the Profiteer

The Scripture text of this study uses a color-coding system which might be helpful to you to use in studying your own Bible. The meanings of the color coding are as follows:

color key

Color markings in Scriptures found here are meant as an aid in understanding the topics and princples to which the Biblical phrases refer.

blue = God

red = commands

green = promises

pink = prophecy

orange = truth, wisdom, knowledge and understanding

brown = sin to avoid, effects of sin, or the basic nature of man

red underline = examples to follow

other color underlines have the same meanings, but as a secondary emphasis to the text color

section 1

john 10:11-21

john 10:11-21  esv 

I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, One Shepherd.

For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My Own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father."

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?"

Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

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my notes:

section 2

john 10:112-13  esv 

He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

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reference scriptures

ii corinthians 2:17  csb 

For we do not market the word of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

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i timothy 6:5-6  esv 

...people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain...

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i timothy 3:3  esv 

{an elder must be} not a lover of money.

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jude 1:12, 16  nlt 

They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves.

These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.

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my notes:

ii peter 2:15  nkjv 

They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness...

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galatians 4:17  nasb 

They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

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ezekiel 34:8-10  niv84 

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

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my notes:

micah 3:1-5  esv 

And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?— you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people and their flesh from off their bones, who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron.

Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.

Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths.

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luke 11:23  esv 

Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.

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my notes:

judges 9:15, 19-20  esv 

And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

...if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.

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galatians 5:13-15  esv 

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

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philippians 2:20-21  esv 

For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

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my notes:

matthew 13:20-21  esv 

As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the Word, immediately he falls away.

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ii corinthians 11:13-15, 20  esv 

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

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philippians 1:15-18  esv 

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

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my notes:

i john 2:19  esv 

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

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i samuel 17:34-37  esv 

But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,

I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God."

And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

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my notes:

iii john 9, 11  esv 

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

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i corinthians 10:24  csb 

No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

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my notes: