Spiritual Families

And finally, being all of one mind, having fellow-feeling, loving as brethren, compassionate, courteous,

Then, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God,

And while he was yet speaking to the multitudes, lo, his mother and brethren had stood without, seeking to speak to him, — read the full passage →

the children! obey the parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord;

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;

and if wrong in your eyes to serve Jehovah--choose for you to-day whom ye do serve; --whether the gods whom your fathers served, which <FI>are<Fi> beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling; and I and my house--we serve Jehovah.'

`This is my command, that ye love one another, according as I did love you; — read the full passage →

`Honour thy father and thy mother, so that thy days are prolonged on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee.

taking remembrance of the unfeigned faith that is in thee, that dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that also in thee.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, — read the full passage →

having gone, then, disciple all the nations, (baptizing them--to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, — read the full passage →

and thou hast loved Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, — read the full passage →

for I have known him, that he commandeth his children, and his house after him (and they have kept the way of Jehovah), to do righteousness and judgment, that Jehovah may bring on Abraham that which He hath spoken concerning him.'

And God blesseth them, and God saith to them, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.'

A revelation of Jesus Christ, that God gave to him, to shew to his servants what things it behoveth to come to pass quickly; and he did signify <FI>it<Fi> , having sent through his messenger to his servant John,

beloved, now, children of God are we, and it was not yet manifested what we shall be, and we have known that if he may be manifested, like him we shall be, because we shall see him as he is;

to all give ye honour; the brotherhood love ye; God fear ye; the king honour ye.

and if any one for his own--and especially for those of the household--doth not provide, the faith he hath denied, and than an unbeliever he is worse.

pious, and fearing God with all his house, doing also many kind acts to the people, and beseeching God always,

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 →

Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

A dishonest gainer is troubling his house, And whoso is hating gifts liveth.

A wise son rejoiceth a father. And a foolish man is despising his mother.

Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

A Song of the Ascents, by David. Lo, how good and how pleasant The dwelling of brethren--even together!

and these words which I am commanding thee to-day have been on thine heart, — read the full passage →

`And God speaketh all these words, saying, — read the full passage →

we--we love him, because He--He first loved us;

The husbands, in like manner, dwelling with <FI>them<Fi> , according to knowledge, as to a weaker vessel--to the wife--imparting honour, as also being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

(and if any one his own house <FI>how<Fi> to lead hath not known, how an assembly of God shall he take care of?)

his own house leading well, having children in subjection with all gravity,

The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous;

one body and one Spirit, according as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; — read the full passage →

with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,

having foreordained us to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

and I wish you to know that of every man the head is the Christ, and the head of a woman is the husband, and the head of Christ is God.

for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God;

And the brethren immediately, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went to the synagogue of the Jews; — read the full passage →

Jesus answered and said to him, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;'

this one came unto him by night, and said to him, `Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come--a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.'

`If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple;

for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother--let him die the death;

for whoever may do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.'

Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

Whoso is troubling his own house inheriteth wind, And a servant <FI>is<Fi> the fool to the wise of heart.

Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,

Lo, an inheritance of Jehovah <FI>are<Fi> sons, A reward <FI>is<Fi> the fruit of the womb. — read the full passage →

When my father and my mother Have forsaken me, then doth Jehovah gather me.

therefore doth a man leave his father and his mother, and hath cleaved unto his wife, and they have become one flesh.

and ye yourselves, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any one with any one may have a quarrel, as also the Christ did forgive you--so also ye;

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and if ye <FI>are<Fi> of Christ then of Abraham ye are seed, and according to promise--heirs.

in the love of brethren, to one another kindly affectioned: in the honour going before one another;

who may not receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields, with persecutions, and in the age that is coming, life age-during;

Bring in all the tithe unto the treasure-house, And there is food in My house; When ye have tried Me, now, with this, Said Jehovah of Hosts, Do not I open to you the windows of heaven? Yea, I have emptied on you a blessing till there is no space.

The Visions of Isaiah son of Amoz, that he hath seen concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah. — read the full passage →

A virtuous woman <FI>is<Fi> a crown to her husband, And as rottenness in his bones <FI>is<Fi> one causing shame.

And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction, — read the full passage →

And being let go, they went unto their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said unto them, — read the full passage →

The rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant <FI>is<Fi> the borrower to the lender.

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?

in this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that doth confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is,

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

hospitable to one another, without murmuring;

it behoveth, therefore, the overseer to be blameless, of one wife a husband, vigilant, sober, decent, a friend of strangers, apt to teach,

because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places;

And the fathers! provoke not your children, but nourish them in the instruction and admonition of the Lord.

The husbands! love your own wives, as also the Christ did love the assembly, and did give himself for it,

if, indeed, ye did hear of the dispensation of the grace of God that was given to me in regard to you,

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

this only do I wish to learn from you--by works of law the Spirit did ye receive, or by the hearing of faith?

And I call upon you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the same thing ye may all say, and there may not be divisions among you, and ye may be perfected in the same mind, and in the same judgment,

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what <FI>is<Fi> the will of God--the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

for what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh,

and according to the custom of Paul, he went in unto them, and for three sabbaths he was reasoning with them from the Writings,

and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him;

If, then, ye, being evil, have known good gifts to be giving to your children, how much more shall the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those asking Him!'

and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there.

`And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;

`Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.'

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For Jehovah hath spoken: Sons I have nourished and brought up, And they--they transgressed against Me.

Thine own friend, and the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better <FI>is<Fi> a near neighbour than a brother afar off.

Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.

And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou <FI>art<Fi> a man of appetite.

The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

A man with friends <FI>is<Fi> to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!

At all times is the friend loving, And a brother for adversity is born.

Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son causeth a father to rejoice, And a foolish son <FI>is<Fi> an affliction to his mother.

And the kindness of Jehovah <FI>Is<Fi> from age even unto age on those fearing Him, And His righteousness to sons' sons, — read the full passage →

`Jehovah our God is with us as He hath been with our fathers; He doth not forsake us nor leave us;