81 Bible Verses about Church

that through union with Christ Jesus the heathen are fellow-heirs with the Jews, belong to the same body and share the promise with them, through the good news

There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope that belongs to the summons you received. There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above us all, pervades us all, and is within us all.

Now I am to be no longer in this world, but they are to remain in the world, while I return to you. Holy Father, keep them by your power which you gave me, so that they may be one just as we are.

Let the ruling principle in your hearts be Christ's peace, for in becoming members of one body you have been called under its sway. And you must be thankful.

Because there is one loaf, we, many as we are, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

That was the kind of affection we had for you, which made us ready to share with you not only God's good news but our own lives too, because you were so dear to us.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love is still in death.

Now that by obeying the truth you have purified your souls for sincere love of the brotherhood, you must love one another intensely and heartily,

So, my dear brothers whom I so long to see, my joy and pride, stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

for what we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you have for all God's people,

So that we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can men do to me?"

For those whom he had marked out from the first he predestined to be made like his Son, so that he should be the eldest of many brothers;

I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that. I am only a fellow-slave of yours and of your brothers who have accepted the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is what inspires prophecy."

And so he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might prove a compassionate high priest as well as one faithful in his service to God, in order to forgive the people's sins.

But you must not let people call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and you are all brothers.

The king will answer, 'I tell you, in so far as you did it to one of the humblest of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.'

"It is not for them only that I make this request. It is also for those who through their message come to believe in me.

As God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in spreading the good news of his Son, I never fail to mention you when I pray,

never cease to thank God for you when I mention you in my prayers.

For this reason I kneel before the Father

and always whenever I pray for you all I do it with joy,

"Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector.

For it says in Scripture, "Here I lay a choice stone in Zion, a costly cornerstone; No one who believes in it will ever be disappointed!"

"Everyone, therefore, who listens to this teaching of mine and acts upon it, will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.

You are built upon the apostles and prophets as your foundation, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone.

For no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is laid, that is, Jesus Christ himself.

At present I am glad to be suffering in your interest, and I am making up in my own person what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for the church, which is his body.

Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the holy Spirit has made you guardians, and be shepherds of the church of God, which he got at the cost of his own life.

You who are husbands must love your wives, just as Christ loves the church and gave himself for her,

At present I am glad to be suffering in your interest, and I am making up in my own person what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for the church, which is his body.

Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the holy Spirit has made you guardians, and be shepherds of the church of God, which he got at the cost of his own life.

You who are husbands must love your wives, just as Christ loves the church and gave himself for her,

so that you will be blameless and honest, faultless children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverted age, in which you appear like stars in a dark world,

For once you were sheer darkness, but now, as Christians, you are light itself. You must live like children of light,

You are the light of the world! A city that is built upon a hill cannot be hidden.

So you must be on your guard and remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning any of you, even with tears.

So although I did write to you, it was not on account of the offender, nor of the injured man, but in the sight of God to reveal to you your devotion to me.

And besides everything else, the thing that burdens me every day is my anxiety about all the churches.

for I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. I am afraid that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, bad feeling, rivalry, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder,

I begin to be afraid that perhaps the labor I spent on you was wasted.

So you must be on your guard and remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning any of you, even with tears.

So although I did write to you, it was not on account of the offender, nor of the injured man, but in the sight of God to reveal to you your devotion to me.

And besides everything else, the thing that burdens me every day is my anxiety about all the churches.

for I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. I am afraid that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, bad feeling, rivalry, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder,

I begin to be afraid that perhaps the labor I spent on you was wasted.

And as they were talking and discussing them, Jesus himself came up and went with them,

But if we live in the light, just as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.

And they devoted themselves to the teaching and the society of the apostles, the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Once as he was praying in a certain place, when he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, "Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say, 'Father, your name be revered! Your kingdom come! Give us each day our bread for the day, read more.
and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive anyone who wrongs us; and do not subject us to temptation.' " And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him in the middle of the night, and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has just come to my house after a journey, and I have nothing for him to eat,' and he answers from inside, 'Do not bother me; the door is now fastened, and my children and I have gone to bed; I cannot get up and give you any.' I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him some because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rouse himself and give him all he needs. So I tell you, ask, and what you ask will be given you. Search, and you will find what you search for. Knock, and the door will open to you. For it is always the one who asks who receives, and the one who searches who finds, and the one who knocks to whom the door opens. Which of you fathers, if his son asks him for a fish will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? So if you, bad as you are, know enough to give your children what is good, how much more surely will your Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him for it!"

Then one of the Twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests, and said, "What will you give me if I hand him over to you?" And they counted him out thirty silver pieces. And from that time he watched for a good opportunity to hand him over to them.

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the high priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear it and promised to pay him for it. So he was watching for an opportunity to betray him to them.

But Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, a member of the Twelve. And he went off and discussed with the high priests and captains of the Temple how he could betray him to them. And they were delighted and agreed to pay him for it. read more.
And he accepted their offer, and watched for an opportunity to betray him to them without a disturbance.

They answered, "You were born in utter sin, and are you trying to teach us?" So they excluded him from the synagogue.

At present I am glad to be suffering in your interest, and I am making up in my own person what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for the church, which is his body.

Such people lose their connection with the head, from which the whole body through its ligaments and sinews must be governed and united if it is to grow in the divine way.

in order to fit his people for the work of service, for building the body of Christ,

so, many as we are, we form one body through union with Christ, and we are individually parts of one another.

Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it.

but I tell you, Elijah has come already, and they would not recognize him, but treated him just as they pleased. It is in just that way that the Son of Man is going to be treated by them!"

He who is victorious will be clothed thus, in white clothing, and I will not erase his name from the book of life, but I will acknowledge him as mine in the presence of my Father and his angels.

I advise you to buy of me gold that has been tested with fire, so that you may be rich, and white clothes to put on, to keep your shameful nakedness from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, to make you see.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, with twenty-four elders seated on them, clothed in white and with gold crowns on their heads.

After that I saw a great crowd which no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Do not be afraid of what you are going to suffer. See! The devil is going to put some of you into prison to be tested there, and for ten days to endure persecution. Prove faithful even unto death and I will give you the crown of life.

Then they will hand you over to persecution and they will put you to death, and you will be hated by all the heathen because you bear my name.

But be on your guard against men, for they will give you up to their courts, and have you flogged in their synagogues,

But before all this, men will arrest you and persecute you, and hand you over to synagogues and prisons and have you brought before kings and governors on my account.

Remember what I said to you: No slave is greater than his master. If they have persecuted me they will persecute you too. If they have observed my teaching, they will observe yours too.

for I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. I am afraid that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, bad feeling, rivalry, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder,

For I have been informed, my brothers, by Chloe's people, that quarrels are going on among you.

for you are still worldly. For when there are still jealousy and quarrels among you, are you not worldly and living on a merely human level?

but one Christian has to go to law with another, and before unbelievers too?

I appeal to Euodia and I appeal to Syntyche to agree together, as Christians.

Only, everyone must continue in the station which the Lord has appointed for him, and in which he was when God's call came to him. This is the rule I make in all the churches.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that your meetings may not bring down a judgment upon you. The details I will settle when I come.

Hence, if the whole church assembles and they all speak ecstatically, and ordinary people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are crazy?

But let everything be done in a proper and orderly way.

I left you behind in Crete expressly to correct what defects there were, and to appoint elders in each town, as I directed you??6 men of irreproachable character, who have been married only once, whose children are Christians, free from any suspicion of profligacy or disobedience.

Only, everyone must continue in the station which the Lord has appointed for him, and in which he was when God's call came to him. This is the rule I make in all the churches.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that your meetings may not bring down a judgment upon you. The details I will settle when I come.

The apostles and elders had a meeting to look into this matter.

For the holy Spirit and we have decided not to lay upon you any burden but this indispensable one,

Only, everyone must continue in the station which the Lord has appointed for him, and in which he was when God's call came to him. This is the rule I make in all the churches.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that your meetings may not bring down a judgment upon you. The details I will settle when I come.

The apostles and elders had a meeting to look into this matter.

For the holy Spirit and we have decided not to lay upon you any burden but this indispensable one,

A hired man who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, when he sees a wolf coming, will leave the sheep and run away, and the wolf will carry them off and scatter the flock.

But the sight of the crowds of people filled him with pity for them, because they were bewildered and dejected, like sheep that have no shepherd.

Then Jesus said to them, "You will all desert me tonight, for the Scriptures say, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

If a man is inclined to a sect, after warning him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him.

like Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I turned over to Satan, to be taught not to blaspheme.

I appeal to you personally, by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ??he Paul who is so humble when face to face with you, but so bold in dealing with you when he is far away!

I have handed the man over to Satan, for his physical destruction, in order that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.

Those who have kept on in their old sins and all the rest I have warned, and I warn them now while I am still away, as I did on my second visit, that if I come back I will spare nobody??3 since you demand proof that Christ really speaks through me. He is not weak in dealing with you. On the contrary, right among you he exhibits his power.

And I saw the new Jerusalem, the holy city, come down out of heaven from God, like a bride dressed and ready to meet her husband.

"Come," say the Spirit and the bride. Let everyone who hears this say, "Come!" Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wants it come and take without cost living water.

I feel a divine jealousy about you, for I betrothed you to Christ, to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.

Let us be glad and triumphant and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

For a tent was erected, with the lamp and the table and the presentation bread in the outer part, which was called the sanctuary.

