Love each other in a way that you feel close to each other like brothers and sisters. You should want to give your brothers and sisters more honor than you want for yourself.
Ebed Melech, the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms. When we pull you out, these rags will pad your underarms. Then the ropes will not hurt you.” So Jeremiah did as Ebed Melech said.
So when a person invites you, go sit in the seat that is not important. Then the person that invited you will come to you and say, ‘Friend, move up here to this better place!’ What an honor this will be for you in front of all the other guests!
Father, I pray that all people that believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that these people can also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.
The group of believers were all the same in their thinking and in what they wanted. No person in the group said that the things he had were his own. Instead, they shared everything.
Give all people what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to the people you should respect. And show honor to the people you should honor.
My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do the things that please your sinful selves. But serve each other with love.
When a person is in Christ Jesus, it is not important if he is circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.
We thank God for you always. And we should do that because that is right for us to do. It is right because your faith is growing more and more. And the love that every one of you has for each other is also growing.
Now you have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. Now you can have true love for your brothers and sisters. So love each other deeply—with all your heart.
Young men, I have something to say to you, too. You should accept the authority of the elders. {\cf2\super [32]} All of you should be very humble with each other.
If a person says, “I love God,” but that person hates his brother or sister \{in Christ\}, then that person is a liar. That person can see his brother, but he hates him. So that person cannot love God, because he has never seen God!