a thread opens
You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
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.
Seven days you shall make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatever touches the altar shall be holy.
from Matthew 23:19 · a strong link
And you shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
from Exodus 29:37
And you shall offer every day a young bull for a sin offering for atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you have made an atonement for it, and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it.
from Exodus 40:10
And you shall anoint the tent of meeting with it, and the ark of the covenant,
from Exodus 29:36
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the gospel.
from Acts 20:21
And saying, Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
from Mark 1:15 · a strong link
I say to you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety-nine just persons, which need no repentance.
from Matthew 3:2
It was fitting that we should celebrate, and be glad: for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
from Luke 15:7 · a strong link
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
from Luke 15:32 · a strong link
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
from Acts 13:38
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
from Acts 5:31
And he has on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
from Matthew 28:18 · a strong link
Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name:
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
from Philippians 2:9 · a strong link
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
from Hebrews 2:9 · a strong link
a thread opens
Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
from Acts 17:31
I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
from Romans 2:16
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
from II Timothy 4:1
a thread opens
For truly against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
from Acts 4:30
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor bronze in your purses,
from Acts 3:6
And he said to them, When I sent you without purse, and pouch, and shoes, lacked you anything? And they said, Nothing.
from Matthew 10:9 · a strong link
a thread opens
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
from Acts 7:51
And why has the LORD brought us to this land, to fall by the sword, so that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
from Acts 7:39
But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.
from Numbers 14:3
Moreover your little ones, which you said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in there, and to them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
from Numbers 14:31
Butter and honey shall he eat, so that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
from Deuteronomy 1:39 · a strong link
a thread opens
And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles.
But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
from Acts 22:21 · a strong link
At my first defense no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
from Acts 9:15
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
from II Timothy 4:16 · a strong link
Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his apparel, and cast lots.
from Acts 7:60
They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
from Luke 23:34 · a strong link
And he that is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
from Psalms 106:16
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Matthew 23:19 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