But when Christ came, as the high priest of the better system under which we live, he went once for all, through that greater, more perfect tent of worship not made by human hands nor a part of our material creation, into the sanctuary,

He is the head of the church, it is his body; for he is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead??hat he might come to stand first in everything.

He has put everything under his feet and made him the indisputable head of the church,

We must lovingly hold to the truth and grow up into perfect union with him who is the head??hrist himself.

for a husband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, which is his body, and is saved by him.

Such people lose their connection with the head, from which the whole body through its ligaments and sinews must be governed and united if it is to grow in the divine way.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into union with Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?

For we have all??ews or Greeks, slaves or free men??een baptized in one spirit to form one body, and we have all been saturated with one Spirit.

For all of you who have been baptized into union with Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

when in your baptism you were buried with him, and raised to life with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

Baptism, which corresponds to it, now saves you also (not as the mere removing of physical stain, but as the craving for a conscience right with God)??hrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Through him every part of the building is closely united and grows into a temple sacred through its relation to the Lord,

If any one is sick, he should call in the elders of the church and have them pray over him, and pour oil on him in the name of the Lord,

Elders who do their duties well should be considered as deserving twice as much as they get, particularly those who work at preaching and teaching.

and this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

I appeal therefore to those who are elders among you; I am their brother-elder and a witness to what the Christ suffered, and I am to share in the glory that is to be revealed??2 be shepherds of the flock of God that is among you, not as though it were forced upon you but of your own free will, and not from base love of gain but freely,

I left you behind in Crete expressly to correct what defects there were, and to appoint elders in each town, as I directed you??6 men of irreproachable character, who have been married only once, whose children are Christians, free from any suspicion of profligacy or disobedience.

Therefore go and make disciples of all the heathen, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Spirit,

He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.

Jesus answered, "I tell you, if a man does not owe his birth to water and spirit, he cannot get into the Kingdom of God.

Peter said to them, "You must repent, and every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to have your sins forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit,

And he directed that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on there a few days.

constantly praising God and respected by all the people. And every day the Lord added people who were saved to their number.

Hence, if the whole church assembles and they all speak ecstatically, and ordinary people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are crazy?

But I tell you, your name is Peter, a rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not subdue it.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell the congregation. And if he refuses to listen to it, treat him as a heathen or a tax-collector.

For, in the first place, when you meet as a congregation, I hear that you divide into sets, and in a measure I believe it.

As they were eating Jesus took a loaf and blessed it, and he broke it in pieces and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take this and eat it. It is my body!"

As they were eating, he took a loaf and blessed it, and he broke it in pieces and gave it to them saying, "Take this. It is my body."

Does not the consecrated cup which we bless mean that in drinking it we share in the blood of Christ? Does not the bread that we break mean that in eating it we share in the body of Christ?

For I myself received from the Lord the account that I passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus the night he was betrayed took some bread

Obey your leaders and give way to them, for they are keeping watch in defense of your souls, as men accountable for the trust. Make their work a joy and not a grief, for that would be the worse for you.

So give him a hearty Christian welcome, and value men like him very highly,

We beg you, brothers, to respect those who work with you and who lead you in the service of the Lord, and teach you. Hold them in the highest esteem and affection for what they do. Live at peace with one another.

Elders who do their duties well should be considered as deserving twice as much as they get, particularly those who work at preaching and teaching.

Do not forget your former leaders, the men who brought you God's message. Remember how they ended their lives and imitate their faith.

"Receive the holy Spirit! If you forgive any men's sins, they are forgiven them, and if you fix any men's sins upon them, they will remain fixed."

I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you forbid on earth will be held in heaven to be forbidden, and whatever you permit on earth will be held in heaven to be permitted."

"I tell you, whatever you forbid on earth will be held in heaven to be forbidden, and whatever you permit on earth will be held in heaven to be permitted.

As they traveled on from one town to another, they passed on to the brothers for their observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

Obey your leaders and give way to them, for they are keeping watch in defense of your souls, as men accountable for the trust. Make their work a joy and not a grief, for that would be the worse for you.

You are built upon the apostles and prophets as your foundation, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone.

But I tell you, your name is Peter, a rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not subdue it.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Thessalonian church in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; God bless you and give you peace.

so that if I am delayed, you may know how we are to conduct ourselves in the household of God, for it is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

And Herod and his guards made light of him and ridiculed him, and they put a gorgeous robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

This was why the Jews used to persecute Jesus, because he did things like this on the Sabbath.

and they got up and drove him out of the town and took him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, intending to throw him down from it.

After this Jesus went from place to place in Galilee, for he would not do so in Judea, because the Jews were making efforts to kill him.

I know that you are descended from Abraham, yet you want to kill me, because there is no room in your hearts for my teaching.

Like an expert builder, I laid a foundation, as God commissioned me to do, and now someone else is building upon it. But let everyone be careful how he does so.

