Do you consider it a small matter that the God of Israel has set you apart from the rest of the community, so that you can approach him, perform your service in the LORD's Tent, and minister to the community and serve them?

When you complain against Aaron, it is really against the LORD that you and your followers are rebelling."

Then the stick of the man I have chosen will sprout. In this way I will put a stop to the constant complaining of these Israelites against you."

The LORD, the God of Israel, chose me and my descendants to rule Israel forever. He chose the tribe of Judah to provide leadership, and out of Judah he chose my father's family. From all that family it was his pleasure to take me and make me king over all Israel.

He gave me many sons, and out of them all he chose Solomon to rule over Israel, the LORD's kingdom.

"I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations."

But, LORD, I never urged you to bring disaster on them; I did not wish a time of trouble for them. LORD, you know this; you know what I have said.

But the LORD took me from my work as a shepherd and ordered me to come and prophesy to his people Israel.

He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip.

It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch.

Through him God gave me the privilege of being an apostle for the sake of Christ, in order to lead people of all nations to believe and obey.

So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have;

From Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes---

We have not received this world's spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.

Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.

After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do:

Who made you superior to others? Didn't God give you everything you have? Well, then, how can you boast, as if what you have were not a gift?

But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person.

But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God's grace working with me.

From Paul, whose call to be an apostle did not come from human beings or by human means, but from Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from death.

From Paul, who by God's will is an apostle of Christ Jesus--- To God's people in Ephesus, who are faithful in their life in union with Christ Jesus:

I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power.

I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ,

and that is why I was sent as an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to proclaim the message of faith and truth. I am not lying; I am telling the truth!

Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.

Each one, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.

Those who preach must preach God's messages; those who serve must serve with the strength that God gives them, so that in all things praise may be given to God through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

No one chooses for himself the honor of being a high priest. It is only by God's call that a man is made a high priest---just as Aaron was.

In the same way, Christ did not take upon himself the honor of being a high priest. Instead, God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father."

Where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?" They started to argue among themselves, "What shall we say? If we answer, 'From God,' he will say to us, 'Why, then, did you not believe John?'

Tell me, where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?"

They started to argue among themselves: "What shall we say? If we answer, 'From God,' he will say, 'Why, then, did you not believe John?'