I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,
Parallel translations
- WEB But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
- KJV But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
- ESV But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,
- NKJV But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
- NASB But I confess this to you, that in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and is written in the Prophets;
- NLT “But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul confesses that he worships the God of his fathers according to 'the Way,' believing all that is written in the Law and the Prophets. He claims continuity with Israel's true faith, not a rebellious sect.
Overview
Paul reframes the charge of belonging to a 'sect': following the Way is not apostasy but the fulfillment of Israel's Scriptures. He affirms that Christian faith is rooted in the Law and the Prophets, which testify to Christ. Far from abandoning the God of the patriarchs, Paul insists he serves him rightly by trusting the Messiah those Scriptures foretold.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 39
- Acts 9:2and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- Rom 3:21But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.
- Acts 28:23So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
- Acts 3:13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him.
- Acts 26:22But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
- Acts 24:5We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
- 2 Tim 1:3I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.
- Acts 13:15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.”
- Acts 26:27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
- Acts 24:22Then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “When Lysias the commander comes, I will decide your case.”
- Acts 19:9But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- Rev 19:10So I fell at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
- Ps 119:46I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed.
- Matt 22:40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
- Luke 24:44Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
- Luke 16:16The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
- Mic 4:2And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
- Acts 22:14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.
- Acts 26:6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
- 1 Chr 29:18O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You.
- Matt 7:12In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
- Luke 24:27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.
- Luke 1:70as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past,
- 1 Pet 1:11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
- Amos 8:14Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.”
- Luke 16:29But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’
- Acts 3:22–24For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.
- 2 Pet 2:1–2Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
- 1 Cor 11:19And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.
- John 5:39–47You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,
- John 1:45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
- Exod 3:15God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
- Matt 10:32Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
- Acts 19:23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
- Acts 10:43All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
- Titus 3:10Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,
- Acts 7:32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
- Acts 5:30The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.
- Gal 5:20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions,
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