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Daily Readings
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Sunday, 24th January 2021 --- 16 Tubah 1737
Readings for Third Sunday of Tubah
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 77 : 18 - 19
Chapter 77
| 18 | The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook.
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| 19 | Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known.
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Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Vespers Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
John 5 : 1 - 18
Chapter 5
| 1 | After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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| 2 | Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
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| 3 | In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
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| 4 | For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
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| 5 | Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
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| 6 | When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
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| 7 | The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
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| 8 | Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."
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| 9 | And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
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| 10 | The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."
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| 11 | He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, "Take up your bed and walk."'
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| 12 | Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, "Take up your bed and walk'?"
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| 13 | But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
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| 14 | Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."
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| 15 | The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
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| 16 | For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
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| 17 | But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."
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| 18 | Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 97 : 6,4
Chapter 97
| 6 | The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory.
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| 4 | His lightnings light the world; The earth sees and trembles.
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Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Matins Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
John 3 : 1 - 21
Chapter 3
| 1 | There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
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| 2 | This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
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| 3 | Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
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| 4 | Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
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| 5 | Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
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| 6 | That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
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| 7 | Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again.'
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| 8 | The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
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| 9 | Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"
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| 10 | Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
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| 11 | Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
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| 12 | If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
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| 13 | No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
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| 14 | And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
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| 15 | that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
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| 16 | For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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| 17 | For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
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| 18 | "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
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| 19 | And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
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| 20 | For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
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| 21 | But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Liturgy Gospel
Paulines Epistle
Paul, the servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, appointed to the Gospel of God.
A reading from the Epistle of our teacher Paul to the Hebrews .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Hebrews 10 : 19 - 39
Chapter 10
| 19 | Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
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| 20 | by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
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| 21 | and having a High Priest over the house of God,
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| 22 | let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
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| 23 | Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
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| 24 | And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
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| 25 | not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
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| 26 | For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
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| 27 | but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
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| 28 | Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
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| 29 | Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
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| 30 | For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people."
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| 31 | It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
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| 32 | But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:
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| 33 | partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;
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| 34 | for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
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| 35 | Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
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| 36 | For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
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| 37 | "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
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| 38 | Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
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| 39 | But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
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The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
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Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 John 4 : 11 - 21
Chapter 4
| 11 | Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
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| 12 | No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
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| 13 | By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
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| 14 | And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
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| 15 | Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
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| 16 | And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
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| 17 | Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
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| 18 | There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
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| 19 | We love Him because He first loved us.
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| 20 | If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
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| 21 | And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
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Do not love the world or the things in the world.
The world passes away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Amen.
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Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.
Acts 2 : 38 - 45
Chapter 2
| 38 | Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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| 39 | For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
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| 40 | And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."
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| 41 | Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
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| 42 | And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
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| 43 | Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
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| 44 | Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
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| 45 | and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
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The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
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Synaxarium
Day 16 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tubah, may God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins after forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers.
Amen.
The SIxteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Tubah
Martyrdom of St.Philotheus
On this day, the honorable
St. Philotheus, whose name means "lover of God", was martyred. He was born
in the City of Antioch, of pagan parents, who worshipped a bull, which
they fed cakes made of fine flour and sesame seed oil mixed with honey.
They also anointed the bull with spices and fine perfumed oils three times
every day, and they gave it wine and oil to drink. They established two
places for the bull, one for the summer, and another for the winter. They
put around its neck a collar of gold, and golden rings in its legs. When
Philotheus was ten years old, his father asked him to worship the bull,
but he refused, his father left him without punishment, for he loved him
as he was his only son. As for St. Philotheus, because of his young age,
he did not know the Living God, and he thought that the sun was the god.
He stood once looking at the sun and said, "I beseech you, 0 sun, if you
are God, tell me." He heard a voice coming from heaven saying, "I am not
God, but I am a servant and a slave to God, Whom you will know, and you
will shed your blood for His Name's sake."
