Laying Down Life

greater love than this hath no one, that any one his life may lay down for his friends;

`I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep;

in this we have known the love, because he for us his life did lay down, and we ought for the brethren the lives to lay down;

and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us;

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

according as the Father doth know me, and I know the Father, and my life I lay down for the sheep,

for scarcely for a righteous man will any one die, for for the good man perhaps some one also doth dare to die;

and he--he is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world,

`Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to feed the assembly of God that He acquired through His own blood,

if any one may say--`I love God,' and his brother he may hate, a liar he is; for he who is not loving his brother whom he hath seen, God--whom he hath not seen--how is he able to love?

and apart from faith it is impossible to please well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder.

and ye <FI>are<Fi> a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light;

be not careless of the gift in thee, that was given thee through prophecy, with laying on of the hands of the eldership;

and walk in love, as also the Christ did love us, and did give himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odour of a sweet smell,

`A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; according as I did love you, that ye also love one another;

every one who is transgressing, and is not remaining in the teaching of the Christ, hath not God; he who is remaining in the teaching of the Christ, this one hath both the Father and the Son; — read the full passage →

let him know that he who did turn back a sinner from the straying of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.

who did give himself a ransom for all--the testimony in its own times--

for scarcely for a righteous man will any one die, for for the good man perhaps some one also doth dare to die; — read the full passage →

For in our being still ailing, Christ in due time did die for the impious;

`These things I have spoken to you, that ye may not be stumbled, — read the full passage →

`Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, also in me believe; — read the full passage →

look to the dogs, look to the evil-workers, look to the concision;

nothing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves--

I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice--living, sanctified, acceptable to God--your intelligent service;

no one doth take it from me, but I lay it down of myself; authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it; this command I received from my Father.'

because every one who is begotten of God doth overcome the world, and this is the victory that did overcome the world--our faith;

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as a custom of certain <FI>is<Fi> , but exhorting, and so much the more as ye see the day coming nigh.

see no one evil for evil may render to any one, but always that which is good pursue ye, both to one another and to all;

and we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the infirm, be patient unto all;

wherefore, comfort ye one another, and build ye up, one the one, as also ye do.

because of this, even as through one man the sin did enter into the world, and through the sin the death; and thus to all men the death did pass through, for that all did sin;

`These things I command you, that ye love one another;

ye are my friends, if ye may do whatever I command you;

every branch in me not bearing fruit, He doth take it away, and every one bearing fruit, He doth cleanse by pruning it, that it may bear more fruit;

And supper being come, the devil already having put <FI>it<Fi> into the heart of Judas of Simon, Iscariot, that he may deliver him up,

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. — read the full passage →

And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and he who is hearing--let him say, Come; and he who is thirsting--let him come; and he who is willing--let him take the water of life freely.

and he who is living, and I did become dead, and, lo, I am living to the ages of the ages. Amen! and I have the keys of the hades and of the death.

Beloved, if thus did God love us, we also ought one another to love;

Beloved, think it not strange at the fiery suffering among you that is coming to try you, as if a strange thing were happening to you,

Ministrants--in like manner grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not given to filthy lucre, — read the full passage →

and to esteem them very abundantly in love, because of their work; be at peace among yourselves;

And we ask you, brethren, to know those labouring among you, and leading you in the Lord, and admonishing you,

and the peace of God, that is surpassing all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace;

`This is my command, that ye love one another, according as I did love you;

already ye are clean, because of the word that I have spoken to you;

Jesus answered him, `Thy life for me thou wilt lay down! verily, verily, I say to thee, a cock will not crow till thou mayest deny me thrice.'

Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;

he who is saying, in the light he is, and his brother is hating, in the darkness he is till now;

For which cause I remind thee to stir up the gift of God that is in thee through the putting on of my hands,

Be laying hands quickly on no one, nor be having fellowship with sins of others; be keeping thyself pure;

Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy, — read the full passage →

And some, indeed, did God set in the assembly, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, afterwards powers, afterwards gifts of healings, helpings, governings, divers kinds of tongues;

One doth judge one day above another, and another doth judge every day <FI>alike<Fi> ; let each in his own mind be fully assured.

and Paul having laid on them <FI>his<Fi> hands, the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were speaking also with tongues, and prophesying,

whom they did set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid on them <FI>their<Fi> hands.

