Search the encyclopedia
1000 articles found for “a centurion”
1 Corinthians 15:12–20
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul, responding to some members of the Corinthian church who denied the resurrection, argues that if Christ has not been raised, preaching and faith are in vain. As a foundational text for the Christian belief in the resurrection, it is frequently cited at Easter and in funeral services.
1 Corinthians 15:30–32
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul argues that if there is no resurrection, his life of facing death every day is in vain. "I die daily" is widely quoted as an expression of self-denial, while the meaning of his statement that he "fought with beasts at Ephesus" is disputed.
Galatians 4:13–14
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul recalls that his "infirmity of the flesh" was the occasion for his first preaching of the gospel to the Galatians, and that they welcomed him rather than despising him in his weakness. Interpreters disagree about the nature of Paul's illness.
Colossians 3:3–4
[Bible Verses]A passage stating that Christians have already died, that their life is hidden with Christ in God, and that when Christ appears they will appear with him in glory. It is frequently cited in discussions of union with Christ, sanctification, and eschatological hope.
Acts 21:9
[Bible Verses]A verse reporting that when Paul and his companions stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist in Caesarea, Philip had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. Because it records the prophetic activity of women in the early church, it is frequently cited in discussions of women's ordination and the gift of prophecy.
2 Corinthians 8:9
[Bible Verses]A verse in which Paul, urging a collection for the saints in Jerusalem, says that Christ, though rich, became poor for the sake of believers. It is frequently cited as a text on the incarnation and as a basis for generous giving, and interpreters differ over the meaning of "rich."
Ephesians 1:11
[Bible Verses]A verse from the opening doxology of Ephesians in which Paul states that in Christ believers have become God's inheritance, according to the purpose of God, who works all things after the counsel of His own will. It is frequently cited in discussions of predestination and divine sovereignty.
1 Corinthians 5:9–10
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul clarifies that his earlier instruction to the Corinthian church "not to company with fornicators" did not mean cutting off relationships with people outside the church. It is frequently cited in discussions of church discipline and of the Christian life in the world.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul tells the church at Corinth that there are diversities of spiritual gifts but one Spirit who gives them, and that their purpose is the benefit of the whole community. Because it contains a list of nine gifts, it is frequently cited in the debate between cessationism and continuationism.
Titus 3:5
[Bible Verses]A verse stating that salvation comes not from human works of righteousness but from God's mercy, and that it was accomplished "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." It is frequently cited in discussions of salvation by grace and of the relationship between baptism and regeneration.
Galatians 3:26–29
[Bible Verses]A passage in Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia declaring that those who belong to Christ through faith and baptism are sons of God and heirs of Abraham, without distinction of ethnicity, social status, or sex. It is frequently cited in discussions of baptism, the ordination of women, and the relationship between the church and Israel.
Galatians 5:16–21
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul tells the churches of Galatia that those who walk in the Spirit will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, describes the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit, and lists the "works of the flesh." It is frequently cited in discussions of the believer's sanctification and assurance of salvation.
Galatians 6:8–10
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul, drawing on the principle that one reaps what one sows, urges the Galatian churches to live by the Spirit and to do good without growing weary. It is frequently quoted as a word of encouragement, and interpretations that connect it with offerings and material reward have been debated.
Hosea 8:7
[Bible Verses]A verse that indicts the Northern Kingdom of Israel for idolatry and futile political dependence, pronouncing judgment through the agricultural image of sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind. It is often quoted to mean that wrong choices bring even greater calamity.
2 Corinthians 7:1
[Bible Verses]A verse in which Paul urges the Corinthian church, on the basis of God's promises, to cleanse themselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness. It is frequently cited in discussions of sanctification and holiness, and scholars debate the placement of the passage that precedes it.
Ephesians 6:10-18
[Bible Verses]A passage near the end of Ephesians that describes the believer's struggle as a fight not against human beings but against evil spiritual forces. It likens truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the word of God to the whole armor of God and concludes with prayer. It is frequently cited in sermons and discussions on "spiritual warfare."
Colossians 3:16
[Bible Verses]A verse in Colossians that exhorts believers to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly, to teach and admonish one another, and to praise God with thanksgiving in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. It is frequently cited as a biblical basis for church music and congregational singing.
1 Peter 5:8–9
[Bible Verses]A passage near the end of 1 Peter that urges believers in the midst of suffering to be sober and vigilant and to resist by faith the devil, who, like a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour. It is frequently cited in discussions of spiritual watchfulness and spiritual warfare.
1 Corinthians 12:28
[Bible Verses]A verse in which Paul lists the offices and gifts that God has set in the church, beginning with apostles, prophets, and teachers. It is frequently cited in discussions of whether spiritual gifts continue today, the ranking of church offices, the basis of Presbyterian church order, and modern claims to apostleship.
Ephesians 4:13–16
[Bible Verses]A passage describing the church growing in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God toward the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and, as a body with Christ as its head, building itself up in love. It is frequently cited in discussions of spiritual maturity and the growth of the church community.