⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

³ For what I received^(A) I passed on to you^(B) as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins^(C) according to the Scriptures,^(D)

² My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart^(A) and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery^(B) of God, namely, Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.^(C)

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.

²⁷ I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.^(A)

² I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets^(A) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.^(B)

¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(A) means salvation,^(B) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^{(C) 16} He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable^(D) people distort,^(E) as they do the other Scriptures,^(F) to their own destruction.

¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,^(A) and this life is in his Son.^{(B) 12} Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.^(C)

Concluding Affirmations

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God^(D) so that you may know that you have eternal life.^(E)

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)