The Gospel, take two

Mathias Bavay

Abstract: "Christendom (that is, historical Christianity as it evolved) is but the effort of the human race to fall back on its feet, to get rid of Christianity while pretending to be its fullfilment. Our Christainity, the one from christendom, removes from Christianity the scandale, the paradox, the suffering and substitutes it the probable, the immediate, the happiness, or to say it otherwise, it distorts Christianity and makes it different than it is in the New Testament; it even transforms it in its opposite: and this is the christianity of christendom. Ours. In the christianity of christendom, the cross has become something like a kid’s mecanical horse or trumpet" - Kierkegaard

Contents

1  Introduction

2  Man and God

2.1  list of verses, comparison of the natures and characters of Man and God

2.2  fundamental differences, But!

3  The first alliance

4  An amazing outreach: Christ

5  A clearer picture of God

6  Conclusion, impact in my life

A  Biblical references

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A.1  Introduction

A.2  Man and God

Gen 6:12
And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
Ps 14:1–3
The fool says in his heart, There is no God.They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,to see if there are any who understand,who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;there is none who does good,not even one.
Ps 53:3
They have all fallen away;together they have become corrupt;there is none who does good,not even one.
Ez 20:44
And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.
Eph 4:22
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
Eph 4:22
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
Ps 52:2–4
Your tongue plots destruction,like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good,and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah You love all words that devour,O deceitful tongue.
Mic 7:2–4
The godly has perished from the earth,and there is no one upright among mankind;they all lie in wait for blood,and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;thus they weave it together. The best of them is like a brier,the most upright of them a thorn hedge.The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;now their confusion is at hand.
De 32:20
And he said, I will hide my face from them;I will see what their end will be,For they are a perverse generation,children in whom is no faithfulness.
Rom 10:3
For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Job 9:2
Truly I know that it is so:But how can a man be in the right before God?
Ho 6:7
But like Adam they transgressed the covenant;there they dealt faithlessly with me.
Eph 2:1
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
Ac 8:23
For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.
Tit 3:3
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
Ps 97:2–4
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before himand burns up his adversaries all around. His lightnings light up the world;the earth sees and trembles.
2Ch 12:6
Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, The Lord is righteous.
Neh 9:8
You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.
Neh 9:32–33
Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
1Sam 12:7
Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers.
Neh 9:32–33
Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
Ps 93:5
Your decrees are very trustworthy;holiness befits your house,O Lord, forevermore.
De 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
Ps 31:5
Into your hand I commit my spirit;you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
1Cor 1:9
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Cor 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Job 4:17
Can mortal man be in the right before God?Can a man be pure before his Maker?
Job 15:14
What is man, that he can be pure?Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?
Job 25:4
How then can man be in the right before God?How can he who is born of woman be pure?
Ps 12:6
The words of the Lord are pure words,like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,purified seven times.
Ps 19:8
the precepts of the Lord are right,rejoicing the heart;the commandment of the Lord is pure,enlightening the eyes;
Isa 6:3
And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!
Ps 93:5
Your decrees are very trustworthy;holiness befits your house,O Lord, forevermore.
Ex 34:6
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
Ps 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?
Isa 2:5
O house of Jacob,come, let us walkin the light of the Lord.
Isa 10:17
The light of Israel will become a fire,and his Holy One a flame,and it will burn and devourhis thorns and briers in one day.
Ps 18:28
For it is you who light my lamp;the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
1Jn 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Jn 1:4
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Ps 36:9
For with you is the fountain of life;in your light do we see light.
Eccl 3:18–19
I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.
Gen 2:7
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Gen 2:19
So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
1Pe 1:24
for All flesh is like grassand all its glory like the flower of grass.The grass withers,and the flower falls,
Ps 62:11
Once God has spoken;twice have I heard this:that power belongs to God,
De 28:58
If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God,
Dan 10:17
How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.
Jer 10:10
But the Lord is the true God;he is the living God and the everlasting King.At his wrath the earth quakes,and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
De 4:11
And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.
De 4:33
Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live?
Isa 40:12–31
