⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’^(A)

⁴² and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”^(A)

⁴¹ For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.^(A)

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)

⁵ Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.^(A)

Temptations to Sin

⁶ “If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,^[a] it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.^(B)

⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working^[a] through love.^(A)

¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love abides in death.^{(A) 15} All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.^{(B) 16} We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.^{(C) 17} How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?^(D)

¹⁸ Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.^{(E) 19} And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him^(F)