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 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ</div><div class="p"> 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.</div><div class="p"> 7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it#4:8 Or God says:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;When he ascended on high,</div><div class="q2">he took many captives</div><div class="q2">and gave gifts to his people.&#8221;#4:8 Psalm 68:18</div><div class="m"> 9(What does &#8220;he ascended&#8221; mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions#4:9 Or the depths of the earth? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.</div><div class="p"> 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.</div><div class="s1">Instructions for Christian Living</div><div class="p"> 17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.</div><div class="p"> 20That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.</div><div class="p"> 25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26&#8220;In your anger do not sin&#8221;#4:26 Psalm 4:4 (see Septuagint): Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.</div><div class="p"> 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.</div>
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 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven</div><div class="p"> 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, &#8220;Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: &#8220;Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.</div><div class="s1">Causing to Stumble</div><div class="p"> 6 &#8220;If anyone causes one of these little ones&#8212;those who believe in me&#8212;to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Wandering Sheep</div><div class="p"> 10 &#8220;See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11]#18:11 Some manuscripts include here the words of Luke 19:10.</div><div class="p"> 12 &#8220;What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.</div><div class="s1">Dealing With Sin in the Church</div><div class="p"> 15 &#8220;If your brother or sister # 18:15 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35. sins,#18:15 Some manuscripts sins against you go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that &#8216;every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.&#8217;#18:16 Deut. 19:15 17If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.</div><div class="p"> 18 &#8220;Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be # 18:18 Or will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be#18:18 Or will have been loosed in heaven.</div><div class="p"> 19 &#8220;Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant</div><div class="p"> 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, &#8220;Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Jesus answered, &#8220;I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.#18:22 Or seventy times seven</div><div class="p"> 23 &#8220;Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold#18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer&#8217;s wages. was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.</div><div class="p"> 26 &#8220;At this the servant fell on his knees before him. &#8216;Be patient with me,&#8217; he begged, &#8216;and I will pay back everything.&#8217; 27The servant&#8217;s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.</div><div class="p"> 28 &#8220;But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. # 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii ; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2). He grabbed him and began to choke him. &#8216;Pay back what you owe me!&#8217; he demanded.</div><div class="p"> 29 &#8220;His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, &#8216;Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 30 &#8220;But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.</div><div class="p"> 32 &#8220;Then the master called the servant in. &#8216;You wicked servant,&#8217; he said, &#8216;I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn&#8217;t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?&#8217; 34In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.</div><div class="p"> 35 &#8220;This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.&#8221;</div>
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