for the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ,

I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; because apart from Me you can do nothing.

Have You not poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?

And You clothed me with skin and flesh, and framed me with bones and sinews.

My bones, which You made in secret, were not hidden from You, nor my substance, in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unwrought [substance], and all [men] shall be written in Your book; they shall be formed by day, though [there should for a time] be no one among them.

For just as the body is one and has many parts, but all the parts of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.

For in fact the body is not one part but many.

And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body?

But now God has set the parts, each one of them, in the body just as He desired.

But now indeed there [are] many parts, but one body.

But to a greater degree the parts of the body which seem weaker are necessary.

But our presentable [parts] have no need. But God united the body, giving greater honor to the [part] being inferior,

And if one part suffers, all the parts suffer together; or if one part is honored, all the parts rejoice together.

And [those] whom God has appointed in the church [are]: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues.

and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, supported and joined together by joints and ligaments, grows with the growth of God.

of which I became a minister according to the free gift of the grace of God which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Because of this we also give thanks to God unceasingly, so that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you received not the word of men, but just as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.

but speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ;

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love,

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; being rooted and founded in love,

Now concerning the things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.

Love is patient, love is kind; love does not envy; love does not boast, is not puffed up;

does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

Love never fails. But whether there [are] prophecies, they shall pass away; whether there [are] tongues, they shall cease; whether there [is] knowledge, it shall pass away.

Pursue love, and desire the spiritual [gifts], but especially that you may prophesy.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

For you, brothers were called to freedom; only do not use freedom for an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, in [this]: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all perception,

that their hearts may be encouraged, being joined together in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to a full knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

constantly remembering your work of faith, labor of love, and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

And may the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all [men], as indeed we also do toward you,

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need [for me] to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

For indeed you do so toward all the brothers in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you increase more and more,

We are obligated to give thanks to God always for you, brothers, [and] rightfully so, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all increases towards one another,

Now the goal of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere love for the brothers, love one another fervently from a pure heart,

And we have come to know and believe the love which God has in us. God is love, and he that abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.