for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying 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; for without Me you can do nothing.

Did you not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese,

Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews?

My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, [And] skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When [as yet there were] none of them.

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

For in fact the body is not one member 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 members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

But now indeed [there are] many members, yet one body.

No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

but our presentable [parts] have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that [part] which lacks it,

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with [it;] or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with [it.]

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase [that is] from God.

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

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

but, speaking the truth in love, 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 without blame before Him in love,

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

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

Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

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

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

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

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not [use] liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] 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 still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

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

remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

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

But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, [from] a good conscience, and [from] sincere faith,

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.