Saturday, July 25

1Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

2Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

4For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

5Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.

6For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.

7Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

8Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

9For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

10Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

22For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

23But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

24which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—

25for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—

26but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27For it is written: 'Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.'

28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

29But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

30Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? 'Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.'

31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

31'Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

33'Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

36But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.'

16'No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.

17For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.

18Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.'

19Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.

20And it was told Him by some, who said, 'Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.'

21But He answered and said to them, 'My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.'