He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ.

"I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.

You gave my father strength to beget me; you made me grow in my mother's womb.

You formed my body with bones and sinews and covered the bones with muscles and skin.

When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there---

you saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began.

Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts.

For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts.

And if the ear were to say, "Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body," that would not keep it from being a part of the body.

As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be.

As it is, there are many parts but one body.

On the contrary, we cannot do without the parts of the body that seem to be weaker;

which the more beautiful parts do not need. God himself has put the body together in such a way as to give greater honor to those parts that need it.

If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness.

In the church God has put all in place: in the first place apostles, in the second place prophets, and in the third place teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues.

and have stopped holding on to Christ, who is the head of the body. Under Christ's control the whole body is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God wants it to grow.

I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power.

And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.

Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head.

Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love

and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love,

Now, concerning what you wrote about food offered to idols. It is true, of course, that "all of us have knowledge," as they say. Such knowledge, however, puffs a person up with pride; but love builds up.

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud;

love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.

Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass.

It is love, then, that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God's message.

For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love.

As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another.

For the whole Law is summed up in one commandment: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment,

I do this in order that they may be filled with courage and may be drawn together in love, and so have the full wealth of assurance which true understanding brings. In this way they will know God's secret, which is Christ himself.

For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm.

May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more and more and become as great as our love for you.

There is no need to write you about love for each other. You yourselves have been taught by God how you should love one another.

And you have, in fact, behaved like this toward all the believers in all of Macedonia. So we beg you, our friends, to do even more.

Our friends, we must thank God at all times for you. It is right for us to do so, because your faith is growing so much and the love each of you has for the others is becoming greater.

The purpose of this order is to arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.

Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.

And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.