Psalms 133:1

Psalm 133 ¹ 

A song of ascents, ²  by David.

133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is

when brothers live together! ³ 

Jeremiah 32:39

32:39 I will give them a single-minded purpose to live in a way that always shows respect for me. They will want to do that for ⁴  their own good and the good of the children who descend from them.

John 13:34-35

13:34 “I give you a new commandment – to love ⁵  one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ⁶  13:35 Everyone ⁷  will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

John 17:23

17:23 I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, ⁸  so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

Acts 4:32

Conditions Among the Early Believers

4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, ⁹  and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. ¹⁰ 

Romans 12:16

12:16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. ¹¹  Do not be conceited. ¹² 

Romans 15:5-6

15:5 Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another ¹³  in accordance with Christ Jesus, 15:6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 16:17

16:17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, ¹⁴  to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them!

Romans 16:2

16:2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.

Colossians 1:11

1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of ¹⁵  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

Ephesians 4:1-7

Live in Unity

4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, ¹⁶  urge you to live ¹⁷  worthily of the calling with which you have been called, ¹⁸  4:2 with all humility and gentleness, ¹⁹  with patience, bearing with ²⁰  one another in love, 4:3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Ephesians 4:31-32

4:31 You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. 4:32 Instead, ²¹  be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. ²² 

Philippians 1:27

1:27 Only conduct yourselves ²³  in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that – whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent – I should hear that ²⁴  you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁵ 

Philippians 2:1-4

Christian Unity and Christ’s Humility

2:1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, ²⁶  any affection or mercy, ²⁷  2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, ²⁸  by having the same love, being united in spirit, ²⁹  and having one purpose. 2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition ³⁰  or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 2:4 Each of you should be concerned ³¹  not only ³²  about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. ³³ 

Philippians 3:16

3:16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard ³⁴  that we have already attained. ³⁵ 

Philippians 3:1

True and False Righteousness

3:1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, ³⁶  rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Philippians 1:13

1:13 The ³⁷  whole imperial guard ³⁸  and everyone else knows ³⁹  that I am in prison ⁴⁰  for the sake of Christ,

James 3:13-18

True Wisdom

3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. ⁴¹  3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 3:15 Such ⁴²  wisdom does not come ⁴³  from above but is earthly, natural, ⁴⁴  demonic. 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, ⁴⁵  full of mercy and good fruit, ⁴⁶  impartial, and not hypocritical. ⁴⁷  3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness ⁴⁸  is planted ⁴⁹  in peace among ⁵⁰  those who make peace.

James 3:1

The Power of the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, ⁵¹  because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ⁵² 

James 3:8-9

3:8 But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless ⁵³  evil, full of deadly poison. 3:9 With it we bless the Lord ⁵⁴  and Father, and with it we curse people ⁵⁵  made in God’s image.

[133:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 133. The psalmist affirms the benefits of family unity.

[133:1]  ² sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[133:1]  ³ sn This statement refers to the extended family structure of ancient Israel, where brothers would often live in proximity to one another (Deut 25:5), giving the family greater social prominence and security. However, in its later application in the Israelite cult it probably envisions unity within the covenant community. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 212-15.

[32:39]  ⁴ tn Heb “I will give to them one heart and one way to [= in order that they may] fear me all the days for good to them.” The phrase “one heart” refers both to unanimity of will and accord (cf. 1 Chr 12:38 [12:39 HT]; 2 Chr 30:12) and to singleness of purpose or intent (cf. Ezek 11:19 and see BDB 525 s.v. ֵלב 4 where reference is made to “inclinations, resolutions, and determinations of the will”). The phrase “one way” refers to one way of life or conduct (cf. BDB 203 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 6.a where reference is made to moral action and character), a way of life that is further qualified by the goal of showing “fear, reverence, respect” for the Lord. The Hebrew sentence has been broken up to avoid a long complex sentence in English which is contrary to contemporary English style. However, an attempt has been made to preserve all the connections of the original.

[13:34]  ⁵ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.