`Ye did not choose out me, but I chose out you, and did appoint you, that ye might go away, and might bear fruit, and your fruit might remain, that whatever ye may ask of the Father in my name, He may give you.

`I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman; — read the full passage →

`Because of this doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that again I may take it; — read the full passage →

`And if thy brother may sin against thee, go and show him his fault between thee and him alone, if he may hear thee, thou didst gain thy brother; — read the full passage →

Thus said Jehovah, A voice in Ramah is heard, wailing, weeping most bitter, Rachel is weeping for her sons, She hath refused to be comforted for her sons, because they are not. — read the full passage →

And I have raised for them shepherds, And they have fed them, And they fear no more, nor are affrighted, Nor are they lacking--an affirmation of Jehovah.

and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, — read the full passage →

For we--wilfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth--no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice, — read the full passage →

for <FI>it is<Fi> impossible for those once enlightened, having tasted also of the heavenly gift, and partakers having became of the Holy Spirit, — read the full passage →

for there shall be a season when the sound teaching they will not suffer, but according to their own desires to themselves they shall heap up teachers--itching in the hearing,

Those sinning, reprove before all, that the others also may have fear;

Against an elder an accusation receive not, except upon two or three witnesses.

in hypocrisy speaking lies, being seared in their own conscience,

therefore, then, as we have opportunity, may we work the good to all, and especially unto those of the household of the faith.

and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply--having come from Macedonia--and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.

And there were certain in Antioch, in the assembly there, prophets and teachers; both Barnabas, and Simeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen also--Herod the tetrarch's foster-brother--and Saul; — read the full passage →

and having found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that they a whole year did assemble together in the assembly, and taught a great multitude, the disciples also were divinely called first in Antioch Christians.

and immediately in the synagogues he was preaching the Christ, that he is the Son of God. — read the full passage →

no more do I call you servants, because the servant hath not known what his lord doth, and you I have called friends, because all things that I heard from my Father, I did make known to you.

And there was a certain one ailing, Lazarus, from Bethany, of the village of Mary and Martha her sister-- — read the full passage →

`He who is faithful in the least, <FI>is<Fi> also faithful in much; and he who in the least <FI>is<Fi> unrighteous, is also unrighteous in much;

and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several ability, went abroad immediately.

sufficient to the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord; if the master of the house they did call Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household?

And they have been to Me, said Jehovah of Hosts, In the day that I am appointing--a peculiar treasure, And I have had pity on them, As one hath pity on his son who is serving him.

Her heads for a bribe do judge, And her priests for hire do teach, And her prophets for silver divine, And on Jehovah they lean, saying, `Is not Jehovah in our midst? Evil doth not come in upon us.'

Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Against the shepherds who feed My people, Ye have scattered My flock, and drive them away, And have not inspected them, Lo, I am charging on you the evil of your doings, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Woe to shepherds destroying, And scattering the flock of My pasture, An affirmation of Jehovah.

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> on me, Because Jehovah did anoint me To proclaim tidings to the humble, He sent me to bind the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives liberty, And to bound ones an opening of bands.

Blind <FI>are<Fi> his watchmen--all of them, They have not known, All of them <FI>are<Fi> dumb dogs, they are not able to bark, Dozing, lying down, loving to slumber.

Jehovah preserveth all those loving Him, And all the wicked He destroyeth.

And ye, beloved, on your most holy faith building yourselves up, in the Holy Spirit praying,

If any one may see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give to him life to those sinning not unto death; there is sin to death, not concerning it do I speak that he may beseech;

and every one who is having this hope on him, doth purify himself, even as he is pure.

And this one thing let not be unobserved by you, beloved, that one day with the Lord <FI>is<Fi> as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day;

and may we consider one another to provoke to love and to good works,

of no one to speak evil, not to be quarrelsome--gentle, showing all meekness to all men,

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that the things lacking thou mayest arrange, and mayest set down in every city elders, as I did appoint to thee;

and indeed, from the truth the hearing they shall turn away, and to the fables they shall be turned aside.

thou hast known this, that they did turn from me--all those in Asia, of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes;

in regard to which I was set a preacher and apostle--truth I say in Christ, I do not lie--a teacher of nations, in faith and truth.

and if any one do not obey our word through the letter, this one note ye, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed,

of one another the burdens bear ye, and so fill up the law of the Christ,