32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
12Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. 13You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; 14though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15What has become of the good will you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them. 18It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you.
19My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
21Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
21Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. 23One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. 24Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. 25Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother. 27For it is written, “Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children, burst into song and shout, you who endure no birthpangs; for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the children of the one who is married.” 28Now you, my friends, are children of the promise, like Isaac. 29But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30But what does the scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman.” 31So then, friends, we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.
29After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, 31so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. 32Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” 33The disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” 34Jesus asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 38Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
5For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
3Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law.
4You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
5For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.
7You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?
8Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
9A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.
10I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.
11But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.
12I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!
13For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.
14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
2He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
3And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
4An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.
5When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread.
6Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7They said to one another, “It is because we have brought no bread.”
8And becoming aware of it, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you talking about having no bread?
9Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?
11How could you fail to perceive that I was not speaking about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”
12Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
16Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.
18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.
19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions,
21envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
20Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
25If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
26Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.
6My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted.
2Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
3For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves.
4All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride.
5For all must carry their own loads.
6Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.
7Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.
8If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
9So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up.
10So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.
21From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.”
23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
25For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
26For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
27“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
28Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
1This is the lineage of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar;
3these are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to minister as priests.
4Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered illicit fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him.
7They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle;
8they shall be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and attend to the duties for the Israelites as they do service at the tabernacle.
9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his descendants; they are unreservedly given to him from among the Israelites.
10But you shall make a register of Aaron and his descendants; it is they who shall attend to the priesthood, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
11Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12I hereby accept the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine,
13for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the Lord.
11See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!
12It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
13Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh.
14May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!
16As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
17From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.
18May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
17Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.
2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.
3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.
7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”
8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things;
12but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.”
13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
Matthew 16:1-12
Galatians 5:16-24
Matthew 16:13-20
Galatians 5:25-6:10
Matthew 16:21-28
Numbers 3:1-13
Galatians 6:11-18
Matthew 17:1-13