Christ Brings New Life
1 Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.
3 I realize God has treated me with undeserved grace, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. 4 A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5 That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
6 God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. 7 If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8 If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
Rules for Christian Living
9 Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. 10 Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. 11 Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12 Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. 13 Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
14 Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. 15 When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16 Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people. 17 Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, 18 and do your best to live at peace with everyone.
19 Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,
“I am the one to take revenge
and pay them back.”
20 The Scriptures also say,
“If your enemies are hungry,
give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
to drink.
This will be the same
as piling burning coals
on their heads.”
21 Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
1 I Beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice, holy, acceptable vnto God, which is your reasonable seruing of God. 2 And fashion not your selues like vnto this worlde, but bee yee changed by the renewing of your minde, that ye may prooue what that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God is. 3 For I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me, to euery one that is among you, that no man presume to vnderstande aboue that which is meete to vnderstand, but that he vnderstande according to sobrietie, as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of faith. 4 For as wee haue many members in one body, and all members haue not one office, 5 So we being many are one body in Christ, and euery one, one anothers members. 6 Seeing then that we haue gifts that are diuers, according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs, whether we haue prophecie, let vs prophecie according to the portion of faith: 7 Or an office, let vs waite on the office: or he that teacheth, on teaching: 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that distributeth, let him doe it with simplicitie: he that ruleth, with diligence: he that sheweth mercie, with cheerefulnesse. 9 Let loue be without dissimulation. Abhorre that which is euill, and cleaue vnto that which is good. 10 Be affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue. In giuing honour, goe one before another, 11 Not slouthfull to do seruice: seruent in spirit seruing the Lord, 12 Reioycing in hope, pacient in tribulation, continuing in prayer, 13 Distributing vnto the necessities of the Saintes: giuing your selues to hospitalitie. 14 Blesse them which persecute you: blesse, I say, and curse not. 15 Reioyce with them that reioyce, and weepe with them that weepe. 16 Be of like affection one towardes another: be not hie minded: but make your selues equall to them of the lower sort: be not wise in your selues. 17 Recompence to no man euill for euill: procure things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it bee possible, as much as in you is, haue peace with all men. 19 Dearely beloued, auenge not your selues, but giue place vnto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore, if thine enemie hunger, feede him: if he thirst, giue him drinke: for in so doing, thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head. 21 Bee not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with goodnesse.