a thread opens
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say to you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
The Vigil
Today’s scroll, one verse at a time — each linked to the last by the cross-references rather than by any model of you. The same vigil for everyone, and a different one tomorrow.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil;
from Luke 3:8
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cling to that which is good.
from Isaiah 1:16
By pureness, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,
from Romans 12:9
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
from II Corinthians 6:6
And I, brothers, when I came to you, came not with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God.
from I Corinthians 2:4
a thread opens
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
from I Corinthians 8:4
And there are varieties of workings, but it is the same God which works all in all.
from Ephesians 4:6
And when all things shall be subdued to him, then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, so that God may be all in all.
from I Corinthians 12:6
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
from I Corinthians 15:28
a thread opens
By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Who have for my life laid down their own necks: to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
from I John 3:16
Therefore thus says the LORD; Look, against this family do I devise an evil, from which you shall not remove your necks; neither shall you go haughtily: for this time is evil.
from Romans 16:4
Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
from Micah 2:3 · a strong link
a thread opens
But the anointing which you have received of him remains in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall remain in him.
For we have not followed cleverly devised myths, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
from I John 2:27
And it happened about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
from II Peter 1:16
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
from Luke 9:28
And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart,
from Matthew 26:37
And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
from Matthew 17:1
But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
from Mark 5:37
a thread opens
And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, varieties of tongues.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.
from I Corinthians 12:28
Remember your leaders, who have spoken to you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conduct.
from I Timothy 5:17
And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
from Hebrews 13:7 · a strong link
Now there were in the church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
from Acts 14:23
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
from Acts 13:1
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I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, who are present here, to offer willingly to you.
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conduct in the world, and more abundantly toward you.
from I Chronicles 29:17
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
from II Corinthians 1:12 · a strong link
But have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
from II Corinthians 2:17 · a strong link
Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest to God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
from II Corinthians 4:2 · a strong link
a thread opens
Clean out therefore the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
And I saw, and, look, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
from I Corinthians 5:7
And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.
And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped him that lives for ever and ever.
from Revelation of John 5:8 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Luke 3:8 along this chain. Today’s own vigil is laid separately.
Each verse follows the one before it along the chain a study Bible draws — a century old, public, and compiled by people arguing about Scripture rather than about how long you stay. Every card says which verse it came from and opens the chapter it belongs to. Today’s vigil is the same for every reader and is worked out from the date alone, so there is no account, no counter, and nothing stored in your browser or ours.
The text is the Lantern Modern Standard. The links are openbible.info’s cross-reference set (CC BY), the same apparatus behind the reader’s Echoes drawer. Read a whole book · Today’s table