Unity in the Body (Psalm 133:1–3; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17)
2 UST Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, enduring the bothersome things that others do because you love each other. BSB BSB: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
5 UST There is only one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, only one way to believe in him, and they baptized us to show that we belong to him alone. BSB BSB: one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 UST There is one God, who is the Father of all of us, whether Jew or non- Jew. He rules over all of us, works through all of us, and is in all of us. BSB BSB: one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 UST To each one of us God has given spiritual gifts in just the way that the Messiah has decided that we should have them. BSB BSB: Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 UST That is why the scripture says, As he went up to the high place, he brought with him many people whom he had captured, and gave gifts to his people. BSB BSB: This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
9 UST The words“he went up” certainly make us know that the Messiah had also previously gone down to the lower parts of the earth. BSB BSB: What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?
10 UST The Messiah, who came down to earth from heaven, is also the one who returned upward to the most exalted position in heaven in order that he might fill the universe. BSB BSB: He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
11 UST As gifts to his people, he appointed some of them to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to seek out people to tell them the good news about Jesus, and some to care for and to teach the groups of believers. BSB BSB: And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
12 UST God appointed all of them to prepare God’ s people to do the work of serving others so that all the people who belong to the Messiah might become spiritually strong. BSB BSB: to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
13 UST This work will continue until all of us together become what God wants us to be: united as we together fully trust in the Son of God and experience his working in us, and completely mature as a group of believers— as fully mature in trusting and knowing God as the Messiah himself. BSB BSB: until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
14 UST Then we will no longer be spiritually immature, as little children are immature. We will no longer follow every new teaching, always changing what we believe like a boat that goes one way and then the other as the wind and waves change direction. We will not allow clever people who teach what is false to deceive us with their lies. BSB BSB: Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
15 UST Rather than that, as we lovingly speak to each other what is true, let us become more and more like the Messiah in every way as he directs us, just like a person’ s head directs the person’ s body. BSB BSB: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
16 UST He is the one who joins us all together and keeps us connected to each other. He teaches us how to support each other and to work in a coordinated way as he gives the ability that is appropriate to each one of us, just as a person’ s head does that for the parts of his body. In this way, as we love each other, we will grow together and make each other stronger. BSB BSB: From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
New Life in Christ (Colossians 3:1–17)
17 UST For that reason, and with the authority of the Lord Jesus, I tell you this: from now on you must not live in the same way as the other non- Jews live. The way that they live comes from an empty way of thinking. BSB BSB: So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18 UST They are unable to think clearly about what is right or wrong because they try to live completely separated from God. They do this because they do not know what they are missing and because they stubbornly refuse to obey God. BSB BSB: They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
19 UST They have become unable to sense if something is good or bad, and so they have devoted themselves to doing whatever shameful things their bodies desire. They commit all kinds of immoral acts and want to do them more and more. BSB BSB: Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
20 UST But that is not how you learned to live when you learned about the Messiah, BSB BSB: But this is not the way you came to know Christ.
21 UST to the extent that you have heard and understood the message about Jesus and have learned from him, since his way is the true way to live. BSB BSB: Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—
22 UST Your teachers taught you to stop living the way that you used to live. Because you desired to do evil things, you deceived yourselves into thinking that those things were good. Living like that was destroying you spiritually. BSB BSB: to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 UST So you must let God give you a new spirit and a new way of thinking, BSB BSB: to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
24 UST and you must start living like the new person that God created you in his own image to be. He created you to live in the right way with each other and with himself, in the true way of Jesus. BSB BSB: and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 UST So stop lying to one another. Speak truthfully to each other because we belong to each other as members of God’ s family. BSB BSB: Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
26 UST Be angry about sinful behavior, but do not sin because you are angry. Before the end of each day, take care of whatever has made you angry BSB BSB: “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
27 UST so that you will not allow the devil to do evil things among you. BSB BSB: and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 UST Those who have been stealing must not steal anymore. Instead, they must work hard, doing good work by their own efforts so that they may have something to give to those who are needy. BSB BSB: He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.
29 UST Do not say harmful things. Instead, say good things that will encourage people when they need help so that God can work through your words to benefit those who hear. BSB BSB: Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
30 UST God has marked you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, who will be with you until the day that the Messiah will rescue you from this world. So do not make the Holy Spirit of God sad by how you live. BSB BSB: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 UST Do your best to completely stop behaving in these ways: Do not be resentful or furious toward others or even become angry with others. Do not shout abusively at others or slander others. Never act maliciously in any way. BSB BSB: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 UST Rather than behave like that, be kind to one another. Act mercifully toward each other. Forgive each other in the same way that God also forgave you through what the Messiah has done for you. BSB BSB: Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.