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his handand marked off the heavens with a span,enclosed the dust of the earth in a measureand weighed the mountains in scalesand the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult,and who made him understand?Who taught him the path of justice,and taught him knowledge,and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,and are accounted as the dust on the scales;behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him,they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. To whom then will you liken God,or what likeness compare with him? An idol! A craftsman casts it,and a goldsmith overlays it with goldand casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offeringchooses wood that will not rot;he seeks out a skillful craftsmanto set up an idol that will not move. Do you not know? Do you not hear?Has it not been told you from the beginning?Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing,and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,when he blows on them, and they wither,and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me,that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see:who created these?He who brings out their host by number,calling them all by name,by the greatness of his might,and because he is strong in powernot one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob,and speak, O Israel,My way is hidden from the Lord,and my right is disregarded by my God? Have you not known? Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God,the Creator of the ends of the earth.He does not faint or grow weary;his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint,and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary,and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run and not be weary;they shall walk and not faint.
Isa 45:5
I am the Lord, and there is no other,besides me there is no God;I equip you, though you do not know me,
Isa 46:9
remember the former things of old;for I am God, and there is no other;I am God, and there is none like me,
Ps 18:31
For who is God, but the Lord?And who is a rock, except our God?—
Ex 20:3
You shall have no other gods before me.
Dan 4:3
How great are his signs,how mighty his wonders!His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Dan 7:27
And the kingdom and the dominionand the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heavenshall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,and all dominions shall serve and obey them.
Ez 1:4
As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.
Job 4:17–21
Can mortal man be in the right before God?Can a man be pure before his Maker? Even in his servants he puts no trust,and his angels he charges with error; how much more those who dwell in houses of clay,whose foundation is in the dust,who are crushed like the moth. Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;they perish forever without anyone regarding it. Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,do they not die, and that without wisdom?
1Kgs 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
2Chr 2:6
But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him?
Ex 3:6
And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Gen 3:8
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
1Kgs 19:13
And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?
Isa 2:10
Enter into the rockand hide in the dustfrom before the terror of the Lord,and from the splendor of his majesty.
Ps 8:1
O Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory above the heavens.
Eccl 1:2
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
Eccl 2:1–23
I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself. But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad, and of pleasure, What use is it? I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
Eccl 1:3–4
What does man gain by all the toilat which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes,but the earth remains forever.
Isa 40:7
The grass withers, the flower fadeswhen the breath of the Lord blows on it;surely the people are grass.
Jas 4:14
yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Ps 39:5
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,and my lifetime is as nothing before you.Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
Gen 2:7
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Gen 18:27
Abraham answered and said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.
Eccl 3:20
All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
Ps 62:9
Those of low estate are but a breath;those of high estate are a delusion;in the balances they go up;they are together lighter than a breath.
Job 7:6–7
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttleand come to their end without hope. Remember that my life is a breath;my eye will never again see good.
Job 7:16
I loathe my life; I would not live forever.Leave me alone, for my days are a breath.
Ps 39:4–6
O Lord, make me know my endand what is the measure of my days;let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,and my lifetime is as nothing before you.Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah Surely a man goes about as a shadow!Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
Ps 90:3–6
You return man to dustand say, Return, O children of man! For a thousand years in your sightare but as yesterday when it is past,or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;in the evening it fades and withers.
Isa 40:6–8
A voice says, Cry!And I said, What shall I cry?All flesh is grass,and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fadeswhen the breath of the Lord blows on it;surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades,but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isa 51:12
I, I am he who comforts you;who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,of the son of man who is made like grass,
Eccl 5:15
As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.
Lk 12:15–21
And he said to them, Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. And he told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? And he said, I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
Job 14:1–2
Man who is born of a womanis few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers;he flees like a shadow and continues not.
1Jn 2:17
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Gen 4:1–22
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord. And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? He said, I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper? And the Lord said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. Then the Lord said to him, Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Eccl 2:7
I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem.
Job 42:3
Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Ps 94:11
the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,that they are but a breath.
1Cor 1:21
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
Isa 55:8–9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts.
Job 28:12
But where shall wisdom be found?And where is the place of understanding?
Job 13:28
Man wastes away like a rotten thing,like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Rom 8:19–21
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
1Jn 2:17
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Ex 3:14
God said to Moses, I am who I am. And he said, Say this to the people of Israel, I am has sent me to you.
Isa 55:8–9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts.
