Matthew 23:34

For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.

He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ;

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

We are his witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly, “Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them.

For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever.

Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.

God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,

let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law shall go out of Zion, and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem.

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”

and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

They conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of Yahweh’s house.

Yahweh has made his holy arm bare in the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Yahweh, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and will say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit.

But as for me, I am full of power by Yahweh’s Spirit, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his disobedience, and to Israel his sin.

From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you.

He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.

You are witnesses of these things.

For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue,

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.

that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect.

if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

persecutions, and sufferings: those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all.

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

Hear Yahweh’s word, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy;’ but it is those who shall be disappointed.

But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”

Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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.

Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.

Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus,

But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.

He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”

When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;

Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream.

All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.

The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.

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.

and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.

As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.

So Pilate then took Jesus, and flogged him.

Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.

Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

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

We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit,

We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

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

They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—

Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, let’s prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;