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Hebrews 11:1
[Bible Verses]Hebrews 11:1 reads, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The verse opens Hebrews 11, the chapter on faith. Translations and interpretations differ on the meaning of the Greek words rendered "substance" and "evidence."
Revelation 7:4
[Bible Verses]Revelation 7:4 states that the number of those sealed from all the tribes of Israel was "an hundred and forty and four thousand." Interpreters disagree over whether the number is a literal count or a symbol, and over whom it designates. Several heretical groups have also associated this number with their own organizations.
Revelation 13:16-18
[Bible Verses]In this passage the beast that rises out of the earth causes all people to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, so that no one may buy or sell without the mark, and its number is given as six hundred threescore and six (666). The identity of the "mark of the beast" and of "666" has prompted countless speculations, and the passage becomes the subject of renewed controversy whenever a new technology appears.
Mark 16:15-18
[Bible Verses]In this passage the risen Jesus commands his disciples to preach the gospel to all the world and describes the signs that will follow those who believe. Although frequently cited as a missionary mandate, it belongs to the "Longer Ending of Mark," which is absent from the oldest manuscripts, so textual questions are discussed alongside its interpretation.
Luke 2:14
[Bible Verses]Luke 2:14 is the hymn of praise sung by the heavenly host before the shepherds on the night of Jesus' birth. It is a central verse in Christmas worship and hymnody, and manuscripts and translations differ over to whom peace on earth is given.
Luke 4:18-19
[Bible Verses]Luke 4:18-19 contains the words Jesus read from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth and proclaimed as the purpose of his ministry. Because the passage speaks of bringing the gospel to the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed, interpreters have long debated whether it refers to spiritual salvation alone or also includes social liberation.
Luke 17:20–21
[Bible Verses]Luke 17:20–21 records Jesus' reply to the Pharisees when they asked when the kingdom of God would come. A central question in both translation and interpretation is whether "the kingdom of God is within you" refers to a kingdom within the heart or to a kingdom already present among those he addressed.
Luke 23:43
[Bible Verses]Luke 23:43 records the promise Jesus made on the cross to the repentant thief: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." The verse is frequently cited in discussions of where believers are immediately after death (the intermediate state) and of whether salvation is possible apart from works or baptism. It is also the subject of a translation debate over the placement of a comma.
John 6:53–54
[Bible Verses]In this passage Jesus says, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." The Catholic Church and various Protestant traditions disagree on whether these words refer to the Lord's Supper and on how Christ is present in its bread and wine.
John 8:7
[Bible Verses]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.
John 8:32
[Bible Verses]"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32) is a saying of Jesus. The phrase is widely used outside the church as a symbol of academic freedom and freedom of the press, but commentators often point out that in its original context it means that disciples who continue in Jesus' word are set free from bondage to sin.
John 10:10
[Bible Verses]John 10:10 is the verse in which Jesus, presenting himself as the door of the sheep and the good shepherd, says, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Interpreters differ over the meaning of this "abundant life": some read it as spiritual life, while others extend it to blessing in every area of life.
John 14:6
[Bible Verses]John 14:6 is the verse in which Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." It is a principal text for the exclusivity of Christian salvation and the verse most often cited in debates over the relationship between salvation and other religions.
John 15:5
[Bible Verses]In this verse Jesus says, "I am the vine, ye are the branches," declaring that whoever abides in him brings forth much fruit and that without him nothing can be done. It is a leading image for explaining union with Christ and the fruit of the Christian life, and the meanings of "abiding" and "fruit" are subjects of ongoing discussion.
John 20:23
[Bible Verses]In this verse the risen Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to his disciples and says, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them." The Catholic Church cites it as the scriptural basis for the sacrament of penance, while Protestants read it as a declaration of forgiveness through the proclamation of the gospel. Interpretations of the verse therefore differ sharply.
Acts 2:1–4
[Bible Verses]This passage recounts how the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples gathered on the day of Pentecost with a sound like a rushing wind and with tongues as of fire, and how they began to speak in other languages. The event is commemorated as the beginning of the church. What these tongues were, and whether the same experience continues today, are major points of disagreement among denominations.
Acts 16:31
[Bible Verses]Acts 16:31 records the answer of Paul and Silas to the jailer of the prison at Philippi: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." The verse is widely cherished as a text of hope for the salvation of one's family. It raises two questions: whether "thy house" is a promise to the whole family, and whether household baptisms support infant baptism.
Acts 20:35
[Bible Verses]Acts 20:35 is the verse in which Paul, taking leave of the elders of the church at Ephesus, urges them to remember the words of the Lord Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." It is one of the rare verses that preserve a saying of Jesus not recorded in the four Gospels, and it is widely cited to encourage sharing and giving.
Romans 1:16–17
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel and states that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." The passage expresses the theme of the entire Epistle to the Romans and is known for its decisive influence on Martin Luther's Reformation thought.
Psalm 137:9
[Bible Verses]Psalm 137:9 is the final verse of Psalm 137, a lament over the Babylonian exile. It pronounces blessed the one who dashes the enemy's little ones against the rock. It is often counted among the most troubling verses in the Bible and is commonly cited as a representative example in discussions of how to read the so-called imprecatory psalms.