1Cor 2:11
For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1Cor 3:20
and again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.
Ps 92:5
How great are your works, O Lord!Your thoughts are very deep!
Ps 94:11
the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,that they are but a breath.
Job 42:3
Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
Jer 10:12
It is he who made the earth by his power,who established the world by his wisdom,and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
Isa 44:24
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,who formed you from the womb:I am the Lord, who made all things,who alone stretched out the heavens,who spread out the earth by myself,
1Tim 1:17
To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Jer 10:10
But the Lord is the true God;he is the living God and the everlasting King.At his wrath the earth quakes,and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
Dan 4:3
How great are his signs,how mighty his wonders!His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Rom 16:26
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
Ps 90:4
For a thousand years in your sightare but as yesterday when it is past,or as a watch in the night.
2Pe 3:8
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Eccl 3:14
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.
Ps 90:3–6
You return man to dustand say, Return, O children of man! For a thousand years in your sightare but as yesterday when it is past,or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;in the evening it fades and withers.
Isa 40:6–8
A voice says, Cry!And I said, What shall I cry?All flesh is grass,and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fadeswhen the breath of the Lord blows on it;surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades,but the word of our God will stand forever.
Gen 2:7
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Gen 3:19
By the sweat of your faceyou shall eat bread,till you return to the ground,for out of it you were taken;for you are dust,and to dust you shall return.
Job 10:9
Remember that you have made me like clay;and will you return me to the dust?
Job 15:14–16
What is man, that he can be pure?Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt,a man who drinks injustice like water!
Rom 7:15–24
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Rom 6:6
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Eph 4:22
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
Ps 8:3–4
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him,and the son of man that you care for him?
Job 14:1–3
Man who is born of a womanis few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers;he flees like a shadow and continues not. And do you open your eyes on such a oneand bring me into judgment with you?
Job 15:14–16
What is man, that he can be pure?Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt,a man who drinks injustice like water!
Job 25:4–6
How then can man be in the right before God?How can he who is born of woman be pure? Behold, even the moon is not bright,and the stars are not pure in his eyes; how much less man, who is a maggot,and the son of man, who is a worm!
Job 7:17
What is man, that you make so much of him,and that you set your heart on him,
Job 22:2–3
Can a man be profitable to God?Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right,or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
Job 14:1–3
Man who is born of a womanis few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers;he flees like a shadow and continues not. And do you open your eyes on such a oneand bring me into judgment with you?
Gen 1:24–31
And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Job 32:8
But it is the spirit in man,the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.
Heb 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
Gen 1:26–27
Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them.
Gen 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man,by man shall his blood be shed,for God made man in his own image.
Act 17:27
that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
1Jn 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
Rom 1:20
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Ps 19:1–4
The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech,and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words,whose voice is not heard. Their measuring line goes out through all the earth,and their words to the end of the world.In them he has set a tent for the sun,
Heb 1:1
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
Gen 20:3–6
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife. Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, She is my sister? And she herself said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this. Then God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.
Gen 31:10–13
In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob, and I said, Here I am! And he said, Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.
Isa 6:1
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Luk 2:8–14
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!
Ex 3:4
When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am.
Hab 2:2–3
And the Lord answered me:Write the vision;make it plain on tablets,so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time;it hastens to the end—it will not lie.If it seems slow, wait for it;it will surely come; it will not delay.
1Sam 3:21
And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Gen 17:7–8
And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.
Ex 20:1
And God spoke all these words, saying,
Ex 29:45–46
I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
Lev 20:24
But I have said to you, You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who have separated you from the peoples.
Num 23:21
He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,nor has he seen trouble in Israel.The Lord their God is with them,and the shout of a king is among them.
De 1:25
And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.
Lk 1:16
And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
2Cor 6:16
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,and I will be their God,and they shall be my people.
Lk 1:46–48
And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
Isa 1:4
Ah, sinful nation,a people laden with iniquity,offspring of evildoers,children who deal corruptly!They have forsaken the Lord,they have despised the Holy One of Israel,they are utterly estranged.
Isa 5:24
Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,so their root will be as rottenness,and their blossom go up like dust;for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

