Do not be like children in your thinking, my friends; be children so far as evil is concerned, but be grown up in your thinking.

There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil.

Notice good people, observe the righteous; peaceful people have descendants,

You must be perfect---just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me."

And now, my friends, good-bye! Strive for perfection; listen to my appeals; agree with one another; live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

It was he who "gave gifts to people"; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers.

And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature.

I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.

So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.

Greetings from Epaphras, another member of your group and a servant of Christ Jesus. He always prays fervently for you, asking God to make you stand firm, as mature and fully convinced Christians, in complete obedience to God's will.

Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil.

All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being.

But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation.

When I came to you, my friends, to preach God's secret truth, I did not use big words and great learning.

So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit.

For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power.

The scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars."

As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light."

We are proud that our conscience assures us that our lives in this world, and especially our relations with you, have been ruled by God-given frankness and sincerity, by the power of God's grace and not by human wisdom.

They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

At that time you followed the world's evil way; you obeyed the ruler of the spiritual powers in space, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God.

Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic.

None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

he humbles priests and men of power.

He disgraces those in power and puts an end to the strength of rulers.

Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots?

"Let us free ourselves from their rule," they say; "let us throw off their control."

Then he warns them in anger and terrifies them with his fury.

The leaders of the city of Zoan are fools! Egypt's wisest people give stupid advice! How do they dare to tell the king that they are successors to the ancient scholars and kings?

The leaders of Zoan and Memphis are fools. They were supposed to lead the nation, but they have misled it.

He brings down powerful rulers and reduces them to nothing.

By means of the Holy Spirit you spoke through our ancestor David, your servant, when he said, 'Why were the Gentiles furious; why did people make their useless plots?

For indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Jesus, your holy Servant, whom you made Messiah.

He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.

The LORD frustrates the purposes of the nations; he keeps them from carrying out their plans.