Hell
/ Gehenna / eternal punishment / not entering the kingdom of
heaven / not finding life / enmity with God / eternal destruction
(and related topics), continued related
links 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. |
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Then he told them a parable. "There was a
rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked
himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my
harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down
my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain
and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat,
drink, be merry!"' But God said to him, 'You fool, this night
your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have
prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one
who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters
to God." [LK 12:16-21]
"Gird your loins and light your lamps and
be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are
those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at
table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the
second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed
are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have
let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an
hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Then Peter
said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for
everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the
faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of
his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper
time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds
doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all
his property. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is
delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the
maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that 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
unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will but did not
make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten
severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten
only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with
much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with
more." [LK 12:35-48]
"Why do you not judge for yourselves what
is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your
opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you
over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I
say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last
penny." [LK 12:57-59]
He said to them in reply, "Do you think
that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were
greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell
you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or
those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam
fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than everyone
else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you
do not repent, you will all perish as they did!" And he told
them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig
tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit
on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years
now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found
none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said
to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall
cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit
in the future. If not you can cut it down.'" [LK 13:2-9]
He passed through towns and villages, teaching
as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him,
"Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered
them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I
tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then
will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door
for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are
from.' And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you
taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know
where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And
there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and
you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and
the west and from the north and the south and will recline at
table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be
first, and some are first who will be last." [LK 13:22-30]
One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to
him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of
God." He replied to him, "A man gave a great dinner to
which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he
dispatched his servant to say to those invited, 'Come, everything
is now ready.' But one by one, they all began to excuse
themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field and
must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.' And
another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way
to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.' And another
said, 'I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.'
The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master
of the house in a rage commanded his servant, 'Go out quickly into
the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and
the crippled, the blind and the lame.' The servant reported, 'Sir,
your orders have been carried out and still there is room.' The
master then ordered the servant, 'Go out to the highways and
hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For,
I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my
dinner.'" [LK 14:15-24]
Great crowds were traveling with him, and he
turned and addressed them, "If any one comes to me without
hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and
sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever
does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my
disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first
sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its
completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding
himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at
him and say, 'This one began to build but did not have the
resources to finish.' Or what king marching into battle would not
first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can
successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty
thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will
send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot
be my disciple." [LK 14:25-33]
"Salt is good, but if salt itself loses its
taste, with what can its flavor be restored? It is fit neither for
the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has
ears to hear ought to hear." [LK 14:34-35]
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple
garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying
at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who
would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the
rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When
the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of
Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the
netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw
Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father
Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his
finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in
these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you
received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise
received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you
are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is
established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then
I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five
brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this
place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the
prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father
Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will
repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should
rise from the dead.'" [LK 16:19-31]
He said to his disciples, "Things that
cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through
whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were
put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to
cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard!" [Taken
from LK 17:1-3]
Then he said to his disciples, "The days
will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of
Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to
you, 'Look, there he is,' (or) 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off,
do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up
the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be (in
his day). But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this
generation. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the
days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in
the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling,
planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and
brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be
on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a person who
is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not
go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not
return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever
seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will
save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one
bed; one will be taken, the other left [to perish]. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be
taken, the other left [to perish]." [LK 17:22-35] [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.]
People were bringing even infants to him that he
might touch them, and when the disciples saw this, they rebuked
them. Jesus, however, called the children to himself and said,
"Let the children come to me and 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." [LK 18:15-17]
An official asked him this question, "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 commit
adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not
bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.'" And
he replied, "All of these I have observed from my
youth." When Jesus heard this he said to him, "There is
still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and
distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me." But when he heard this he became quite
sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looked at him (now sad) and said,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the
kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the
eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of
God." Those who heard this said, "Then who can be
saved?" And he said, "What is impossible for human
beings is possible for God." [LK 18:18-27]
While they were listening to him speak, he
proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they
thought that the kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So
he said, "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain
the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his
servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, 'Engage in
trade with these until I return.' His fellow citizens, however,
despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, 'We do
not want this man to be our king.' But when he returned after
obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had
given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The
first came forward and said, 'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten
additional ones.' He replied, 'Well done, good servant! You have
been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten
cities.' Then the second came and reported, 'Your gold coin, sir,
has earned five more.' And to this servant too he said, 'You, take
charge of five cities.' Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a
handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding
person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what
you did not plant.' He said to him, 'With your own words I shall
condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding
person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I
did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my
return I would have collected it with interest.' And to those
standing by he said, 'Take the gold coin from him and give it to
the servant who has ten.' But they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten
gold coins.' 'I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their
king, bring them here and slay them before me.'" [LK
19:11-27]
Then he proceeded to tell the people this
parable. "(A) man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant
farmers, and then went on a journey for a long time. At harvest
time he sent a servant to the tenant farmers to receive some of
the produce of the vineyard. But they beat the servant and sent
him away empty-handed. So he proceeded to send another servant,
but him also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed.
