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Hell
/ Gehenna / eternal punishment / not entering the kingdom of
heaven / not finding life / enmity with God / eternal destruction
(and related topics) related
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Note:
Scripture contained in this section is but a small sampling of
passages in the Bible relating to punishment, eternal fire, not
entering the kingdom of Heaven, enmity with God, and related topics. Please
note, however, that some
items in this section may not refer to final judgment or
condemnation or may refer to a temporal punishment rather than the
eternal punishment of hell. Also, some items contained herein may
relate only generally to this topic. We believe such additional
latitude in this topic may be beneficial to readers. In any
case, it should be noted that eternal punishment became most clear
in the New Testament and is clearly taught by Jesus. |
The LORD makes poor and makes rich, he humbles,
he also exalts. He raises the needy from the dust; from the ash
heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a
glorious throne their heritage. He gives to the vower his vow, and
blesses the sleep of the just. "For the pillars of the earth
are the LORD'S, and he has set the world upon them. He will guard
the footsteps of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall perish in
the darkness. For not by strength does man prevail; the LORD'S
foes shall be shattered. The Most High in heaven thunders; The
LORD judges the ends of the earth, Now may he give strength to his
king, and exalt the horn of his anointed!" [1SAM 2:7-10]
"Woe to the nations that rise against my
people! the Lord Almighty will requite them; in the day of
judgment he will punish them: He will send fire and worms into
their flesh, and they shall burn and suffer forever." [JDTH
16:17]
Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the
wicked, Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with
scoffers. Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy; God's law they
study day and night. They are like a tree planted near streams of
water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither;
whatever they do prospers. But not the wicked! They are like chaff
driven by the wind. Therefore the wicked will not survive
judgment, nor will sinners in the assembly of the just. The LORD
watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked leads
to ruin. [PS 1:1-6]
You are not a god who delights in evil; no
wicked person finds refuge with you; the arrogant cannot stand
before you. You hate all who do evil; you destroy all who speak
falsely. Murderers and deceivers the LORD abhors. [PS 5:5-7]
Observe the honest, mark the upright; those at peace with God have a future.
But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
[PS 37:37-38]
God will arise for battle; the enemy will be
scattered; those who hate God will flee. The wind will disperse
them like smoke; as wax is melted by fire, so the wicked will
perish before God. Then the just will be glad; they will rejoice
before God; they will celebrate with great joy. [PS 68:2-4]
But those who are far from you perish; you
destroy those unfaithful to you. [PS 73:27]
Those who hate the LORD would tremble, their
doom sealed forever. [PS 81:16]
Let them be dismayed and shamed forever; let
them perish in disgrace. [PS 83:18]
Though the wicked flourish like grass and all
sinners thrive, They are destined for eternal destruction [Taken
from PS 92:8]
You, LORD, watch over all who love you, but all
the wicked you destroy. [PS 145:20]
Therefore guard against profitless grumbling,
and from calumny withhold your tongues; For a stealthy utterance
does not go unpunished, and a lying mouth slays the soul. [WISDOM
1:11]
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him
shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in
love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care
is with the elect. But the wicked shall receive a punishment to
match their thoughts, since they neglected justice and forsook the
LORD. For he who despises wisdom and instruction is doomed. Vain
is their hope, fruitless are their labors, and worthless are their
works. [WISDOM 3:8-11]
Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin
upon sin. Say not: "Great is his mercy; my many sins he will
forgive." For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the
wicked alights his wrath. Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day; For suddenly his wrath flames
forth; at the time of vengeance, you will be destroyed. [SIRACH
5:5-9]
For pride is the reservoir of sin, a source
which runs over with vice; Because of it God sends unheard-of
afflictions and brings men to utter ruin. [SIRACH 10:13]
Flee from sin as from a serpent that will bite
you if you go near it; Its teeth are lion's teeth, destroying the
souls of men. [SIRACH 21:2]
A band of criminals is like a bundle of tow;
they will end in a flaming fire. [SIRACH 21:9]
O LORD, your hand is uplifted, but they behold
it not; Let them be shamed when they see your zeal for your
people: let the fire prepared for your enemies consume them. [ISA
26:11]
On Zion sinners are in dread, trembling grips
the impious: "Who of us can live with the consuming fire? who
of us can live with the everlasting flames?" [ISA 33:14]
For the people or kingdom shall perish that does
not serve you; those nations shall be utterly destroyed. [ISA
60:12]
As the new heavens and the new earth which I
will make Shall endure before me, says the LORD, so shall your
race and your name endure. From one new moon to another, and from
one sabbath to another, All mankind shall come to worship before
me, says the LORD. They shall go out and see the corpses of the
men who rebelled against me; Their worm shall not die, nor their
fire be extinguished; and they shall be abhorrent to all mankind. [ISA
66:22-24]
And I will bring upon you eternal reproach,
eternal, unforgettable shame. [Taken from JER 23:40]
Hence, thus says the LORD of hosts: Since you would not listen to my words, lo! I will send for and fetch all the tribes of the north, says the LORD (and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, my servant); I will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against all these neighboring nations.
