Monday, December 27

20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.

21Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

22Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

23But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.

24And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,

25in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

26and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

9Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.

10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

11Then they secretly induced men to say, 'We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.'

12And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.

13They also set up false witnesses who said, 'This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;

14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.'

15And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

7:1Then the high priest said, 'Are these things so?'

2And he said, 'Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

3and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.'

4Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.

5And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.

47But Solomon built Him a house.

48'However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

49'Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest?

50Has My hand not made all these things?'

51' You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,

53who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.'

54When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

56and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!'

57Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

58and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'

60Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

46Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.

47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'

48Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'

49So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

50Then they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.' And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

51So Jesus answered and said to him, 'What do you want Me to do for you?'

52The blind man said to Him, 'Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your faith has made you well.' And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

33'Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Jesus said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

34Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

35And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

36Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

37Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

38But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'

39So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40'Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?'

41They said to Him, 'He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.'

42Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?'