ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 21:26-32

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them.

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help!

This is the man who is teaching men everywhere against the people and the law and this place; moreover he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.”

For they had previously seen Trophimos the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

And as they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

He at once took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

JOHN 16:2-13

The Lord said to his disciples, “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me.

But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them.

I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 21:8-14

IN THOSE DAYS, the apostles departed and came to Caesarea; and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

And he had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.

While we were staying for some days, a prophet named Agabos came down from Judea.

And coming to us he took Paul’s girdle and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this girdle and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'”

When we heard this, we and the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?

For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “The will of the Lord be done.”

JOHN 14:27-15:7

The Lord said to his disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’

If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe.

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.

He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.

Rise, let us go hence.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20:16-18, 28-36

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.

You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.

In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

JOHN 17:1-13

At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.

I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me.

I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.

But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 20:7-12

IN THOSE DAYS, when the apostles were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

There were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered.

And a young man named Euthychos was sitting in the window.

He sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer; and being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

But Paul went down and bent over him, and embracing him said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”

And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.

And they took the lad away alive, and were not a little comforted.

JOHN 14:10-21

The Lord said to his disciples, “The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. “

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.

I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.

Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also.

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

ST. PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS 4:6-15

Brethren, it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, ” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke, ” we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

MATTHEW 11:2-15

At that time, when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind?

What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings’ houses.

What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.’

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been coming violently and men of violence take it by force.

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1:1-12

In the first book, O Theophilos, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?”

He said to them, “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Then they returned from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.

LUKE 24:36-53

At that time, having risen from the dead, Jesus went up and stood among His disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts?

See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of broiled fish [and some honeycomb], and He took it and ate before them.

Then He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then He opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name in all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.

And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them.

While He blessed them, He parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the Temple blessing God.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1:1-12

In the first book, O Theophilos, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?”

He said to them, “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Then they returned from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.

LUKE 24:36-53

At that time, having risen from the dead, Jesus went up and stood among His disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts?

See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

They gave Him a piece of broiled fish [and some honeycomb], and He took it and ate before them.

Then He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then He opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name in all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them.

While He blessed them, He parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the Temple blessing God.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 17:19-28

IN THOSE DAYS, the Athenians took hold of Paul and brought him to the Areopagos, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you present?

For you bring some strange things to our ears; we wish to know therefore what these things mean.”

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagos, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’

What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything.

And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him.

Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’

JOHN 12:19-36

At that time, the Pharisees took counsel against Jesus and said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing; look, the world has gone after him.

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.

So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus.

And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.

Now is my soul troubled.

And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’

No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.

Father, glorify your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.

Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

He said this to show by what death he was to die. The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of man must be lifted up?

Who is this Son of man?”

Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer.

Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 17:1-9

IN THOSE DAYS, when the apostles had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people.

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this.

And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

JOHN 11:47-54

At that time, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our place and our nation.”

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.”

He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death.

Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and there he stayed with the disciples.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 15:35-41

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Come, let us return and visit the brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.’

And Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.

But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.

And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

JOHN 10:27-38

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

I and the Father are one.

The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?”

The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’

If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken), do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming, ‘ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe my works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

Spoken Holy Scriptures

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 15:5-12

IN THOSE DAYS, some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, “it is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.”

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.

Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

JOHN 10:17-28

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father.”

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.

Many of them said, “He has a demon, and he is mad; why listen to him?”

Others said, “These are not the sayings of one who has a demon.

Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?

It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.

So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense?

If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 14:20-28; 15:1-4

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to lconion and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they believed.

Then they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.

And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

And when they arrived, they gathered the church together and declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

And they remained no little time with the disciples.

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren.

And when they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

JOHN 9:39-10:9

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”

Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, “Are we also blind?”

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see, ‘ your guilt remains.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them.

I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 13:13-24

IN THOSE DAYS, Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia.

And John left them and returned to Jerusalem; but they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia.

And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, ‘Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.’

So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: ‘Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen.

The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.

And for about forty years he bore with them in the wilderness.

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years.

And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.

Before his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.’

JOHN 6:5-14

At that time, Jesus, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”

This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?”

Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”

Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.

And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.”

So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.

When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 12:25; 13:1-12

In those days, Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark.

Now in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.

And they had John to assist them.

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus.

He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.”

Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

JOHN 8:51-59

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.”

The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon.

Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.’

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?

And the prophets died!

Who do you claim to be?”

Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God.

But you have not known him; I know him.

If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word.

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; and he saw it and was glad.”

The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 12:12-17

In those days, Peter went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran and told that Peter was standing at the gate.

They said to her, “You are mad.”

But she insisted that it was so.

They said, “It is his angel!”

But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.

But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.

And he said, “Tell this to James and to the brethren.” Then he departed and went to another place.

JOHN 8:42-51

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

Why do you not understand what I say?

It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him.

When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

Jesus answered, “I have not a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and he will be the judge.

Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 11:19-30

In those days, those apostles who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews.

But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord.

News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.

And a large company was added to the Lord.

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.

For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabos stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius.

And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea, and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

JOHN 4:5-42

At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well.

It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water.

Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?

Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?”

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.

Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, “What do you wish?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.

Can this be the Christ?”

They went out of the city and were coming to him.

Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying “Rabbi, eat.”

But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him food?”

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

Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest.

He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’

I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. “He told me all that I ever did.”

So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word.

They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard ourselves, and we know that this is indeed Christ the Savior of the world.

Holy Scriptures spoken voice over on Alpha Omega Portal is scheduled to start on May 16 2023, Good Lord Willing

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 12:1-11

About that time, Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church.

He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church.

The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison;

and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared,

and a light shone in the cell;

and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.”

And the chains fell off his hands.

And the angel said to him, “Wrap your mantle around you and follow me.”

And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him.

And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.

JOHN 8:31-42

The Lord said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, ‘You will be made free’?

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever.

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

They answered him, “Abraham is our father.”

I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God;

this is not what Abraham did.

You do what your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10:44-48; 11:1-10

In those days, while Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter declared, “Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?”

But Peter began and explained to them in order: “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, something descending, like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came down to me.

Looking at it closely I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.

And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’

But I said, ‘No, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’

This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.”

JOHN 8:21-30

The Lord said to the Jews who came to him, “I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.”

Then said the Jews, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’? ”

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

I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.”

They said to him, “Who are you?”

Jesus said to them, “Even what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”

They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father.

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me.

And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.”

As he spoke thus, many believed in him.

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10:34-43

In those days, Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),

the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power;

how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;

but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses,

who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach to the people,

and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

JOHN 8:12-20

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Pharisees then said to him, “You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true.”

Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going,

but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going.

You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one.

Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me.

In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true;

I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.”

They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?”

Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.