Then he proceeded to send a third, but this one too they wounded
and threw out. The owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I
shall send my beloved son; maybe they will respect him.' But when
the tenant farmers saw him they said to one another, 'This is the
heir. Let us kill him that the inheritance may become ours.' So
they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the
owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and put those
tenant farmers to death and turn over the vineyard to
others." When the people heard this, they exclaimed,
"Let it not be so!" But he looked at them and asked,
"What then does this scripture passage mean: 'The stone which
the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? Everyone who
falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; and it will crush
anyone on whom it falls." The scribes and chief priests
sought to lay their hands on him at that very hour, but they
feared the people, for they knew that he had addressed this
parable to them. [LK 20:9-19]
"Beware that your hearts do
not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties
of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For
that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to
escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the
Son of Man." [Taken from LK 21:34-36]
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is
with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen,
I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born
from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person
once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his
mother's womb and be born again, can he?" Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of
God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh
is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed
that I told you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows
where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do
not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with
everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and
said to him, "How can this happen?" Jesus answered and
said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not
understand this?...No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come
down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so
that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." For
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in
him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has
already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of
the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came
into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because
their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates
the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works
might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the
light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
[Taken from JN 3:1-10,13-21]
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of
God remains upon him. [JN 3:36]
Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen,
amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only
what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do
also. For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that
he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so
that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and
gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to
his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the
Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father
who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and
believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come
to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I
say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will
hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his
Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to
exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed
at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the
tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done
good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done
wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. I cannot do
anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent
me." [JN 5:19-30]
"If I testify on my own behalf, my
testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies
on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf
is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the
truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say
this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I
have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave
me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has
testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor
seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you,
because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search
the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through
them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come
to me to have life." [JN 5:31-40]
"I do not accept human praise; moreover, I
know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the
name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes
in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when
you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that
comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you
before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom
you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you
would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do
not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" [JN
5:41-47]
Jesus
said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life
within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal
life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true
food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks
my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father
sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who
feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that
came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still
died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." These
things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then
many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying
is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his
disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does
this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while
the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are
spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not
believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would
not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this,
many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and
no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do
you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him,
"Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the
Holy One of God." Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose
you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?" He was referring
to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot; it was he who would betray
him, one of the Twelve. [JN 6:53-71]
He said to them again, "I am going away and
you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am
going you cannot come." So the Jews said, "He is not
going to kill himself, is he, because he said, 'Where I am going
you cannot come'?" He said to them, "You belong to what
is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but
I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you
will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you
will die in your sins." So they said to him, "Who are
you?" Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the
beginning. I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the
one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the
world." They did not realize that he was speaking to them of
the Father. So Jesus said (to them), "When you lift up the
Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing
on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who
sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do
what is pleasing to him." Because he spoke this way, many
came to believe in him. [JN 8:21-30]
Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in
him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my
disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you
free." They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, 'You will
become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say
to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does
not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if
a son frees you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are
descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my
word has no room among you. I tell you what I have seen in the
Father's presence; then do what you have heard from the
Father." They answered and said to him, "Our father is
Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's
children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are
trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard
from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your
father!" (So) they said to him, "We are not
illegitimate. We have one Father, God." Jesus said to them,
"If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from
God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do
you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot bear to
hear my word. You belong to your father the devil and you
willingly carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from
the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because
he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the
truth, you do not believe me. Can any of you charge me with sin?
If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever
belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not
listen, because you do not belong to God." [JN 8:31-47]
The feast of the Dedication was then taking
place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the
temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around
him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in
suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus
answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works
I do in my Father's name testify to me. But you do not believe,
because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know
them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who
has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take
them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." [JN
10:22-30]
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life
in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me
must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The
Father will honor whoever serves me. [JN 12:25-26]
Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes
in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and
whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as
light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in
darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but
to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn
him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the
Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know
that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the
Father told me." [JN 12:44-50]
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the
vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear
fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more
fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to
you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot
bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither
can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the
branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain
in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will
gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned."
[Taken from JN 15:1-6]
"When I was with them I protected them in your name that you
gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the
son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be
fulfilled." [Taken from JN 17:12] [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.]