I will doom them, making them an object of horror, of ridicule, of everlasting reproach.
[JER 25:8-9]
For thus says the Lord GOD: When I make you a city desolate like cities that are no longer inhabited, when I churn up the abyss against you, and its mighty waters cover you,
then I will thrust you down with those who descend into the pit, those of the bygone age; and I will make you dwell in the nether lands, in the everlasting ruins, with those who go down to the pit, so that you may never return to take your place in the land of the living.
I will make you a devastation, and you shall be no more; you shall be sought, but never again found, says the Lord GOD.
[EZEK 26:19-21]
The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will
bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal (but
the sleek and the strong I will destroy), shepherding them
rightly. [EZEK 34:16]
"At that time there shall arise Michael,
the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time
unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At
that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written
in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an
everlasting horror and disgrace." [Taken from DAN 12:1-2]
You have defied me in word, says the LORD, yet
you ask, "What have we spoken against you?" You have
said, "It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by
keeping his command, And going about in penitential dress in awe
of the LORD of hosts? Rather must we call the proud blessed; for
indeed evildoers prosper, and even tempt God with impunity."
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD
listened attentively; And a record book was written before him of
those who fear the LORD and trust in his name. And they shall be
mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession, on the
day I take action. And I will have compassion on them, as a man
has compassion on his son who serves him. Then you will again see
the distinction between the just and the wicked; Between him who
serves God, and him who does not serve him. For lo, the day is
coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers
will be stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. [MAL
3:13-19]
In those days John the Baptist appeared,
preaching in the desert of Judea (and) saying, "Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"... When he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming
wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do
not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'
For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these
stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore
every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and
thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for
repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will
clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but
the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." [Taken from
MT 3:1-12]
"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt
loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer
good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled
underfoot." [MT 5:13]
"I tell you, unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter
into the kingdom of heaven." [MT 5:20]
"You have heard that it was said to your
ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable
to judgment.' But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,'
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,'
will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift
to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything
against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be
reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with
him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and
the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown
into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until
you have paid the last penny." [MT 5:21-26]
"You have heard that it was said, 'You
shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, everyone who looks
at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in
his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and
throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your
right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is
better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole
body go into Gehenna." [MT 5:27-30]
"This is how you are to pray: Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be
done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not
subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If
you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will
forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your
Father forgive your transgressions." [MT 6:9-15]
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the
gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and
those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and
constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are
few. " [MT 7:13-14]
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you
in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their
fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes,
or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad
fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does
not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So
by their fruits you will know them." [MT 7:15-20]
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive
out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart
from me, you evildoers.'" [MT 7:21-23]
"Everyone who listens to these words of
mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house
on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and
buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set
solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house
on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and
buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely
ruined." [MT 7:24-27]
"I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in
the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be
driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing
and grinding of teeth." [Taken from MT 8:11-12]
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing
them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a
Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven
is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive
out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are
to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no
sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking
stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you
enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you
leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is
worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return
to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words - go
outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that
town." [MT 10:5-15]
"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the
midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But
beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and
scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before
governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the
pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to
speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment
what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the
Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over
brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up
against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by
all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be
saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen,
I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the
Son of Man comes. No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above
his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his
teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they
have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those
of his household! Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is
concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be
known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what
you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be
afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in
Gehenna." [MT 10:16-28]
"Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies
me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." [MT
10:32-33]
"Do not think that I have come to bring
peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the
sword. For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a
daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household.'
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of
me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is
not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever
loses his life for my sake will find it." [MT 10:34-39]
Then he began to reproach the towns where most
of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the
mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I
tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day
of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: 'Will you be
exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' For if
the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it
would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be
more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than
for you." [MT 11:20-24]
"Whoever is not with me is against me, and
whoever does not gather with me scatters." [MT 12:30]
"Therefore, I say to you, every sin and
blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the
Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the
Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy
Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to
come." [MT 12:31-32]
"You brood of vipers, how can you say good
things when you are evil? For from the fullness of the heart the
mouth speaks. A good person brings forth good out of a store of
goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of
evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an
account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will
be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." [MT
12:34-37]
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to
him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said
to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a
sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the
prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days
and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the
earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of
Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because
they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something
greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south
will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came
from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and
there is something greater than Solomon here. When an unclean
spirit goes out of a person it roams through arid regions
searching for rest but finds none. Then it says, 'I will return to
my home from which I came.' But upon returning, it finds it empty,
swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and brings back with
itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they move in
and dwell there; and the last condition of that person is worse
than the first. Thus it will be with this evil generation."
[MT 12:38-45]
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat
down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got
into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the
shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A
sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the
path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground,
where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil
was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it
withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the
thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and
produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears
ought to hear." The disciples approached him and said,
"Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them
in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been
granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow
rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken
away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look
but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.' Isaiah's
prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: 'You shall indeed hear
but not understand you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is
the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and
hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be
converted, and I heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, because
they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you,
many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but
did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is
the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding
it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his
heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word
and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts
only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes
because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown
among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly
anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no
fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the
word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a
hundred or sixty or thirtyfold." [MT 13:1-23]
He proposed another parable to them. "The
kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in
his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed
weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew
and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the
householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good
seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered,
'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us
to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together
until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn."'" Then, dismissing
the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him
and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the
field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the
Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of
the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the
enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the
age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected
and burned (up) with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of
his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They
will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be
wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like
the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to
hear." [MT 13:24-30,36-43]
"Thus it will be at the end of the age. The
angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and
throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and
grinding of teeth." [MT 13:49-50]
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
"Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard
what you said?" He said in reply, "Every plant that my
heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone;
they are blind guides (of the blind). If a blind person leads a
blind person, both will fall into a pit." Then Peter said to
him in reply, "Explain (this) parable to us." He said to
them, "Are even you still without understanding? Do you not
realize that everything that enters the mouth passes into the
stomach and is expelled into the latrine? But the things that come
out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from
the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft,
false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person, but to
eat with unwashed hands does not defile." [MT 15:12-20]
Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me. For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and
he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. For what
doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the
loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his
soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father
with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to
his works. [MT 16:24-27]
At that time the disciples approached Jesus and
said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He
called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like
children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." [Taken from MT
18:1-3]
"Whoever causes one of these little ones
who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a
great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the
depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause
sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they
come! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw
it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or
crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal
fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it
away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than
with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna." [MT 18:6-9]
Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if
my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many
as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not
seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of
heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts
with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was
brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way
of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with
his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the
debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with
compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him
the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and
started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' Falling
to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me,
and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had him put
in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow
servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and
went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master
summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you
your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had
pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger
his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay
back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless
each of you forgives his brother from his heart." [MT
18:21-35]
Now someone approached him and said,
"Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" He
answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is
only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the
commandments." He asked him, "Which ones?" And
Jesus replied, "'You shall not kill; you shall not commit
adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother'; and 'you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to him, "All
of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said
to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have
and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he
went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his
disciples, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who
is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is
easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for
one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." When the
disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
"Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things
are possible." [MT 19:16-26]
"What
is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and
said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in
reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in
reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did his
father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus
said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and
prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John
came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw
that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."
[MT 21:28-32]
"Hear another parable. There was a
landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a
wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants
and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his
servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants
seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a
third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous
than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my
son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his
inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and
killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those
tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put
those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to
other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper
times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the
scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful
in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be
taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its
fruit. (The one who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces;
and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.)" [MT 21:33-44]
Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables,
saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who
gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to
summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants… Some ignored the
invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his
business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and
killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed
those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his
servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not
worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite
to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the
streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the
hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the
guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He
said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a
wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king
said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him
into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and
grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."
[Taken from MT 22:1-14]
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his
disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken
their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all
things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice... The greatest among you
must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but
whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before
human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow
entrance to those trying to enter. One who swears by the altar
swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple
swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven
swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it. Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint
and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the
law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. (But) these you should have
done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out
the gnat and swallow the camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but
inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind
Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside
also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you
hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful
on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every
kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but
inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the
prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say,
'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have
joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' Thus you bear
witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who
murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured
out! You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the
judgment of Gehenna? Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and
wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, some
of them you will scourge in your synagogues and pursue from town
to town, so that there may come upon you all the righteous blood
shed upon earth, from the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of
Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the
sanctuary and the altar. Amen, I say to you, all these things will
come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the
prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to
gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under
her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be
abandoned, desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until
you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
[Taken from MT 23:1-3, 11-39]
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the
sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and
the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens
will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in
heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will
see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast,
and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end
of the heavens to the other... But of that day and hour no one
knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father
alone. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the
coming of the Son of Man. In (those) days before the flood, they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to
the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the
flood came and carried them all away. So will it be (also) at the
coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one
will be taken, and one will be left [that is, some will be taken
to the kingdom, the others will be left to perish]. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and
one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on
which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of
the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not
expect, the Son of Man will come. Who, then, is the faithful and
prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his
household to distribute to them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing
so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his
property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master
is long delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat
and drink with drunkards, the servant's master will come on an
unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely
and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be
wailing and grinding of teeth." [Taken from MT 24:29-31, 36-51]
[Note: Explanatory text has been provided in brackets.
