For from the beginning you have heard the message that we should love one another. | For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. |
This is the message that we have heard from him and that we declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. | This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. |
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Indeed, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. | For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. |
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand people were added to their number. | Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. |
In other words, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, and not holding people’s transgressions against them, and he committed to us the message of reconciliation. | Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation. |
You might say to yourself, “How can we know that the Lord did not speak the message?” If what the prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord is not true and it does not happen, then the message was not proclaimed by the Lord. The prophet has spoken presumptuously, you should not fear him. | You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. |
From that day forward Jesus began to proclaim the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” | From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” |
This is the Lord’s message to Zerubbabel: Not by force, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. | This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies. |
Preach the message; be persistent in doing so, whether in season or out of season; convince, reprove, and encourage, but with great patience and instruction. | Preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. |
The heavens proclaim the glory of God; the firmament shows forth the work of his hands. One day imparts that message to the next, and night conveys that knowledge to night. | The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge. |
So then, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. | So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. |
Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not my own; rather, it comes from him who sent me.” | Jesus therefore answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” |
You have already been cleansed by the word I have spoken to you. | You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. |
Let the word of Christ with all its richness dwell in you. Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God with gratitude in your hearts. | Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. |
And every day, both in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming Jesus as the Christ. | Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ. |
I did not hesitate to tell you what was for your benefit as I proclaimed the word to you and taught you publicly as well as from house to house. | How I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house. |
Amen, amen, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. | Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him. |
And now, brethren, I want to remind you of the gospel I proclaimed to you, which you received and in which you stand firm. Through it you are also being saved, provided that you are holding fast to what I proclaimed to you. If not, then you have believed in vain. | Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. |
Does God give you the Spirit and work mighty deeds among you because you have kept the Law or because you believed what you have heard? | He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you and does miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? |
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but worldly cares and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. | What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. |
All this took place in order to fulfill what the Lord had announced through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” a name that means “God is with us.” | Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.” |
But I have had help from God to this very day, and I stand here and testify to both the lowly and the great. I assert nothing more than what the Prophets and Moses said would occur: that the Christ must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to the people and to the Gentiles. | Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen, how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles. |