Augsburg Confession, Article 26
Of the Distinction of Meats.
It has been the general persuasion, not of the people alone, but also of those teaching in the churches, that making Distinctions of Meats, and like traditions of men, are works profitable to merit grace, and able to make satisfactions for sins. And that the world so thought, appears from this, that new ceremonies, new orders, new holy-days, and new fastings were daily instituted, and the teachers in the churches did exact these works as a service necessary to merit grace, and did greatly terrify men's consciences, if they should omit any of these things. From this persuasion concerning traditions much detriment has resulted in the Church. First, the doctrine of grace and of the righteousness of faith has been obscured by it, which is the chief part of the Gospel, and ought to stand out as the most prominent in the Church, in order that the merit of Christ may be well known, and faith, which believes that sins are forgiven for Christ's sake be exalted far above works. Wherefore Paul also lays the greatest stress on this article, putting aside the Law and human traditions, in order to show that Christian righteousness is something else than such works, to wit, the faith which believes that sins are freely forgiven for Christ's sake. But this doctrine of Paul has been almost wholly smothered by traditions, which have produced an opinion that, by making distinctions in meats and like services, we must merit grace and righteousness. In treating of repentance, there was no mention made of faith; only those works of satisfaction were set forth; in these the entire repentance seemed to consist. Secondly, these traditions have obscured the commandments of God, because traditions were placed far above the commandments of God. Christianity was thought to consist wholly in the observance of certain holy-days, rites, fasts, and vestures. These observances had won for themselves the exalted title of being the spiritual life and the perfect life. Meanwhile the commandments of God, according to each one's calling, were without honor namely, that the father brought up his offspring, that the mother bore children, that the prince governed the commonwealth,--these were accounted works that were worldly and imperfect, and far below those glittering observances. And this error greatly tormented devout consciences, which grieved that they were held in an imperfect state of life, as in marriage, in the office of magistrate; or in other civil ministrations; on the other hand, they admired the monks and such like, and falsely imagined that the observances of such men were more acceptable to God. Thirdly, traditions brought great danger to consciences; for it was impossible to keep all traditions, and yet men judged these observances to be necessary acts of worship. Gerson writes that many fell into despair, and that some even took their own lives, because they felt that they were not able to satisfy the traditions, and they had all the while not heard any consolation of the righteousness of faith and grace. We see that the summists and theologians gather the traditions, and seek mitigations whereby to ease consciences, and yet they do not sufficiently unfetter, but sometimes entangle, consciences even more. And with the gathering of these traditions, the schools and sermons have been so much occupied that they have had no leisure to touch upon Scripture, and to seek the more profitable doctrine of faith, of the cross, of hope, of the dignity of civil affairs of consolation of sorely tried consciences. Hence Gerson and some other theologians have grievously complained that by these strivings concerning traditions they were prevented from giving attention to a better kind of doctrine. Augustine also forbids that men's consciences should be burdened with such observances, and prudently advises Januarius that he must know that they are to be observed as things indifferent; for such are his words. Wherefore our teachers must not be looked upon as having taken up this matter rashly or from hatred of the bishops, as some falsely suspect. There was great need to warn the churches of these errors, which had arisen from misunderstanding the traditions. For the Gospel compels us to insist in the churches upon the doctrine of grace, and of the righteousness of faith; which, however, cannot be understood, if men think that they merit grace by observances of their own choice. Thus, therefore, they have taught that by the observance of human traditions we cannot merit grace or be justified, and hence we must not think such observances necessary acts of worship. They add hereunto testimonies of Scripture. Christ, Matt. 15, 3, defends the Apostles who had not observed the usual tradition, which, however, evidently pertains to a matter not unlawful, but indifferent, and to have a certain affinity with the purifications of the Law, and says, 9: In vain do they worship Me with the commandments of men. He, therefore, does not exact an unprofitable service. Shortly after He adds: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man. So also Paul, Rom. 14, 17: The kingdom of God is not meat and drink. Col. 2, 16: Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the Sabbath-day; also: If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances: Touch not, taste not, handle not! And Peter says, Acts 15, 10: Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. Here Peter forbids to burden the consciences with many rites, either of Moses or of others. And in 1 Tim. 4,1.3 Paul calls the prohibition of meats a doctrine of devils; for it is against the Gospel to institute or to do such works that by them we may merit grace, or as though Christianity could not exist without such service of God. Here our adversaries object that our teachers are opposed to discipline and mortification of the flesh, as Jovinian. But the contrary may be learned from the writings of our teachers. For they have always taught concerning the cross that it behooves Christians to bear afflictions. This is the true, earnest, and unfeigned mortification, to wit, to be exercised with divers afflictions, and to be crucified with Christ. Moreover, they teach that every Christian ought to train and subdue himself with bodily restraints, or bodily exercises and labors that neither satiety nor slothfulness tempt him to sin, but not that we may merit grace or make satisfaction for sins by such exercises. And such external discipline ought to be urged at all times, not only on a few and set days. So Christ commands, Luke 21, 34: Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting; also Matt. 17, 21: This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Paul also says, 1 Cor. 9, 27: I keep under my body and bring it into subjection. Here he clearly shows that he was keeping under his body, not to merit forgiveness of sins by that discipline, but to have his body in subjection and fitted for spiritual things, and for the discharge of duty according to his calling. Therefore, we do not condemn fasting in itself, but the traditions which prescribe certain days and certain meats, with peril of conscience, as though such works were a necessary service. Nevertheless, very many traditions are kept on our part, which conduce to good order in the Church, as the Order of Lessons in the Mass and the chief holy-days. But, at the same time, men are warned that such observances do not justify before God, and that in such things it should not be made sin if they be omitted without offense. Such liberty in human rites was not unknown to the Fathers. For in the East they kept Easter at another time than at Rome, and when, on account of this diversity, the Romans accused the Eastern Church of schism, they were admonished by others that such usages need not be alike everywhere. And Irenaeus says: Diversity concerning fasting does not destroy the harmony of faith; as also Pope Gregory intimates in Dist. XII, that such diversity does not violate the unity of the Church. And in the Tripartite History, Book 9, many examples of dissimilar rites are gathered, and the following statement is made: It was not the mind of the Apostles to enact rules concerning holy-days, but to preach godliness and a holy life [, to teach faith and love].
