Of Jesus Christ, True God and Man, the Only Savior of the World

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

Micah 5:2

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel — One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

Philippians 2:11

11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 John 5:20

20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Hebrews 1:2-14

2But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

4So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.

5For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”?

6And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”

7Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.”

8But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.

9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”

10And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

11They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment.

12You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed; but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”

13Yet to which of the angels did God ever say: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?

14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

John 17:5

5And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.

John 5:18

18Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

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Matthew 1:1-25

1This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

4Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

5Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

6and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.

8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah.

9Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.

10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,

11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

13Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor.

14Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud.

15Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,

16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).

24When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife.

25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.

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Matthew 26:38

38Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”

John 12:27

27Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.

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Hebrews 2:1-18

1We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

2For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,

3how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

4and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

5For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.

6But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

7You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor

8and placed everything under his feet.” When God subjected all things to him, He left nothing outside of his control. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

10In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

11For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

12He says: “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the assembly.”

13And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And once again: “Here am I, and the children God has given Me.”

14Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,

15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

16For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham.

17For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.

18Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

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Hebrews 4:15

15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

1 Peter 4:1

1Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

1 Corinthians 2:8

8None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

Luke 24:39

39Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

John 14:2

2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

Acts 3:21

21Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.

Daniel 11:1-45

1“And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, stood up to strengthen and protect him.

2Now then, I will tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece.

3Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.

4But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the authority with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others.

5The king of the South will grow strong, but one of his commanders will grow even stronger and will rule his own kingdom with great authority.

6After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to seal the agreement. But his daughter will not retain her position of power, nor will his strength endure. At that time she will be given up, along with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her.

7But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing.

8He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North,

9who will invade the realm of the king of the South and then return to his own land.

10But his sons will stir up strife and assemble a great army, which will advance forcefully, sweeping through like a flood, and will again carry the battle as far as his fortress.

11In a rage, the king of the South will march out to fight the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be delivered into the hand of his enemy.

12When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be proud in heart and will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not triumph.

13For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

14In those times many will rise up against the king of the South. Violent ones among your own people will exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they will fail.

15Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist.

16The invader will do as he pleases, and no one will stand against him. He will establish himself in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand.

17He will resolve to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with the king of the South. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plan will not succeed or help him.

18Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many of them. But a commander will put an end to his reproach and will turn it back upon him.

19After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more.

20In his place one will arise who will send out a tax collector for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he will be destroyed, though not in anger or in battle.

21In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

22Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant.

23After an alliance is made with him, he will act deceitfully; for he will rise to power with only a few people.

24In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.

25And with a large army he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South, who will mobilize a very large and powerful army but will not withstand the plots devised against him.

26Those who eat from his provisions will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain.

27And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.

28The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land.

29At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time will not be like the first.

30Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.

32With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

33Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.

34Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely.

35Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

36Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished.

37He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.

38And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.

39He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.

40At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood.

41He will also invade the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall. But these will be delivered from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites.

42He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape.

43He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him.

44But news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will go out with great fury to destroy many and devote them to destruction.

45He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.

Acts 17:31

31For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.

17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

18Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Mark 13:32

32No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

53For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

55“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”

56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Matthew 25:46

46And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

2 Timothy 2:18

18who have deviated from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already occurred, and they undermine the faith of some.

Mark 9:44

Matthew 24:1-51

1As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings.

2“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

4Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.

5For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

10At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,

11and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.

12Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

13But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),

16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.

18And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

19How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!

20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.

21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.

22If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.

24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

25See, I have told you in advance.

26So if they tell you, ‘There He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

27For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

30At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

31And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.

33So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.

34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.

35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

36No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.

39And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

40Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

42Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.

43But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

44For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

45Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?

46Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’

49And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

50The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.

51Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:1-46

1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil.

4But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

11Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’

12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’

13Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

14For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.

15To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.

16The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more.

17Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more.

18But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them.

20The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

21His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’

22The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’

23His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’

24Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’

26‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.

27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.

28Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.

29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.

32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.

34Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,

36I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’

37Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?

38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

39When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’

40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

41Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,

43I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’

46And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Luke 18:1-43

1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:

2“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.

3And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

4For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men,

5yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’”

6And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge.

7Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?

8I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

9To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:

10“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’

13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’

14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

15Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.

16But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

17Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

18Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

19“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.

20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”

21“All these I have kept from my youth,” he said.

22On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

23But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.

24Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

26Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

27But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

28“Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had to follow You.”

29“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

30will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

31Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

32He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.

33They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”

34But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.

35As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.

36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.

37“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.

38So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40Jesus stopped and directed that the man be brought to Him. When he had been brought near, Jesus asked him,

41“What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “let me see again.”

42“Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”

43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people who saw this gave praise to God.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

1Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers,

2not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.

3Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.

4He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

5Do you not remember that I told you these things while I was still with you?

6And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.

7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way.

8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.

9The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,

10and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.

11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,

12in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

13But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.

14To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.

16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,

17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.

2 Timothy 3:1-17

1But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.

2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,

4traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

6They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions,

7who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.

9But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

10You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance,

11my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

12Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

13while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them.

15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:1-22

1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:

2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.

3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

8From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

9Make every effort to come to me quickly,

10because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.

12Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus.

13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

15You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.

16At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.

17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

18And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

19Greet Prisca and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.

20Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.

21Make every effort to come to me before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

Colossians 1:1-29

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

4because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—

5the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel

6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.

7You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

8and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

11being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully

12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

18And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

19For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,

20and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

21Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.

22But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence—

23if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.

25I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,

26the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

29To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

Colossians 2:1-23

1For 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.

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

John 10:1

1“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

John 10:7

7So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.

Acts 4:12

12Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 10:43

43All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

Acts 15:11

11On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

1 Corinthians 10:3-33

3They all ate the same spiritual food

4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.

7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up to indulge in revelry.”

8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

9We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.

10And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.

13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

15I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.

16Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

17Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

18Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?

19Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

22Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

23“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.

24No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,

26for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.

28But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—

29the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience?

30If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

32Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—

33as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

Revelation 14:8

8Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

John 1:29

29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Galatians 5:4

4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.