Against hope Abraham<n id="1" /> believed<n id="2" /> in hope with the result that he became <b><i>thei> <i>father of many nationsi>b><n id="3" /> according to the pronouncement,<n id="4" /> &#8220;<b><i>so will your descendants bei>b>.&#8221;<n id="5" />

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear,<n id="1" /> but you received the Spirit of adoption,<n id="2" /> by whom<n id="3" /> we cry, &#8220;Abba, Father.&#8221;

To them belong the patriarchs,<n id="1" /> and from them,<n id="2" /> by human descent,<n id="3" /> came the Christ,<n id="4" /> who is God over all, blessed forever!<n id="5" /> Amen.p>

For though you may have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, because I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

<t /><p class="bodytext">It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with<n id="1" /> his father&#8217;s wife.

<t /><p class="bodytext">For I do not want you to be unaware,<n id="1" /> brothers and sisters,<n id="2" /> that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,

Then<n id="1" /> comes the end,<n id="2" /> when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.

<t /><p class="bodytext">From Paul,<n id="1" /> an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)

And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls<n id="1" /> &#8220;<i>Abba!i><n id="2" /> Father!&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Blessed<n id="1" /> is<n id="2" /> the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed<n id="3" /> us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.

I pray that<n id="1" /> the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,<n id="2" /> may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation<n id="3" /> in your growing knowledge of him,<n id="4" />

<b><i>For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will becomei>b><n id="1" /> <i><b>one flesh.b>i><n id="2" />

And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">From Paul<n id="1" /> and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians<n id="2" /> in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.

<t /><p class="bodytext">After God spoke long ago<n id="1" /> in various portions<n id="2" /> and in various ways<n id="3" /> to our ancestors<n id="4" /> through the prophets,

<p class="bodytext">By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him<n id="1" /> for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king&#8217;s edict.

All generous giving and every perfect gift<n id="1" /> is from above, coming down<n id="2" /> from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.<n id="3" />

With it we bless the Lord<n id="1" /> and Father, and with it we curse people<n id="2" /> made in God&#8217;s image.