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Matthew 19:16–26
[Bible Verses]In this passage a rich young man asks how to obtain eternal life, and Jesus answers that he should sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him. It is frequently cited in discussions of wealth and salvation and of the relationship between law and grace.
Athens
[Bible]Athens is a city in the Attica region of Greece that still bears the same name today. During his second missionary journey, the apostle Paul stayed there and preached on the Areopagus, as recorded in Acts 17.
Philippi
[Bible]Philippi was a Roman colony in eastern ancient Macedonia. The apostle Paul preached the gospel and founded a church there during his second missionary journey, and the city is the setting of Acts 16 and the Epistle to the Philippians.
Patmos
[Bible]Patmos is a small island in the southeastern Aegean Sea. According to the Book of Revelation, its author, John, was there on account of his testimony to the word of God when he received his revelation (Revelation 1:9).
Galatians 4:4
[Bible Verses]Paul's declaration that, at the time God appointed, he sent his Son to be born as a human being and under the law. The verse distills the doctrine of the Incarnation and the true humanity of Christ and is frequently cited in Christmas sermons.
Thessalonica
[Bible]Thessalonica was a port city in the ancient province of Macedonia. Paul founded a church there during his second missionary journey (Acts 17) and later sent 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians to this church.
Genesis 5:1–3
[Bible Verses]Genesis 5:1–3 introduces the genealogy that runs from Adam to Noah. It recalls the creation account in which humanity was made in the image of God and records that Adam begat Seth "in his own likeness, after his image." For this reason the passage is often cited in discussions of the image of God after the Fall and of original sin.
The Burnt Offering on Mount Moriah
[Bible]The event recorded in Genesis 22 in which Abraham, at God's command, prepared to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering on a mountain in the land of Moriah, until God stopped him and provided a ram in Isaac's place.
1 Corinthians 7:10–15
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul answers the Corinthian church's questions about marriage, conveying the Lord's command against divorce and giving his own guidance on marriage to an unbelieving spouse. It is frequently cited in debates over the permissible scope of divorce and remarriage and over infant baptism.
Ezekiel 18:19–20
[Bible Verses]A passage in which God declared through Ezekiel during the Babylonian exile that "the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father." It is a key text for the principle that each person is accountable for his or her own sin, and it is frequently cited in discussions of original sin and the doctrine of generational curses.
Psalm 33:6
[Bible Verses]A verse from the hymn of praise in Psalm 33 that celebrates the heavens and all their host as made by the word of the LORD and the breath of His mouth. It is a key text for creation by the word, and in church tradition it is also frequently cited in support of a Trinitarian understanding of creation.
Hebrews 11:17–19
[Bible Verses]A passage in the roll of the faithful in Hebrews 11 that treats Abraham's offering of Isaac. It is regarded as an example of faith in the resurrection amid the tension between God's promise and his command, and it is frequently cited as a basis for reading the offering of Isaac as a foreshadowing of the death and resurrection of Christ.
Genesis 14:18-20
[Bible Verses]Genesis 14:18-20 is the passage in which Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the most high God, blesses Abram on his return from battle, and Abram gives him a tenth. It is frequently cited in connection with the Epistle to the Hebrews' reading of Melchizedek as a type of Christ and in discussions of tithing.
Period of the Judges
[Bible]The period of the Judges is the era from the death of Joshua until Saul became king, when Israel lived as a confederation of tribes without a king. During this time God repeatedly delivered His people through judges whom He raised up. The period is recorded chiefly in the Book of Judges.
1 John 5:21
[Bible Verses]1 John 5:21 is the final verse of the First Epistle of John. In it the author addresses his readers as "little children" and urges them to keep themselves from idols. Because this closing seems abrupt and not directly connected to what precedes it, interpreters differ over what the "idols" refer to.
Galatians 3:6–9
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 to argue that, just as Abraham was counted righteous by faith, Gentiles who believe are likewise Abraham's children and share in his blessing. It is frequently cited as a key text on justification by faith and on the salvation of the Gentiles.
John 8:58
[Bible Verses]John 8:58 is the verse in which Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am." It is frequently cited as evidence of Christ's preexistence, meaning his existence before coming into the world, and of his deity. Interpreters differ over the meaning of the expression "I am" (ego eimi).
Genesis 22:12-14
[Bible Verses]Genesis 22:12-14 is the passage in which God stops Abraham as he is about to offer Isaac and has him offer a ram in his son's place. It gives rise to the name "Jehovah-jireh" ("the LORD will provide"). The passage is frequently cited and preached as a text about the testing of faith and as a foreshadowing of substitutionary atonement.
Psalm 106:30–31
[Bible Verses]This passage celebrates how Phinehas rose up during the Baal-peor incident and stopped the plague, and how his deed "was counted unto him for righteousness." Because it uses the same expression as Genesis 15:6, where Abraham's faith was counted for righteousness, it is frequently cited in discussions of justification.
Luke 24:50–51
[Bible Verses]Luke 24:50–51 is the closing passage of the Gospel of Luke. It recounts how the risen Jesus, near Bethany, lifted up his hands and blessed his disciples, and while blessing them was parted from them and carried up into heaven. The passage is an account of the Ascension and is frequently cited in connection with the benediction in worship.