"You did not chooseMe but I choseyou, and appointedyou that you would goand bearfruit,and [that] your fruitwould remain,sothat whateveryou askof the Fatherin My nameHe may giveto you.
"Ifyou were of the world,the worldwould loveits own;but becauseyou are not of the world,but I choseyou out of the world,becauseof thisthe worldhatesyou.
For we are His workmanship,createdin ChristJesusfor goodworks,whichGodprepared beforehandsothat we would walkin them.
And whendaycame,He calledHis disciplesto Him and chosetwelveof them, whomHe alsonamedas apostles:
But whenGod, who had set me apart[even] from my mother'swomband calledme throughHis grace,was pleased
We love,becauseHe firstlovedus.
"And he said,The Godof our fathershas appointedyou to knowHis willand to seethe Righteous Oneand to hearan utterancefrom His mouth.
The things whichyou have heardfrom me in the presenceof manywitnesses,entrusttheseto faithfulmenwhowill be ableto teachothersalso.
"I do not speakof allof you. I knowthe onesI have chosen;but [it is] that the Scripturemay be fulfilled,HE WHO EATSMY BREADHAS LIFTEDUP HIS HEELAGAINSTME.'
Jesusansweredthem, "Did I Myselfnot chooseyou, the twelve,and [yet] oneof you is a devil?"
but sanctifyChristas Lordin your hearts,always[being] readyto make a defenseto everyonewho asksyou to give an accountfor the hopethat is in you, yetwith gentlenessand reverence;
And evenwhen[I am] oldand gray,O God,do not forsakeme, UntilI declareYour strengthto [this] generation,Your powerto allwho are to come.
In thisis love,not that we lovedGod,but that He lovedus and sentHis Son[to be] the propitiationfor our sins.
The fruitof the righteousis a treeof life,And he who is wisewinssouls.
And they prayedand said,"You, Lord,who know the heartsof all men,showwhichoneof thesetwoYou have chosen
In the days to comeJacobwill takeroot,Israelwill blossomand sprout,And they will fillthe wholeworldwith fruit.
as they observeyour chasteand respectfulbehavior.
For whateverwas written in earlier timeswas writtenfor our instruction,sothat throughperseveranceand the encouragementof the Scriptureswe might havehope.
But the Lordsaidto him, "Go,for he is a choseninstrumentof Mine,to bearMy namebeforethe Gentilesand kingsand the sonsof Israel;
"And all thingsyou askin prayer,believing,you will receive."
One generationshall praiseYour worksto another,And shall declareYour mightyacts.
for whichI was appointeda preacherand an apostleand a teacher.
Nowthese thingshappenedto them as an example,and they were writtenfor our instruction,upon whomthe endsof the ageshave come.
Ordoes not the potterhavea rightover the clay,to makefrom the samelumponevesselfor honorable useand anotherfor common use?
And the seed whose fruitis righteousnessis sownin peaceby thosewho makepeace.
By faithAbelofferedto Goda bettersacrificethanCain,throughwhichhe obtainedthe testimonythat he was righteous,Godtestifyingabouthis gifts,and throughfaith, though he is dead,he stillspeaks.
For thisreasonI leftyou in Crete,that you would set in orderwhat remainsand appointeldersin everycityas I directedyou,
which has cometo you, justas in allthe worldalsoit is constantly bearing fruitand increasing,evenas [it has been doing] in you alsosincethe dayyou heard[of it] and understoodthe graceof Godin truth;
throughwhomwe have receivedgraceand apostleshipto bring about[the] obedienceof faithamongallthe Gentilesfor His name'ssake,
not to allthe people,but to witnesseswho were chosen beforehandby God,[that is], to us whoateand drankwith Him afterHe arosefrom the dead.
For thisI was appointeda preacherand an apostle(I am tellingthe truth,I am not lying)as a teacherof the Gentilesin faithand truth.
ifindeedyou continuein the faithfirmly establishedand steadfast,and not moved awayfrom the hopeof the gospelthat you have heard,which was proclaimedin allcreationunderheaven,and of whichI, Paul,was madea minister.
Then the remnantof JacobWill be amongmanypeoplesLike dewfrom the LORD,Like showerson vegetationWhichdo not waitfor manOr delayfor the sonsof men.
since Abrahamwill surelybecomea greatand mightynation,and in him allthe nationsof the earthwill be blessed?
I do not wantyou to be unaware,brethren,that oftenI have plannedto cometo you (and have been preventedsofar)sothat I may obtainsomefruitamongyou also,evenas amongthe restof the Gentiles.
but you will receivepowerwhen the HolySpirithas comeupon you; and you shall be My witnessesbothin Jerusalem,and in allJudeaand Samaria,and evento the remotest partof the earth."
"Ask,and it will be givento you; seek,and you will find;knock,and it will be openedto you.
"I amthe vine,you are the branches;he who abidesin Me and I in him, he bearsmuchfruit,for apartfrom Me you candonothing.