And when he had said
this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy
Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins
you retain are retained." [JN 20:22-23]
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the
heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are
we to do, my brothers?" Peter (said) to them, "Repent
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will
call." He testified with many other arguments, and was
exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt
generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day...And every day the Lord added to their number
those who were being saved. [Taken from ACTS 2:37-41,47]
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you times of
refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you,
Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the times of universal
restoration of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy
prophets from of old. For Moses said: 'A prophet like me will the
Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to
him you shall listen in all that he may say to you. Everyone who
does not listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.'
[Taken from ACTS 3:19-23]
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders: If we are
being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely,
by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of
Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the
Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his
name this man stands before you healed. He is 'the stone rejected
by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.' There is
no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name
under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be
saved." [ACTS 4:8-12] [Note: Emphasis added]
On the following sabbath almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the
crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse
contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out
boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be
spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn
yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the
Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, 'I have made you a
light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.'" The Gentiles were delighted when
they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were
destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the
Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews,
however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and
the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul
and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they
shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to
Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
[ACTS 13:44-52]
"But now I know that none of you to whom I
preached the kingdom during my travels will ever see my face
again. And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not
responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from
proclaiming to you the entire plan of God. Keep watch over
yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has
appointed you overseers, in which you tend the church of God that
he acquired with his own blood. I know that after my departure
savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the
flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting
the truth to draw the disciples away after them. So be vigilant
and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly
admonished each of you with tears. And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give
you the inheritance among all who are consecrated."
[ACTS 20:25-32]
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from
heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress
the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is
evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since
the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal
power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived
in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for
although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or
give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and
their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise,
they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for
the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of
four-legged animals or of snakes. Therefore, God handed them over
to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual
degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a
lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the
creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Therefore, God handed them
over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural
relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural
relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males
did shameful things with males and thus received in their own
persons the due penalty for their perversity. And since they did
not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their
undiscerning mind to do what is improper. They are filled with
every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy,
murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips and
scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty,
boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward
their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice
such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval
to those who practice them. [Taken from ROM 1:18-32]
Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of
you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge
another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very
same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such
things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who
engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will
escape the judgment of God? Or do you hold his priceless kindness,
forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness
of God would lead you to repentance? By your stubbornness and
impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself for the
day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will
repay everyone according to his works: eternal life to those who
seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good
works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth
and obey wickedness. Yes, affliction and distress will come upon
every human being who does evil, Jew first and then Greek. But
there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good,
Jew first and then Greek. There is no partiality with God. All who
sin outside the law will also perish without reference to it, and
all who sin under the law will be judged in accordance with it.
For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of
God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified. [ROM
2:1-13]
Therefore, sin
must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their
desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as
weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised
from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as
weapons for righteousness. For sin is not to have any power over
you, since you are not under the law but under grace. What then?
Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of
course not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to
someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey,
either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads
to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, although you were
once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the
pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin,
you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human
terms because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you
presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to
lawlessness for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to
righteousness for sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin,
you were free from righteousness. But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those
things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and
have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to
sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord. [ROM 6:12-23]
For those who live according to the flesh are
concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live
according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. The concern
of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and
peace. For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it
does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are
in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on
the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God
dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not
belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead
because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If
the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in
you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to
your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh,
you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of
the body, you will live. [ROM 8:5-13]
For not all who are of Israel are
Israel, nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his
descendants; but "It is through Isaac that descendants shall
bear your name." This means that it is not the children of
the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the
promise are counted as descendants. For this is the wording of the
promise, "About this time I shall return and Sarah will have
a son." And not only that, but also when Rebecca had
conceived children by one husband, our father Isaac - before they
had yet been born or had done anything, good or bad, in order that
God's elective plan might continue, not by works but by his call -
she was told, "The older shall serve the younger." As it
is written: "I loved Jacob but hated Esau." What then
are we to say? Is there injustice on the part of God? Of course
not! For he says to Moses: "I will show mercy to whom I will,
I will take pity on whom I will." So it depends not upon a
person's will or exertion, but upon God, who shows mercy. For the
scripture says to Pharaoh, "This is why I have raised you up,
to show my power through you that my name may be proclaimed
throughout the earth." Consequently, he has mercy upon whom
he wills, and he hardens whom he wills. You will say to me then,
"Why (then) does he still find fault? For who can oppose his
will?" But who indeed are you, a human being, to talk back to
God? Will what is made say to its maker, "Why have you
created me so?" Or does not the potter have a right over the
clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for a noble purpose
and another for an ignoble one? What if God, wishing to show his
wrath and make known his power, has endured with much patience the
vessels of wrath made for destruction? This was to make known the
riches of his glory to the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared
previously for glory, namely, us whom he has called, not only from
the Jews but also from the Gentiles. [Taken from ROM 9:6-24]
