Proverbs 28:4

If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light.

Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.

Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

So these nations feared Yahweh, and also served their engraved images. Their children did likewise, and so did their children’s children. They do as their fathers did to this day.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion, and not after the tradition which they received from us.

Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.

My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.

I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners;

Lay hands hastily on no one. Don’t be a participant in other people’s sins. Keep yourself pure.

Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one despise you.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

“ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.

“ ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

“ ‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, “I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,” to destroy the moist with the dry.

and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, “Why do you stay around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they didn’t come on the Sabbath.

When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers.

They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast.

An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

Therefore Yahweh says: “Ask now among the nations, ‘Who has heard such things?’ The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one returns from his wickedness. They have all become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.”

In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing. There is prostitution in Ephraim. Israel is defiled.

“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” ’

He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.

I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

The multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, then commanded them to be beaten with rods.

About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.

Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.

preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching.

to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.

Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues,

and they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned Yahweh their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them, and served them. Therefore Yahweh has brought all this evil on them.’ ”

He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken Yahweh’s commandments, and you have followed the Baals.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us, and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They sanctified it, and set up its doors. They sanctified it even to the tower of Hammeah, to the tower of Hananel.

He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

who tell the seers, “Don’t see!” and the prophets, “Don’t prophesy to us right things. Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits.

“If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy of Yahweh honorable; and honor it, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words,

Their heart is divided. Now they will be found guilty. He will demolish their altars. He will destroy their sacred stones.

those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam,

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe.

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Do all things without complaining and arguing,

For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know.

If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man, that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

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.

Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.

For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh.

Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—

forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing;

Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

In those days I saw some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath in Judah, bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys; also with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food.

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?

I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.

If his children forsake my law, and don’t walk in my ordinances;

“An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.

Yahweh says, “Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways,

You who hate the good, and love the evil; who tear off their skin, and their flesh from off their bones;

But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.

They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.

Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.