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19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

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19 They have lost connection with the head,(A) from whom the whole body,(B) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.(C)

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15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

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15 Instead, speaking the truth in love,(A) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,(B) that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows(C) and builds itself up(D) in love,(E) as each part does its work.

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Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

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Remain in me, as I also remain in you.(A) No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;(B) apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.(C)

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18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

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18 But grow in the grace(A) and knowledge(B) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.(C) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.(D)

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who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For,

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

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who wants(A) all people(B) to be saved(C) and to come to a knowledge of the truth.(D) For there is one God(E) and one mediator(F) between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,(G) who gave himself as a ransom(H) for all people. This has now been witnessed to(I) at the proper time.(J)

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Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

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For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,(A) so in Christ we, though many, form one body,(B) and each member belongs to all the others.

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All Christians

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.[a] Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:8 Greek Show brotherly love.

Suffering for Doing Good

Finally, all of you, be like-minded,(A) be sympathetic, love one another,(B) be compassionate and humble.(C)

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10 Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers[a] throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:10 Greek the brothers.

10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.(A) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,(B)

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12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

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12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other(A) and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

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I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.

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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,

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Encouragement during Persecution

Dear brothers and sisters,[a] we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:3 Greek Brothers.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

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

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6, 13.

Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers[a] of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:8 Or the spiritual principles; also in 2:20.
  2. 2:9 Or in him dwells all the completeness of the Godhead bodily.

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,(A) continue to live your lives in him, rooted(B) and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,(C) and overflowing with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,(D) which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world(E) rather than on Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness(F) of the Deity lives in bodily form,

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20

18 Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.
He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.[a]
    So he is first in everything.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:18 Or the firstborn from the dead.

18 And he is the head(A) of the body, the church;(B) he is the beginning and the firstborn(C) from among the dead,(D) so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

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