Despite current notions to the contrary among some anti-Catholic
sects, Jesus has only promised a Second Coming. Therefore, those
not taken must be left to perish.]
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like
ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The
foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the
bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell
asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom!
Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins got up and trimmed
their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of
your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the
merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they went off to buy
it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the
wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the
other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the
hour." [MT 25:1-13]
"It will be as when a man who was going on
a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to
them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third,
one - to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with
them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two
made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a
hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long
time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts
with them. The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five
talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him,
'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful
in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come,
share your master's joy.' (Then) the one who had received two
talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two
talents. See, I have made two more.' His master said to him, 'Well
done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in
small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share
your master's joy.' Then the one who had received the one talent
came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding
person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you
did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent
in the ground. Here it is back.' His master said to him in reply,
'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did
not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then
have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back
with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and
give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be
given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even
what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant
into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and
grinding of teeth.'" [MT 25:14-30]
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will
separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats
on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come,
you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and
you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for
me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer
him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and
welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or
in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on
his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you
gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a
stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no
clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then
they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not
minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do
for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the
righteous to eternal life." [MT 25:31-46]
When it was evening, he reclined at table with
the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "Amen, I say
to you, one of you will betray me." Deeply distressed at
this, they began to say to him one after another, "Surely it
is not I, Lord?" He said in reply, "He who has dipped
his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The
Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that
man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for
that man if he had never been born." Then Judas, his
betrayer, said in reply, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He
answered, "You have said so." [MT 26:20-26] [Note:
Contrary to popular notions, it has been held from the beginning,
based on Christ's words in Holy Scripture, that Judas has been
condemned to hell.]
"Amen, I say to you, all sins and all
blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin." [MK 3:28-29]
On another occasion he began to teach by the
sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a
boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the
sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the
course of his instruction he said to them, "Hear this! A
sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the
path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky
ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the
soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it
withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the
thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some
seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and
yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." He added,
"Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." And when he
was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him
about the parables. He answered them, "The mystery of the
kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside
everything comes in parables, so that 'they may look and see but
not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order
that they may not be converted and be forgiven.'" Jesus said
to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will
you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These
are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they
hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear
the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no root; they
last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes
because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among
thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other
things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But
those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept
it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." [MK
4:1-20]
And [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of
man must suffer many things and be rejected by the ancients and by
the high priests and the scribes: and be killed and after three
days rise again. And he spoke the word openly. And Peter taking
him began to rebuke him. Who turning about and seeing his
disciples, threatened Peter, saying: Go behind me, Satan, because
thou savourest not the things that are of God but that are of men.
And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to
them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall
lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the
gospel shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain
the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul? Or what shall a
man give in exchange for his soul: For he that shall be ashamed of
me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the
Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the
glory of his Father with the holy angels. [MK 8:31-38] "Whoever causes one of these little ones
who believe (in me) to sin, it would be better for him if a great
millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the
sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for
you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into
Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you
to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life
crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your
eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into
the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown
into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not
quenched.'" [MK 9:42-48]
And people were bringing children to him that he
might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw
this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children
come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the
kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he
embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. [MK
10:13-16]
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran
up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what
must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him,
"Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You
know the commandments: 'You shall not kill; you shall not commit
adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.'"
He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have
observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and
said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you
have, and give to (the) poor and you will have treasure in heaven;
then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and
he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around
and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have
wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were
amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is
easier for a camel to pass through (the) eye of (a) needle than
for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were
exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who
can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human
beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible
for God." [MK 10:17-27]
He began to speak to them in parables. "A
man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press,
and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on
a journey. At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to
obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard. But they
seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he
sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head
and treated shamefully. He sent yet another whom they killed. So,
too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. He had one
other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all,
thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to
one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the
inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him and killed him, and
threw him out of the vineyard. What (then) will the owner of the
vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the
vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture passage: 'The
stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by
the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our
eyes'?" They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the
crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to
them. So they left him and went away. [MK 12:1-12]
"Be
watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is
like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his
servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper
to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the
lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at
midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come
suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all:
'Watch!'" [Taken from MK 13:33-37]
When it was evening, he came with the Twelve.
