Thursday, October 16, 2025

^1:20according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. ²³But I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. ²⁴Yet to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. ²⁵Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. ²⁷Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

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^9:7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. ⁹Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him. ¹⁰The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida. ¹¹But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing.

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^1:20according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. ²³But I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. ²⁴Yet to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. ²⁵Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again. ²⁷Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

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^7:17This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region. ¹⁸The disciples of John told him about all these things. ¹⁹John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?” ²⁰When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’” ²¹In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight. ²²Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. ²³Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.” ²⁴When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed and live delicately are in kings’ courts. ²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. ²⁷This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ ²⁸“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.” ²⁹When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism. ³⁰But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.

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