When God saw the integrity
of the child's heart, He sent His angel to inform him about the creation
of the world, and the incarnation of the Lord Christ, for the salvation
of mankind. St.Philotheus was pleased, and rejoiced in his heart. From
that time on, he fasted, prayed and gave alms to the poor and those who
were in distress. After one year had passed, his parents had a great banquet
for their friends, and they asked their son to worship the bull before
they ate and drank. The child stood in front of the bull and said, "Are
you the God that should be worshipped?" A voice came out of the bull saying,
"I am not the God, but the devil has possessed me and I have become a deceiver
of men." Then the bull jumped and attacked his parents and killed them
instantly. The Saint ordered his servants to kill the bull, burn its body
and scatter its ashes.
St. Philotheus prayed to
God for the sake of his parents, and the Lord raised them up from the dead.
Later on, he was baptized along with his parents in the Name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God granted him the gift of healing the sick,
and his repute reached Diocletian, the emperor. He brought him, and ordered
him to offer incense to the idols, but he refused. The Emperor tortured
him with all kinds of tortures, but the Saint never swayed from his determination.
The Emperor tried again to persuade him by deception and flattery, and
the Saint promised to worship Apollo as the Emperor commanded. The Emperor
was pleased to hear this, and he brought Apollo along with 70 other idols,
and 70 pagan priests and a herald went around to call upon the public in
the city. Great multitudes came to watch St. Philotheus worshiping Apollo.
On their way, the saint prayed to the Lord Christ, and the earth was opened
and swallowed the priests and the idol of Apollo. There was a great excitement
and disturbance, and a great multitude believed and confessed the Lord
Christ. The Emperor was exasperated, and ordered them all beheaded, and
they received the crown of martyrdom. St. Philotheus was also beheaded,
and he received the crown of life.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Departure of St.John the Fourth, the
Forty-Eighth Pope of Alexandria
On this day also, in the
year 792 A.D,, St. John the Fourth, 48th Pope of Alexandria, departed.
He became a monk in St. Macarius' monastery. He persevered in intense worship
and was reputed for his ascetic life. He was chosen by Pope Michael, 46th
Pope of Alexandria and ordained a priest for the Church of St. Mina. Pope
Michael entrusted him to manage the affairs of the church and to lead the
people and direct all its property and offerings. He excelled in his duties.
When Anba Mina, 47th Pope of Alexandria, departed, the bishops, the priests,
and the scholars of the City of Alexandria gathered and nominated several
monks. They wrote the name of each of them on a piece of paper, and the
name of Father John was among them. The bishops prayed and celebrated the
Divine Liturgy for three days. Then, on the third day, they brought a child
to draw one of the names. They found it to be the name of this saint, Father
John. They returned the paper, mixed it with the other papers, and brought
another child, who drew the same paper. This was repeated a third time.
They were sure that the Lord had chosen Fr. John to become the next pope.
They took him and ordained him patriarch in 768 A.D. He shepherded his
flock well. He always preached the people confirming them in the Orthodox
faith. He was also merciful to the poor and the needy.
During his days, there was
a famine, to the point that one measure of grain (a Bushel) was sold for
two Dinari. Many poor from different beliefs gathered every day at his
door. He delegated to his disciple Mark to use the money of the churches
to feed the poor and satisfy their needs. He offered to everyone without
distinction of faith until God removed this famine. Anba John was dedicated
to building many churches. When the time of his departure drew near, he
called on the priests and said to them, "On the 16th of Tubah, I was born
and was also ordained Pope, and on this day also I will depart from this
world." When the bishops and the priests heard this, they wept and said,
"Who would become our Father after you?" He said to them, "The Lord Jesus
Christ has chosen my disciple Fr. Mark to this rank." After he had completed
23 years and several months in the papacy, he departed in peace.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
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Divine Psalm
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet, and the Good King.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 66 : 12,8
Chapter 66
| 12 | You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
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| 8 | Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
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Hallelujah.
Divine Gospel
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
John 3 : 22 - 36
Chapter 3
| 22 | After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
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| 23 | Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
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| 24 | For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
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| 25 | Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.
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| 26 | And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"
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| 27 | John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
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| 28 | You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I am not the Christ,' but, "I have been sent before Him.'
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| 29 | He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
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| 30 | He must increase, but I must decrease.
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| 31 | He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
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| 32 | And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.
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| 33 | He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
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| 34 | For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
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| 35 | The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
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| 36 | He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Acknowledgement
Opening page