Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Thanksgiving and prayer

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Jesus like Melchizedek

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood – and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood – why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?

No longer will they teach their neighbours, or say to one another, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds,

not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Concluding exhortations

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Suffering for doing good

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.’

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

More on love and hatred

For this is the message you heard from the beginning: we should love one another.

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

God’s love and ours

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.