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Matthew 19:9
[Bible Verses]A saying of Jesus: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery." Denominations differ in their positions on divorce and remarriage depending on how they understand this so-called "exception clause."
Genesis 9:25
[Bible Verses]Genesis 9:25 records the words Noah spoke after awaking from his drunkenness, cursing Canaan, the son of Ham, and declaring that he would be a servant to his brethren. In the modern era the verse, under the label "the curse of Ham," was used to justify the enslavement of Black Africans, and it is frequently cited as a leading example of the misuse of Scripture.
Genesis 12:1–3
[Bible Verses]The passage in which God commands Abram to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house, promising to make of him a great nation and to bless him. It is regarded as a turning point in salvation history, and there is debate over whether "I will bless them that bless thee" should be applied to the modern State of Israel.
Genesis 22:2
[Bible Verses]Genesis 22:2 records God's command to Abraham to offer his beloved only son Isaac as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah. The verse is read as the height of faith and obedience, and it has long been debated for the ethical implications of God commanding the sacrifice of a human being.
Job 1:21
[Bible Verses]Job 1:21 records the words Job spoke after losing his possessions and his children in a single day: "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." It is regarded as a classic confession of faith in the midst of suffering and is frequently read at funeral services. Interpreters differ over whether the cause of suffering may rightly be attributed to God.
Job 19:25
[Bible Verses]Job 19:25 is Job's confession in the midst of his suffering: "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." The church has long read this verse as pointing to Christ and the hope of the resurrection, while scholars differ over the identity of the redeemer and what Job expected.
Hagar and Ishmael
[People]Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian maidservant who bore Abraham his son Ishmael, Abraham's firstborn. Their story appears in Genesis 16, 21, and 25, and Paul uses the account allegorically in Galatians 4.
Luke 24:44–46
[Bible Verses]In this passage the risen Jesus explains to his disciples that the whole of the Old Testament was written concerning him and was fulfilled in his suffering and his resurrection on the third day. It is frequently cited as a basis for reading the Old Testament with Christ at the center and as a text that refers to the threefold division of the Old Testament canon.
Acts 20:34–35
[Bible Verses]Acts 20:34–35 is the closing section of Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders. Paul reminds them of his example of working with his own hands to help the weak, and he passes on a saying of Jesus not found in the Gospels: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." The passage is often cited in discussions of charitable giving and self-supporting (tentmaking) ministry.
1 Corinthians 15:10
[Bible Verses]In this verse the apostle Paul confesses that his becoming an apostle, and his having labored more than anyone else, are entirely owing to the grace of God. It is frequently cited and discussed as a text that shows how divine grace relates to human labor.
1 Corinthians 16:22
[Bible Verses]1 Corinthians 16:22 is a verse that Paul wrote in his own hand in the closing greetings of 1 Corinthians. It pronounces an "anathema" (curse) on anyone who does not love the Lord and contains the Aramaic expression "Maranatha." The verse is often cited as evidence of the early church's hope in the Second Coming and of its worship language.
Philippians 1:6
[Bible Verses]Philippians 1:6 is the verse in which Paul expresses his confidence that God, who began a "good work" in the Philippian believers, will bring it to completion until the day of Christ. It is frequently cited in discussions of the assurance of salvation and the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.
John 5:24–25
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Jesus declares that whoever hears his word and believes the God who sent him already has eternal life and has passed from death to life. It is frequently cited as a text teaching that eternal life begins now and as a basis for the assurance of salvation.
John 17:20–23
[Bible Verses]A passage from the prayer Jesus offered just before his arrest, in which he asks that later believers, who would come to believe through the disciples' word, may be one as the Father and the Son are one, so that the world may believe. It is the text most frequently cited in discussions of church unity.
John 15:1–8
[Bible Verses]In this passage Jesus compares himself to "the true vine" and his disciples to the branches, teaching that they bear fruit only by abiding in him. It is often cited as a statement of the foundation of the Christian life, and the branch that is cast forth in verse 6 has prompted debate over the preservation of salvation.
Psalm 122:1
[Bible Verses]Psalm 122:1 is the verse in which a pilgrim declares his gladness upon hearing the invitation, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." It is regarded as a classic expression of delight in worship and is frequently used, for example, as a call to worship.
Isaiah 49:6
[Bible Verses]Isaiah 49:6 is a verse in which God tells his servant that, beyond restoring Israel, he will make him "a light to the Gentiles" so that salvation may reach "unto the end of the earth." It is frequently discussed because of questions about the servant's identity and because the Book of Acts cites it as a basis for the mission to the Gentiles.
1 Peter 2:24
[Bible Verses]A verse stating that Christ bore our sins in his own body on the cross so that believers might turn from sin and live righteously. Drawing on Isaiah 53, it is widely cited in discussions of the atonement, the Christian life, and divine healing.
Jeremiah 1:6-10
[Bible Verses]A passage in which the prophet Jeremiah hesitates at his call, protesting "I am a child," and God promises to be with him and puts His words in his mouth. It is frequently cited in sermons on calling and mission.
Psalm 50:15
[Bible Verses]A verse in Psalm 50 in which God calls His covenant people to offer thanksgiving and to call upon Him rather than to bring merely formal sacrifices, and promises to deliver them when they call on Him in the day of trouble. It is widely cited as both a command to pray and a promise that prayer will be answered.