I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what
you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of
praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and
heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will
be with you.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my
mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not
hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in
the depths of the earth.
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the
Lord, and he will deliver you.
A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question
to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And
he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and
first commandment.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is
in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love
you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the
same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of
your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the
Lord.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear,
slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the
righteousness of God.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks
against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law
and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the
law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to
save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is
honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it
to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will
repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed
him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you
will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will
of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you,
you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and
he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear
your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him
your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the
Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does
not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is
poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things
needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it
does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I
have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show
you my faith by my works.
Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the
measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to
strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember
those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who
are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now
you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene
talk from your mouth.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that
will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the
flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the
Spirit reap eternal life.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be
put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the
offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And
he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all
of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of
her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into
the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And behold, a
woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was
reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask
of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to
wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and
kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the
Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man
were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is
who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to
him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it,
Teacher.”
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything
against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive
you your trespasses.”
And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the
blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of
liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Let brotherly love continue.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All
these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus
said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship
the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but
deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all
have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according
to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion
to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his
teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who
contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who
does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as
I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves
with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that
does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is
forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher,
what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are
authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?”
And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by
false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight
or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah,
and a just hin: I am the
Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your
field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after
your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall
you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for
the poor and for the sojourner: I am the
Lord your God.
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the
contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a
blessing.
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is
like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he
looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But
the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and
perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be
blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not
bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is
worthless.
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise
to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not
neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are
pleasing to God.
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud,
arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate
hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one
another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each
other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above
all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect
harmony.
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality,
impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality,
impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On
account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once
walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all
away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self
with its practices
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with
tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction,
their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set
on earthly things.
Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,
being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or
conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the
interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in
Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count
equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in
love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or
covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among
saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking,
which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you
may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or
who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and God.
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the
truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager
to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one
body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs
to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are
spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on
yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so
fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he
is nothing, he deceives himself.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality,
impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits
of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies,
and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those
who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires
of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and
the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed
to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if
you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of
the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries,
dissensions, divisions,
Or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of
the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his
neighbor for his good, to build him up.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you
despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of
God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow
to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will
give an account of himself to God.
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to
wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first
believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast
off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk
properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual
immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify
its desires.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who
loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall
not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You
shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a
neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us
use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our
serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in
his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who
leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to
think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with
sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has
assigned.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual worship.
You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you
preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not
commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob
temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.
For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles
because of you.”
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges.
For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you,
the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of
God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O
man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them
yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on
the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing
that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we
must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he
himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their
voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the
likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because
he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at
the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and
wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles
Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out
into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We
also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that
you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the
heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and
spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks
believed.
When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and
did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the
water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to
him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk
freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and
manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a
witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through
him.
“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and
love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues
and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a
pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up
into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I
am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like
this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I
get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up
his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to
me, a sinner!’
So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say,
‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and
if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in
the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must
forgive him.”
