Chapter III

CHRIST CALLING THE TWELVE APOSTLES, THE CHARACTER OF HIS MIRACLES, ETC., AND HIS LOVE FOR HIS DISCIPLES.

1 [3:13]AND he went up on the mountain, and called whom he would; and they went to him. [3:14]And he appointed twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, [3:15]and have power to cast out demons. [3:16]And he gave to Simon the name of Peter. [He appointed him], [3:17]and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James--and he gave them the names of Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder-- [3:18]and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot, [3:19]and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And they came into a house, [3:20]and again a multitude came together, so that they could not eat bread. [3:21]And those with him hearing of it, went out to take him; for they said, He is beside himself.

2 [3:22]And the scribes coming down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebul, and casts out demons by the ruler of demons. [3:23]And calling them, he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? [3:24]And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand; [3:25]and if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand; [3:26]and if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. [3:27]But no one can enter into the house of a strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. [3:28]I tell you truly, That all sins and blasphemies with which they blaspheme shall be forgiven the children of men; [3:29]but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit shall never have forgiveness, but is the subject of an eternal mistake; [3:30]because they said, He has an impure spirit.

3 [3:31]Then came his brothers and his mother, and standing without, sent to him to call him. [3:32]And a multitude sat around him. And they said to him, Behold your mother, and your brothers, and your sisters seek you without. [3:33] And he answered them and said, Who is my mother, or my brothers? [3:34]And looking round on those sitting about him, he said, Behold my mother, and my brothers! [3:35]Whoever shall do the will of God, this is my brother, and sister, and mother.