A.3  The first alliance

Gen 18:2–33
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant. So they said, Do as you have said. And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes. And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, She is in the tent. The Lord said, I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure? The Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh and say, Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son. But Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. He said, No, but you did laugh. Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him. Then the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know. So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? And the Lord said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake. Abraham answered and said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there. Again he spoke to him and said, Suppose forty are found there. He answered, For the sake of forty I will not do it. Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there. He answered, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. He said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there. He answered, For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it. Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there. He answered, For the sake of ten I will not destroy it. And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Ex 3:2
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
1Kgs 19:11–13
And he said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?
Ex 13:21
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
EX 14:19
Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them,
Num 12:5
And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.
Ps 99:7
In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;they kept his testimoniesand the statute that he gave them.
1Kgs 8:10–11
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
Ez 10:4
And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord.
Ex 33:9
When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.
Ex 40:34–35
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Ex 40:38
For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
Lev 16:1
The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died,
Num 9:15–16
On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.
De 31:15
And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.
Ex 16:10
And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
Ex 19:9
And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever. When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord,
Ex 19:16
On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.
Ex 24:16
The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Ex 34:5
The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
2 Th 1:9
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
Mt 25:41
Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Num 14:34
According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.
De 25:16
For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the Lord your God.
Rom 8:7
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
Job 21:15
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?And what profit do we get if we pray to him?
Rom 5:10
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Ex 5:2
But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.
Isa 59:2
but your iniquities have made a separationbetween you and your God,and your sins have hidden his face from youso that he does not hear.
Ps 14:1–3
The fool says in his heart, There is no God.They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,to see if there are any who understand,who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;there is none who does good,not even one.
Ecc 7:20
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
Rom 3:9–18
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands;no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;no one does good,not even one. Their throat is an open grave;they use their tongues to deceive.The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
1Jn 1:8
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Isa 24:5–6
The earth lies defiledunder its inhabitants;for they have transgressed the laws,violated the statutes,broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth,and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,and few men are left.