So also at the present time there is a remnant,
chosen by grace. But if by grace, it is no longer because of
works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? What
Israel was seeking it did not attain, but the elect attained it;
the rest were hardened, as it is written: "God gave them a
spirit of deep sleep, eyes that should not see and ears that
should not hear, down to this very day." And David says:
"Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block
and a retribution for them; let their eyes grow dim so that they
may not see, and keep their backs bent forever." Now I am
speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the
Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous
and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the
reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but
life from the dead? If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole
batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But
if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive
shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the
rich root of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. If
you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root
supports you. Indeed you will say, "Branches were broken off
so that I might be grafted in." That is so. They were broken
off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do
not become haughty, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the
natural branches, (perhaps) he will not spare you either. See,
then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who
fell, but God's kindness to you, provided you remain in his
kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. [ROM 11:5-22]
Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the
wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay,
says the Lord." Rather, "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 upon his head." [ROM
12:19-20]Let every person be subordinate to the higher
authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those
that exist have been established by God. Therefore, whoever
resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who
oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves. For rulers are not
a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have
no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive
approval from it, for it is a servant of God for your good. But if
you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without
purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the
evildoer. Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only
because of the wrath but also because of conscience. [ROM 13:1-5]
Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why
do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before
the judgment seat of God; for it is written: "As I live, says
the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall
give praise to God." So (then) each of us shall give an
account of himself (to God). Then let us no longer judge one
another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or
hindrance in the way of a brother… Let us then pursue what leads
to peace and to building up one another…whatever is not from
faith is sin. [Taken from ROM 14:10-13,19,23]
The message of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power
of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the
wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside."
Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater
of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For
since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God
through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of
the proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand
signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ
crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is
wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than
human strength. [1COR 1:18-25]
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's
temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which
you are, is holy.
[1COR 3:16-17]
How can any one of you with a case against
another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to
the holy ones? Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the
world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you unqualified
for the lowest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge
angels? Then why not everyday matters? If, therefore, you have
courts for everyday matters, do you seat as judges people of no
standing in the church? I say this to shame you. Can it be that
there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle a case
between brothers? But rather brother goes to court against
brother, and that before unbelievers? Now indeed (then) it is, in
any case, a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against
one another. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather
let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you inflict injustice and
cheat, and this to brothers. Do you not know that the unjust will
not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither
fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor
practicing homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards
nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. That
is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. [1COR 6:1-11]
Now to the unmarried and
to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they
are, as I do, but if they cannot exercise self-control they should
marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire. [1COR 7:8-9]
Thus through your knowledge, the weak person is
brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died. When you
sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences,
weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ. [1COR 8:11-12]
I have become all things to all, to save at
least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I
too may have a share in it. Do you not know that the runners in
the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run
so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way.
They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were
shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that,
after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
[1COR 9:22-27]
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that
our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the
sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in
the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same
spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that
followed them, and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not
pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the
desert. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might
not desire evil things, as they did. And do not become idolaters,
as some of them did, as it is written, "The people sat down
to eat and drink, and rose up to revel." Let us not indulge
in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell
within a single day. Let us not test Christ as some of them did,
and suffered death by serpents. Do not grumble as some of them
did, and suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to
them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning
to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever
thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. [1COR
10:1-12]
For as
often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the
death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread
or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for
the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself,
and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and
drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on
himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a
considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would
not be under judgment; but since we are judged by (the) Lord, we
are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with
the world. Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat,
wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home,
so that your meetings may not result in judgment. The other
matters I shall set in order when I come. [1COR 11:26-34]
Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel
I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also
stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to
the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. [1COR
15:1-2]
If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be
accursed. Marana tha. [1COR 16:22]
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumph in Christ and manifests through us the odor of the
knowledge of him in every place. For we are the aroma of Christ
for God among those who are being saved and among those who are
perishing, to the latter an odor of death that leads to death, to
the former an odor of life that leads to life. [Taken from 2COR
2:14-16]
Therefore, since we have this ministry through
the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged. Rather, we have
renounced shameful, hidden things; not acting deceitfully or
falsifying the word of God, but by the open declaration of the
truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight
of God. And even though our gospel is veiled, it is veiled for
those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this age has
blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they may not see the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of
God. For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and
ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. For God who said,
"Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our
hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the
face of (Jesus) Christ. [2COR 4:1-6]
Therefore, we
aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one
may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body,
whether good or evil. [Taken from 2COR 5:9-10]
Do not be yoked with those who are different,
with unbelievers. For what partnership do righteousness and
lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with
darkness? What accord has Christ with Beliar? Or what has a
believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement has the
temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God;
as God said: "I will live with them and move among them, and
I will be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come
forth from them and be separate," says the Lord, "and
touch nothing unclean; then I will receive you and I will be a
father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the
Lord Almighty." [2COR 6:14-18]
For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of
God, since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a
chaste virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that, as the serpent
deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a
sincere (and pure) commitment to Christ. For if someone comes and
preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive
a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel
from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough. For I
think that I am not in any way inferior to these "superapostles."