[13:34]  ⁶ sn The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God’s chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: It is an act of love that gives life to people. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.

[13:35]  ⁷ tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.

[17:23]  ⁸ tn Or “completely unified.”

[4:32]  ⁹ tn Grk “soul.”

[4:32]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “but all things were to them in common.”

[12:16]  ¹¹ tn Or “but give yourselves to menial tasks.” The translation depends on whether one takes the adjective “lowly” as masculine or neuter.

[12:16]  ¹² tn Grk “Do not be wise in your thinking.”

[15:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “grant you to think the same among one another.”

[16:17]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[1:11]  ¹⁵ tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.

[4:1]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “prisoner in the Lord.”

[4:1]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “walk.” The verb “walk” in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.

[4:1]  ¹⁸ sn With which you have been called. The calling refers to the Holy Spirit’s prompting that caused them to believe. The author is thus urging his readers to live a life that conforms to their saved status before God.

[4:2]  ¹⁹ tn Or “meekness.” The word is often used in Hellenistic Greek of the merciful execution of justice on behalf of those who have no voice by those who are in a position of authority (Matt 11:29; 21:5).

[4:2]  ²⁰ tn Or “putting up with”; or “forbearing.”

[4:32]  ²¹ tc ‡ Although most witnesses have either δέ (de; Ì⁴⁹ א A D² Ψ 33 1739^mg Ï lat) or οὖν (oun; D* F G 1175) here, a few important mss lack a conjunction (Ì⁴⁶ B 0278 6 1739* 1881). If either conjunction were originally in the text, it is difficult to explain how the asyndetic construction could have arisen (although the dropping of δέ could have occurred via homoioteleuton). Further, although Hellenistic Greek rarely joined sentences without a conjunction, such does occur in the corpus Paulinum on occasion, especially to underscore a somber point. “Instead” has been supplied in the translation because of stylistic requirements, not textual basis. NA²⁷ places δέ in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[4:32]  ²² tn Or “forgiving.”

[1:27]  ²³ tn Grk “live as citizens.” The verb πολιτεύεσθε (politeuesqe) connotes the life of a freeman in a free Roman colony.

[1:27]  ²⁴ tn Grk “the things concerning you, [namely,] that.” The ὅτι (Joti) clause is appositional to τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν (ta peri Jumwn) and therefore “the things concerning you” was not translated.

[1:27]  ²⁵ tn The phrase “the faith of the gospel” could mean one of three things: “the faith that is the gospel” (genitive of apposition), “the faith that originates from the gospel” (genitive of source), or “faith in the gospel” (objective genitive).

[2:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “spiritual fellowship” if πνεύματος (pneumato") is an attributive genitive; or “fellowship brought about by the Spirit” if πνεύματος is a genitive of source or production.

[2:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and any affection and mercy.” The Greek idea, however, is best expressed by “or” in English.

[2:2]  ²⁸ tn Or “and feel the same way,” “and think the same thoughts.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated “and be of the same mind” to reflect its epexegetical force to the imperative “complete my joy.”

[2:2]  ²⁹ tn The Greek word here is σύμψυχοι (sumyucoi, literally “fellow souled”).

[2:3]  ³⁰ tn Grk “not according to selfish ambition.” There is no main verb in this verse; the subjunctive φρονῆτε (fronhte, “be of the same mind”) is implied here as well. Thus, although most translations supply the verb “do” at the beginning of v. 3 (e.g., “do nothing from selfish ambition”), the idea is even stronger than that: “Don’t even think any thoughts motivated by selfish ambition.”

[2:4]  ³¹ tn On the meaning “be concerned about” for σκοπέω (skopew), see L&N 27.36.

[2:4]  ³² tn The word “only” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the ἀλλὰ καί (alla kai) in the second clause (“but…as well”). The bulk of the Western text dropped the καί, motivated most likely by ascetic concerns.

