His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already made this decision about Jesus. Anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

他父母说这话，是怕犹太人；因为犹太人已经商议定了，若有认耶稣是基督的，要把他赶出会堂。

他父母说这些话，是怕犹太人，因为犹太人已经商定，若有宣认耶稣是基督的，要把他赶出会堂。

他父母说这些话，是怕犹太人，因为犹太人已经商定，若有宣认耶稣是基督的，要把他赶出会堂。

他父母因为害怕那些犹太人，所以才这样说，因为那些犹太人早就商量好了，谁承认耶稣是基督，就把他赶出会堂。

他的父母这样说，是因为怕犹太人，原来犹太人已经定好了，不论谁承认耶稣是基督，就要把那人赶出会堂。

他的父母说这些话，是因为怕那些犹太人。原来那些犹太人已经说好，如果有人承认耶稣是基督，就要把他赶出会堂。

他父母說這話，是怕猶太人；因為猶太人已經商議定了，若有認耶穌是基督的，要把他趕出會堂。

他父母說這些話，是怕猶太人，因為猶太人已經商定，若有宣認耶穌是基督的，要把他趕出會堂。

他父母說這些話，是怕猶太人，因為猶太人已經商定，若有宣認耶穌是基督的，要把他趕出會堂。

他父母因為害怕那些猶太人，所以才這樣說，因為那些猶太人早就商量好了，誰承認耶穌是基督，就把他趕出會堂。

他的父母這樣說，是因為怕猶太人，原來猶太人已經定好了，不論誰承認耶穌是基督，就要把那人趕出會堂。

他父母說這些話，是因為怕猶太人；因為猶太人已經約定了、若有人承認耶穌為基督，就該從會堂裏被革除。

他的父母說這些話，是因為怕那些猶太人。原來那些猶太人已經說好，如果有人承認耶穌是基督，就要把他趕出會堂。

父母言此、懼猶太人也、因猶太人約定、有認耶穌為基督者、必逐之於會堂、

父母言此、蓋懼猶太人、猶太人約、凡稱耶穌為基督者、必逐之出會堂、

其父母言此、懼猶太人故也、蓋猶太人已定議、若有人認耶穌為基督、必逐之出會、

父母之作此語、以懾於猶太人耳。蓋猶太人時已有成議、有敢認耶穌為基督者、必開除其教籍；

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

( His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.

His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as the Messiah, he would be banned from the synagogue.

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already reached the decision that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be excommunicated from the synagogue.

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

These things said his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him as Messiah, he would be banned from the synagogue.

These[ words] spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

( His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

You will be thrown out of the synagogue. In fact, the time is coming when someone may kill you. And they will think they are doing God a favor.

But no one would say anything about him openly. They were afraid of the leaders.

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they have nothing to do with you and say bad things about you, and when they treat your name as something evil. They do all this because you are followers of the Son of Man.

Then the Pharisees replied,“ When you were born, you were already deep in sin. How dare you talk like that to us!” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

His speech won the leaders over. They called the apostles in and had them whipped. The leaders ordered them not to speak in Jesus’ name. Then they let the apostles go.

Later Joseph asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a follower of Jesus. But he followed Jesus secretly because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. After Pilate gave him permission, Joseph came and took the body away.

“ Who are you so afraid of that you have not been faithful to me? You have not remembered me. What you do doesn’t even bother you. I have not punished you for a long time. That is why you are not afraid of me.

A female servant saw him sitting there in the firelight. She looked closely at him. Then she said,“ This man was with Jesus.”But Peter said he had not been with him.“ Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.A little later someone else saw Peter.“ You also are one of them,” he said.“ No,” Peter replied.“ I’m not!”About an hour later, another person spoke up.“ This fellow must have been with Jesus,” he said.“ He is from Galilee.”Peter replied,“ Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.The Lord turned and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had spoken to him.“ The rooster will crow today,” Jesus had said.“ Before it does, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”

No outsider dared to join them. But the people thought highly of them.

Once again the leaders called in Peter and John. They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in Jesus’ name.

Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees. They asked the guards,“ Why didn’t you bring him in?”“ No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.“ You mean he has fooled you also?” the Pharisees asked.“ Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him?No! But this mob knows nothing about the law. There is a curse on them.”Then Nicodemus, a Pharisee, spoke. He was the one who had gone to Jesus earlier. He asked,“ Does our law find a man guilty without hearing him first? Doesn’t it want to find out what he is doing?”They replied,“ Are you from Galilee too? Look into it. You will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came in and stood among them. He said,“ May peace be with you!”

At the same time that Jesus did those signs, many of the Jewish leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees, they would not openly admit they believed. They were afraid they would be thrown out of the synagogue.They loved praise from people more than praise from God.

“ My friends, listen to me. Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t do any more than that.I will show you whom you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you have been killed. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him.Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God does not forget even one of them.In fact, he even counts every hair on your head! So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.“ What about someone who says in front of others that he knows me? I tell you, the Son of Man will say in front of God’s angels that he knows that person.But what about someone who says in front of others that he doesn’t know me? I, the Son of Man, will say in front of God’s angels that I don’t know him.

“ Listen to me, you who know what is right. Pay attention, you who have taken my instruction to heart. Do not be afraid when mere human beings make fun of you. Do not be terrified when they laugh at you.

When Peter came to Antioch, I told him to his face that I was against what he was doing. He was clearly wrong.He used to eat with the Gentiles. But certain men came from a group sent by James. When they arrived, Peter began to draw back. He separated himself from the Gentiles. That’s because he was afraid of the circumcision group sent by James.Peter’s actions were not honest, and other Jews in Antioch joined him. Even Barnabas was led astray.

The Lord is my light, and he saves me. Why should I fear anyone? The Lord is my place of safety. Why should I be afraid?My enemies are evil. They will trip and fall when they attack me and try to swallow me up.

If you are afraid of people, it will trap you. But if you trust in the Lord, he will keep you safe.

The Lord says to his people,“ I comfort you because of who I am. Why are you afraid of mere human beings? They are like grass that dries up.

But others will be thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who make themselves impure will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practice witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. The lake of fire is the second death.”