Whose Son Is the Messiah?^(A)(B)

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,^(C) he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?^{(D) 36} David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,^(E) declared:

³⁷ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd^(G) listened to him with delight.

² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;^(A) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.^(B) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience^(C) in the sight of God.

⁴ The weapons we fight with^(A) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power^(B) to demolish strongholds.^{(C) 5} We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,^(D) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient^(E) to Christ.

¹³ And we also thank God continually^(A) because, when you received the word of God,^(B) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

¹² For the word of God^(A) is alive^(B) and active.^(C) Sharper than any double-edged sword,^(D) it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.^(E)

¹⁸ He chose to give us birth^(A) through the word of truth,^(B) that we might be a kind of firstfruits^(C) of all he created.

²³ For you have been born again,^(A) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(B) through the living and enduring word of God.^(C)