37 And he said to him, (A)“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And (B)a second is like it: (C)You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 (D)On these two commandments depend (E)all the Law and the Prophets.”

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37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a](A) 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b](B) 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5
  2. Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18

For (A)this is the love of God, that we (B)keep his commandments. And (C)his commandments are not burdensome.

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In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.(A) And his commands are not burdensome,(B)

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34 (A)A new commandment (B)I give to you, (C)that you love one another: (D)just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

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34 “A new command(A) I give you: Love one another.(B) As I have loved you, so you must love one another.(C)

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11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

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11 Dear friends,(A) since God so loved us,(B) we also ought to love one another.(C)

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Do nothing from (A)selfish ambition or (B)conceit, but in (C)humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you (D)look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.(A) Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,(B) not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.(C)

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Love Your Enemies

43 (A)“You have heard that it was said, (B)‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, (C)Love your enemies and (D)pray for those who persecute you, 45 (E)so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and (F)sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 (G)For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even (H)the Gentiles do the same? 48 (I)You therefore must be (J)perfect, (K)as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:47 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a](A) and hate your enemy.’(B) 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,(C) 45 that you may be children(D) of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(E) 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?(F) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:43 Lev. 19:18

24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

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24 God is spirit,(A) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

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15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[a] a worker (A)who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 2:15 That is, one approved after being tested

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.(A)

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12 (A)Rejoice in hope, (B)be patient in tribulation, (C)be constant in prayer.

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12 Be joyful in hope,(A) patient in affliction,(B) faithful in prayer.(C)

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16 (A)Rejoice always, 17 (B)pray without ceasing, 18 (C)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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16 Rejoice always,(A) 17 pray continually,(B) 18 give thanks in all circumstances;(C) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

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18 And (A)do not get drunk with wine, for that is (B)debauchery, but (C)be filled with the Spirit,

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18 Do not get drunk on wine,(A) which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,(B)

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For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith (A)with virtue,[a] and virtue (B)with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control (C)with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness (D)with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection (E)with love. For if these qualities[b] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or (F)unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he (G)is blind, having forgotten that he was (H)cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[c] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and (I)election, for if you practice these qualities (J)you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you (K)an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 Therefore I intend (L)always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in (M)the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this (N)body,[d] (O)to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 (P)since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, (Q)as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:5 Or excellence; twice in this verse
  2. 2 Peter 1:8 Greek these things; also verses 9, 10, 12
  3. 2 Peter 1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
  4. 2 Peter 1:13 Greek tent; also verse 14

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;(A) and to knowledge, self-control;(B) and to self-control, perseverance;(C) and to perseverance, godliness;(D) and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.(E) 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) 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)

Prophecy of Scripture

12 So I will always remind you of these things,(N) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth(O) you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory(P) as long as I live in the tent of this body,(Q) 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside,(R) as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.(S) 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure(T) you will always be able to remember these things.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.

I Am the True Vine

15 “I am the (A)true vine, and my Father is (B)the vinedresser. (C)Every branch in me that does not bear fruit (D)he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, (E)that it may bear more fruit. Already (F)you are clean (G)because of the word that I have spoken to you. (H)Abide (I)in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; (J)you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that (K)bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me (L)he is thrown away like a branch and withers; (M)and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If (N)you abide in me, and my words abide in you, (O)ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (P)By this my Father is glorified, that you (Q)bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (R)As the Father has loved me, (S)so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 (T)If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as (U)I have kept (V)my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, (W)that my joy may be in you, and that (X)your joy may be full.

12 (Y)“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 (Z)Greater love has no one than this, (AA)that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are (AB)my friends (AC)if you do what I command you. 15 (AD)No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant (AE)does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for (AF)all that I have heard from my Father (AG)I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but (AH)I chose you and appointed you that you should go and (AI)bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that (AJ)whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

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Footnotes

  1. John 15:15 Or bondservants, or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface); likewise for servant later in this verse and in verse 20

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am(A) the true vine,(B) and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,(C) while every branch that does bear fruit(D) he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.(E) Remain in me, as I also remain in you.(F) 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;(G) 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.(H) If you remain in me(I) and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.(J) This is to my Father’s glory,(K) that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.(L)

“As the Father has loved me,(M) so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands,(N) you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.(O) 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.(P) 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.(Q) 14 You are my friends(R) if you do what I command.(S) 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.(T) 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you(U) so that you might go and bear fruit(V)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. John 15:2 The Greek for he prunes also means he cleans.