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Mark 3:28–30
In this passage Jesus warns the scribes who had said he was possessed by a demon that "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" will never be forgiven. What this "unforgivable sin" is, and whether a believer can commit it, are frequently debated questions of interpretation and common sources of spiritual anxiety.
The Woman Caught in Adultery
The woman caught in adultery is an unnamed woman who appears in John 7:53–8:11. She is the central figure in the account in which Jesus told her accusers, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
Matthew 23:23
In this saying, Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees who tithed even small herbs such as mint, anise, and cummin while neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. The verse distinguishes between the weightier and lesser matters of the law and is frequently cited in Korean churches in discussions of tithing.
Matthew 23:4
A verse in which Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for laying heavy burdens on others while refusing to lift a finger themselves. It is frequently cited as a warning against legalism and against inconsistency between the words and deeds of religious leaders.
Sign of Jonah
The sign of Jonah refers to Jesus' reply to those who demanded a sign, that no sign would be given "but the sign of the prophet Jonas." The saying appears in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Matthew 23
Matthew 23 is the chapter in which Jesus rebukes the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees with seven pronouncements of "Woe unto you" and laments over Jerusalem. It contains 39 verses.
Mark 2
The second chapter of the Gospel of Mark, in which Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic in Capernaum, calls Levi the tax collector, and disputes with the scribes and Pharisees over fasting and the Sabbath.
John 8:7
John 8:7 is the verse in which Jesus says to those about to stone a woman taken in adultery, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." It is a classic text on mercy and forgiveness, but it raises a textual problem: the entire story is absent from the oldest manuscripts.
Moses' Seat
Moses' seat is an expression Jesus used in Matthew 23:2 to describe the position of the scribes and Pharisees. It is generally read as referring to the authority to teach and interpret the Law of Moses.
Matthew 5:20
Matthew 5:20 is the verse in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus tells his disciples that unless their righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. It is frequently cited in discussions of the relationship between law and grace and between justification and sanctification.
Luke 20
Luke 20 records Jesus' debates with the religious leaders in the Jerusalem temple over the source of his authority, paying tribute to Caesar, the resurrection, and the relationship between the Christ and David. The chapter also contains the parable of the wicked husbandmen and a warning against the scribes.
Pharisees
The Pharisees were a group within Judaism in the New Testament era. They strictly observed the Law of Moses and "the tradition of the elders," and in the Gospels they appear chiefly as opponents who dispute with Jesus.
Luke 21
Luke 21 contains the account of the poor widow's offering of two mites and Jesus' eschatological discourse (an extended teaching on the end times), which opens with a prediction of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
John 8:11
John 8:11 records Jesus' words to the woman brought to him after she was caught in adultery: "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." The verse is often cited because it joins forgiveness with a call to a new life. Discussion of the verse also addresses the fact that this passage is absent from the oldest manuscripts.
Phylacteries
Phylacteries are small leather boxes containing parchment inscribed with passages from the Law, together with the straps by which Jews bind them to the forehead and arm during prayer. In the New Testament they are mentioned once, in Matthew 23:5.
Proselyte
Proselyte (Greek prosēlytos) is a New Testament term for a person born a Gentile who came to believe in the God of Israel and formally entered the Jewish community through circumcision and other rites.
Mark 9:23
Mark 9:23 is the verse in which Jesus, after the father of a demon-possessed boy pleads "if thou canst do any thing," takes up the father's words and answers that all things are possible to him that believeth. It is often cited in discussions of the power of faith and prayer, and there has been debate over whether it is quoted out of context.
Matthew 24
Matthew 24 is the chapter in which Jesus, after foretelling the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, teaches his disciples on the Mount of Olives about the signs of the end, the great tribulation, and the coming of the Son of Man, and urges them to keep watch.
1 Kings 4
1 Kings 4 records the officials of Solomon's kingdom, the districts assigned to twelve governors, the provisions and horses of the royal court, the kingdom's broad territory and peace, and Solomon's surpassing wisdom.
John 8
John 8 opens with the account of Jesus declining to condemn the woman caught in adultery. It also contains his declaration "I am the light of the world" and a long dispute with the Jews over his identity.