Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
. . .
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.
And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.
Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road.
Whatever house you enter, begin by saying, ‘Peace to this house.’
. . .
The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.
However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.
When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
. . .
Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.
And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
. . .
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.
But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
. . .
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.
Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.
So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”
. . .
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.”
. . .
But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
. . .
Meanwhile, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had designated.
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
“Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that area.
If anyone does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town, as a testimony against them.”
. . .
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
. . .
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?
No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem?
No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
. . .
Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.
A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use.
So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.
Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
. . .
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.
So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable:
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,
. . .
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.
But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’
and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times.
A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.
When they crossed to the other side, the disciples forgot to take bread.
. . .
When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His outer garments, He reclined with them again and asked, “Do you know what I have done for you?
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.
Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
. . .
You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered,
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.
After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’
Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’
. . .
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’
. . .
and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,
and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;
in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger;
. . .
As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
. . .