Bible verses about "work conflict" | AUV

¹⁴ You people are [like] light in the world. A city built on a hill will not go unnoticed. ¹⁵ Neither does a person light an [olive oil] lamp and place it under a bushel-sized container, but on a stand where it can illuminate everything in the house. ¹⁶ In that same way, you should allow your light [i.e., influence] to shine in front of people, so that they will see your good deeds and [be led to] honor your Father in heaven.

¹ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, ² saying, “The experts in the law of Moses and the Pharisees teach by the authority of Moses. ³ Therefore, observe and practice everything they urge upon you, but do not follow their example [of living] because they say [the right things] but do not do them. ⁴ Yes, they require people to bear heavy and difficult responsibilities, and place them on people’s shoulders [to carry out], but they themselves will not lift a finger to do them. ⁵ But they do all their deeds just to be seen by people. They wear elaborate Scripture texts displayed on their clothing and enlarge [conspicuously] the fringes of their robes. ⁶ They love to recline at the head place at dinner tables [Note: This referred to the practice of lying down on their left side on a couch next to the dinner table, and leaning on their left elbow, while eating with their right hand], and to occupy the principal seats in the synagogues. ⁷ They love the [special] greetings they receive at the open shopping markets and to be addressed as ‘Rabbi’ [Note: This word signified ‘great’ or ‘master’]. ⁸ But you should not assume the title ‘Rabbi,’ for [only] one is your teacher [i.e., Jesus Himself] and all of you are [simply] brothers. ⁹ And do not call any man on earth ‘father,’ [i.e., in a religious sense], for the [only] one who is your Father is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither assume the title ‘Master’ [i.e., teacher], for [only] one is your Master, the Christ [i.e., God’s specially chosen one]. ¹¹ But the greatest person among you will be your servant. ¹² And whoever exalts himself [as important] will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted [as important]. ¹³ “But it is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! [It is] because you withhold the kingdom of heaven from people, for you do not enter it yourselves, nor [do you] allow those who are trying to enter it to get in. {[{[Verse ¹⁴ is absent from the oldest manuscripts]}]} ¹⁵ “It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you travel over land and sea [in hope of] making one person a proselyte [i.e., a convert to the Jewish religion]. And when you do convert one, you make him twice as deserving of hell as yourselves. ¹⁶ “It is too bad for you blind leaders who say that whoever takes an oath ‘by the Temple,’ it does not [really] mean anything, but whoever takes an oath ‘by the gold of the Temple,’ he is obligated to [fulfill] the oath. ¹⁷ You foolish, blind people! Which is greater, the gold or the Temple that makes its gold sacred? ¹⁸ And [you say], whoever takes an oath ‘by the Altar,’ it does not [really] mean anything, but whoever takes an oath ‘by the gift on the Altar,’ he is obligated to [fulfill] the oath. ¹⁹ You blind people! Which is more important, the gift or the Altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ The person, therefore, who takes an oath ‘by the Altar,’ [not only] swears by it, but [also] by everything on it. ²¹ And the person who takes an oath ‘by the Temple,’ [not only] swears by it, but [also] by Him [i.e., God] who lives there. ²² And the person who takes an oath ‘by heaven,’ swears ‘by the throne of God,’ and [also] by Him [i.e., God] who sits on it. ²³ “It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you give a tenth of your mint, dill and cumin [i.e., small garden herbs used for seasoning or fragrance], and [yet] neglect the heavier responsibilities required by the law, [such as] justice, mercy and faith. You should have done these [”lighter”] things and not neglected to do the other [”heavier”] things [as well]. ²⁴ You blind leaders, who strain out a [tiny] gnat [i.e., from your drinking water] and [yet] swallow a [whole] camel. ²⁵ “It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you [carefully] wash the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they [i.e., such evil people] are full of greed and uncontrolled desire. ²⁶ You blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup and dish, so [then] the outside will be clean also. ²⁷ “It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you are like white-washed tombs, used for burial [sites], which appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones and decaying flesh of dead people. ²⁸ Even so, you also appear on the outside to be doing right in front of people, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and sin. ²⁹ “It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you construct burial sites for the prophets and decorate the tombs of people who were righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If [only] we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we [certainly] would not have participated with them in [shedding] the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ [But by saying this] you are witnesses [against] yourselves, that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets [i.e., indicating your approval of their actions]. ³² So [then], fulfill the pattern of behavior begun by your forefathers. ³³ You snakes! You children of snakes! How do you expect to escape being judged [and condemned] in hell? ³⁴ Therefore look, I am sending to you prophets, wise men and scholarly teachers. You will murder and crucify some of them; you will whip some of them in your synagogues and pursue them from town to town. ³⁵ [This will be done] so that on you may fall the guilt for shedding on the ground the blood of all those innocent people, from the blood of righteous Abel to that of Barachiah’s son Zachariah, whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the Altar [i.e., in the Temple area]. ³⁶ Truly I tell you, this generation will bear [the guilt for] all these things. ³⁷ “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [you people] who murdered the prophets and stoned those who were sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather you people together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁸ Look, your house [i.e., the Jewish Temple] is being abandoned [by me?]. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me from now on until [the time when] you will be saying, ‘Praise the one who is coming in the name of the Lord!’”

¹⁴ Do not team up with unbelievers [i.e., in close relationships, such as marriage, etc.]. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or, what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ And what harmony can Christ have with Belial? [Note: “Belial” means “worthlessness” and was used for referring to the devil]. Or, what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement is there between a temple of God and idols? For we are a temple of the living God, just as God said [Lev. 26:12], “I will live in them and walk among them [i.e., among His people]; and I will be their God and they will be my people.”

³⁵ But love your enemies and do good things to them; and lend to them without expecting it to be returned, and your reward [i.e., from God] will be great and you will be [considered] sons of the Highest [i.e., God]. For He is kind to unthankful and evil people [as well].

¹¹ [We also urge you to] make it your aim to live a quiet life, and to attend to your own business matters, and to work with your hands, as we urged you. [Note: Possibly this exhortation was directed toward the tendency of some people there to neglect ordinary responsibilities in view of an imminent return of Christ]. ¹² [Do these things] so that you will live in a proper way in front of outsiders [i.e., non-Christians], and not have [to depend on people for] any needs.

³⁷ And do not pass [hypocritical] judgment [on other people. See Matt. 7:1-5] and you will not receive such judgment [on yourselves]. And do not condemn [others] and you will not be condemned [yourselves]. Release people [i.e., from guilt for offending you] and you will be released [i.e., by God?] ³⁸ Give [to others] and you will have [things] given to you. People will pour into your lap a full measure [of goods]; it will be pressed down, shaken together and running over [the edges]. Because the standard you use in giving [to others] will be the standard used [by them or God] in giving back to you.”

²³ In whatever you do, work wholeheartedly, as though it were for the Lord and not [just] for people, ²⁴ knowing that you will receive from the Lord a [spiritual] inheritance as a reward, [for] you are [really] serving the Lord.