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So when they had appointed him a day, many
came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly
testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning
Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning
till evening. … preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the
things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence,
no one forbidding him.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did
not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to
you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Then He said to them all, “If anyone
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow Me.
And whoever does not bear his cross and
come after Me cannot be My disciple. So likewise, whoever of
you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
I will bring the one-third through the
fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as
gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer
them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one
will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
And His gifts were [varied; He Himself
appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special
messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders),
some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling
missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and
teachers.
His intention was the perfecting and the
full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that
they should do] the work of ministering toward building up
Christ's body (the church), [that it might develop] until we
all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the
[full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might
arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of
personality which is nothing less than the standard height of
Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the
fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. So
then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and
fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every
changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and
cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every
shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.
Rather, let our lives lovingly express
truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living
truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in
all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the
Messiah, the Anointed One). For because of Him the whole body
(the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and
firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it
is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is
working properly [in all its functions], grows to full
maturity, building itself up in love.
Therefore, just as through one man sin
entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread
to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin
was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those
who had not sinned according to the likeness of the
transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one
man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and
the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to
many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one
who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense
resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from
many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one
man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more
those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus
Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment
came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one
Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men,
resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s
disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s
obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered
that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so
grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
“To the angel of the church of
Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven
stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven
golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your
patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you
have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and
have found them liars; and you have persevered and have
patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have
not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that
you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where
you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will
come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its
place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate
the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will
give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
Paradise of God.”’
We know that we are of God, and the whole
world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
Therefore let us go on and get past the
elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the
Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and
perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again
be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead
works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned]
to God, With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands,
the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and
punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have
been fully aware long, long ago. If indeed God permits, we will
[now] proceed [to advanced teaching].
For no other foundation can anyone lay than
that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the
Messiah, the Anointed One). But if anyone builds upon the
Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw, the work of each [one] will become [plainly,
openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ]
will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with
fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the
character and worth of the work each person has done. If the
work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product
of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his
reward. But if any person's work is burned up [under the test],
he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though
he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed]
through fire.
Scriptures are in the New King James Version unless
noted otherwise.
Scripture quotations taken from the
Amplified® Bible [AMP],
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964,
1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)