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18 Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.(A)

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15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food(A) 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?

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Marks of the True Christian

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good;

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22 Now that you have purified your souls[a] by your obedience to the truth[b] so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart.[c](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.22 Or lives
  2. 1.22 Other ancient authorities add through the Spirit
  3. 1.22 Other ancient authorities read a pure heart

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant(A) or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs;(B) it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.(C) It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.(D)

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Bear One Another’s Burdens

My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill[a] the law of Christ.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 6.2 Other ancient authorities read in this way fulfill

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,[a] but through love become enslaved to one another.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.13 Gk the flesh

Unity in the Body of Christ

I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,(A) with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,(B) making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace:

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15 but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,(A)

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41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,(A) 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’(B)

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remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Christ Our Advocate

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,(A)

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Salutation

The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth,(A) because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from[a] Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.(B)

Truth and Love

I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment but one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another.(C) And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it.(D)

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist!(E) Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we[b] have worked for but may receive a full reward.(F) Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it,[c] does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching[d] has both the Father and the Son.(G) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive and welcome this person into your house,(H) 11 for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.(I)

Final Greetings

12 Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead, I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our[e] joy may be complete.(J)

13 The children of your elect sister send you their greetings.[f]

Salutation

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

Gaius Commended for His Hospitality

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. For I was overjoyed when some brothers and sisters arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, how you walk in the truth.(K) I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.(L)

Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you;(M) they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God,(N) for they began their journey for the sake of Christ,[g] accepting no support from nonbelievers.[h](O) Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become coworkers with the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not welcome us. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the brothers and sisters and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.(P)

11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.(Q) 12 Everyone has testified favorably about Demetrius, and so has the truth[i] itself. We also testify for him,[j] and you know that our testimony is true.(R)

Final Greetings

13 I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write to you with pen and ink;(S) 14 instead, I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.

15 Peace to you. The friends send you their greetings. Greet the friends there, each by name.(T)

Footnotes

  1. 3 Other ancient authorities add the Lord
  2. 8 Other ancient authorities read you
  3. 9 Other ancient authorities read turns aside
  4. 9 Other ancient authorities add of Christ
  5. 12 Other ancient authorities read your
  6. 13 Other ancient authorities add Amen
  7. 7 Gk for the sake of the name
  8. 7 Gk the gentiles
  9. 12 Other ancient authorities read church or church and truth
  10. 12 Gk lacks for him

31 They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not obey them. For flattery is on their lips, but their heart is set on their gain.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 33.31 Meaning of Heb uncertain

21 And the Lord continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,

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