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47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;(A)

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The Parable of the Net

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like(A) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds(B) of fish.

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For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,(A) unfeeling, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good,(B) treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,(C) holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them!

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People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,(A) boastful, proud,(B) abusive,(C) disobedient to their parents,(D) ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,(E) rash, conceited,(F) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness(G) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.(H)

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Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

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If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.(A)

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Testing the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.(A) By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus[a] is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.(B) Little children, you are from God and have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.3 Other ancient authorities read does away with Jesus

On Denying the Incarnation

Dear friends,(A) do not believe every spirit,(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(C) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(D) is from God,(E) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(G)

You, dear children,(H) are from God and have overcome them,(I) because the one who is in you(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.(K) They are from the world(L) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth(N) and the spirit of falsehood.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:6 Or spirit

The Message to Sardis

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:

“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead.(A)

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To the Church in Sardis

“To the angel[a] of the church in Sardis(A) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b](B) of God and the seven stars.(C) I know your deeds;(D) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 3:1 Or messenger; also in verses 7 and 14
  2. Revelation 3:1 That is, the sevenfold Spirit

13 suffering[a] the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures[b] while they feast with you.(A) 14 They have eyes full of adultery,[c] insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor,[d] who loved the wages of doing wrong(B) 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved.(C) 18 For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with debased[e] desires of the flesh they entice people who have just[f] escaped from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for people are slaves to whatever masters them.(D) 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the[g] Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first.(E) 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was handed on to them.(F) 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb,

“The dog turns back to its own vomit,”

and,

“The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud.”(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.13 Other ancient authorities read receiving
  2. 2.13 Other ancient authorities read love feasts
  3. 2.14 Gk adulteress; or longing for an adulteress
  4. 2.15 Other ancient authorities read Beor
  5. 2.18 Or debauched
  6. 2.18 Other ancient authorities read actually
  7. 2.20 Other ancient authorities read our

13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.(A) They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.[a](B) 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce(C) the unstable;(D) they are experts in greed(E)—an accursed brood!(F) 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam(G) son of Bezer,[b] who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.(H)

17 These people are springs without water(I) and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.(J) 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words(K) and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping(L) from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”(M) 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing(N) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ(O) and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.(P) 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.(Q) 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”[c](R) and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:13 Some manuscripts in their love feasts
  2. 2 Peter 2:15 Greek Bosor
  3. 2 Peter 2:22 Prov. 26:11

holding tightly to the trustworthy word of the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to refute those who contradict it.

10 There are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision;(A) 11 they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach.(B)

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He must hold firmly(A) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine(B) and refute those who oppose it.

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk(C) and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.(D) 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households(E) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

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For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires(A) and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.

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For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.(A) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.(B) They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.(C)

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20 For I fear that when I come I may find you not as I wish and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.(A) 21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery that they have practiced.(B)

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20 For I am afraid that when I come(A) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.(B) I fear that there may be discord,(C) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,(D) slander,(E) gossip,(F) arrogance(G) and disorder.(H) 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved(I) over many who have sinned earlier(J) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery(K) in which they have indulged.

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Warnings from Israel’s History

10 I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,(A) and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food,(B) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.(C) Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.(D)

Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did.(E) Do not become idolaters as some of them did, as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.”(F) We must not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.(G) We must not put Christ[a] to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents.(H) 10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.(I) 11 These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come.(J) 12 So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.

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Footnotes

  1. 10.9 Other ancient authorities read the Lord

Warnings From Israel’s History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant(A) of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud(B) and that they all passed through the sea.(C) They were all baptized into(D) Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food(E) and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock(F) that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.(G)

Now these things occurred as examples(H) to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters,(I) as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a](J) We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.(K) We should not test Christ,[b](L) as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.(M) 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did(N)—and were killed(O) by the destroying angel.(P)

11 These things happened to them as examples(Q) and were written down as warnings for us,(R) on whom the culmination of the ages has come.(S) 12 So, if you think you are standing firm,(T) be careful that you don’t fall!

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:7 Exodus 32:6
  2. 1 Corinthians 10:9 Some manuscripts test the Lord

17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.”

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17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

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Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests.(A)

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So go to the street corners(A) and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good,(B) and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

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26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”(A)

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26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”(A)

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