³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(A)

Thanksgiving

⁴ I always thank my God for you^(B) because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched^(C) in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge^(D)— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony^(E) about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift^(F) as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.^{(G) 8} He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless^(H) on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(I) 9} God is faithful,^(J) who has called you^(K) into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.^(L)

A Church Divided Over Leaders

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^[a](M) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you,^(N) but that you be perfectly united^(O) in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household^(P) have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

2 Therefore, rid yourselves^(A) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^(B) of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(C) so that by it you may grow up^(D) in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(E)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(F)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(G) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(H) into a spiritual house^[a](I) to be a holy priesthood,^(J) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^(K)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;^{(A) 6} and to knowledge, self-control;^(B) and to self-control, perseverance;^(C) and to perseverance, godliness;^{(D) 7} and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.^{(E) 8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive^(F) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(G) 9} But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,^(H) forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.^(I)

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters,^[a] make every effort to confirm your calling^(J) and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,^{(K) 11} and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom^(L) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(M)

¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^(A)

¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins^(A) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^(B) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^(C)

⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(A)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(B) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(C) and seated us with him^(D) in the heavenly realms^(E) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(F) expressed in his kindness^(G) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(H) you have been saved,^(I) through faith^(J)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,^(K) so that no one can boast.^{(L) 10} For we are God’s handiwork,^(M) created^(N) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(O) which God prepared in advance for us to do.