To the Church in Philadelphia

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia(A) write:

These are the words of him who is holy(B) and true,(C) who holds the key of David.(D) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds.(E) See, I have placed before you an open door(F) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(G) I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,(H) who claim to be Jews though they are not,(I) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet(J) and acknowledge that I have loved you.(K) 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you(L) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world(M) to test(N) the inhabitants of the earth.(O)

Read full chapter

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Read full chapter

22 I will place on his shoulder(A) the key(B) to the house of David;(C) what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.(D)

Read full chapter

22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Read full chapter

19 I will give you the keys(A) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[a] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[b] loosed in heaven.”(B)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
  2. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Read full chapter

18 I am the Living One; I was dead,(A) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!(B) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.(C)

Read full chapter

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Read full chapter

I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!(A) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,(B) but are a synagogue of Satan.(C)

Read full chapter

I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Read full chapter

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,(A) you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(B)

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants(C) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.(D) 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.(E) 36 So if the Son sets you free,(F) you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,(G) because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,(H) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.[a](I)

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”(J) said Jesus, “then you would[b] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,(K) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.(L) Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”(M)

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”(N)

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,(O) for I have come here from God.(P) I have not come on my own;(Q) God sent me.(R) 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil,(S) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.(T) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.(U) 45 Yet because I tell the truth,(V) you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.(W) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. John 8:38 Or presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.
  2. John 8:39 Some early manuscripts “If you are Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Read full chapter

11 I am coming soon.(A) Hold on to what you have,(B) so that no one will take your crown.(C) 12 The one who is victorious(D) I will make a pillar(E) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God(F) and the name of the city of my God,(G) the new Jerusalem,(H) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear(I) what the Spirit says to the churches.

Read full chapter

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Read full chapter

25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown(A) that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.(B)

Read full chapter

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Read full chapter

Now there is in store for me(A) the crown of righteousness,(B) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day(C)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(D)

Read full chapter

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Read full chapter

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial(A) because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life(B) that the Lord has promised to those who love him.(C)

Read full chapter

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Read full chapter

10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,(A) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.(B) Be faithful,(C) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.(D)

Read full chapter

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Read full chapter

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea(A) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,(B) the ruler of God’s creation.(C) 15 I know your deeds,(D) that you are neither cold nor hot.(E) I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’(F) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.(G) 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,(H) so you can become rich; and white clothes(I) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;(J) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.(K) So be earnest and repent.(L) 20 Here I am! I stand at the door(M) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,(N) I will come in(O) and eat with that person, and they with me.

21 To the one who is victorious,(P) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,(Q) just as I was victorious(R) and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear(S) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Read full chapter

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Read full chapter

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”(A)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;(B)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.(C)

Read full chapter

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Read full chapter