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Key Passages
Key Passages
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
Romans 6:3–5 (NASB)
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Pericopes
Pericopes
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Bring her into the wilderness,
And speak kindly to her.
“Then I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the valley of Achor as a door of hope.
And she will sing there as in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
“And it will come about in that day,” declares the Lord, “That you will call Me Ishi
And will no longer call Me Baali.
“For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth,
So that they will be mentioned by their names no more.
“In that day I will also make a covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
The birds of the sky,
And the creeping things of the ground.
And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land,
And will make them lie down in safety.
“And I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
In lovingkindness and in compassion,
And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will know the Lord.
“And it will come about in that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil,
And they will respond to Jezreel.
“And I will sow her for Myself in the land.
I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion,
And I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’
And they will say, ‘Thou art my God!’”
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.“He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.“And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward.”
And it came about that when Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.“For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.“For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.“And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.“And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink?‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?‘And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’“Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’“Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
And while they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it; and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.”And when He had taken a cup, and given thanks, He gave it to them; and they all drank from it.And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.“Truly I say to you, I shall never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.“For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it.“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?“For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.“Go your ways; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.“Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.“And whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’“And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you.“And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.“And whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you;and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’“But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’“I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.“But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you.“And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades!“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.“For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.“For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.“Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves.“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.“And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.“After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also.“In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.“He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.”
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.“By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
“I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.
“And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one;I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.“Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world.“O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me;and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them.”
The Jews therefore were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.”And they were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.“No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.“Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.“I am the bread of life.“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.“This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.“I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
The Jews therefore began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”Jesus therefore said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.“For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me.“This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever.”
These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’”But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
And as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he *said, “Do you know Greek?“Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”But Paul said, “I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,
“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”
And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he *said,
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as you all are today.“And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.“And it came about that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’“And I answered, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’“And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.“And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go on into Damascus; and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’“But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.“And a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him.“And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear an utterance from His mouth.‘For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.‘And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’“And it came about when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’“And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in Thee.‘And when the blood of Thy witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the cloaks of those who were slaying him.’“And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
“While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.“And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’“And I said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.‘But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”And he said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.”And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one.And Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation.For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,(as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you” ) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him,but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;for he who has died is freed from sin.Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts,and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?Just as it is written,
“For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are,that no man should boast before God.But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.For the body is not one member, but many.If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.And if they were all one member, where would the body be?But now there are many members, but one body.And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;and those members of the body, which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our unseemly members come to have more abundant seemliness,whereas our seemly members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way.
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it.For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.
Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body.Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be!Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, “The two will become one flesh.” But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.On behalf of such a man will I boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.For if I do wish to boast I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one may credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone,since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearance, and not in heart.For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?“We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles;nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.“But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!“For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.“For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live to God.“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.“I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints,do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His mightwhich He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;not as a result of works, that no one should boast.For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord;in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”
(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,because we are members of His body.For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband.
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints,to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument.For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come,and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him;
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,saying,
“I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren,
In the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise.”
And again,
“I will put My trust in Him.” And again,
“Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God,you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.”
This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone,”and,
“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” ;for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.And he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are true words of God.”And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”