a thread opens
But the righteousness which is of faith speaks in this way, Say not in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
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.
Therefore he said, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.
from Romans 10:6
You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive: you have received gifts for men; yes, for the rebellious also, so that the LORD God might dwell among them.
from Ephesians 4:8 · a strong link
Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead your captivity captive, you son of Abinoam.
from Psalms 68:18 · a strong link
Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
from Judges 5:12 · a strong link
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is the testimony, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
from Acts 20:21
And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life.
from I John 5:11 · a strong link
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;)
from I John 2:25
He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, so that he might destroy the works of the devil.
from I John 1:2 · a strong link
Saying, Leave us alone; what have we to do with you, you Jesus of Nazareth? have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are, the Holy One of God.
from I John 3:8 · 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:
And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
from Acts 13:38
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
from II Corinthians 5:18
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away are made near by the blood of Christ.
from Colossians 1:20
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, says the LORD; and I will heal him.
from Ephesians 2:13 · a strong link
For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are in the distance, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
from Isaiah 57:19 · a strong link
Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
from Acts 2:39
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.
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
from Acts 17:31
Before the LORD; for he comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
from Psalms 9:8
Say among the pagans that the LORD reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
from Psalms 98:9
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,
And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
from Matthew 27:2 · a strong link
Saying, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and dared not look.
from Acts 3:13
I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
from Acts 7:32
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.
But they rebelled, and troubled his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
from Acts 7:51
And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption.
from Isaiah 63:10 · a strong link
And he said, Hear now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?
from Ephesians 4:30
And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
from Isaiah 7:13
Say not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear their fear, nor be afraid.
from Isaiah 7:2
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
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office:
from Acts 9:15
To reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach him among the pagans; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
from Romans 11:13
And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father in heaven.
from Galatians 1:16 · a strong link
So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, love you me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs.
from Matthew 16:17
Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with inexpressible joy and full of glory:
from John 21:15
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Romans 10:6 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