Monday, August 17, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 73
Acts 20:4-38; Acts 21;
Acts 22; Acts 23
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea,
Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and
Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.5 These men went
on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from
Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the
others at Troas, where we stayed seven days. 7 On the first
day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and,
because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until
midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where
we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named
Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he
was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up
dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and
put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's
alive!" 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread
and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people
took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. 13 We
went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take
Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on
foot. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to
Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived
off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day
arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus
to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach
Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From
Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When
they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was
with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I
served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely
tested by the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I have not
hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you
publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both
Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our
Lord Jesus. 22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am
going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I
only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships
are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to
me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has
given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. 25 "Now
I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will
ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I
am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not
hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep
watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own
blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come
in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your
own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples
after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three
years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 "Now
I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and
give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I
have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You
yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the
needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you
that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the
Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
" 36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of
them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and
kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that
they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to
sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there
to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went
on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to
the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was
to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed
with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to
Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued
on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out
of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After
saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned
home. 7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at
Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving
the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the
evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried
daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there a number
of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming
over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said,
"The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the
owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' " 12 When
we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to
Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping
and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in
Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."14 When he would not
be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." 15 After
this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the
disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason,
where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early
disciples. 17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers
received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us
went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul
greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles
through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised
God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews
have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They
have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to
turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live
according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will
certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you.
There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these
men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can
have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these
reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the
law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them
our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from
blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual
immorality." 26 The next day Paul took the men and
purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of
the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made
for each of them. 27 When the seven days were nearly over,
some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the
whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, "Men of Israel,
help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and
our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area
and defiled this holy place."29 (They had previously seen
Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought
him into the temple area.) 30 The whole city was aroused, and
the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him
from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.31 While they
were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that
the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once
took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw
the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.33 The
commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.
Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the
crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get
at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the
barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the
mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The
crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him!" 37 As
the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander,
"May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he
replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt
and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" 39 Paul
answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city.
Please let me speak to the people." 40 Having received
the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd.
When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:
1 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my
defense." 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,
they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 "I am a Jew,
born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was
thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as
any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way
to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into
prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can
testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and
went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be
punished. 6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly
a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the
ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute
me?' 8 " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus
of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My
companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was
speaking to me. 10 " 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.
" 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told
all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led
me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded
me. 12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a
devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.13 He
stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very
moment I was able to see him. 14 "Then he said: 'The God
of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and
to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to
all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are
you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his
name.' 17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying
at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord
speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they
will not accept your testimony about me.' 19 " 'Lord,' I
replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison
and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of
your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the
clothes of those who were killing him.' 21 "Then the Lord
said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' " 22 The
crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and
shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" 23 As
they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the
air, 24 the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the
barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out
why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they
stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there,
"Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found
guilty?" 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the
commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked.
"This man is a Roman citizen." 27 The commander went
to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I
am," he answered. 28 Then the commander said, "I had
to pay a big price for my citizenship." "But I was born a
citizen," Paul replied.29 Those who were about to question him
withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that
he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. 30 The next day,
since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by
the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin
to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My
brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this
day." 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those
standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul
said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to
judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding
that I be struck!" 4 Those who were standing near Paul
said, "You dare to insult God's high priest? 5 Paul
replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it
is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.' " 6 Then
Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called
out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.
I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the
dead." 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between
the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The
Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels
nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) 9 There
was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees
stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this
man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to
him?" 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander
was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go
down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the
barracks. 11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and
said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you
must also testify in Rome." 12 The next morning the Jews
formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until
they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in
this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and
said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have
killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the
commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate
information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets
here." 16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this
plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. 17 Then Paul
called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the
commander; he has something to tell him."18 So he took him to
the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and
asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell
you." 19 The commander took the young man by the hand,
drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me? 20 He
said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin
tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 Don't
give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him.
They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They
are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request. 22 The
commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, "Don't tell anyone
that you have reported this to me." 23 Then he called two
of his centurions and ordered them, "Get ready a detachment of two hundred
soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine
tonight. 24 Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken
safely to Governor Felix." 25 He wrote a letter as
follows: 26 Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor
Felix: Greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and they
were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had
learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know why
they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 I
found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there
was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When
I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you
at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against
him. 31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul
with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The
next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the
barracks. 33When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered
the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The
governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he
was from Cilicia, 35 he said, "I will hear your case when
your accusers get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in
Herod's palace.
Romans 2
Romans 2 (New International Version, ©2010)
Romans 2
God's Righteous Judgment
1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will repay each person according to what they have done."[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
The Jews and the Law
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."[b]
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.
Romans 2
God's Righteous Judgment
1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will repay each person according to what they have done."[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
The Jews and the Law
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."[b]
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.
Revelation 2
Revelation 2 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 2
To the Church in Ephesus
1 "To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna 8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum 12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira 18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.' 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 2
To the Church in Ephesus
1 "To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna 8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum 12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira 18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.' 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
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