Study Desk

But they did not understand what He had said to them.

John answered them all by saying, "As for me, I baptize you [only] with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire.

"His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire."

But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was repeatedly reprimanded [and convicted by John's disapproval] for having Herodias, his brother's wife [as his own], and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,

"But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was closed up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;

and yet Elijah was not sent [by the Lord] to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

But passing [miraculously] through the crowd, He went on His way.

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent (muzzled, gagged) and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown the man down among them, he came out of him without injuring him in any way.

Demons also were coming out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

But He said, "I must preach [the good news of] the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because I was sent for this purpose."

that He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.

Simon replied, "Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again]."

But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

Jesus ordered him to tell no one [that he might happen to meet], "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony (witness) to them [that this is a work of Messiah]."

But the news about Him was spreading farther, and large crowds kept gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their illnesses.

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof [and removed some tiles to make an opening] and lowered him through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.

But Jesus, knowing their [hostile] thoughts, answered them, "Why are you questioning [these things] in your hearts?

"But, in order that you may know that the Son of Man (the Messiah) has authority and power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralyzed man, "I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher and go home."

And Jesus replied to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but [only] those who are sick.