Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness,^(A) filled with knowledge^(B) and competent to instruct one another.

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,^{(A) 25} not giving up meeting together,^(B) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another^(C)—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.^(D)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.^{(A) 19} Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^(B) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^{(C) 20} and teaching^(D) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you^(E) always, to the very end of the age.”^(F)

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.^{(A) 25} It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,^(B) how much more the members of his household!

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,^(A) and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.^{(A) 24} For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.^{(B) 25} What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? ²⁶ Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them^(C) when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.^(D)

The Cost of Being a Disciple

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.^{(A) 27} And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.^(B)

The Choosing of the Seven

6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing,^(A) the Hellenistic Jews^[a](B) among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows^(C) were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.^{(D) 2} So the Twelve gathered all the disciples^(E) together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God^(F) in order to wait on tables.

⁷ So the word of God spread.^(A) The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly,^(B) and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.