Through him every part of the building is closely united and grows into a temple sacred through its relation to the Lord,

But I tell you, your name is Peter, a rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not subdue it.

and build yourselves up as living stones into a spiritual house for a consecrated priesthood, so as to offer spiritual sacrifices that through Jesus Christ will be acceptable to God.

but they went on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue there and took seats.

And he left the place and went into their synagogue.

They proceeded to Capernaum, and on the very first Sabbath he went to the synagogue and taught.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went to the synagogue, as he was accustomed to do, and stood up to read the Scriptures.

Let us not neglect meeting together as some do, but let us encourage one another, all the more as you can see that the great Day is coming nearer.

and if children, heirs also; heirs of God, and fellow-heirs with Christ, if we really share his sufferings in order to share his glory too.

And in the very place where they were told, 'You are no people of mine,' They shall be called sons of the living God."

Remember me to Rufus, that eminent Christian, and to his mother, who has been a mother to me.

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is a dear child of mine, in the service of the Lord, and one on whom you can depend, and he will help you to keep in mind my methods in the service of Christ Jesus, which I follow everywhere in every church.

I know that after I am gone savage wolves will get in among you and will not spare the flock,

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

I know that after I am gone savage wolves will get in among you and will not spare the flock,

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Thessalonian church in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; God bless you and give you peace.

so that if I am delayed, you may know how we are to conduct ourselves in the household of God, for it is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Jesus answered, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for human nature has not disclosed this to you, but my Father in heaven! read more.
But I tell you, your name is Peter, a rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not subdue it.

You are built upon the apostles and prophets as your foundation, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone. Through him every part of the building is closely united and grows into a temple sacred through its relation to the Lord, and you are yourselves built up into a dwelling for God through the Spirit.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Thessalonian church in union with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ;

So by whatever appeal there is in our relation to Christ, by whatever incentive there is in love, by whatever participation there is in the Spirit, whatever affection and sympathy,

I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must love one another.

and always whenever I pray for you all I do it with joy,

There was but one heart and soul in the multitude who had become believers, and not one of them claimed anything that belonged to him as his own, but they shared everything they had with one another.

Let the message of Christ live in your hearts in all its wealth of wisdom. Teach it to one another and train one another in it with thankfulness, with psalms, hymns, and sacred songs, and sing to God with all your hearts.

We have gifts that differ with the favor that God has shown us, whether it is that of preaching, differing with the measure of our faith,

Anyone who speaks ecstatically does himself good, but the inspired preacher does a congregation good.

Therefore, the man who can speak ecstatically should pray for the power to explain what he says.

We must lovingly hold to the truth and grow up into perfect union with him who is the head??hrist himself. For it is under his control that the whole system, adjusted and united by each ligament of its equipment, develops in proportion to the functioning of each particular part, and so builds itself up through love.

At Iconium in the same way, they went to the Jewish synagogue and spoke with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

So the churches became stronger and stronger in the faith, and their numbers increased from day to day.

He convinced some of them, and they joined Paul and Silas, along with a great many devout Greeks and a number of the principal women.

But Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, and so did all his household, and many of the people of Corinth heard Paul and believed and were baptized.

At Iconium in the same way, they went to the Jewish synagogue and spoke with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

So the churches became stronger and stronger in the faith, and their numbers increased from day to day.

He convinced some of them, and they joined Paul and Silas, along with a great many devout Greeks and a number of the principal women.

But Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, and so did all his household, and many of the people of Corinth heard Paul and believed and were baptized.

for I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. I am afraid that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, bad feeling, rivalry, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder, and that when I come back my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn over many who have kept on in their old sins and have never repented of the impurity, immorality, and sensuality in which they have indulged.

For I have been informed, my brothers, by Chloe's people, that quarrels are going on among you. What I mean is this, that one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," another, "And I, of Apollos," another, "And I, of Cephas," and another, "And I, of Christ!" Christ has been divided up! But was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

for you are still worldly. For when there are still jealousy and quarrels among you, are you not worldly and living on a merely human level? For when one man says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another, "I am a follower of Apollos," are you not simply human?

For, in the first place, when you meet as a congregation, I hear that you divide into sets, and in a measure I believe it. Doubtless there must be parties among you, if those who are right are to be recognized among you.

and our sister Apphia, and our fellow-soldier Archippus, and the church that meets in your house;

I have had a part in the great contest, I have run my race, I have preserved my faith.

But I feel that I must send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-laborer, and fellow-soldier, whom you sent to look after my needs.

Share my hardships like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

For as God's overseer a superintendent must be irreproachable, not arrogant or quick-tempered or given to drink or pugnacious or addicted to dishonest gain,

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the devoted adherents of Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the superintendents and assistants;

This is a trustworthy saying. Whoever aspires to the office of superintendent sets his heart on a fine work.