A Plea for Repentance

Assurance of Forgiveness

Paul before the Council

³⁰ Since he wanted to find out what Paul^[a] was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.^(A)

23 While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, “Brothers,^[b] up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.”^{(B) 2} Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.^{(C) 3} At this Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?”^{(D) 4} Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.’ ”^(E)

⁶ When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, “Brothers,^[c] I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection^[d] of the dead.”^{(F) 7} When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.)^{(G) 9} Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”^{(H) 10} When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.^(I)

¹¹ That night the Lord stood near him and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.”^(J)

³⁹ He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?^{(A) 40} A disciple is not above the teacher, but every disciple who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.^{(B) 41} Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? ⁴² Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;^{(C) 44} for each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a bramble bush.^{(D) 45} The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.^(E)

The Two Foundations

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?^{(F) 47} I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.^{(G) 48} That one is like a man building a house who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built.^{[a] 49} But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it quickly collapsed, and great was the ruin of that house.”