Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the labourers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out labourers into his harvest.
Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”
I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you don’t bear it yourself alone.
“It is like a man travelling to another country, having left his house and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.
They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.
Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.
God has set some in the assembly: first emissaries, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.
But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Messiah, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
For you remember, brothers, our labour and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.
For to this end we both labour and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe.
“To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks amongst the seven golden lamp stands says these things: