But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!’”

that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

For David says about him, ‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand

Now all the Jews know the way I lived from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen,

As he also says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not my people, ‘My people,’ and I will call her who was unloved, ‘My beloved.’”

For this reason, if food causes my brother or sister to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause one of them to sin.

What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.

If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.

I had no relief in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-bye to them and set out for Macedonia.

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need.

But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him.

He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.”

He answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

The man said to him, “Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.”