²⁵ choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.

¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker.^{[a](A) 16} Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.^[b]

⁴⁰ and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.^{(A) 41} As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.^(B)

The Cross and Self-Denial

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^(A)

²¹ yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.^[a](A)

²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin,^[a] tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.^{[b](A) 30} And if your right hand causes you to sin,^[c] cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.^[d]

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁰ Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.^(A)