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
Matthew 15:1-391Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
2“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
5But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’
6he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:
8‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
9They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”
10Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.
11A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”
12Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.
14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
15Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked.
17“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?
18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.
19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”
21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
22And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”
23But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
29Moving on from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountain and sat down.
30Large crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them.
31The crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
32Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”
33The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”
34“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.
36Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
37They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
38A total of four thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.
39After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Matthew 3:1-171In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
4John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan.
6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.
9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
13At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
15“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.
17And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
Romans 14:1-231Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.
2For one person has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables.
3The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him.
4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone.
8If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
11It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.”
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
14I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
15If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.
16Do not allow what you consider good, then, to be spoken of as evil.
17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.
21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.
22Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
23But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.
Colossians 2:1-231For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face,
2that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,
3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
5For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ.
6Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
7rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
10And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.
12And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
14having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!
15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath.
17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.
19He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
20If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations:
21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?
22These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
23Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Acts 15:1-411Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2And after engaging these men in sharp debate, Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
3Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.
4On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.
5But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
6So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter.
7After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
8And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
10Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
11On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
13When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!
14Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.
15The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16‘After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tent of David. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
17so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things
18that have been known for ages.’
19It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
21For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers,
23and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
24It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.
25So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing.
28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:
29You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
30So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.
31When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.
32Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
33After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.
35But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.
38But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.
39Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts 10:1-481At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
3One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
5Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter.
6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.
8He explained what had happened and sent them to Joppa.
9The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
11He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
13Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
14“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.
17While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
18They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.
19As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
20So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”
21So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”
23So Peter invited them in as his guests. And the next day he got ready and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.
24The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him.
26But Peter helped him up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27As Peter talked with him, he went inside and found many people gathered together.
28He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
29So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”
30Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.
32Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
33So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has instructed you to tell us.”
34Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
35but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
36He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
37You yourselves know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee with the baptism that John proclaimed:
38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
39We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
40God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen—
41not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
42And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
43All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message.
45All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said,
47“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”
48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
1 Timothy 4:1-161Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.
3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
5because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6By pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of faith and sound instruction that you have followed.
7But reject irreverent, silly myths. Instead, train yourself for godliness.
8For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come.
9This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance.
10To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe.
11Command and teach these things.
12Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.
14Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders.
15Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.
16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
1 Timothy 1:33As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines
Luke 21:1-381Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,
2and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.
3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
4For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
5As some of the disciples were remarking how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and consecrated gifts, Jesus said,
6“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
7“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.
9When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”
10Then He told them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
12But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors.
13This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses.
14So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves.
15For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death.
17And you will be hated by everyone because of My name.
18Yet not even a hair of your head will perish.
19By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.
20But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near.
21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city.
22For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
23How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.
24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves.
26Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
30When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.
31So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
33Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
34But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
35For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth.
36So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.
38And early in the morning all the people would come to hear Him at the temple.
Matthew 17:1-271After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
2There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
3Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus.
4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, I will put up three shelters —one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown in terror.
7Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” He said. “Do not be afraid.”
8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things.
12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”
13Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
14When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and knelt before Him.
15“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
16I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.”
18Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
19Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
22When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.
23They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.” And the disciples were deeply grieved.
24After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?”
25“Yes,” he answered. When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?”
26“From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus declared.
27“But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.”
Matthew 21:1-461As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,
2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.
3If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
7They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
8A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
10When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.
13And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
15But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”
17Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.
18In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.
19Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.
20When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
23When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”
24“I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
25What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”
27So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
28But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.
30Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.
31Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
32For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
33Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
34When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.
35But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.
37Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
39So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”
41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.
46Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.
1 Corinthians 9:1-271Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?
2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:
4Have we no right to food and to drink?
5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?
6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?
7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?
8Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?
9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
10Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
12If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?
14In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.
16Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
19Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.
21To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.
22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
25Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
26Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.
27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Source and edition
Augsburg Confession. F. Bente and W. H. T. Dau, Concordia Triglotta, 1921. F. Bente and W. H. T. Dau, Concordia Triglotta, 1921
Public Domain (historic text). Source transcription.
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