For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.”
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.