Bashans 19, 1744

10Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

53And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,

54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

1In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

3Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

4Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

22All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

23Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see;

24for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

8Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."

9(Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

10He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--

16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

5Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

7casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

10But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

11To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

12By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

10Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: "Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself,

11because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

12And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city.

13Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.

14But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

15I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

16This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

17"Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation,

18in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.

19They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me.

20Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council,

21unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, "Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day."'