[2:4]  ³³ tc The bulk of the Western text (D*^,c F G K it) dropped καί (kai) here, most likely due to ascetic concerns. Strong external attestation for its inclusion from excellent witnesses as well as the majority (Ì⁴⁶ א A B C D² 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï) also marks it as original.

[3:16]  ³⁴ tc Although κανόνι (kanoni, “standard, rule”) is found in most witnesses, though in various locations in this verse (א² D² Ψ 075 Ï), it is almost surely a motivated reading, for it clarifies the cryptic τῷ αὐτῷ (tw autw, “the same”). Both the fact that the word floats, and that there are other variants which accomplish greater clarity by other means, strongly suggests the secondary nature of any of the longer readings here. Further, the shortest text has excellent and early support in Ì^16,46 א* A B I^vid 6 33 1739 co, rendering it decidedly the preferred reading. The translation adds “standard” because of English requirements, not because of textual basis.

[3:16]  ³⁵ tn Grk “Nevertheless, to what we have attained, to the same hold fast.”

[3:1]  ³⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[1:13]  ³⁷ tn Grk “so that the whole imperial guard.” The ὥστε (Jwste) clause that begins v. 13 indicates two results of the spread of the gospel: Outsiders know why Paul is imprisoned (v. 13) and believers are emboldened by his imprisonment (v. 14).

[1:13]  ³⁸ sn The whole imperial guard (Grk “praetorium”) can refer to the elite troops stationed in Rome or the headquarters of administrators in the provinces (cf. Matt 27:27; Mark 15:16; John 18:28, 33; 19:9; Acts 23:35). In either case a metonymy is involved, with the place (the praetorium) put for those (soldiers or government officials) who were connected with it or stationed in it.

[1:13]  ³⁹ tn Grk “it has become known by the whole imperial guard and all the rest.”

[1:13]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “my bonds [are].”

[3:13]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “works in the gentleness of wisdom.”

[3:15]  ⁴² tn Grk “This.”

[3:15]  ⁴³ tn Grk “come down”; “descend.”

[3:15]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “soulish,” which describes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. Cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 15:44-46; Jude 19.

[3:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”

[3:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”

[3:17]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “sincere.”

[3:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “the fruit of righteousness,” meaning righteous living as a fruit, as the thing produced.

[3:18]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “is sown.”

[3:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “for,” or possibly “by.”

[3:1]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:1]  ⁵² tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”

[3:8]  ⁵³ tc Most mss (C Ψ 1739^c Ï as well as a few versions and fathers) read “uncontrollable” (ἀκατασχετόν, akatasceton), while the most important witnesses (א A B K P 1739* latt) have “restless” (ἀκατάστατον, akatastaton). Externally, the latter reading should be preferred. Internally, however, things get a bit more complex. The notion of being uncontrollable is well suited to the context, especially as a counterbalance to v. 8a, though for this very reason scribes may have been tempted to replace ἀκατάστατον with ἀκατασχετόν. However, in a semantically parallel early Christian text, ἀκατάστατος (akatastato") was considered strong enough of a term to denounce slander as “a restless demon” (Herm. 27:3). On the other hand, ἀκατάστατον may have been substituted for ἀκατασχετόν by way of assimilation to 1:8 (especially since both words were relatively rare, scribes may have replaced the less familiar with one that was already used in this letter). On internal evidence, it is difficult to decide, though ἀκατασχετόν is slightly preferred. However, in light of the strong support for ἀκατάστατον, and the less-than-decisive internal evidence, ἀκατάστατον is preferred instead.

[3:9]  ⁵⁴ tc Most later mss (Ï), along with several versional witnesses, have θεόν (qeon, “God”) here instead of κύριον (kurion, “Lord”). Such is a predictable variant since nowhere else in the NT is God described as “Lord and Father,” but he is called “God and Father” on several occasions. Further, the reading κύριον is well supported by early and diversified witnesses (̲⁰ א A B C P Ψ 33 81 945 1241 1739), rendering it as the overwhelmingly preferred reading.

[3:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpous) has generic force, referring to both men and women.