a secret.


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But one who prophesies, preaching the messages of God, is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them.


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So a person "speaking in tongues" helps himself grow spiritually, but one who prophesies, preaching messages from God, helps the entire church grow in holiness and happiness.


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I wish you all had the gift of "speaking in tongues," but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy, preaching God's messages, for that is a greater and more useful power than to speak in unknown languages--unless, of course, you can tell everyone afterwards what you were saying, so that they can get some good out of it too.


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Dear friends, even if I myself should come to you talking in some language you don't understand, how would that help you? But if I speak plainly what God has revealed to me, and tell you the things I know, and what is going to happen, and the great truths of God's Word--that is what you need; that is what will help you.


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Even musical instruments--the flute, for instance, or the harp--are examples of the need for speaking in plain, simple English rather than in unknown languages. For no one will recognize the tune the flute is playing unless each note is sounded clearly.


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And if the army bugler doesn't play the right notes, how will the soldiers know that they are being called to battle?


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In the same way, if you talk to a person in some language he doesn't understand, how will he know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room.


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I suppose that there are hundreds of different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them,


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but to me they mean nothing. A person talking to me in one of these languages will be a stranger to me and I will be a stranger to him.


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Since you are so anxious to have special gifts from the Holy Spirit, ask him for the very best, for those that will be of real help to the whole church.


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If someone is given the gift of speaking in unknown tongues, he should pray also for the gift of knowing what he has said, so that he can tell people afterwards plainly.


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For if I pray in a language I don't understand, my spirit is praying, but I don't know what I am saying.


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Well, then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in unknown tongues and also in ordinary language that everyone understands. I will sing in unknown tongues and also in ordinary language so that I can understand the praise I am giving;


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for if you praise and thank God with the spirit alone, speaking in another language, how can those who don't understand you be praising God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don't know what you are saying?


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But in public worship I would much rather speak five words that people can understand and be helped by than ten thousand words while "speaking in tongues" in an unknown language.


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Dear brothers, don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent babies when it comes to planning evil, but be men of intelligence in understanding matters of this kind.


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We are told in the ancient Scriptures that God would send men from other lands to speak in foreign languages to his people, but even then they would not listen.


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So you see that being able to "speak in tongues" is not a sign to God's children concerning his power, but is a sign to the unsaved. However, prophecy (preaching the deep truths of God) is what the Christians need, and unbelievers aren't yet ready for it.


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Even so, if an unsaved person, or someone who doesn't have these gifts, comes to church and hears you all talking in other languages, he is likely to think you are crazy.


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But if you prophesy, preaching God's Word,  even though such preaching is mostly for believers and an unsaved person or a new Christian comes in who does not understand about these things, all these sermons will convince him of the fact that he is a sinner, and his conscience will be pricked by everything he hears.


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As he listens, his secret thoughts will be laid bare, and he will fall down on his knees and worship God, declaring that God is really there among you.


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Well, my brothers, let's add up what I am saying. When you meet together some will sing, another will teach, or tell some special information God has given him, or speak in an unknown language, or tell what someone else is saying who is speaking in the unknown language, but everything that is done must be useful to all, and build them up in the Lord.


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No more than two or three should speak in an unknown language, and they must speak one at a time, and someone must be ready to interpret what they are saying.


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But if no one is present who can interpret, they must not speak out loud. They must talk silently to themselves and to God in the unknown language but not publicly.


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But if, while someone is prophesying, someone else receives a message or idea from the Lord, the one who is speaking should stop.


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In this way all who have the gift of prophecy can speak, one after the other, and everyone will learn and be encouraged and helped.


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God is not one who likes things to be disorderly and upset. He likes harmony, and he finds it in all the other churches.


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Women should be silent during the church meetings. They are not to take part in the discussion, for they are subordinate to men as the Scriptures also declare.


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If they have any questions to ask, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to express their opinions in church meetings.


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You disagree? And do you think that the knowledge of God's will begins and ends with you Corinthians? Well, you are mistaken!


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You who claim to have the gift of prophecy or any other special ability from the Holy Spirit should be the first to realize that what I am saying is a commandment from the Lord himself.


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So, my fellow believers, long to be prophets so that you can preach God's message plainly; and never say it is wrong to "speak in tongues";


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Now let me remind you, brothers, of what the Gospel really is, for it has not changed--it is the same Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is squarely built upon this wonderful message;


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and it is this Good News that saves you if you still firmly believe it, unless of course you never really believed it in the first place.


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I passed on to you right from the first what had been told to me, that Christ died for our sins just as the Scriptures said he would,


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and that he was buried, and that three days afterwards he arose from the grave just as the prophets foretold.


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After that he was seen by more than five hundred Christian brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now.


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Last of all I saw him too, long after the others, as though I had been born almost too late for this.


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For I am the least worthy of all the apostles, and I shouldn't even be called an apostle at all after the way I treated the church of God.


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But whatever I am now it is all because God poured out such kindness and grace upon me--and not without results: for I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet actually I wasn't doing it, but God working in me, to bless me.