A.4  An amazing outreach: Christ

Jn 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jn 6:38
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Ph 2:5–8
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Gal 4:4
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
Jn 8:58
Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.
Col 1:15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Mt 16:16
Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jn 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jn 10:30
I and the Father are one.
2Pe 1:1
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
Gal 4:4
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
Jn 9:35–37
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, Do you believe in the Son of Man? He answered, And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him? Jesus said to him, You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.
Mt 16:13
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
1Cor 1:27
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
Mt 21:5
Say to the daughter of Zion,Behold, your king is coming to you,humble, and mounted on a donkey,and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.
2Cor 10:1
I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—
1Kgs 19:11–13
And he said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?
Jn 1:4–5
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Rev 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Ex 3:2
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
Col 2:9
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Ph 2:5–8
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Isa 9:6
For to us a child is born,to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Lk 24:39
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.
Lk 2:11–12
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
Mt 2:1
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,
Isa 9:6
For to us a child is born,to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isa 53:2
For he grew up before him like a young plant,and like a root out of dry ground;he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,and no beauty that we should desire him.
Lk 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Lk 2:41–51
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress. And he said to them, Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house? And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Mt 8:24
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
Jn 4:5–6
So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Mt 4:2
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
Mk 6:31
And he said to them, Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while. For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
Mk 11:12
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.
Jn 19:28
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), I thirst.
Lk 19:41
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
Jn 11:33–36
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. So the Jews said, See how he loved him!
Mt 2:13–15
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt I called my son.
Jn 10:39
Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
Jn 8:59
So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Jn 12:36
While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
Mk 14:33–34
And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.
Mt 17:1–3
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
Mk 9:2–4
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
Mt 16:21
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
Mt 20:17–19
And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.
Mk 10:32–34
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.
Mk 3:21
And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, He is out of his mind.
Mt 26:56
But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Mt 26:69–75
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, You also were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied it before them all, saying, I do not know what you mean. And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, This man was with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied it with an oath: I do not know the man. After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you. Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know the man. And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly.
Lk 22:63
Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him.
Mt 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Mt 14:14
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Lk 7:13
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep.
Mt 8:17
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.
Isa 53:4
Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken,smitten by God, and afflicted.
Jn 7:5
For not even his brothers believed in him.
Mk 3:21
And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, He is out of his mind.
Jn 14:9
Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father?
Mt 15:16
And he said, Are you also still without understanding?
Mk 4:13
And he said to them, Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
Mt 16:11
How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Mt 26:20–25
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, Is it I, Lord? He answered, He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born. Judas, who would betray him, answered, Is it I, Rabbi? He said to him, You have said so.
Lk 22:63–65
Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, Prophesy! Who is it that struck you? And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.
Lk 23:35
And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!
De 21:22–23
And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
Jn 15:18
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Num 23:8
How can I curse whom God has not cursed?How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
Mt 7:21
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mt 10:32
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
Mk 8:38
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Mk 14:36
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.
Lk 23:34
And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Mt 27:46
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Mk 15:34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Jn 20:17
Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.
Jn 19:38
After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.
Jn 19:25
but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
Jn 20:19
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you.
Jn 20:9
for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
Jn 23:39–43
For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
Mt 27:40
and saying, You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Mt 17:17
And Jesus answered, O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.
Lk 9:41
Jesus answered, O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.
Mt 12:38
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.
Lk 23:8
When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
Mk 6:52
for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Lk 11:29
When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
Gen 3:5–6
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Phi 2:5–6
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Mt 20:28
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mt 12:18
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.I will put my Spirit upon him,and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him;he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Heb 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Isa 53:1–12
Who has believed what they heard from us?And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant,and like a root out of dry ground;he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men;a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;and as one from whom men hide their faceshe was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken,smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions;he was crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned every one to his own way;and the Lord has laid on himthe iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,yet he opened not his mouth;like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away;and as for his generation, who consideredthat he was cut off out of the land of the living,stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wickedand with a rich man in his death,although he had done no violence,and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;he has put him to grief;when his soul makes an offering for sin,he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,make many to be accounted righteous,and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,because he poured out his soul to deathand was numbered with the transgressors;yet he bore the sin of many,and makes intercession for the transgressors.
2Cor 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jn 1:4
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Jn 5:21
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
Mt 8:20
And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
Lk 9:22
saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
Mt 20:28
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Eph 5:2
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

A.5  A clearer picture of God

Jn 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jn 15:18
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
De 30:19–20
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
1Cor 13:4–8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
Jn 1:43–48
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, Follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! Nathanael said to him, How do you know me? Jesus answered him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.
Mt 9:9
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, Follow me. And he rose and followed him.
Lk 5:9–11
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Lk 9:59
To another he said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father.
Mt 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
Lk 14:16–21
But he said to him, A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come, for everything is now ready. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.
Jn 5:39–40
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Eph 1:3–6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Act 4:28
to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
Rom 8:29–30
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Eph 1:11
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Mt 21:22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
Mk 9:29
And he said to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.
Lk 6:12
In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
Mt 26:42
Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.
Mt 24:36
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Jn 10:30
I and the Father are one.
Mt 5:20
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 19:23–26
And Jesus said to his disciples, Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
1Cor 1:30
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
Ge 28:10–13
Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.
Jn 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

A.6  Conclusion impact in my life

Heb 10:19–20
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
Jn 14:6
Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jn 10:7
So Jesus again said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
Eccl 5:19
Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
Ps 62:10
Put no trust in extortion;set no vain hopes on robbery;if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
Phil 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

This document was translated from LATEX by HEVEA.