1 Peter 2:19

“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God,

He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.

But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.”

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles—

For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.

They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming.

Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known.

Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who take refuge in him.

You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.

But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name.

Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”

Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge,

Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.

He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.”

Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, with the chief baker.

Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek you.

lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him;” lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall.

I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.

For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

Help me, Yahweh, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;

who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,

Yahweh has made everything for its own end— yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Then the presidents and the local governors sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn’t any error or fault found in him.

They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words and strengthened them.

But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;

What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”

For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.

I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.

But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.

Through 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.

Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

Let the proud be disappointed, for they have overthrown me wrongfully. I will meditate on your precepts.

One winking with the eye causes sorrow, but a chattering fool will fall.

I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.

who performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, both in Israel and among other men; and made yourself a name, as it is today;

“I will set my glory among the nations. Then all the nations will see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.

For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.

They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake.

They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me.

But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake;

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.

For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.

For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain,

who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith,

having a good conscience. Thus, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.

Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,

Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.

but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth,

“Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me.

Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

But my enemies are vigorous and many. Those who hate me without reason are numerous.

Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.

All of your commandments are faithful. They persecute me wrongfully. Help me!

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.

who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.

For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

In this I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.

But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia,

For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.