Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Paul’s Stewardship

3 For this reason I, Paul, ^(A)the prisoner of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^(C)for the sake of you ^(D)Gentiles— ² if indeed you have heard of the ^(E)stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; ^3 (F)that ^(G)by revelation there was ^(H)made known to me ^(I)the mystery, ^(J)as I wrote before in brief. ^4 [a]By referring to this, when you read you can understand ^(K)my insight ^[b]into the ^(L)mystery of Christ, ⁵ which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy ^(M)apostles and prophets ^[c]in the Spirit; ⁶ to be specific, that the Gentiles are ^(N)fellow heirs and ^(O)fellow members of the body, and ^(P)fellow partakers of the promise in ^(Q)Christ Jesus through the gospel, ^7 (R)of which I was made a ^(S)minister, according to the gift of ^(T)God’s grace which was given to me ^(U)according to the working of His power. ⁸ To me, ^(V)the very least of all ^[d]saints, this grace was given, to ^(W)preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable ^(X)riches of Christ, ⁹ and to ^[e]bring to light what is the administration of the ^(Y)mystery which for ages has been ^(Z)hidden in God ^(AA)who created all things; ¹⁰ so that the manifold ^(AB)wisdom of God might now be ^(AC)made known through the church to the ^(AD)rulers and the authorities in ^(AE)the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in ^(AF)accordance with the ^[f]eternal purpose which He ^[g]carried out in ^(AG)Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and ^[h](AH)confident ^(AI)access through faith ^[i]in Him. ¹³ Therefore I ask ^[j]you not ^(AJ)to lose heart at my tribulations ^(AK)on your behalf, ^[k]for they are your glory.

¹⁴ For this reason I ^(AL)bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom ^[l]every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to ^(AM)the riches of His glory, to be ^(AN)strengthened with power through His Spirit in ^(AO)the inner man, ¹⁷ so that ^(AP)Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being ^(AQ)rooted and ^(AR)grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with ^(AS)all the ^[m]saints what is ^(AT)the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know ^(AU)the love of Christ which ^(AV)surpasses knowledge, that you may be ^(AW)filled up to all the ^(AX)fullness of God.

^20 (AY)Now to Him who is ^(AZ)able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, ^(BA)according to the power that works within us, ^21 (BB)to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations ^[n]forever and ever. Amen.

Unity of the Spirit

4 Therefore I, ^(BC)the prisoner of the Lord, ^(BD)implore you to ^(BE)walk in a manner worthy of the ^(BF)calling with which you have been ^(BG)called, ² with all ^(BH)humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another ^(BI)in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the ^(BJ)bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(BK)one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one ^(BL)hope of your calling; ^5 (BM)one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all ^(BN)who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But ^(BO)to each one of us ^(BP)grace was given ^(BQ)according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore ^[o]it says,

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ^(BT)ascended,” what ^[p]does it mean except that He also ^[q]had descended into ^(BU)the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended ^(BV)far above all the heavens, so that He might ^(BW)fill all things.) ¹¹ And He ^(BX)gave ^(BY)some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as ^(BZ)evangelists, and some as pastors and ^(CA)teachers, ^12 (CB)for the equipping of the ^[r]saints for the work of service, to the building up of ^(CC)the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to ^(CD)the unity of the faith, and of the ^[s](CE)knowledge of the Son of God, to a ^(CF)mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[t]which belongs to the ^(CG)fullness of Christ. ^14 [u]As a result, we are ^(CH)no longer to be children, ^(CI)tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by ^(CJ)craftiness ^[v]in ^(CK)deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but ^[w]speaking the truth ^(CL)in love, ^[x]we are to ^(CM)grow up in all aspects into Him who is the ^(CN)head, even Christ, ¹⁶ from whom ^(CO)the whole body, being fitted and held together ^[y]by what every joint supplies, according to the ^[z]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself ^(CP)in love.

The Christian’s Walk

^17 (CQ)So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, ^(CR)that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the ^(CS)futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being ^(CT)darkened in their understanding, ^[aa](CU)excluded from the life of God because of the ^(CV)ignorance that is in them, because of the ^(CW)hardness of their heart; ¹⁹ and they, having ^(CX)become callous, ^(CY)have given themselves over to ^(CZ)sensuality ^[ab]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not ^(DA)learn ^[ac]Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you ^(DB)have heard Him and have ^(DC)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you ^(DD)lay aside the ^(DE)old ^[ad]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(DF)lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be ^(DG)renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and ^(DH)put on the ^(DI)new ^[ae]self, which ^[af](DJ)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, ^(DK)laying aside falsehood, ^(DL)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are ^(DM)members of one another. ^26 (DN)Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not ^(DO)give the devil ^[ag]an opportunity. ²⁸ He who steals must steal no longer; but rather ^(DP)he must labor, ^(DQ)performing with his own hands what is good, ^(DR)so that he will have something to share with ^[ah]one who has need. ²⁹ Let no ^[ai](DS)unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for ^(DT)edification ^[aj]according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ^30 (DU)Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^[ak]by whom you were ^(DV)sealed for the day of redemption. ^31 (DW)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be ^(DX)put away from you, along with all ^(DY)malice. ^32 (DZ)Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, ^(EA)just as God in Christ also has forgiven ^[al]you.