And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is
eating with me." They began to be distressed and to say to
him, one by one, "Surely it is not I?" He said to them,
"One of the Twelve, the one who dips with me into the dish.
For the Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe
to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better
for that man if he had never been born." [MK 14:17-21] [Note:
Contrary to popular notions, it has been held from the beginning,
based on Christ's words in Holy Scripture, that Judas has been
condemned to hell.]
(But) later, as the eleven were at table, he
appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness
of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he
had been raised. He said to them, "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be
condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my
name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink
any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on
the sick, and they will recover." [MK 16:14-18]
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was
tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God
came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. He went
throughout (the) whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism
of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the
book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one
crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make
straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every
mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be
made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall
see the salvation of God.'" He said to the crowds who came
out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned
you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruits as evidence
of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We
have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God can raise up
children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the
root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good
fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." And the
crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" He said to
them in reply, "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the
person who has none. And whoever has food should do
likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they
said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He answered
them, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."
Soldiers also asked him, "And what is it that we should
do?" He told them, "Do not practice extortion, do not
falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages." Now
the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in
their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them
all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier
than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his
sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His
winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to
gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with
unquenchable fire." [LK 3:1-17]
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he
said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God
is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be
satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will
laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude
and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the
Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your
reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the
prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you
have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will
grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their
ancestors treated the false prophets in this way." [LK
6:20-26]
And
he told them a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind
person? Will not both fall into a pit?" [LK 6:39]
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not
do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes
to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a
person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on
rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but
could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who
listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the
ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it
collapsed at once and was completely destroyed." [LK 6:46-49]
When a large crowd gathered, with people from
one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable.
"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed
fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it
up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered
for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns
grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and
when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying
this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to
hear." Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this
parable might be. He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of
the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they
are made known through parables so that 'they may look but not
see, and hear but not understand.' This is the meaning of the
parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the
ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word
from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on
rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word
with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and
fall away in time of trial. As for the seed that fell among
thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that
fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the
word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit
through perseverance." [LK 8:4-15]
Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily
and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit
is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit
himself? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man
will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of
the Father and of the holy angels. Truly I say to you, there are
some standing here who will not taste death until they see the
kingdom of God." [LK 9:23-27]
As they were proceeding on their journey someone
said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus
answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have
nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And
to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied,
"(Lord,) let me go first and bury my father." But he
answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and
proclaim the kingdom of God." And another said, "I will
follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at
home." (To him) Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to
the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom
of God." [LK 9:57-62]
After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two)
others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place
he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is
abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the
harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money
bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into
whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If
a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if
not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and
drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his
payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever
town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at
hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive
you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that
clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know
this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more
tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." [LK
10:1-12]
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you,
Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been
done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting
in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and
Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum,
'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the
netherworld.'" [LK 10:13-15]
"Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the
one who sent me." [LK 10:16]
Whoever is not with me is
against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. [LK
11:23]
While still more people gathered in the crowd,
he said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it
seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of
Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the
Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the
south will rise with the men of this generation and she will
condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear
the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon
here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this
generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they
repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here." [LK
11:29-32]
After he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to
dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The
Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed
washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, "Oh you
Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the
dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did
not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what
is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for
you. Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and
of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to
love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the
others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in
synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like
unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk." Then one
of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, "Teacher, by
saying this you are insulting us too." And he said, "Woe
also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard
to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.
Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your
ancestors killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do
the building. Therefore, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to
them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and
persecute' in order that this generation might be charged with the
blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between
the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this
generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to you, scholars
of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You
yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to
enter." When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act
with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many
things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might
say. [LK 11:37-54] [Note:
Whether or not such persons are actually suffering eternal
torments in hell is not for us to know, however the above
passage may afford this as a possibility should they remain unrepentant.]
Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot. He began to speak,
first to his disciples, "Beware of the leaven - that is, the
hypocrisy - of the Pharisees. There is nothing concealed that will
not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore
whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed
on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of
those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall
show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has
the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that
one. Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one
of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head
have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than
many sparrows. I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before
others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the
angels of God. Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man
will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit will not be forgiven." [LK 12:1-10]
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