WORDS OF CHRIST

Matthew's Words of Christ

Chapter One

The Genealogy of Jesus.

The Birth of Jesus.

Chapter Two

The Visit of the Magi.

The Flight to Egypt.

The Massacre of the Infants.

The Return from Egypt.

Chapter Three

The Preaching of John the Baptist.

The Baptism of Jesus.

Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

Chapter Four

The Temptation of Jesus.

It is written:

‘One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’

Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’

Get away, Satan! It is written:

‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship

and him alone shall you serve.’

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  

The Call of the First Disciples.

Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Ministering to a Great Multitude.

Chapter Five

The Sermon on the Mount.

THE BEATITUDES

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

 

            for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil

against you [falsely] because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be

great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Similes of Salt and Light.

You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Teaching about the Law.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Teaching about Anger.  

You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.

Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

Teaching about Adultery.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. 

Teaching about Divorce.

It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 

Teaching about Oaths.

Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one. 

Teaching about Retaliation.

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. 

Love of Enemies.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

Chapter Six

Teaching about Almsgiving.

[But] take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,

so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Teaching about Prayer.

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 

THE LORD'S PRAYER

This is how you are to pray:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread;

and forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors;

and do not subject us to the final test,

but deliver us from the evil one.

If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

Teaching about Fasting.

When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. 

Treasure in Heaven.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

The Light of the Body.

The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be. 

God and Money.

No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Dependence on God.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. 

Chapter Seven

Judging Others.

“Stop judging,* that you may not be judged.

For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?

You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

Pearls before Swine.

"Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

The Answer to Prayers.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,

or a snake when he asks for a fish?

If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.

The Golden Rule.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

False Prophets.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.

By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

So by their fruits you will know them.

The True Disciple.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?

Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

The Two Foundations.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Chapter Eight

The Cleansing of a Leper.

“I will do it. Be made clean.”

“See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

The Healing of a Centurion’s Servant.

“I will come and cure him.”

“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel* have I found such faith.

I say to you,* many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven,

but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”

The Cure of Peter’s Mother-in-Law.

Other Healings.

The Would-be Followers of Jesus.

“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man* has nowhere to rest his head.”

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

The Calming of the Storm at Sea.

“Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniacs.

“Go then!”

Chapter Nine

The Healing of a Paralytic.

“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

 “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

The Call of Matthew.

“Follow me.”

 “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Question about Fasting.

 “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.


No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.  

People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” 

 The Official’s Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage.

 “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” 

 “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.”

 The Healing of Two Blind Men.

 “Do you believe that I can do this?”

 “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 

 “See that no one knows about this.”

The Healing of a Mute Person.

The Compassion of Jesus.

 “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Chapter Ten

(more to come...)

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John's Words of Christ

Chapter One

In the beginning was the Word.

John the Baptist’s Testimony to Himself.

John the Baptist’s Testimony to Jesus.

The First Disciples.

“What are you looking for?”

“Come, and you will see.”

“You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

“Follow me.”

“Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.”

“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

“Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Chapter Two

The Wedding at Cana.

“Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”

“Fill the jars with water.”

“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”

Cleansing of the Temple.

“Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

Chapter Three

Nicodemus.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.

Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’

The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?

Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.

If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

And just as Moses lifted up* the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Final Witness of the Baptist.

The One from Heaven.

Chapter Four

The Samaritan Woman.

“Give me a drink.”

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

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;

but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

“Go call your husband and come back.”

“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’

For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews.

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.

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

“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”

“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.

Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.

The reaper is already receiving his payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.

For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’

I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”

Return to Galilee.

Second Sign at Cana.

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”

“You may go; your son will live.”

“Your son will live,”

Chapter Five

Cure on the Sabbath.

“Do you want to be well?”

“Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”
“Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.”  
“My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”

The Work of the Son.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also.
For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. 
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.
Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 
For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 
Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.
I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me."
 

Witnesses to Jesus. 

"If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified.  

But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. 

He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. 

But I have testimony greater than John’s.

The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.  

Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.

But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.  

You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.  

But you do not want to come to me to have life."

Unbelief of Jesus’ Hearers.

"I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.  

I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 

How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? 

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 

For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. 

But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” 

Chapter Six

 

Multiplication of the Loaves.

“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
“Have the people recline.” 
“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 

 Walking on the Water.

 “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

 The Bread of Life Discourse.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”  
“Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen [me], you do not believe. 
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 
And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. 
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.”
“Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:

‘They shall all be taught by God.’

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.

Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven.

Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 

The Words of Eternal Life.

"Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” 
“Do you also want to leave?” 
“Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?” 

Chapter Seven

The Feast of Tabernacles.

“My time is not yet here, but the time is always right for you. 
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify to it that its works are evil. 
You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, because my time has not yet been fulfilled.”

 The First Dialogue.   

“My teaching is not my own but is from the one who sent me. Whoever chooses to do his will shall know whether my teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him is truthful, and there is no wrong in him. Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
“I performed one work and all of you are amazed because of it. Moses gave you circumcision—not that it came from Moses but rather from the patriarchs—and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. If a man can receive circumcision on a sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole person well on a sabbath? Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.”
“You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus.  

“I will be with you only a little while longer, and then I will go to the one who sent me. You will look for me but not find [me], and where I am you cannot come.” 

Rivers of Living Water.

“Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says:

‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’”

Discussion about the Origins of the Messiah.

Chapter Eight

(more to come...)

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