Brothers

Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.

For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will assign this responsibility to them

And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.

When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.

He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.

The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’

This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’

When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

So Peter invited them in as his guests. And the next day he got ready and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s home.

So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.

Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.

After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.

When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers,

…and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

…and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”

…but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.

But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here,

As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.

Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

When Apollos resolved to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

When we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.

When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us joyfully.

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

…as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”

“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”

Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothers as a figurehead.

There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome.

The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God.

After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.

For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, brimming with knowledge, and able to instruct one another.

Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them.

Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.

My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.

Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another.

I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?

Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!

Brothers, each one should remain in the situation he was in when God called him.

What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;

By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea.

So, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church.

So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm.

After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

I face death every day, brothers, as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he can return to me, for I am expecting him along with the brothers.

Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was not at all inclined to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.

You know that Stephanas and his household were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brothers,

All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove empty, but that you will be prepared, just as I said.

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.

And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,

Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.