Even if I am untrained in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; in
every way we have made this plain to you in all things. Did I make
a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted,
because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? I
plundered other churches by accepting from them in order to
minister to you. And when I was with you and in need, I did not
burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied
my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in
any way. By the truth of Christ in me, this boast of mine shall
not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do
not love you? God knows I do! And what I do I will continue to do,
in order to end this pretext of those who seek a pretext for being
regarded as we are in the mission of which they boast. For such
people are false apostles, deceitful workers, who masquerade as
apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as
an angel of light. So it is not strange that his ministers also
masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their end will
correspond to their deeds. [2COR 11:2-15]
For I fear that when I come I may find you not
such as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; that
there may be rivalry, jealousy, fury, selfishness, slander,
gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again my
God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn over many
of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity,
immorality, and licentiousness they practiced. [2COR 12:20-21]
Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in faith. Test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? -
unless, of course, you fail the test. I hope you will discover
that we have not failed. But we pray to God that you may not do
evil, not that we may appear to have passed the test but that you
may do what is right, even though we may seem to have failed.
[Taken from 2COR 13:5-7]
I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking
the one who called you by (the) grace (of Christ) for a different
gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are
disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even
if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a gospel
other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be
accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone
preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let
that one be accursed! Am I now currying favor with human beings or
God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to
please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. Now I want you to
know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human
origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I
taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. [GAL
1:6-12]
O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as
crucified? I want to learn only this from you: did you receive the
Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard? Are
you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending
with the flesh? Did you experience so many things in vain? - if
indeed it was in vain. [GAL 3:1-4]
At a time when you did not know God, you became
slaves to things that by nature are not gods; but now that you
have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you
turn back again to the weak and destitute elemental powers? Do you
want to be slaves to them all over again? You are observing days,
months, seasons, and years. I am afraid on your account that
perhaps I have labored for you in vain. [GAL 4:8-11]
For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm
and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who
am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ
will be of no benefit to you. Once again I declare to every man
who has himself circumcised that he is bound to observe the entire
law. You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be
justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For through the
Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness. For in
Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for
anything, but only faith working through love. [GAL 5:1-6]
You were running well; who hindered you from
following (the) truth? That enticement does not come from the one
who called you. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. I
am confident of you in the Lord that you will not take a different
view, and that the one who is troubling you will bear the
condemnation, whoever he may be. [GAL 5:7-10]
For you were called for freedom, brothers. But
do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather,
serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in
one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another. I say, then: live
by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the
flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that
you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit,
you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds,
rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies,
and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who
do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [GAL 5:13-21]
Make no mistake: God is not
mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows, because the one
who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but
the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the
spirit. Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we
shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we
have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to
those who belong to the family of the faith. [GAL 6:7-10]
You were dead in your transgressions and sins in
which you once lived following the age of this world, following
the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work
in the disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the desires
of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses,
and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest. But God,
who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life
with Christ [Taken from EPH 2:1-5]
So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and
live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as
a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Immorality or
any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is
fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk,
which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. Be sure of this,
that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater,
has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. [EPH
5:1-5]
Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for
because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the
disobedient. So do not be associated with them. [EPH 5:6-7]
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the
gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am
absent, I may hear news of you, that you are standing firm in one
spirit, with one mind struggling together for the faith of the
gospel, not intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is
proof to them of destruction, but of your salvation. And this is
God's doing. For to you has been granted, for the sake of Christ,
not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. Yours is
the same struggle as you saw in me and now hear about me. [PHIL
1:27-30]
Join with others in being imitators of me,
brothers, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according
to the model you have in us. For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of
the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their
stomach; their glory is in their "shame." Their minds
are occupied with earthly things. [Taken from PHIL 3:17-19]
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are
earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed
that is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming
(upon the disobedient). By these you too once conducted
yourselves, when you lived in that way. But now you must put them
all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out
of your mouths. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken
off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its
creator. [COL 3:5-10]
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